“Hurry up, bitch! Luck and Lori are on the way back, and I know you don’t want to be on the phone when the Wicked Wanch of the West gets here.”
“Sure the fuck don’t.” He frowned, placing the phone to his chest before giving his attention back to me. “Look, Blossom, I was just bullshittin’. Good seafood or not, I want this house. I won’t be back in the city until next week, so send me the paperwork, and I can wire you the money directly.” Glancing over at Stacy, he grinned. “You wanna have dinner with a nigga?”
“Hell yeah! And if you got money to pay for a house in full, I know you got sixty to pay for my meal.” Walking over to the coatrack, my crazy best friend grabbed her purse and jacket. “Friend, it’s getting dark out. Lock this up so we can leave.”
Letting her know I wanted to do one last check to ensure all the doors and windows were secured, I told her I was right behind them and thanked Mr. Mitchell for his business as they walked out the door. Stacy didn’t know it yet, but I was going to give her the entire commission for this sale. Maybe it would motivate her to take selling more seriously. As I placed my hand on the doorknob, the door was pushed open, causing me to jump back in fear.
“Rowan?” I screeched, placing my hand over my chest. I felt as if I was about to have a heart attack. “What are you doing here?”
I hadn’t seen or heard from my brother since the day he went ballistic at my father’s home. I never allowed his sickness to dictate the way I treated him, and no matter how mean he was to me, I could never wash my hands completely of him. He had an illness, and while drugs and liquor didn’t help his behavior, I couldn’t just turn my back on him.
“Hey to you too.” He glanced around the home as he swayed back and forth. Wiping the tip of his nose, he appeared to be flustered. “You act as if you’re not happy to see me.”
“Surprised, is all.” I crossed my arms and took in his attire. His clothes were dingy and wrinkled, and he smelled as if he’d been swimming in a liquor barrel. “Why are you here? I thought it was,fuck the family?”
Just because I couldn’t do away with Rowan didn’t mean I was succumbing to his bullshit. I’d vowed not to tolerate his disrespect after the Governor’s Gala. I could love and pray for him from a distance until he could learn to respect me. Until then, I didn’t have anything for him.
“Still a bitch, I see.” He frowned as he mugged me. “You’ve always thought so highly of yourself and?—”
“You know what? I’m not doing this with you.” I stepped around him and toward the front door. I made a mental note to come back over tomorrow and air the place out after this little visit that possibly brought in a stench. “I have never once treated you like you’re less than my big brother. I have always had your back, Row, even when others told me you were a lost cause.
“If you want to hate me and blame me for whatever is going on in your life, fine. You can do that in the comfort of your own home and not the one that is about to get me a twenty-thousand-dollar commission.” I held the door open and eyed him. “Let’s go.”
Mugging me, he said nothing as he grunted and stumbled out of the house. I wasn’t in the mood to argue with him about some made-up scenarios in his head. I was feeling good and hoping that I could call JJ over to help me feel even better.
“I’m going to sleep well tonight knowing your world is about to crumble around you.” He gritted at me with clenched teeth. “I wish I could stick around to see it.”
“Mhm, and I’m going to sleep even better knowing I haven’t burnt bridges with people I love the most over imaginary animosity,” I called back over my shoulder. I was done with the conversation as far as I was concerned. He said nothing as he stomped his mad ass across the street to his truck.
“Man, it’s cold out here.” I shivered as I locked the house up before wrapping my arms around me. The air was frigid and crisp, and I couldn’t wait to get home and light my fireplace. “It’s time to bring out the camo and Uggs.”
Unlocking my door, I felt my phone vibrating in my bag. Seeing as though it was a private number, I silenced it before stuffing it in my purse. I knew it was only TJ calling to plead his case for the hundredth time, and I didn’t have the patienceto listen to his shit tonight. To the side of me, I could see my brother still staring as he stood beside his own vehicle.
Weirdo.
“I hope the taco truck is still open,” I said to myself as I slid inside my truck. My stomach growled, telling me what I already knew: I hadn’t eaten all day. “I want three fully loaded—Mmm!”
Right as I pushed the start button in my Range Rover, I felt a hand wrap around my neck as a wet cloth was pressed over my mouth and nose. My heart felt as if it was going to jump out of my chest as I clawed and scratched at the gloved hand. I tried my best to lift from the seat and reach for the handgun stashed in my glove compartment, but it was no use. My limbs began to feel heavy, and my breathing slowed, causing my fight-or-flight response to weaken. Seeing my brother at my window, I called out for him as loud as I could. Opening my door, he reached over my extended hand and grabbed my purse from the passenger seat. Tears ran down my cheeks, and before I knew it, my body began to slump back onto the seat as everything around me faded to black.
“Ugh,” I groaned as I tried my hardest to peel my eyes open. My head was pounding, and my body felt as if I had been hit by a freight train. “What in the world is going on? Where the hell am I?”
Looking around the room, I noticed the dim overhead light and the smell of cigarettes and cheap liquor, which alerted me that something was very wrong. The faint sounds of music and people shouting could be heard above me. Searching for a sign of where I might be, I began to panic when nothing gave away my location. Screaming for help, I tried my hardest to lift from thesmall bed, but it was then that I realized my hands and feet were cuffed. Tears streamed from the corners of my eyes because I didn’t understand what was happening.
“Welcome back, baby.” I snapped my head toward the doorway of the room where the voice had come from. “You’ve been knocked out for hours. I thought I was going to have to call in a doctor to see about you.”
Stepping further into the room, a potential client, who’d come to an open house a few weeks ago, came into the light, smiling. Confusion and fear overcame me because I didn’t understand how or why I’d ended up with him. Eyeing me like a predator, his face showed nothing but ill intentions. Sweat began to form above my brows as my heart rate increased and I questioned myself frantically.
Why am I here? And with him? Who is this man?
“Damien, right? What’s going on?”
I pulled at the cuffs as I glanced around the room, looking for possible exits. The twin bed I was on appeared to be placed in the middle of a room, and from the setup, I knew it had to be a basement of sorts. There was a single sink and a toilet, but pretty much nothing else. It was cold, dark, and smelly, proving no one frequented the space often. None of those things helped with the anxiety that was brewing within me.
“Where am I? Why am I here? Why am I cuffed to this bed?”
“You’re home.” He smiled brightly as he stretched his arms wide, gesturing around the room. “Granted, it won’t always be like this as long as you comply.” His smile turned into a sneaky grin. “I’ve been wanting to get my hands on you for months, Blossom.” He eyed me creepily as he sipped from his bottle of water. “I had to wait for the right time. I’ve seen you around the city, here and there, but the day at your open house, being up close and personal with you, I knew you’d be mine.” He stepped closer to the bed, and I fought not to show that I’d taken in asharp breath. “Patience has never been my strong point, but for you, Blossom, I didn’t mind. Letting Rowan run up his gambling tab was a no-brainer. I knew he would never be able to pay his debt, so when I suggested he pay up or lose his life, I knew bargaining you into the deal was a win.”
“R-Rowan?” I croaked, still pulling at the cuffs, hoping they would somehow break and set me free. “My brother told you to take me?”
