Page 82 of Hot for Hostage

“Thank you, thank you,” he mumbled before more crying took over.

I pulled harder on the lock, but it was too sturdy. I scoured the ground for anything I could bash it open with. A large rock underneath one tree caught my eye, and I ran over.

“This could work,” I whispered, scooping it up with both hands and running back to the shed.

“Are you still there?” the man called, before breaking into a coughing fit. “Please, please help?—”

“I’m here,” I assured him as I lifted the rock high over my head, then hesitated. “There’s a lock, and I’m going to force it open. You should stand back, just in case I knock the door in.”

Turned out, I was woefully overestimating my strength.

I brought the rock down with all my might, and it harmlessly glanced off the lock—but not before pinching my finger between them. “Ow!”

My finger throbbed in agony, and I bit my lip to hold back a string of completely inappropriate curses. I cradled the rock in one arm so I could shake my finger out. When the shaking didn’t help, I popped it into my mouth to ease the pain.

It tasted horrible—like dirt and a bitter metallic tang that made my face scrunch up. “Blech!”

I was so focused on the pain that I didn’t realize someone had snuck up behind me until they spoke.

“Sadie?” Vince asked, startling me into dropping the rock and spinning to face him. His gaze dropped to the fallen rock, then up to the shed, before narrowing. “What are you doing out here?”

I drew my pulsing finger out of my mouth and picked the rock back up. “Vince, there’s a man locked in this shed! Help me get him out.”

Instead of rushing to the rescue and breaking down the door like he’d done at my apartment, Vince glanced at the shed with cold indifference.

“Sadie,” he repeated slowly, making no move to help me. “Put the rock down.”

“Don’t listen to him!” the man yelled. “You need to help me. I can’t breathe in here.”

“But—” My eyes darted between the shed and Vince’s stoic face, and a sinking feeling filled my stomach. I wet my lips and lowered my voice. “Did you know he was here?”

One of Vince’s thick brows arched. “Who do you think put him there?”

Shock stole the air from my lungs, leaving me breathless as my mind played catch-up.

“You’re keeping this man locked in there onpurpose?” I gaped at him. “Why would you do that? It sounds like he’s injured.”

The man in the shed whimpered pitifully in agreement.

“Please,” he begged. “Reed won’t let me live after this. I’m a dead man.”

Davian wouldn’t let himlive? My eyes widened in horror, but Vince’s stony expression didn’t even flicker.

This was the stuff of nightmares.

“You shouldn’t be out here,” he said to me, ignoring the man. “Come back to the house with me.”

He stepped closer and went to grab my arm, but I dodged out of his reach.

“No.” I turned from Vince and refocused on the shed. “This is wrong. I’m getting this man out.”

I bashed my rock against the lock.

Nothing.

Vince snorted behind me. “You don’t even know what he did.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I hit the lock again. “If he did something wrong, then we can report him to the police.”

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