Page 12 of Hot for Hostage

His wary gaze bounced from me to the girl. “Everything okay out here?”

“All good.” I adjusted the cuff of my dress shirt beneath my jacket. “We’re leaving now.”

“I’m really sorry about the whole gun thing—and for making all this mess,” Sadie told Bruno with a wince. She crouched and quickly collected the scattered flyers into a pile. “I guess we won’t need these anymore, since Davian is helping me. Do you have room for them in your recycling bin?”

Bruno was too busy staring at me in shock to acknowledge her. “You’re helping Sadie with the dog?”

“Don’t act so surprised,” I said dryly, despite having never done anything like this before. I nodded at the gun she’d been fiddling with. “She made a compelling argument.”

Bruno shifted like he wasn’t sure whether to let it go or charge at me with an ice cream scooper, but he settled for questioning the girl again. “Would you like a cone for the road?”

Sadie stood up with the stack of flyers and seemed to seriously consider it before shaking her head. “Thanks, but I’m too worried to eat.”

“It might lift your spirits?” he pushed, and my fingers twitched. She’d already said no.

But when Sadie bit down on her lip again, I bit my tongue. That was another surprise. Davian Reed letting a woman run things?

Unheard of.

But Sadie was already making moon eyes at the ice cream display.

“You’re right. Maybe just one small sample of butterscotch wouldn’t hurt?” she asked with a sheepish smile.

She was too damn cute for her own good.

The big man smiled from ear to ear and dipped a tiny spoon into one of the big containers before passing it over the counter, trading her for the stack of flyers. “Good luck. I hope you get Bear back safely.”

“Me too. I’ll see you later, Bruno. Thanks for the sample!”

Bruno nodded and cleared his throat. “Mr. Reed?—”

“We’ll talk later,” I said, cutting off whatever he wanted to say with a sharp look. If he warned me not to hurt this girl again, I might end up grabbing the gun from Sadie and showing her just how afraid of me she should be. “And send me the plans you have for the space next door. I’ll look over them.”

I ushered Sadie out the door while she downed the ice cream with a pleased hum.

Vince was waiting halfway down the block when we stepped outside, and I grumbled under my breath. How was I supposed to explain to him I was willingly being taken hostage? He’d probably call my old man and say I’d lost it.

“Everything’s fine. I’m just going for a little ride with Sadie here.” I winked, touching my hand to the small of her back. My fingers itched to reach lower to the swell of her ass.

“A ride?” Vince stared at me like he didn’t recognize me, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure I did either. I wasn’t usually one to think with my dick.

His gaze strayed to Sadie—who was fumbling with the gun and trying to conceal it in her pink overalls—before narrowing on me. “Boss?”

“Why don’t you head back to the compound?” I suggested. “We shouldn’t be long.”

Sadie mumbled something under her breath about women’s clothing and lack of pockets. She wasn’t even paying attention to us.

Vince’s lips thinned. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I’m deadly serious. Trust me.”

While I stopped walking when we reached Vince, Sadie kept going. She veered away from us and power-walked over to a yellow Volkswagen Beetle parked at the curb without seeming to care if I—her hostage—was following her or not. I shared a mystified look with Vince before jogging after her.

The closer I got, the more her ride looked like a death trap than a car.

Where were the rims? The bumper? I’d bet good money the paint had faded years ago.

“Why don’t I drive?” I asked. In all honesty, I was ready to insist we take the bus if she was so against riding in my car.Anything but this trash can on wheels. “You have to hold the gun on me, and it isn’t safe to drive with one hand.”

---