Page 141 of Magic or Madness

“You’re just as sweet as described. I’ve taken such a special interest in knowing you, Fallon, and having you here is such a treat,” he says, tracing his fingers down my legs, his nails scratching my skin through my leggings.

I kick until his hands are off me, and he smiles, a twisted sense of pleasure creeping across his face. It’s a bold choice, forgoing a mask, and I do everything I can to memorize the details. If he’s taken interest in me, then he should know how smart I am, that every second he’s in front of me I’ll be studying him.

He’s sitting, but he’s stocky, his muscles bulging out of a white button-down shirt. Not in a flattering way, more like he uses steroids, and his size is just the façade of an insecure man.

He has dark brown hair, slicked back with a little wave in the front, and his eyes are dark, overall unrecognizable.

He’s just an average asshole, moonlighting as someone with a lot of power. Deep down, he’s nothing like the mask he puts on for the world, and he knows it.

“There’s the feisty, no-bullshit girl I’ve seen. You’re a woman of many faces, Miss Fallon,” he chuckles, almost as if he’s talking to himself.

“What do you want from me?” I ask with an annoyed tone in my voice, hoping to rile him up.

I may be tied up and kept here at his mercy, but I can play him like a fiddle, that much is obvious.

“You’re the only thing that they care about. I need them to comply and take the jobs I have for them. It’s beneficial for us all.” He preaches as if he’s the savior we’ve been looking for, but before I can say something to question his complex, it hits me.

This is the client.

The one we’ve been after, who blackmailed and forced Ozzy into a job he knew seemed impossible.

I try to keep my face from giving anything away, hoping to convince him that I’m just an innocent person in all this, not as important as he seems to think.

“I don’t know anything, I swear. I don’t put my nose in their business, I’d rather spend the money.” I bat my eyelashes, conjuring the personalities of both Pepper and Cami because every second he speaks to me, is another that I can use to hoard information.

“You’re smart. Smarter than I thought you were. That didn’t stop you from selling your body online for money, posting those very revealing pictures of yourself … such a shame a young girl could be so stupid,” he laughs, and my blood turns cold.

Everything inside me freezes at the mention of that side of me, something I hoped would never be discovered. Yet here I am, being held hostage, and this man has my biggest fear, and deepest secret, dangled over me like he’s found a fucking smoking gun.

“I was a minor, actually. My stepfather took those photos, posting them without consent. Your consumption is a directform of child pornography,” I say, fighting the urge to call him every name in the book and letting my anger take over.

I bite my lip hard – nearly drawing blood – to keep my mouth from running, but my words have an impact on him, and I know I struck a nerve.

Whoever he is, he did do his research, but not as deep as he thought, and it’s written all over his face. If I keep pushing, I’ll get him to reveal more, but I have to tread carefully.

He knows a significant amount about me, but I know nothing of him.

“What do you think, Fallon … is your boyfriend smart enough to accept the offer I made for your life?” He asks, and I close my eyes, pushing the thoughts of Ozzy away.

If I think of him, even for a second, I’ll break.

Right now, this is about me, my survival, and gathering as much information as I can.

I know he’s looking for me, doing everything he can to save me, and I have the utmost faith in him, but I can’t think about the one thing that my life is worth living for.

It’ll destroy me.

“He’ll probably want to negotiate,” I say, hating myself for giving them an exclusive look into the crews’ plans.

He nods, watching me closely, and I decide now is the time to ask for something and show my compliance.

“I’m sorry, but I really could use a restroom,” I say softly, my eyes meeting his.

“Of course, young lady. Alec, untie her,” he calls out, and I notch one in my personal scorebook.

Alec.

Alec comes instantly, loosening the knots around my ankles and wrists, assisting me as I try to sit up.

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