Chapter 49 Winnie
WINNIE
My mouth is dry. My head is pounding. Thank God I haven’t brushed my hair—the mat at the nape protected my skull from whatever happened last night.
My throat is raw. It’s pitch-dark. And it smells like—lilacs? Why does a kidnapper’s den smell like lilacs?
I roll onto my side. My slippers are gone.
I haul myself upright. My hands are cuffed behind my back—not in a fun way like at Fitz’s house.
“Fitz.”
Does anyone even know I’m gone? Does he? Does he care?
For a second, I have a stupid thought: Maybe Fitz took me.
The more sensible voice says: Knox. Knox is the more likely culprit. Maybe I shouldn’t have been such a bitch to Fitz. He would’ve been at my house, and none of this would have happened.
I force myself to my knees then stand and crawl my hands along the perimeter of the room. I can’t be scared. I can’t be sad. I can be angry.
“I’m going to fucking kill you when I get out of here,” I shout.
Silence. No answer.
I find the door and work the handle.
Locked. Of course.
I throw my weight against it. Bang!
“Fuck my life.” I throw myself at it again. “None of this would have happened if I’d just had some freaking self-respect in high school and stayed the hell away from Knox.”
The doorframe splinters.
I hear a click. The lock releases.
“Help!” I scream. “Let me out! Help!”
“Oh my god, Winnie!” Laura squeals, opening the door.
“Laura!” I rush at her.
She squawks, holding her arms out like she’s trying to keep me in the room.
But why would she do that?
“You have to help me,” I blurt. “I think I’ve been kidnapped. It might be Knox—wait, why are you at his house—”
My eyes adjust to the sunlight streaming in from the open door. I brush past her, looking around.
This isn’t Knox’s place. The view is mountains and firs, a secluded house dripping with wealth. We could be anywhere in the Pacific Northwest.
“Where are we? What are you doing here?” My voice goes thin. “Text Carolina, text my sister—get me out.”
Laura tilts her head, the smug smile spreading. “Oh my god. For someone who’s supposed to be a famous investment analyst, Winifred, you’re just not as smart as everyone says. I’m not impressed.”
My jaw tightens.
She smirks. “Silly! This is my second home. I can afford it. Of course, I could afford a lot more if I’d been with Fitz. But you stole him from me.” She tosses her hair.
“What the hell? I didn’t steal him!”
She pauses, waiting for the knife to twist, and then she unloads, fast and furious, like she’s been rehearsing this tantrum.
“Yes, you did! You stole my man like you stole my café idea. I told everyone that I had a fantastic idea to open up a café-slash-bookstore at the Women Supporting Women networking mixer.”
“Are you fucking—every romance-novel heroine runs a struggling cupcake-bakeshop-bookstore hybrid. That’s not an original idea,” I argue. “It’s a fucking cliché. You did not invent that.”
I suck in an angry breath. “Not to mention I didn’t even touch Nolan. I’ve met Nolan a total of three times, all when you were there.”
“No. Fitz.”
I blink. “Seriously? You never had Fitz. I didn’t steal him from you. What is wrong with you? You’re insane.”
“He said he wasn’t looking for a relationship. He lied. He’s with you. What did you do to him? Curse him with an Etsy witch? Tell me.” Laura sounds unhinged. Even more so than usual.
“There is no reason for him to want you instead of me.” She bangs her chest. “I worked hard to look like this. I worked hard to make money. He doesn’t get to reject me and then turn around and get with you. I mean, proposing marriage? Your pictures are going to look like shit.”
The room tilts.
“Wait—he wanted to propose to me? You’ve completely lost it.” I feel faint.
She’s not done. “I saw him and your loser sister in the restaurant, looking at wedding rings for you. I mean, you run a café—you quit investment banking. You’re not good enough for him.” Her voice collapses into a scream. “You’re nothing! You’re nobody!”
“Oh my god, I made a horrible mistake,” I moan.
“Go back in that room,” she snaps.
“Fuck you, Loony Laura. You’re insane,” I bark.
“Loony—you started that nickname? Women are supposed to support other women, and you’re calling me names and stealing my man.” Venom laces her voice.
“Fitz doesn’t like you. He said you creep him out—we had dinner and laughed about you.”
Wrong thing to say.
Laura pulls out a Taser.
I’m so furious I don’t even care.
I rush at her like a linebacker.
Laura screams, putting her hands out.
I just bowl right over her. We land in a heap on the ground.
“Laura! What the hell?” Nolan appears out of the shadows, confusion on his big, dumb athlete face.
“We’re supposed to blame this on Knox,” Nolan reminds her. “That was the plan. He’s supposed to take the blame, and I am supposed to be the captain.”
“And it’s a great plan, you two. I actually already got rid of Knox. He’s getting traded so you can be captain. Yay! Just let me go, okay? Take me home, and it will be like this never happened,” I say, trying to modulate my tone.
“Laura did this for me so I can finally get the job I deserve,” Nolan says firmly.
“Not true—she just wants Fitz.”
“She’s lying, baby.” Laura pets his arms. “She’s trying to get in your head.”
“So you’re going to kill me, and then Fitz is going to be so distraught he’ll fall into your arms?” I spit. “No wonder you lost the Capitol Moderne contract and I won it. That’s such a trite, ill-thought-out plan.”
Nolan falters.
“Wait—what? Baby, I thought you loved me.”
“You only make two mil a year!” Laura screeches at Nolan, and he goes white with fury. “I have standards.”
“I can’t believe I ever thought you loved me.”
“I know, right? Why don’t you and I go have a drink and talk about it?” I offer.
“I’m fucking done with both of you.” He shoves us into the room and slams the door. “You can fucking stay in there until I figure out what the hell I’m going to do.”
“Guess it’s just us girls,” Laura says in the dark. “Come on, Winnie—girl power! We can put our heads together and escape this—”
I don’t say a word. I rear back and headbutt her square in the nose.
She keels over, howling. Blood, sharp and hot, spills into my palm.
“Shut the fuck up.”