“My middle son. Tucker, Tanner, and Ryan.”
“You opted to veer away from the T names?”
“It was my wife’s request. She caught me at a weak moment.”
His voice is hard and clipped. He sounds so harsh, and I’m glad Tucker isn’t like his father. Not unless he has to be.
“Why do you say I’m like Tanner?”
He chuckles. “Because you have a sunny demeanor. I’m not sure we’ve ever had someone blindfolded and chained up who was so… jovial. I wouldn’t say you seem happy considering the circumstances, but you’re not quivering or cowering. It’s quite refreshing.”
“Most people find my personality annoying,” I admit.
Again, why? No idea.
“I find it delightful.”
Am I flattered? A mob boss finds me delightful. Something tells me this isn’t a good thing. Hopefully, he’s not the type who finds pleasure in trying to break me.
“You love my son, don’t you?” Benito asks.
“We haven’t known each other long. I’m just a means to an end, really. That’s what Ryan told me, anyway.”
Ryan coughs, and Benito snaps, “What’s she talking about?”
“I don’t know. She’s clearly crazy. What woman gets taken at gunpoint and remains this calm?”
“My bakery was robbed to get Tucker involved,” I say. “Tucker owns a security company, and one of his employees is dating mine. Before that, I didn’t know Tucker.”
I flinch as something hits a wall and breaks. A chair, maybe? As much as I want to take the blindfold off, there’s comfort in not being able to see what’s happening around me.
“You took a woman who isn’t Tucker’s girlfriend?”
No need to correct that. “Tucker says he can’t love because of what you did to Joanna. He has a wall built up that I’m chipping away at, but I don’t think I’ve fully broken through,” I say. “We only got close because of Ryan. Tucker felt responsible.”
“They didn’t even know each other until you started this?” Benito shouts.
Coughing follows his outburst, and I wish I had something to offer him. Water or juice.
Stop it, Phoebe! Don’t be so nice!
“Not technically, no,” Ryan says, his voice quiet. Contrite.
And I’m glad to still have the blindfold on now. I can feel the death glare Ryan shoots in my direction, and I don’t wish to see it as well.
But this might work to my advantage. Ryan’s method clearly wasn’t approved by Benito, and it might keep me alive. As much as it hurt to hear Tucker tell Ryan it wouldn’t upset him if I died, it might be just the one thing to keep me living. If that’s their goal, they might see my death as not meaning much.
Which is actually really sad, but if it keeps me breathing, I’m okay with it.
“Are you stupid?” Benito growls.
“You said you wanted Tucker here by any means necessary!” Ryan shouts. “This was any means necessary!”
“If he’s not in love with her, the threat of killing her won’t mean a fucking thing!” he shouts back, coughing heavily. “We have no leverage if he’s not willing to die for her like he was with Joanna!”
Die for me like he would have for Joanna? He might not. I think he’d miss me, though. At least for a little while. Which gives me a little bit of peace.
I knew from the get-go he couldn’t love me, but he’d miss me. That’s enough.
