His Hostage

“I don’t have your money.” I push myself up from the ground to sit and it takes a moment with my hands cuffed together in front of me. I reach up and touch the side of my head and feel where he hit me. It’s tender, but I don’t feel blood.

“I don’t need that money anymore. Apparently you’re worth more.” He smiles and it sends a chill down my back. “I actually might get to collect off you twice. I know Warren is more than willing to pay what you took, but I wonder what I can get from Cooper.” A lump forms in my throat. I hadn’t gone back to our hotel room. For all Cooper knows, I’m with Monte and have been playing him the whole time. Tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to let myself believe that. Not after what we shared and what I felt between us. There was no hiding what happened last night and I know it changed him like it did me.

“You brought Warren here.” Who else would have told him? “You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

“I’m dealing with an extremely wealthy man who’s willing to pay triple what you stole from me to get his hands on you.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him I didn’t steal anything from him but I don’t. I may not be part of Cooper’s band of brothers, but I’ve got loyalty to them. I’m on their side and I’m happy they stole Monte’s dirty money. Without that I would have never met Cooper either.

“If I would have known the man you were running from was willing to pay so much for you I would have sold your ass a long time ago.”

His laugh is humorless and I’m sick to my stomach. How could I not have seen he was an asshole the first day I met him? With raising myself most of my life, you’d think I’d be better at reading people or have more street smarts than I do. I somehow just always step right into shit.

“I guess this way I might get paid twice and get my hands on Cooper fucking Ross in the process.” The way he says Cooper’s name gives me a chill. He flicks his cigarette as he stands and walks closer to me. “You’re lucky I like money more than I do revenge. But I think when Cooper finds out I handed you over to another man, he won’t be pleased.”

Being handed over to Warren has another panic attack forming and I hate the idea of Monte using me to hurt Cooper. Anger rushes forward and it helps push the threat of a panic attack down.

“Cooper thinks I’m on your side,” I lie, thinking maybe I can get Cooper out of his line of fire. It’s clear Monte isn’t going to give me back to Cooper even if Cooper pays him the money he took. I know the money is already gone because I watched them divide it up.

“Good old boy Cooper wouldn’t fuck someone he thought was playing it dirty. No, he was all over the poor damsel in distress and wanting to save the day.” I pale. How does he know we slept together? “Unless someone else left that hickey on your neck?”

I involuntarily touch my neck as I try to remember if I saw a hickey. His hands and mouth were everywhere, so it was hard to keep track of everything while I was experiencing the greatest pleasure of my life.

“There’s no hickey, but now I know for sure he was all over you. Why else would he buy you all those clothes?” He pulls out another cigarette and lights it. “Let’s not tell Warren you spread your legs for Cooper. Something tells me he wouldn’t like that. He said you had to come back to him in one piece. I’m thinking that has something to do with your virginity?”

My face heats, but Monte keeps on going.

“He kept talking about you being pure.” He cocks his head to the side to study me. “You really a virgin? I didn’t think those were still a thing.” He makes a face like he ate something bad. “Who wants a fucking virgin? I want a woman on my dick who knows what she’s doing.”

Monte reaches down and openly adjusts himself. I do not want to think about him having sex. His phone beeps and pulls his attention from me. I look around while he’s distracted to see if there’s anywhere for me to escape to.

“Let him in,” Monte says before ending the call.

“Warren’s here.” He puts his cigarette out in the ashtray on the table and my heart starts to pound.

I try and focus on my breathing again as the thick metal door flies open. There stands Warren and my blood runs cold.