Anji was the only one who knew the facts.
When my phone rang, I answered without looking at the screen.
“Are you coming back to the office?” Anji asked.
“Why?” I said.“Do you want to leave early?”
“Nah. You know I don’t have a hot sex life like you do,” she lamented.“Just come back and tell me more of yours.”
“Didn’t Darius ask you out?” I sniggered.
“Please.” She snorted.“I found his profile on Grindr. That’s just being greedy. That dickhead fucks everyone.”
“Do you want me to pick up some batteries for you on the way back?” I asked, waving at Joyce as I headed out.
She was one of the new recruits who’d caught a major safety flaw while handling certain chemicals.
“You’re such a bitch,” Anji sighed.“But I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said with a smile.“Maybe you can borrow Guard 3 for an hour or two.”
“Hmm,” she hummed. I shook my head.
“Three might do as a temporary solution.”
“See you soon,” I said, pushing the door open.
It was date night, and I didn’t care what Blaidd said—he was still obsessed with fucking me into the mattress every Friday. He hit peak energy by then.
My smile faltered when I saw Guard 3 lying unconscious a few feet from the car. I rushed over to check his pulse, registering the small pool of blood on the concrete.
Silly me.
I never reached him. Someone stuck a needle in my neck.
???
How many times did a girl need to be kidnapped?
My head throbbed as I regained consciousness. A quick glance around the dark room told me this wasn’t a luxurious kidnapping. I lay on a filthy concrete floor, and when I tried to sit up, I realised one hand was cuffed to a metal pipe.
I immediately ruled Blaidd out. The floor wasn’t bleached, disinfected, or glowing. Even the stone cellar had been clean.
God. Was I normalising kidnapping?
A clicking sound came from the corner, followed by the flicker of a flame. A man lit a cigarette. From what little I could see, I didn’t recognise him.
The cigarette glowed, and I smelled the tobacco rather than seeing it.
I could shift, Bouda said cautiously.
I let my back relax against the wall.
Are you okay?
Yes. A little woozy.
That’ll pass.
