printed one of the pictures I’d taken of us and framed it for me. Though it hurt to look, I grabbed the picture from my nightstand and forced myself to look at it.
Our heads were pressed together. Our smiles matched. God. She was so beautiful. Those gorgeous green eyes. That shiny dark hair falling over her shoulders. Those stunning features.
Then there was me. What did she even see in me? What made her overlook all my bullshit and see the guy she knew I could be?
My eyes welled, a common occurrence over the past three days.
Having tortured myself long enough, I placed the picture back on my nightstand and draped my arms over my eyes.
Please bring her back to me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
ALEX
A whoosh of air left my lungs as my head got thrown to the side with another vicious blow. Black spots clouded my eyes. One more time and I’d be out cold. I could feel it. I welcomed it. With my hands still tied, there was no protecting myself. I could barely open my eyes. Fresh blood slipped from my nose, dripping over the dried blood from the previous strike.
But I was still breathing.
And though the weight of my head pulled my body forward, I still sat upright.
I’d tried with every ounce of energy to escape the ropes keeping me a prisoner. I hadn’t taken Remy for a Boy Scout, but the knots were tight. And as the days waned, so did my energy and the strength necessary to escape.
I tried reasoning with him, explaining I had money. Lots of money I could transfer to his account without anyone discovering the source. But that’s what elicited his latest blow.
He didn’t care about money. That wasn’t what this was about. That, in itself, made everything worse. Because then, I had nothing left to offer.
“What did he tell you?” Remy demanded, squatting to look up into my bowed face.
I tried lifting my head up, but it was too heavy. It wasn’t the first time Remy asked the same question. But my answer remained the same. “Nothing.”
“Then why’d he leave me in there?” He moved so close his spit sprayed across my face. “Why’d he leave me to rot in that cell?”
“I don’t know.” Trying to talk to him or calm him down proved useless. Anything I said set him off. So I refrained from saying much.
Remy stood and paced the stretch of floor in front of me, the damn gun glued to his hand. He mumbled to himself, but that was nothing new. Most of the time he made no sense. Maybe the pills he kept popping were finally killing him. Or maybe it was just me losing consciousness. Again.
It was odd. I no longer feared Remy. Or his gun. I’d become numb to them. Numb to the pain. Numb to the fear. Maybe exhaustion, hunger, and dehydration did that to a person.
Since I hadn’t been permitted to leave my spot, I’d soiled myself days ago. But having been deprived of food and drink, I had nothing left to dispose of.
I really just wanted to be put out of my misery.
“You stole him from me.”
I closed my eyes. What could I say? I did. I stole the one person Remy counted on. Unintentionally. But I stole him nonetheless. “I needed him, too,” I whispered.
Remy flew in front of me, bending to meet my swollen eyes. His stinking breath invaded my senses. “What could you need him for? He’s my best friend. We’d die for each other.”
I had no response. Nothing I said would make him understand what Hayden and I shared.
“Then you came along with your expensive car and lawyers and weaseled your way into his life. We were fine without you. You fucked everything up. He never would’ve lied to me before you. He never would’ve left me rotting in that cell unless you were chirping in his ear.”
I shook my head, but barely.
“We had a job last week. Did you know that?”
Why would I know? Hayden didn’t tell me anything about his work.
“Do you know what he did?” He raised his voice to a scary level. “I said do you know what he did?”
Terrified of what he’d say or do next, I shook my head. I might’ve been numb, but the unknown still scared the hell out of me.
“He didn’t answer my God damned calls. He knew I called and didn’t answer. My best friend would never drop me for some bitch.” His teeth clenched and his words dripped with