Page 16 of Innocent Intentions

He pauses.

“Think of it as… a vacation”

I gape at him. “A vacation?”

“Yeah. An adventure. A break from your normal life.”

Is he serious?

“Speaking of my normal life, can we go get Benny, please?”

“No.”

“My puppy needs me!” I whine, trying to emphasize how important this is.

Matty grabs his phone and makes a call. It connects to the car through Bluetooth.

“Hey, boss. What’s up?” A man’s voice answers.

“I need you to stop by–” He turns to look at me. “What’s your address?”

This is my chance.

“Help! I’m being kidnapped! Call the cops!”

I shout the words as fast as I can before Matthias ends the call.

The voice on the other end coughs awkwardly. “Uh… boss?”

“Don’t question me. Do as you’re told.” He tells the guy on the phone.

His eyes lock onto mine, his voice drops lower, deadly serious. “And you. Don’t pull that shit again.”

My stomach turns.

“He won’t go against me. Neither will anyone at my house. Nor anyone else you come across.” His voice is measured, even, like he’s stating cold, hard facts. “These are my men. They only listen to me.”

And then he says it.

“If you keep this shit up, I’ll take it out on Benny. Do you understand?”

My blood runs cold.

I feel like I’ve been punched in the chest.

Not my poor Benny.

I won’t let anyone hurt him.

Up until this point, although knowing I was being kidnapped by a murderer, it didn’t feel real.

Yes, I saw him shoot those men, but I was detached, like a scene from a movie. Maybe because those men were shooting at us, and against my better judgment, I believe him when he said it was us or them. Maybe because I’ve been in shock.

Or maybe it’s because his face and body almost make you forget you’re not here willingly.

But this? This makes it real.

Not my sweet baby.

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