Page 93 of Mad Love

The man stopped at the one second from the end and pressed his thumb onto a scanner above the doorknob. A moment later, the lock flashed green, and the tumblers disengaged. He opened the door and turned to me. “Purse.”

I slowly handed it over.

“Phone?”

“It’s in my bag.”

He nodded and jerked his head at the door. “Wait inside.”

The second I cleared the door, it closed behind me. Panic flared in my chest, and I tried the doorknob, my heart thrashing as I realized it was locked.

Whirling around, I looked at what was definitely a blue room. Blue velvet couches sat against navy blue walls. There was another door on the other side of the room, but it, too, was locked tight.

A red pulse of light in the corner caught my eye, and I spotted the security camera. I wondered who was on the other side. If someone was watching me freak out in this little blue box.

The last thing I needed was for them to get suspicious.

I walked over to a couch and sat down to wait.

CHAPTER 33

MADDIE

I had no idea how long I waited. I finally started humming just to break up the silence that settled around me like an oppressive blanket.

When the door I’d entered unlocked and opened suddenly, I scrambled to my feet. The man from the bar stepped inside, my purse under his arm.

“Jake?” I guessed, remembering what Nancy had called him.

He stared at me, his expression like something carved from granite. There was zero emotion as he looked me over. Finally he uttered one word that made my heart clench. “Strip.”

“Excuse me?” I spluttered, folding my arms over my chest and taking a step back.

He sighed, looking utterly bored. “Strip. You know the drill.”

I swallowed roughly. “Isn’t there a woman who can… What about Nancy?”

He snorted. “Cute, but you still have your clothes on.”

“Look, buddy, I’m not stripping for you,” I snapped, irritation lacing my words.

“Then get the fuck out,” he replied with an indifferent shrug. “Doesn’t matter to me either way.”

I shifted on my feet, not entirely sure what to do. I’d anticipated being searched, but not strip searched.

He rolled his eyes. “Look, unless you’re hiding a third nipple, I can assure you that you haven’t got something I’ve never seen before.” He paused. “Scratch that. I’ve seen a third nipple before. Fuckin’ weird shit.”

“Are you serious?” I gaped at him.

He nodded and pointed to his ribs. “Yeah. Fucker was right here.” He snapped his fingers. “Just strip so I can make sure you aren’t wearing a wire or sneaking something in.”

I looked down at my skinny jeans and black tank top. “Does it look like I’m hiding anything?”

“Sweetheart, I’ve seen a woman old enough to be your great-grandma come in here with a gun shoved up her cunt and a bowie knife in her ass. Why? I don’t fucking know, and it ain’t my job to care. It’s my job to make sure that shit stays up here, which is exactly where your perky ass will be unless you strip.” He ran a hand through his dark hair and shot me an exasperated look, his dark brown eyes full of annoyance.

“Fine,” I muttered, pulling off my top and toeing off my shoes. I stripped down to my bra and panties, and when he rolled his eyes again, I stripped out of those too.

My gaze cut anxiously to the camera as it kept flashing, recording every movement.

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