Gio

He continues his exploration, running his hands down my sides to my hips slower that necessary. He reaches my ass, his hands lingering there ever so gently. For some reason I want him to touch me hard, I want to feel the bite of his hands on my skin.

Maybe I’m sex-deprived, because what kind of crazy idiot would want this man to touch them like that in this situation?

He pats his hands down my legs, bending so his face is level with my lady parts. I hiss a breath feeling him there, so close to me.

“All good.” he rises, giving me another smirk as if he knows what my inner dialogue is saying right now.

Finally, free from his touch I take in the surrounding scene.

We’re in the bar, The Alibi, that Johnny and Rob planned to steal from. They claimed that this would be a simple job. It was late morning, no one should have been here but the manager. Their plan was to walk in and tell her to fill

their bags with all the money the place had. She should be trained to just hand over the money, most employees at places like this were. Their lives are worth more than whatever cash the place has, plus these places are insured for things like this. It should have been easy, they made it sound so easy.

Apparently not.

Johnny and Rob both sat on the floor bound with their hands behind their backs and their ankles and thighs together in a kneeling position. Johnny looked cold and fearless. Rob on the other hand was crying. Of the three of them, he had always been the first to break. There was blood dripping from Rob’s calf, oozing out slowly while he whimpered.

“He’s hurt!” I eye my captor accusingly.

“He’s going to be fine.” he shot back, his playful grin is gone now. He looks at me annoyed. “What did you think was going to happen when you tried to rob me, hmm?”

“I need a first aid kit.” He doesn’t move to help me, instead he just continues to stare at me annoyed. “Please,” I try again. “Please, just let me help him.”

He watches me for a moment before finally caving. “Okay, sweetheart. I’m going to give you a kit, you can patch up your friend here and then you’re going to sit down over there,” he gestured to the bar. “And have a chat with me.”

“Okay,” I agreed quickly. “Just let me help him.”

He nodded to the other man. At his signal the man went and grabbed a first aid kit from behind the bar and brought it over to me.

It was a small kit, but it had enough in it for me to patch Rob up. I kneeled beside him, assessing the wound. He flinches when I touch his leg.

“Can you untie him?” I ask, knowing his answer before he even says it.

“No.” he replies sharply. The games are over, his smile is gone. Now he stands watching me with crossed arms. He’s scarier like this, he looks mean.

“I’m sorry, Annie.” my cousin sobs. He had always been the most sensitive of the three of us. He came up with the wild ideas that got us into trouble and then he was the first to cry.

I steal a quick glance at Johnny. His lips are pressed tightly together. He plays his part well, the one who went along with the bad idea and then acts as if he is above us, smarter than us.

“It’s okay,” I give him a fake, reassuring smile. My part was the sweet sister/cousin who swoops in to save their asses and then makes them feel better about being idiots.

Everybody has a role to play.

There is only one piece of glass in his leg, and luckily it isn’t too big. I gently pull it from his leg, eliciting a small scream from him, and then covered it with gauze.

“It needs stitches.” I turned to tell the tall, dark, and handsome man.

“There are butterfly strips in there.” He uses his Glock to gesture towards the first aid kit.

“That’s not enough.” I try again.

He gives me a half lipped smirk. “Well,” he draws out. “It’s that or a bullet, so pick one.”

“Butterfly strips it is.” Anger flashes through my words. Carefully I place the strips and then cover the whole thing with gauze and medical tape.

“Done.” I move my gaze up to meet my captors.

“Don’t talk to him, Annie.” Johnny shouts from his place, bound next to us.