Page 138 of Taste of Addiction

“You drugged me when you were watching me another time at the penthouse too? In my water?”

“I couldn’t let you get clean yet,” Owen laughs. “What fun would that be? I needed Graham to doubt you. You made it too easy, though, really. You wanted drugs and would seek them out like a kid wanting candy. You even took my knockoff ones you thought were prescribed to me from a dental procedure. Made my job super easy.”

I am going to die in this house. They are going to murder me and then bury my body in my beloved field.

“You just couldn’t leave things alone, could you?” Mark asks, moving closer to my bound body. He reaches a finger to my cheek, trailing it along my jawline and then my throat. “Graham’s little security squad thinks I'm in Nevada. Austin and Malcolm are incapacitated outside. And Graham and Collins got tricked into leaving you here all alone. Isn’t this all just cute?”

“Help!” I scream. “Help me!”

Mark cups my throat with the palm of his hand, tightening his grip to block out the sound flying out of my mouth. I struggle against Owen’s hold, my efforts futile.

“No one is here to help you, my dear. Only people here are a pack of vulturous villains, ready to pay homage to The Prophet by delivering you to him. You, my dear, are the sacrificial lamb.”

I feel my face go numb from the lack of oxygen. I go limp in Owen’s arms as Mark takes a step back, releasing his hold on my throat. I gasp for air, sucking in as much as I can, worried that it will be my last chance. I am surrounded by madmen, and there could be more lurking about the house.

“Who planted drugs in my pockets last night?”

Owen’s snicker lets me know the truth. “Yours truly.” His lips kiss my cheek and I feel like I could vomit. “Oh, and let’s not forget the ones I put in your nightstand drawer back at your townhouse. I mean, in all honesty, we didn’t have to do much to get you flying high. You were such a willing little druggie.”

“But you weren’t part of the scene the other times I think I got drugged,” I hiss.

“That would be my buddy. You know how it is… Teamwork makes the dream work.”

Bryce. It was Bryce. He had access to me at The Shack the night I sang with Zander. It was also the night I self-medicated on my own. He had access to me at the Halloween party and so many other instances. He got to Monica easily. And he had access to Gossip Girl Tracy.

“Your boyfriend has caused me a lot of problems,” Mark states freely, joining back into the conversation. “But if it wasn’t for your silly quest at justice over the recent druggings, I would have been able to move more product and secure more territory.”

“How could someone as insignificant as me cause you anything?” I ask, trying to get him to talk.

“You knew from our first date,” Mark answers, “that I was up to something. You have been recording meetings ever since. At first I thought Hoffman hired you to spy on me. But his attraction to you couldn’t be hidden. Exploiting you as his weakness was almost too easy. And there was no way he would use someone he cared about as bait—even if it was a means to bring me down.”

“Is that why you constantly tried to talk in other languages? To get me to not know what you were doing? Probably worked on less intelligent girls, huh? You did like the concept of handpicking your dates. Sucks that you wanted me. I could see through your bullshit.”

“Who in their right mind has enough balls to actively try to investigate a crime boss like myself? Do you even know who I am?”

I shrug. “Apparently not.” I look him up and down. “Your semiauthoritative demeanor doesn’t exactly translate over to boss status. Oh, and I’m nearly positive that you aren’t calling any of the shots,” I taunt.

“Little bitch has some jokes,” Owen snickers behind me.

“Which one of you tampered with my car, sent me threatening text messages, and tried to terrorize me? I was followed and made to feel scared, just like my friend Resa. Cowards. You guys are fucking cowards!”

“Our secret weapon was the executor of those fun acts, including almost running you over while you were out exercising.”

Damn. I even forgot about that. All this time I’ve been tormented and didn’t even realize to what extent. Nothing was a coincidence. It has all been planned. “So, it was Bryce,” I answer simply. I look into Mark’s eyes as he realizes the depth of my discoveries. “Oh, you thought all this time I was just some stupid girl?”

His smile is wicked. “Oh, you’re definitely stupid.”

I twist against the hands holding me hostage. “And you, Owen, followed me to Baker City and played the hero coming to rescue me.”

I can feel his chest shaking with laughter. “I play the good guy character well, don’t I?”

“Just wait until Graham finds out what you all are doing to me. I would be scared.”

“The whole point is for him to find out. We’re counting on it,” Mark sneers. He removes something from his pocket and holds it up to show me. “And finding you will be the best part. The main event, if you will.”

My eyes focus on the little black bracelet that has a blinking green light on the top. Shit. I am the bait.

I struggle in Owen’s arms as Mark wraps the band around my wrist, clicking it into place. It is different in structure than the one Austin used at The Shack when there was a riot. This has a more permanent feel to it and is heavier.

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