Riley
Harsh. What are you going to do?
I’m going to the estate now. Gonna makeDad see reason.
Bailey
Don’t do anything rash! Magic dick isn’t worth losing everything over.
It’s not just about the dick, Bails. I love him.
And his dick. But mostly him.
Jill
You go, girl! Fight for your man! And his magical appendage!
I smile despite myself, grateful for my friends’ support, even if they don’t fully understand the gravity of the situation. I look up from my phone, frowning. The scenery outside has changed, unfamiliar and desolate.
“Josh?” I say, a chill running down my spine. “This isn’t the way to the estate.”
He glances at me through the rearview mirror and smirks, his expression twisted into something almost cruel. Then he speaks into his earpiece, his voice an inaudible murmur.
My heart hammers against my chest. “Who are you talking to?”
“With the boss,” he answers.
Ryder never used an earpiece. He always called his boss. “What’s your boss’s name again?”
“Sorry. Change of plans.”
I lunge for the door handle, but it’s locked. “Let me out!” I scream, pounding on the window.
“I have other orders.”
“Who are you?” Panic climbs up my throat, choking me. “What do you want from me?”
“I want nothing. But there’s someone else who wants to see you.”
“Let me out!” I scream again, desperation lacing every word, but his silence only fuels my terror.
I fumble for my phone, hands shaking as I try to find Ryder’s number. My fingers are slick with sweat, the screen unresponsive.
Come on, come on.
“What are you doing back there?” Josh glances back. “Fuck!”
Please, Ryder. Answer. Please.
Josh slams on the brakes, tires screeching. Before I can react, he’s at my door, yanking it open.
I scramble back, but he grabs my ankles, dragging me out. The road scrapes my skin as I thrash, desperate to break free.
“Help!” I cry out, but we’re in the middle of nowhere. No one to hear. No one to save me.
My nails dig into the earth as he pulls me to the side, leaving bloody trails in the dirt. With a grunt, he flips me onto my back, knee digging into my chest.
He snatches the phone from my hand and hurls it far away.
