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“That doesn't mean shit. I'm not that easy.”

“Trust me, you wouldn't have denied me.”

“Who's full of themselves now?” I asked.

“Listen, Red, this isn't a game. I'm not toying with you. You're here because you need to be here. Understand?”

“Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough. Let me go right now, and I'll make sure my father goes easy on you.”

He chuckled as he pointed up at me. “I didn't know you had such a sense of humor.”

“I'm not joking with you. Do you have any idea who my father is? He's important. He knows people. And when he finds out you kidnapped me, he's going to have you put behind bars for the rest of your life.”

“That's not how this is going to go. I'm not sure you noticed, but you're not the one in control right now. I am.”

“He's going to come looking for me. My father is going to have everyone hunting you down like the beast you are.”

“Sit down,” he said. “And let me explain exactly how this is going to go.”

“No! I won't sit down! I said let me go!” My voice was shrill as I screamed. I threw my arms up and yelled, “Let me the fuck out of this place!”

He jumped from his seat, grabbed me by the arms, and pushed me backward. “Sit the fuck down,” he commanded as he forced me onto the cot. “You're not going anywhere. I'm in charge. I'm the one who tells you what's going to happen. And right now, I'm telling you that you're stuck right where you are whether you like it or not.” His lips snarled into an angry frown as his eyes turned to slits. “Nothing is going to change that.”

“Why are you doing this? Just tell me that. Tell me why you're doing this to me. What do you want from me?”

“This might come as a surprise to you, Red, but the world is a dangerous place. There are bad people out there doing bad things. And sometimes, your luck runs out. Cross paths with the wrong person, and that bad finds you. You can't buy your way out of this. Your money means nothing here.” He turned and started for the door.

Why is he doing this?

I couldn't understand why he picked me. Why was I the one he wanted to hurt? What had I done to him? Plenty of women were at the event; why did he have to choose me?

“Tell me why you're doing this.”

He arched a brow and shook his head. “You still don't understand that you're not in charge, do you? This isn't the Red Riding Hood Show.” The man looked down at my tattered red dress with a grin.

He reached out to grab the doorknob, so I quickly said, “I still don't know your name.” I wanted something from him. Anything. Any information would be useful, but the least he could do was give me his name. Shit, he had his fingers knuckle deep inside my pussy, and I still didn't know who he was.

“My name's Vega Lobos, but people just call me El Lobo.”

“El Lobo? What the hell does that mean?” I asked.

He smiled and said, “The Wolf.”

Chapter Five

Poppy

––––––––

I tossed and turned on the cot. Vega brought me a scratchy wool blanket and a bottle of water. He didn't say a word. He simply placed the items on the stool and left. I tried to ask him more questions, but Vega just flashed me a stern glare before bolting the door shut.

I kept trying the door to see if it was still locked. I was obsessed with it. As if someone might secretly unlock it to set me free. Every so often, I would hear someone walk by. I'd jump from the cot and start banging on the door. I'd pound so hard there was no way whoever it was didn't hear me. But they never made a sound. They never stopped. They just kept going.

The room kept feeling like it was getting smaller and smaller. I paced around the perimeter, walking from corner to corner, from wall to wall, from door to window. The walls were slowly closing in on me, and I was suffocating.

There was a sensation that something heavy was sitting on my chest. My head was dizzy, and my lungs burned. My hands shook, trembling with fear and uncertainty. I was cold but sweating like I had just finished a triathlon.

I was breathing heavily as I lay down on the cot and covered up with the blanket. My skin itched from the fabric, but I ignored it. My eyes were too swollen, and I was too tired from crying and beating on the door to do anything but sleep.