Page 2

One week later

A s I walk upstairs to my apartment, my phone buzzes with an incoming text message. I bet it’s Alex trying to figure out the details of her fake kidnapping. She’s been asking questions since we made our drunk little deal.

Fuck, she’ll kill me if she finds out I haven’t done more than send the company an email regarding their procedures and availability.

They responded with some forms for me to fill out on Alex’s behalf since she wasn’t the one setting this whole thing up, but I have gotten no response from them yet—it’s been two days.

I mean, how booked can a place like that really be? Are there lots of freaks out there who get off on being fake abducted and tossed around?

I might need to find another site if this one doesn’t come through for me soon. Lexi will start asking more and more questions if I take too long to make this happen for her. Here’s hoping she takes her time making her part of the deal happen—if only to buy me some time.

I drop my bag and keys on the kitchen island before fishing my phone from my back pocket. I swear I almost stopped breathing on the spot as I read the text.

Joel:

Hey, it’s Joel. I got your number from Alex. How are you?

Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy fucking shit!

Is this actually happening right now? She did it! I can’t fucking believe it!

For God’s sake, Molly! Breathe!

A million things run through my mind at once and I can barely keep my shit together enough to type my reply.

Omg, hey! I’m great. U?

Joel:

All good. I wanted to know if you have any plans tonight. Alex has been talking so much about you and I’d like to get to know you.

Alex, huh? Yeah, I’m free but it’s Friday. Aren’t you working? H.P. should be pretty busy tonight…

Joel:

Nope! I took the night off so I can take you out. What do you say? Want to grab some drinks and have a good time?

Oh, that’s sweet! Yeah, where? :)

Joel:

I know a great little pub if you’re up for it.

Yeah, sure! What time?

Joel:

I’ll pick you up in an hour. Alex gave me your address. Don’t worry, I’m not taking you to H.P. tonight, I promised my dear cousin.

Lol, Lexi thought of everything. She’s right though! You work too much ;) I’ll get ready soon. See you at seven!

A high-pitched squeal escapes my lips as I happy dance around my bedroom, instantly tapping on Alex’s contact and typing as fast as my fingers allow.

OMG!!!

YOU DID IT!

I can’t believe it! Thank you so much, Lexi! Joel is picking me up in an hour. :D

A few minutes pass before Alex’s reply chimes through.

Alex:

Enjoy babe! Tell me everything tomorrow. If he hurts you, tell me and I’ll kick him in the nuts for you! Hope you crazy fuckers have fun!

Letting out an excited squeal, I toss my phone onto my bed and race to my closet to pick out the perfect outfit for my date.

As I fling open my closet doors, I’m greeted by a kaleidoscope of colors, textures, and patterns, each one whispering to me that it would be the perfect choice. But amidst all the options, one stands out as the ultimate winner—a little black dress that hugs my curves just right.

It’ll be stunning if I pair it with some matching stilettos that make my legs look miles long. My heart races as I think about the evening ahead, and how Joel would look at me in that dress.

He better love me in this thing. It has the most complicated design and with all these straps criss-crossing, it will be quite difficult putting it on with no one to help me.

Fuck, I don’t want to strangle myself with this thing.

After taking a shower and spending way too much time climbing into this tight-ass death trap of a dress, I turn my attention to my makeup and hair.

I decide to go for bold, smokey eye-makeup that make my blue eyes pop, and a nude lip, complemented by loose waves and a generous spritz of perfume that leaves me feeling like a million bucks.

The anticipation of the date fills me with a mixture of excitement and butterflies, and I am so grateful for Alex’s help in making it all happen.

I should probably get started on making other plans for my part of our deal… The only shitty part of this date is the fact that it hasn’t stopped raining.

A few minutes before Joel’s arrival, I take one last look in the mirror and give myself a little twirl.

Damn, I look fucking hot. I’d totally do me.

There’s a knock on the door, and I give myself a silent pep talk as I make my way toward it.

“He’s gonna love you. Be sexy and adorable. Don’t overdo it. Breathe. Keep cool and keep the decibel level normal. This is gonna be great. You’ll be great.”

I open it to find Joel standing there, with a sinful yet charming smile that could brighten up any room.

“Hey, you ready to go?” he asks as his eyes travel down to my shoes and back up.

I swallow nervously as I take in the sight of him.

“Totally! Let’s go,” I beam, trying to keep my voice from giving away the extreme level of excitement and nerves bubbling up inside me.

He extends a hand towards me, the muscles in his forearm flexing under the soft glow of the dimly lit hallway outside my apartment door.

Keep it together… Don’t stare at those impressive, muscular, veiny arms.

I take his hand, feeling the warmth of his olive skin against mine, and am hit by another gush of nerves.

“You look amazing,” he says as he leans in, his voice deep and velvety as it brushes across my ear, sending shivers down my spine as he places a soft kiss on my cheek.

“Thanks, so do you,” I giggle as we head down toward the exit.

This is it. This is my chance to set myself apart from the rest of the girls he has dated. After a year-long crush, this date better be epic. If nothing comes of this, I’d hopefully, at the very least, get a decent fuck out of him.

Friday, 6:15 PM

“There she is. Alex Peterson. She’s perfect,” Fintan says as we walk through the aisles at a reasonable distance.

“You ready? I’ll keep an eye on her while you get to her car.

If there’s a problem, text me.” I repeat the plan in a whispered tone while we pretend to peruse the items on the shelf, keeping Alex in my periphery.

Realizing that it might look suspicious if I follow her around the store empty-handed, I head toward the door again and grab a basket while Fintan watches her.

Every time she glances around, I make sure to pick up an item casually and occasionally put something inside the basket as we trail her through the shelves.

“Dude, chill. I know what I’m doing. Just worry about your part in this and don’t let her out of your sight. We can’t afford to fuck this up.”

I nod and flash Fintan a sarcastic smile as I wave him off and set my sight back on our target. Fintan flips me off as he pulls his hoodie over his face and disappears through the cereal aisle, making his way out the large glass doors and into the parking lot.

Fuck, she has an amazing smile.

I watch her add a few items to her cart as she walks, her hips swaying in a seductive yet oblivious rhythm. This is going to be a fun one. Alex glances over her shoulder and catches me staring at her, so I duck into the next aisle, hoping she didn’t get a clear view of my face.

The last thing we need is for her to identify one of us after this is over.

Brushing my fingers through my dark, damp hair, I let out a deep sigh as I saunter toward the checkout point.

There is a small bench, and a convenience stand near the exit, so I order a coffee and take a seat while I wait for her to finish up and head to her car.

My heart races just thinking about the night ahead.

The gloomy weather is definitely in our favor tonight. Finally, I spot her making her way to the nearest cashier. She looks around as if feeling my heated gaze from where I am seated.

Poor thing .

She must sense that she is being watched, although with a body like that, you’d think she would be used to it, right? I make sure to look down into my cup until I hear the automatic doors open. I don’t want her to see me. She already dawns the look of unease.

I wait about a minute before following her into the wet parking lot and see her stop by her car and pull out her phone. The scent of rain rides the wind, and I inhale a deep breath as the cold droplets run over me.

Her giggle sounds so innocent. She taps on the screen; I assume she is responding to whomever made her laugh, which sends an odd feeling through my gut. An unexpected jealousy that boils my blood.

Would she ever laugh so sweetly for someone like me?

Pushing away the feeling, I watch as she loads her groceries into the trunk. The rain comes down harder now. Her dress clings to her curves and her hair drips onto her rosy cheeks as she slams the trunk door, rushes to the driver’s seat, and hops inside.

A text message chimes, and I pull my phone from my pocket.

Great, he got in. It’s go-time.

I hurry to the SUV and follow her bright white Kia, my heart racing with anticipation. What happens next is in Fintan’s hands and all I need to do now is follow her car until I get the signal. No one else is on the road as the last bit of daylight disappears from the stormy sky.

I decide to kill the headlights and drive closer to our target, but still far enough away that her tail lights won’t light up my vehicle. I need to stay hidden, and the heavy downpour is utter perfection in this plan.

Suddenly, the traffic light ahead changes to red, and I see her slam on the brakes. I come to a stop a few yards behind her and wait.

Good timing.

The red glow from the light shines through the car’s windows and I spot Fintan stirring in the backseat.

I am buzzing with adrenaline and take this as my cue. I flip on the headlights, floor it, and slam the brakes until I screech to a halt beside her. Poor Alex looks bewildered as she stares at the SUV with fearful widened eyes.

The rain is pelting down around us, and I am positive no one will hear a thing.

Stepping out of the vehicle, I pull my black balaclava over my face and advance toward the passenger window of her car with my crowbar in hand.

My body vibrates with excitement, but I attempt to shake it off so I can focus on the task at hand.

One lazy swing is all it takes to shatter the window, and she serenades me with her scream as she ducks against the driver’s door with her hands covering her pretty face.

Friday, 7:00 PM

I scream, not knowing what to do as I get showered in broken glass and rain.

Unexpectedly, a masked man lunges forward from my backseat, covering my nose and mouth with a rag.

I struggle in his unrelenting grip, digging my nails into his arms and attempting to claw my way out.

He is too strong and completely blocking my airways.

Fuck, I can’t breathe!

My lungs burn as I try to inhale a panicked breath.

Fear takes over my body, and my eyes widen as I catch sight of my attacker in the rearview mirror.

I see a stark white Balaclava and golden-brown eyes staring back at me.

He slightly lets up, and I can suck in some air, but the rag still covers my face.

Oh my God! What’s that smell?

My vision blurs, and my erratic breathing becomes labored. The masked man chuckles close to my ear as I begin fading into unconsciousness. “Don’t worry, baby. We’re going to have so much fun together,” he whispers, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine.

My foggy mind races as I try to figure out what is happening.

Is he going to hurt me? Wait, is this the fake kidnapping?! They broke my window?!

The last thing I remember before everything goes black is the feeling of his rough hand wiping the terrified tears from my cheeks.