Page 49 of Hollywood

“Nothing to say? Don’t worry Winter, I will do everything in my power to make you scream.” JT leaned inclose and brushed the back of his hand between my legs. “One way or the other. Trust me.”

I heard the warning in his words and my body trembled with fear. I wasn’t sure how much longer he and his men would hold us before they grew restless.

“Better hope daddy pays up. Soon. Otherwise youwillbe mine.” JT walked out, the rest of his men followed behind him, each of them brushing against us as they headed towards the exit.

“I’m so sorry.” Luisa spit out a tearful apology that was totally unnecessary. “I knew what was going on with you, not all of it but enough to know that I should’ve been careful.”

“Lu, stop. There was no way you could know that you’d become caught up in this. Hell, I never thought you would get caught up in this.” I would’ve been more up front with her sooner if it had even occurred to me that she’d get mixed up in this.

“No, I should’ve known that guy was too hot and too charming when he started flirting with me.” She shook her head. “It was so fucking stupid.”

“Come on Lu, hot guys chat you up all the time and sometimes, okayoften, you go home with him. No big deal. You couldn’t have known so stop it. I’m the one who’s sorry and you have to accept it.”

She managed a laugh and for that fraction of a second it felt like we were back in my bedroom or our favorite diner, laughing and talking shit about anything and everything. “I have to?”

“Yep. We’re tied up and naked because of me so I think that trumps it all.”

“What you did, coming after me to hand yourself over in my place? Holy shit Winter that was so brave and amazing. So fucking badass.”

“So stupid, you mean.”

“Being brave is always kind of stupid,” she replied. “Seriously, I don’t know how to repay what you did.”

“First of all, you don’t. You’re my sister from another mister and that means we’ll always be here for each other. Second, if we die here you won’t have to think about repaying anything.”

“Dark.”

I shrugged, as best as I could with my arms above my head. “It was so fucking stupid coming here alone. I should’ve waited for Hollywood instead of being pissed at him because he wasn’t ready to tell Dad about us.”

“Shit. That’s gotta be tough.”

“Yeah, and I didn’t make it any easier. You know the fucked up part? As I was writing him the note and trying to explain why I was coming after you, I finally understood why he wanted to wait. I was so stupid and impulsive and now I’m not sure that he’ll even find the note, which means we might be on our own in terms of getting out of here.” I hated to sound so defeatist, but I had to think about it seriously. If Lu and I were our only hope, then I needed to think.

I looked around the room and took note of all the windows and doors, even the rolling door hidden behind afew shelving units. We had options but first we had to see if we could get out of these damn shackles. They were wrapped around us tight enough that I felt the indentations in my skin and each time I moved, they tightened. No matter which way I turned, they squeezed my wrists.

“Getting out of here? How do you propose we do that and why are you spinning like that?”

“Twist to see if your shackles loosen.” I whispered the words low because although we were alone inside this room, I figured there was at least one man just outside that door. I twisted left and right until my back hurt. I spun harder until my feet left the ground completely, which only made it harder to twist. “Dammit.” I felt useless. I felt unprepared to save myself which was ridiculous because who was ever ready for such a thing?

Hollywood.

God, how I wished he was here right now. He’d flash that gorgeous smile and say something sexy and badass that would make me feel like the strong capable woman I sometimes think I am. “Don’t give up,” I whispered to myself.

“You’re being too loud,” Lu warned as the chains rattled louder, the more I moved.

“I can’t just sit here Lu. You know what they’re going to do to us if they don’t get what they want and they won’t because my dad can’t pay that money. And even if he does pay, I don’t trust these fuckers to keep their word. Look at you still here with me instead of back at home!” My emotions were spiraling, and I knew from past experience that wouldn’t help me at all. “Sorry. Look, I’ll try to be quieter, but I can’t stop trying to get out of here before they make us wish we alreadydead.” Thinking like that was helpful either, but it was the only thing motivating me right now.

Escape.

Save Lu.

Save myself.

Find Hollywood and make him mine.

***

I don’t know how much time passed, it might have been ten minutes or ten hours for all I knew. I’d tried loosening the shackles with no luck, and Lu and I had sunken into some kind of silent acceptance of our fate. I knew I had to be more assertive, but I figured I also had to conserve my strength for whatever was coming.

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