“Deal.”
“Pay up,” I hiss. “Or no-go.”
“He’s alive.” That’s all he offers, which means that yes, they’re the two who were in the surveillance room.
“Why did you take him?” I push for more, hoping he’s less of a dick than his brother.
“Let me talk to Colt.”
“Fine,” I respond, finding her quickly. “Your boyfriend has your other boyfriend hostage and won’t tell me what the fuck reason he kidnapped him for.”
“What?” she surmises, her face scrunched with confusion. Handing her the phone, she picks it up, and before she speaks, she must realize what I meant.
“Please tell me he’s lying and you’re not the reason I’ve been crying for the last half an hour.” I can’t hear what Prudence is saying on the other end, but Colt isn’t happy.
“If you care about me, you’ll let me talk to him, make sure he’s okay.” She paces, her thumbnail in her mouth. “No, I’m not accepting your word, Pru. I want proof. I’ve dealt with enough shit since Thanksgiving, don’t make me suffer more.”
When he doesn’t comply, her voice warbles and tears come. “Then don’t bother talking to me. We’re done.” Before the other end can argue, she hangs up and hugs me. “How did you know?”
“Lux said something about it being two people and they didn’t attack right away, but instead held out for Ross to say he loved Lux.”
She pulls away from me with a shocked expression that mirrored mine when Lux said it back to Ross. “He said what?”
“They said ‘I love you’ to each other.”
“Wow,” she sighs, happiness in her expression. “Finally.”
“What do you mean, finally?” I ask.
“It’s obvious, it always has been.” I feel lost that I didn’t really notice this. Yeah, you could tell they had some sexual tension, but I figured I was projecting my own.
“Either way, what did he say?”
“He basically said Ross was fine, and that he and Just had him somewhere safe.”
“Why were there gunshots?”
She shakes her head. “I forgot to ask, I was too angry that he wouldn’t even let me hear Ross tell me he was okay. Which means, he can’t be okay. Why else would they hide him?”
I understand her worry, but I also think they’re playing it by ear for whatever game that’s in their head. They need him for something and they’re willing to stress us all out for it.
I still haven’t figured out their endgame. Why they’re fighting against us or if they were involved with Cassidy’s death. They seem so mysterious—and not in a good way.
Chapter seventeen
Ross
“So, we’re pretending you’re not a fucking headcase,” Justice mutters to his twin. We’re in a hotel of some sort. I’m secured on the floor in a bathroom, perched in front of the door. From my vantage point, I’m able to see the entire front room. Not even sure why the fuck they came to the cabin in masks. Luckily, they agreed about destroying the footage. Why they hit me over the head and kidnapped me, on the other hand, makes zero sense.
Pru raises his hands in exasperation, directing his anger at his twin. “I’m sorry you fucked your childhood crush, froze out Colt, and became a fucking mess.” I hear a tremor in his voice. It’s a mix between actual menace and disappointment.
When we were younger, Pru always seemed quiet. Much like Cassidy, he kept to himself even while hanging out with the rest of us. I think somewhere along the line, he broke.
How else could he be besties with Ridge, who on his own is a learned sociopath? They taped my mouth too or I’d butt in, it’s my favorite to cause more annoyance when serious moments are involved.
They don’t notice me awake, but that doesn’t stop me from scanning the room. It’s one of those ratty day hotels. The ones you get when going on a vacation where you don’t intend on being there for more than sleep. It’s not bad, but it’s nowhere near as nice as a four-star.
Are we still in California, or did we venture out of state somewhere? How long was I even out?
A throbbing in my head begins but the twins continue to argue about who is in the wrong. Eventually, Just slams the door, leaving me and Pru alone. Pru’s face isn’t impassive or soft like when he’s attempting to put on a front. Instead, he’s agitated, pacing back and forth.
He finally comes to the bathroom where they’ve left me at an uncomfortable angle. His eyes roam me, narrowing at the sight.
Thanks, bud, I dressed extra spicy just for you.
“Jordan called,” he complains. “Not sure how it was so easy for him to suspect us.” He runs a hand through his hair, tugging on the strands at the end.
When my hair is at its longest, I do this to tether myself. It reminds me to stay present and not numb out the world. It’s not what I imagined a purist like Pru to do though.
“Apparently, they’re worried about you. Colt hung up on me.”
With my lips sealed, the tape bows with my derisive chuckle. Somehow now sound escapes, the air is the only noise.
Pru shakes his head. “This is so fucked, Ross. Where did it all go wrong?” Rolling my eyes at his question, I wonder if he truly thinks that. Can he not see where everything went to shit? Because it wasn’t recently. It was years ago.
He reaches for the tape at my mouth, right as he’s about to remove it, Just comes back into the hotel. Pru pauses but doesn’t entirely move away.
“What, you think talking to sad boy Rossy will make you feel better?” Just taunts. “Because between us two, pretty sure I’m the nice one.”
Just doesn’t stop there though, he comes toward me, moving Pru and ripping the tape off himself. Pain zips at my lips, like sandpaper kisses. “What nothing to say, Rossy?”
I laugh even while my lips burn from his action. This prick. “If you wanted to tie me up and fuck me, Just, you should’ve just asked. You’re not that ugly.” He glares at me and in response, I make kissing noises.
“You’re not my type,” he tries biting back. But here’s the thing, he’s not my type either. The closest he gets to my type is the fact that the guy I’m in love with has been inside him. That’s where our connection ends.
“And your washed-up-CEO-daddy-issues ass is mine?”
“This is why Lux won’t fuck you,” he barks back, retreating.