Page 112 of Wrecked

Not too crazy. I want all your crazy.

And, now, I’m texting you like a stalker. Can you reply and let me know you’re okay?

I would drop by for one of my interrogations at your bar that you love so much, but I just got a call. I’ll be by to watch you walk out. I love you.

I reply to his text.

I want to see you, and I don’t care what the consequences are. I’m coming over tonight. Leave the door open.

I look up at the clock. Only two more hours to go. The suspense of seeing him is quite surely going to kill me.

I do what I do best and get back to work. Beer is poured, and drinks are mixed—in this case, also lit on fire. We keep the crowd thick for longer than most nights. Juice and Ron have kept the place trouble-free, and the girls have been working hard tonight. I’ll leave all the tips for them to share. They’ve earned it.

When it’s time to close up, I gather my things and walk out the back door. Ron, as usual, walks me to my car. We look to the corner, and for the first time in forever, Adam’s car isn’t sitting there.

“He must be on a call,” I say, knowing that’s most likely true.

In the few days we’ve been together, I’ve learned that the only times Adam isn’t on Main Street when I get off my shift is because he was called in for an emergency response.

I say a silent prayer that he’s okay and get in my car.

I drive to his townhouse. While I want him to see me in my red spandex that leaves very little to the imagination, I also want to wash the grime of a long day’s work off of me. I might have to entice him to get in the shower with me.

When I pull up to his townhouse, the lights are off, and his truck isn’t in the driveway. I park my car in a guest spot far from his entrance just in case someone recognizes the Blue Whore. I walk across the pavement to his staircase. I punch in the code to his house and open the door.

I throw my bag on the table by the front door and take a step further inside. I’m about to close the door when a dark figure comes barreling at me, and with a violent thrash, I’m thrown down on the floor, my head slamming into the tiles.

chapter TWENTY-SIX

There’s a thick throbbing in my head. The room is completely dark, and all I can see are tiny white lights as my body adjusts to the blow I just took.

I ignore the faint ringing in my ears as I roll over and push myself up onto all fours when two hands grab my stomach and pull me back and up, almost into a standing position. My hands immediately reach for the hands to pry them off of me. My feet planted firmly on the floor, I thrash and pull, trying to break free of the grasp.

The figure pulls me in closer. The smell of menthol and stale sweat permeates my nose, making me want to vomit.

“There’s my feisty baby girl. Looks like you dressed up to play tonight,” Nico’s words breathe into my ear.

A swell of bile climbs up my throat.

“I thought you were in jail.” It’s more of a plea. There’s no way this is really happening.

“Sometimes, the bad guys get to run free, too.”

He turns me around, and I’m face-to-face with the sinister stare of the man who held me captive in a jail cell. Only, this time, Adam isn’t here to save me.

“Where’s Adam?”

He sneers. “He’s detained. Victoria put in a call of a drug bust down by the park. She thought it might be a good diversion.” His eyes roam over my heaving chest. “You’re gonna be so much fun to play with. Let’s hope he doesn’t come back for a long, long time.”

I gasp in disbelief. “Victoria is helping you?”

“I wanted revenge on Reingold. She wanted payback from you. I even gave her some Cupid’s Bow on the house for being such a good friend. Everybody wins.”

Nico’s hand skims over my ass, and I buck to get away, which only forces his front to rub against my chest. I gasp in disgust.

“He’s going to kill you.”

“Let’s hope I die a happy man then.” He moves his hand around and cups my crotch.