Page 19 of Hot for Hostage

He followed the other two down the front steps, and Vince closed the door behind them.

I fumed, clenching my fists. How dare he trap me here while Bear was out there all scared and alone. And Davian didn’t know how to soothe Bear—he only liked the salmon treats when he was scared and never allowed strangers to pet him until trust was built.

Now I was left with Davian’s grumpy guard friend, whodefinitelyhated me but was now scrolling through his phone and acting like today was just another day.

“You’re Vince, right?” I asked, keeping my voice casual—butnotfriendly. As I’d just learned, these men weren’t my friends.

He grunted without looking up from his phone.

I eyed the familiar gun in his waistband and winced. “I see you got your gun back. Sorry about that, by the way. Desperate times, you know?”

His answering silence was deafening.

I cleared my throat. “So, how long have you and Davian been friends?”

He just kept scrolling, and I might as well have been talking to a brick wall.

My eyes narrowed. Was he giving me the silent treatment?

I glanced at the door, growing nervous. For all we knew, the Skulls could have dozens—or even hundreds—of members, but only two men had gone with Davian. “Is that all the backup he’s taking with him? Only two guys?”

Vince finally gave me a sidelong glance. “He won’t even need them.”

The way my stomach twisted into knots was a surprise.

Great. Now I was worried about my ex-hostage who’d turned the tables on me and trapped me here. “You don’t understand. Those boys arecruel. They could hurt Davian.”

Vince’s lips twitched like thisamusedhim. “Trust me. Davian’s a stone-cold killer. He can handle a few kids.”

I wasn’t sure Vince meant the killer part literally, but it did nothing to ease my worries. It was my fault Davian was in this mess, after all, and I’d feel guilty if he got hurt. Even if he had just terminated our fresh crime-fighting partnership and abandoned me in a strange new place.

I also thought of Bear and how alone he must feel. “I should be there. Bear needs a familiar face right now. He’s probably so scared.”

Vince grunted again. “Your dog is fine.”

“How do you know that?”

He sighed and put his phone away before finally looking at me head-on. The man was made of pure muscle, and the urge to flee hit me hard. “He likes all the shit dogs like, right? Squirrels? Birds?”

Thrown by the question, I blinked. “Uh, yes. He loves squirrels.”

“Those wannabe thugs, the Skulls, hang out at an abandoned car wash right by a park. Your dog is probably having the time of his life chasing more squirrels than he can handle right now.”

Hope filled my chest, and I risked fishing for a bit more. “Which park? He’s picky about them?—”

“Acresfield. Trust me, he’s happy as a clam. You’ll see him soon.”

I barely refrained from pumping my fist in the air. Did Vince think I was so little of a threat that he didn’t care what information he shared? I knew exactly where that park was—we walked the dogs there all the time—and even if I didn’t know where I was now, my phone could lead me back to the city.

Trying to still look upset instead of showing how happy this news made me, I wrapped my arms around my middle. “Is there somewhere I can go to be alone until Davian brings Bear back?”

Vince didn’t even bat an eye at my poor acting skills. He believed me easily enough and led me up the wide staircase, passed a guard holding another gun at the top, and down the hallway to a tall shiny wooden door. The inside of the building was the complete opposite of the stark outside. There were hardwood floors and plenty of natural light. Intricate carvings covered the door, but I couldn’t make out any distinct shapes.

“You can stay in this guest room.” Vince opened the door and waved me in. I took a hesitant step inside. “I’ll be right out here if you need anything.”

The way he said it sounded more like a threat than an offer, but I needed to get him away from the door for a little. I used the first excuse I could think of, even if it made little sense. “Actually, I could really use a shower since it’ll be a while. Are there any spare clothes I could borrow?”

Thankfully, his glare looked more annoyed than suspicious. “I’ll find something and put it outside the door.”

---