The Woman in the Trunk

I felt a chuckle build, but forced it back down, refusing to find my kidnapper a little charming.

"How's your head? I can probably scrounge up some aspirin."

I hadn't given my head much thought. The constant, skull-piercing throbs had long since become tolerable. I imagined if I could get some sleep, it would be almost normal again. I'd gotten a look in the grimy bathroom mirror, seeing the black eye there, testament to my own idiocy.

"It's tolerable," I said, shrugging. "What?" I asked when his brow furrowed. It took a second to think that maybe I wasn't speaking like he expected. Maybe if I was seventeen, I would have said 'it's fine' or something like that, not that it was tolerable. I needed to be careful with that. Being seen as underage seemed like it was going to work in my favor with this family. Or, at least, with this man in particular. "Kinda hurts still," I added, going ahead and doing a pout as well.

"You went down so fast. I couldn't grab you in time."

I couldn't trust myself not to sass him about wanting me unconscious, pliant, so I focused on choking down the crappy food, washing it down with one of the bottles of Coke he'd had them add on the order.

"After we eat, we need to catch some sleep before we're off again."

"Are you going to stick me in a trunk again?" I asked, glancing at him sideways.

"I dunno. Probably. Maybe. Depends."

"On if I am a good little victim or not?" I asked, chin jerking up, something that got a lip twitch from Lorenzo.

"Something like that. Little bird is telling me your ass is going to be rolling around in the trunk again," he added, smirking.

Knowing me, I probably would.

But I was going to try to be quieter, bite my tongue, play my part. The less I fought, the more he would trust me. The more he trusted me, the more likely I was to catch him off guard and get away.

I will admit that my chances weren't great. And even if I did get away, where the hell would I even go? My father couldn't—and possibly wouldn't—protect me. And what was my other option? To go to the cops? That was a surefire way of getting a bullet in the back of my head.

I had no idea what the best play was. But I knew I couldn't just sit idly by and be an obedient victim until my father possibly saved me.

I knew better than anyone else that Leon Lastra was not exactly the savior type. I'd been saving his ass since I was still a kid.

So, this time, I would just have to save myself.

However I had to do that.

"I can see those gears turning," Lorenzo said, cutting into my swirling thoughts. "Don't get any ideas. You're not going to get away from me when I'm asleep," he said, and I hadn't even thought about that.

One bed.

Two people.

My stomach twisted, a knee-jerk, involuntary reaction.

"Relax," he said, voice softer. Well, as soft as someone with a deep, rough voice like his could be anyway. "I told you I'm not going to hurt you. I meant that. I don't put my hands on women if they don't want it. And I never fucking touch kids. So don't look at me like I'm a wolf about to rip out your throat."

Nope.

Just a guy who was going to hold me hostage until my father paid up. And who knew what would happen to me if my father didn't.

After dinner, I was un-cuffed long enough to be able to go into the bathroom, splash some water on my face, roll my sore muscles.

I was cuffed to the bed again while Lorenzo took a turn, then came back out, pulling off his rumpled suit jacket, hanging it over the chair, then staring dubiously at the bed.

"What are the chances this place has bed bugs?" he asked, looking a bit sick to his stomach at the prospect.

"Lift the mattress and check," I suggested, standing there while he did it.

"Don't see anything," he said, shoulders relaxing.

A big, bad mafia underboss was scared of little bugs? It was so ridiculous that it was almost funny.

But there was nothing to laugh about when, a moment later, he un-cuffed the bracelet from the bed frame and lifted it up, clamping it around his own wrist instead.

"Sorry, hellcat, can't have you trying to get away while I try to sleep," he said, shrugging, reaching up with his free hand to undo two buttons before giving my arm a little shake as he sat down on the edge of the bed, then started to inch up, bringing me with him, willing or not.

Lorenzo settled, then sighed out his breath.

"What?"

"Are you going to behave or do we need to get up so I can duct tape you and bind your other arm to the headboard?" he asked, not sounding too thrilled at the prospect.