Page 533 of Rage

“I mean, I wouldn’t say this is an ordinary Tuesday, but this sort of thing happens.”Especially when you’re the secret heir to a criminal empire.

Bony laughs, and it vibrates through me like electricity. “I like you. Chill under pressure.”

“Or delusional,” the other voice adds from somewhere down by my knees.

I’d shrug if I could. Instead, I click my tongue. “I’m in complete control of my faculties.”

“I take it this isn’t your first kidnapping?” happy guy says.

“Nope. Third.”

“Maybe you need to do better keeping yourself safe,” Grumps says.

“I was a kid the first two times. This one was a bit of a fuckup, though, I’ll admit. How’d you two get nabbed?”

“Car accident. They dragged us out while we were stunned. You?” Happy asks.

“I was trying on a hideous dress for my brother’s wedding. Stole me right out the back door before my security even noticed.”

“Is that why there’s all this extra fluff down here?” Happy asks, tugging on the tulle of the ridiculous gown with his bound hands, the backs of my knuckles registering the movement of his forearms, our skin burning where it touches. I try my best to ignore it. Not the time. Not the place.

“Yup. I’m embarrassingly princessy right now.”

“Could use a little less fabric and a little more leg room,” gripes the other guy.

“I think we could all stand for a little more leg room. No need for the attitude,” I say.

He scoffs, and Happy pipes in with a stage whisper. “He’s six four. This trunk situation is pretty dire for him, I imagine.”

“Damn. I’ve only known one guy that tall. He was a bit of an asshole, too,” I mock whisper back, thinking about one of my brother’s friends and a major crush of my preteen years.

“I can hear you. And who isn’t an asshole when they’ve been in a head on collision then stuffed into a trunk with a chatty debutante?”

“I’m no debutante! I’m a grown-ass woman, I’ll have you know.”

“Sure feels like it,” Happy says, nuzzling the crevice between my boobs.

“Buy a girl dinner first,” I tease, liking what he’s doing, wishing this were an entirely different encounter.

“I’m a little tied up right now, but I promise I’ll take you for a fun night out as soon as we’re free. Deal?” His hands find my knee under the tulle and give it a surprisingly comforting squeeze.

“Deal,” pops out of my mouth before I can fully vet my response, but really, his hands against my skin feel like they were made for getting me all riled up. A date might be nice. At least I know we have chemistry.

Grump scoffs. “Only you would find a date locked in a trunk, Liu.” Liu? Funny. My brother’s playboy best friend’s last name is Liu.

Liu laughs. “You’re just jealous you didn’t get tossed in first, O’Connell. Then you could have your face pressed into the sweetest smelling set of tits I’ve ever been blessed to know.”

O’Connell? No, no, no. Not Liam, “I had a crush on him when I was eleven and he was seventeen,” O’Connell. Not possible.

“Liam O’Connell? Xander Liu?” I squeak out.

“I see my reputation precedes me,” Xander says, but my ears are buzzing as the panic I wasn’t feeling earlier hits me all at once.

“Who’s asking,” Liam demands.

It takes all my courage to respond. “Cece. Cecilia Rodriguez. Eddie’s little sister.”

“Oh fuck,” Xander breathes out, my nipples not getting the memo that this is dire.

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