Page 18 of Filthy and Dirty with my Captors

“I said I’ll figure it out, Birdie.” His tone is sharp with anger. I’ve never seen him like this before.

“And then what?” I squeak as Moose flushes the cut with something else that stings.

“Then I talk to him, and I get him to retract the bid.”

I sigh, watching as Moose’s strong jaw locks as he threads a piece of string through a hooked wire. Something tells me this is going to hurt. “You’ve lost your mind! That’s not gonna happen, and if you show up in place of me, you’ll end up hurt. Maybe you missed the part where I signed a contract!”

The sharp pinch of the needle pierces through my skin and Hawk holds me tighter.

I sink into his touch as I stare toward Owen. “Why go through all this trouble? You could’ve talked to me.”

“Birdie… if I thought talking would make a difference, I would’ve talked all day long, but we both know you had your heart set on this. You wouldn’t have stopped for anything.”

“And I’m not going to. You’re holding me against my will. I can call the police. Wolfie saw everything. I’m sure he’s got people looking for me as we speak.”

Owen bites the inside of his cheek and stares at me as though he’s about to say something but holds back again. I’m so tired of the games. Moose pokes in another stitch and Hawkcradles me closer, brushing his fingertips gently against the outer edge of my arm.

Maybe I was wrong about Owen. I get that he hates what I’m doing, but that doesn’t give him the right to change the trajectory of my life. I had plans for that money. Big plans. Plans that were going to change everything, for both of us.

“I… I know it doesn’t seem like it, Birdie, but—”

“Just go. Please,” I groan. “Leave me alone.”

Owen and I have never fought. We like the same flavor of ice cream, we both prefer to keep the house clean, and I can be goofy with him and say whatever’s on my mind, whenever I’m feeling it. With him, life has always been a judgment free zone.

“Come on, Birdie. Let’s just—”

“Leave.”

His eyes sink and he turns away, nodding.

What the actual fuck is happening? Owen’s face is the one face I was looking forward to seeing. His heart is the one heart I was looking forward to finding comfort with. How could he be the one doing this to me? How could he hurt me like this? How could he take away my one chance to make my life better?

I suck in a deep breath and bury myself against Hawk’s chest, breathing deeply as Moose finishes the stitches. Hawk’s hand brushes across my forehead as he holds me close. “You’re okay, sweetheart. Just breathe.”

I shouldn’t trust either of these men. They both thought it made sense to go along with their friend. They both helped ruin my life, but who else am I going to turn to right now? I have nothing.Owen has taken it all from me.

Owen… my best friend. The man I pictured growing old with. The one I hoped would someday be my husband. Maybe I don’t get people as easily as I thought I did because I clearly missed the mark on this one. I mean, how did I not know that the man behind the mask was my best friend? How did I letsomeone who has the capability to do these things into my life in the first place?

Moose ties off the last stitch and stands with a groan, staring at Hawk. “Go get her a soda and a snack. She needs something to get her sugar up after all that pain.”

Ugh, I really don’t want to be alone with Moose. Aside from the fact that he’s intimidating as hell, he gives me this jittery stomach ache that makes my knees weak but also soaks my panties. It’s uncomfortable. With Hawk, I understand it. He’s sweet and straightforward. With Moose, I’m not sure what the hell is going on. It’s like my body is responding to him without consulting my brain. Like the coding in my DNA is taking over and I revert to a simpler state.

‘Woman must mate with a tall, strong man. Must produce strongest offspring.’

Hawk kisses the top of my head. “I’ll be right back. He’s not gonna hurt you.”

I’m not sure I believe that, but at this point, I’m exhausted by everything, and the sooner Hawk leaves, the sooner he gets back.

Moose lowers his heavy frame on the edge of the bed. “They aren’t pretty, but they’ll do the job. I’ll cut ‘em out after a week or two, and you should be fine. The pain’ll subside in a couple of days, but the ibuprofen will curb most of it. You got lucky it’s not on the joint. Shouldn’t impede you much long term.”

“Thanks,” I manage, biting back tears as I stare down at the ground before me. I don’t want sympathy or empathy or anything, really. The only thing I want is my bed. My bed, my phone, and something resembling reality.

Moose sighs loudly. I can’t tell if he’s annoyed by my tears or if he feels empathy. I’m going with the former. “You should talk to Owen. He only wants the best for you.”

“Sure. That doesn’t mean he was right. I’ve been working on this auction for months. He doesn’t get to cancel my life because he doesn’t agree with my choices, and he definitely doesn’t get to kidnap me!”

Moose clears his throat. “People act crazy when they’re in love. He’s a good guy. He’s just misguided.”

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