50 Jessica
Iopen my eyes, feeling out of place. Everything is dark, my body is sore, and my head is killing me. My body rocks against something, and I feel the floor with my fingers. I am in the back of the van I used to kidnap the guys—the realization hits me like a fucking brick.
“Welcome back, sweetheart!” Someone tells me.
“How was your nap?” I recognize the voice. It is Liam, but I can’t see him. I try to move my hands and legs, but I can’t. The bastards tied me up again.
“Liam, let me go!” I yell, and I hear Mike’s laugh from the same direction. The voices come from the front seat, which must mean Nate is in the back with me. It doesn’t take more than a second before Nate’s voice shatters that idea.
“Darling, how is your head?” He is also in the front.
“Ask her how that pussy feels instead,” someone else says.
I am pretty sure that was Mike. The sarcasm is a clear indication of his psychotic ass.
I try to set myself free, but I can’t. I relax against the rope instead and decide to play it smart.
They have kidnapped me before. They didn’t kill me then. They won’t kill me now.
“Where are we going?” I need clues.
“Home.” Home? Where is home, Liam? As if he read my thoughts, Nate answers.
“We should have never left you behind, Jess.” That’s right, you shouldn’t have!
“We are going to make it up to you.” Sure you will, Mike.
“Are you going to make it up to me by kidnapping me?” I sass him, and this time Liam responds. I am getting pretty good at telling them apart.
“It is just for your safety.” He laughs and adds, “We thought you might try to jump out of the van.” He is not wrong.
“At least you dressed me this time,” I notice, running my fingertips as best I can against my body. I am not naked. That’s a good sign.
“As much as I would love to have you naked all the time, Jessica, we couldn’t drive with you naked for three days,” Nate informs me.
Okay, that is a good clue. Where would we go that we would need to drive for three days away from my town? Fuck, Jess, why didn’t you stick with school and geography?
“If you promise to not make a run for it, we can take a break and cut you loose.” That was Liam.
Before I can answer, Mike’s voice comes again. “I say we leave her like that until we arrive.” Don’t be a dick, Mike. “She needs to be punished for kidnapping us.” Seriously? You kidnapped me first!
“You are not wrong,” Nate acknowledges. A pause follows, and he speaks again. “Tell me, darling, how did you find us?”
“Mike told me about your favorite bar in New York when we were talking about moving there. I moved to the city right after you left me. I tried to find you. Then I realized you never got there. So, I started hanging out at that bar. I started working there and made friends with the owner and the staff. They were the ones who helped me put you in the van when you finally decided to come visit,” I explain my plan.
“Smart girl.” A hint of admiration in Nate’s voice; he is proud of me. “You know, we decided to leave you behind with only your benefit in mind.” You could have asked, Liam.
“We are truly sorry for our decision; however, we need to start working on our communication. We can’t keep kidnapping each other to prove a point,” Nate adds, and the other two laugh.
“Fair point,” I agree. He is not wrong. I fell in love with all three of them, and I never fell out of love in the six months we have been apart. From how things progressed in the maze, I can say they haven’t either.