Page 48 of Hollywood

“They took Luisa,” he said. “It was the one guaranteed way to get her to ignore her own safety. Like you did for me many times. Including now.”

I didn’t want his easy forgiveness, dammit. I wanted Winter back. Now.

“I’ll take that.” Rebel snatched both phones and turned away. “I’m sending these to Slate, maybe it’ll help us figure out where she is.”

“I can help.” Win shook his head and let out a sigh that held the weight of the world on it. “I should’ve thought of it before. I’m not an expert hacker but I know my way around enough to be useful.” He was hopeful and I knew Slate would appreciate the help.

“Four hands are better than two,” Rebel encouraged him. “You need a computer or something?”

“Yeah.” He perked up. “I’ll just grab it.” He took off down the hall to his office.

It should’ve made me feel better, but it didn’t. The only goddamn thing that would make any of this better would be finding Winter and killing as many Jade Devils as I could. “I need to get some air.” The words came out on an angry grunt, but I didn’t give a damn as I yanked open the front door and slammed it shut behind me. I looked up and down the block to see if anyone was watching Winston’s house, but I didn’t see anyone.

Good. That would make this easier.

Based on the photo I had a half decent idea where they might be holding them because I knew they had no plans to let Luisa go. The Jade Devils only owned a few residential properties, and I guessed that’s where they were. There was no point telling them what they would find out for themselves soon enough.

I hopped on bike and took off, determined to save my woman.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Winter

“I’m sorry, Lu. So fucking sorry.” Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I couldn’t even wipe them because these sadistic bastards had us chained up by our wrists, naked and cold. And terrified. “I don’t know how they found you.” That was the part I was beating myself up about. I hadn’t called her or reached out to her during this mess because I wanted her to be safe.

And look at my best friend now.Sosafe.

“Stop apologizing.” Her teeth chattered with every syllable and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop her tears either. “This isn’t on anyone but the assholes who took me. And you.”

That didn’t make me feel any better no matter how true it was. “They’ve been watching me for a lot longer than any of us realized.” The idea that I was just living my life, happy and carefree and they’d just been watching and waiting, just in case they needed leverage to get more money. “I should’ve warned you the minute I found out.”

“Then they would’ve taken me the way they took you.” She sniffled between each word, unable to stop the flow of tears.

Guilt overwhelmed me and I was certain that we would both die tonight. “Whatever happens, don’t say a word. Yeah?”

Lu frowned but nodded in agreement. “Okay. I’ll try.”

For the most part the Jade Devils had left us alone after they stripped us of our clothes and chained us to a metal ring that hung from the wall. Our toes scraped the cement floor which kept us at a disadvantage, constantly struggling for solid ground. I wasn’t sure where we were since I was in the trunk, and they pulled me out inside here. This place was half warehouse and half house. The room where they kept us looked like a basement, only larger, with two sofas and a coffee table that had seen better days.

But an hour passed and then another before they reappeared. The one they called JT entered first, wearing a deeply satisfied grin that immediately put me on edge. “Ladies.”

“Whores,” one of his men called with a laugh but JT backhanded his chest.

“Be nice,” JT chided. “For now, they are our guests.” JT’s gaze never left me, focusing first on my face before he took a long slow look at the rest of me as he came closer. “You really shouldn’t have come alone.”

That same sentiment echoed in my mind ever since I was tossed into that trunk. But I kept my thoughts to myself.

“I mean, if you were my woman, which are now, I would never let you go. You’re far too beautiful to be left out here alone.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him that I didn’t belong to anyone, that I wasn’this, but I did what I told Lu and kept quiet. Even as his fingers touched my face, down to my shoulders and straight down the length of my arm, I stayed silent. My body trembled and tears fell, but I said nothing.

“In fact, I just might keep you for myself, locked up in my home waiting for me to come home every night to get lost in this sweet body. Yeah, that’s definitely on the table. Unless Daddy pays what he owes.” His fingertips slid down my chest to the area between my breasts and the under it, circling it while he watched my face for a reaction.

My body shuddered uncontrollably at his touch. I felt dirty and disgusted by his touch, but I swallowed down those emotions and thought about Hollywood. I hoped he had already read my letter and that maybe he was already searching for us. Though I wasn’t sure what good it would do, I had no idea where we were being held—but given the time I was in the trunk, I didn’t think it was the location they’d given me. I sighed. No matter what happened between us romantically or maybejustsexually, I knew he would come for me. My dad meant too much to him for him to stand back when he could act. I didn’t know how me and Lu would get out of this alive, but I felt certain that Hollywood and the Steel Demons would do everything in their power to find us, and that gave me something to hold on to.

“I’ll bet you have a tight little cunt,” he laughed. “I can’t wait to fill you with my cock.”

I made a mistake.I shouldn’t have come alone. I should have trusted that Hollywood and the Steel Demons would have rescued Luisa if I told them she was in trouble. I shouldnothave trusted that they would let Luisa go. It was clearly a ploy to get me alone, probably to force Dad to pay.Now me and Luisa are both going to die because I’m an idiot.

---