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It’s surreal.

“Want me to tie her up?” he asks, and I look around.

“Are you talking to yourself?” Maybe hedidsustain a concussion when Charlie ran him over.

“Shut up.”

“Real creative,” I mutter, panic constricting my throat. Why did I have to say that? My brain must be short-circuiting from the wine and never-ending dangerous situations.

I have got to stop making things worse for myself.

He glares down at me.

“No, she’ll cooperate. She’s smart, aren’t you, June?” A second man enters the room, and my blood runs cold.

Pierce.His skin is pale, with an odd greenish cast. Probably a side effect of losing who knew how much blood.

“You look like shit.” My hand clenches on the neck of the wine bottle and I stand, holding it behind my back. “You both do.”

“Shut up.” Pierce pulls a gun of his own, a wild look in his eye. “Where are they?”

“Where are what?” I’m at a total loss.

“The fucking drugs, you dumb cunt.”

“Wow. That’s too far.”

He raises the gun, clicking the safety off. “Talk or get shot, I don’t fucking care.”

There’s no way out of this one. I’m outnumbered and outgunned. I look down at my robe. And way, way underdressed. How do they not know the drugs were confiscated?

I can use that.

It isn’t much, but it’s something. I’ve been lied to most of my life, by my father, by Charlie… it’s my turn now.

There’s no way I’m letting them abduct me; at this point, it’s a matter of pride.

I screw my lips up to the side.

“Talk, now,” Pierce says, wagging the end of the gun at me.

I narrow my eyes. Maybe it’s less a point of pride and more red wine courage. My fingers clench the neck of the bottle.

“I can take you to them. But I’m not going there like this.” I gesture to the hotel robe with my free hand.

“You’ll go there how we want you to go. We’re armed. We make the rules.”

Despite my growing desperation, I nearly roll my eyes.

“‘We make the rules’?” I repeat, scoffing. “I’ll just attract attention in the lobby if you take me down there in a robe.” I cup my free hand around my mouth. “Help, help me, I’m being kidnapped.”

Pierce frowns and I slowly smile at him, wondering where the fuck I found brass balls.

My fingers are slick against the bottle of wine.

Oh. That’s where I found them.

“Fine,” Pierce final snarls. “Get dressed. But hurry. And don’t try anything stupid. You’re too smart to get yourself killed.”