Page 153 of Tangled In Lies

Footsteps sound downstairs, yanking me out of my daydream.

Tyler walks in first, Eve not far behind him.

I give her a once-over. She seems okay, nodding at me in reassurance. My heart finally slows down its erratic beat. Tyler fastens her chain back to the bed, and after another caress over her hair, he steps away and approaches my side. I flip around, not wanting to let that motherfucker out of my sight for even a second.

Tyler unlocks my chain and grabs it. At the same time, he pulls out his gun, pointing it directly at me. “Let’s go.”

Unease trickles like ice water through my veins, and I try not to dwell on how he didn’t get his gun out for Eve but did for me.

One glance at Eve is all I manage before Tyler hauls me out of the room. There wasn’t even enough time to tell her I love her. Anger and fear war side by side inside me. What if this was the last time I saw her?

Tyler pushes me toward the staircase. “Upstairs.”

Fourteen. That’s how many steps the sleek wooden staircase has. I counted them all in an effort to keep my cool. I’m no use to Eve if I’m dead. I need to play along with Tyler’s game until I know how to get us out of here without putting Eve at risk. If he regularly takes us upstairs, maybe there’s a way to overpower him here, especially if he takes off the handcuffs.

The light is bright as my feet hit the carpet, and it takes a second for my eyes to adjust.

Tyler jabs his gun into my back. “Kitchen.”

I stiffen but shuffle toward the oversized kitchen island on the left where Ruby stands in front of a large window. The sun is setting behind her, and she briefly glances up when Tyler attaches my chain to one of the metal poles of the breakfast bar. No reaction. She simply focuses back on the food in front of her.

Tyler grabs a plate from her side of the kitchen island and dumps it unceremoniously on the floor before me with a huge smile. “Eat, pet.”

Since he seems to take so much pleasure from the degradation, I don’t blink an eye and sit. There’s no point in pissing him off when I’m handcuffed to a metal pole, and he’s the one with the gun.

There are two slices of bread, a banana, and string cheese on the plate.

I’ve had way worse in prison.

I pick up a slice of bread with shaky fingers, ripping off a piece to toss into my mouth.

Tyler’s eyes are on me. I stare back and demolish my food. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing. And I need every ounce of sustenance I can get right now. Who knows when he’ll feed us next. He takes a bottle of water from the counter and throws it my way, narrowly missing my face.

Dickhead.

Although I remember Tyler from when we were younger, and I saw him at the café when I picked up Eve, I never really paid much attention to him. He’s grown into his body since his scrawny teenage years, just like I did. His build is similar to mine, but I have ten or more pounds of muscle on me, thanks to Holden and his workout obsession.

Holden. What are the chances he’ll miraculously find us? Since we had to hand over our phones, I doubt anyone can track our whereabouts, not even Holden with all of his skills and contacts. The psycho probably destroyed the devices. A flicker of hope flares inside me. Maybe there’s a way Holden can figure out our last known location though?

Tyler’s taking me in the same way I do him, his jaw clenching the entire time. We continue to stare at each other, and I take comfort in the fact that the hand holding the gun is facing the floor and not me.

I finish my water and screw the cap back on. “Why are you doing this, Tyler? If it’s about money, it’s easy to solve.”

He scoffs. “You’re just like your father. Immediately thinking it’s all about the money.”

“My dad?” I tilt my head to the side and frown.

What the fuck does he have to do with this?

“Yes, your dad.” He strides a few steps into the livingroom, then stops to glare at me, before walking some more. “You know, when I first met you, I thought maybe you were different from him, but then you looked down your nose at me the same way that arrogant ass did.”

The more he talks, the more confused I get. Instead of answers, I’m left with a million questions. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. What does my dad have to do with you kidnapping us? Is this all about him? Did he screw over your parents, and you’re doing this for revenge?”

He glares at me and rushes over to where I’m still on the floor. My eyes widen, and I scoot back. Away from him. He takes my chain off the pole, his movements hasty and angry. He yanks me up without warning, and I groan when the metal bites into my burning skin.

Tyler jerks even harder, a sick, satisfied smile forming on his face. My stomach goes tight with knots.

He drags me across the room. “You have two minutes.”

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