Chapter Nine #2
Another knock hits heavy, this one waking Rhett.
“What is that?” he groans and rolls into me, his breath still sweet with chocolate frosting.
“I think someone’s at the door.”
He narrows his brows as his free hand searches for his phone. “What the hell time is it?”
I glance toward the oven, squinting when I think I see the clock. “I think it says… five. Who would be here before the sun is up?”
“Probably one of my buddies.” He kisses my forehead gently and groans as he sits up from the floor, his body moving slower this morning.
Maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to put a forty-five-year-old man on the floor for the night.
I hadn’t thought about that. Tonight, we’ll definitely go back to his bed.
Tonight.
Oh my God, I’ve already got myself moved in, though something tells me my daddy wouldn’t object to it.
My daddy.
My clit is already going crazy again. I really need to get a grip.
“Do your friends usually come over this early?”
“Sometimes, but no,” he narrows his brows as he pulls on his T-shirt, “not usually. Why don’t you go back to the bedroom? I’ll send whoever away and I’ll be right back there.”
I nod and head down the dark hallway toward the bedroom, where it looks like the paint has dried from yesterday.
I chose a low fume paint, but there’s still a smell that lingers for the first few days.
I crack a couple of windows to let the air circulate.
Plus, it’ll be nice to fall asleep again to the breeze.
I’m in the middle of opening the last window when I hear Nathan’s voice echo in from the entryway, and my stomach tightens.
Why is he here?
Why the hell is he here?
Does he want the money I owe him right now? Does he want the dress back? I glance at my torn-up wedding gown. The one I sliced to bits yesterday afternoon. I don’t think the value is there anymore.
Oh my God! I have no money to give him. He has to know that.
What the hell else could he be here for?
I know it’s not me. Then again, I guess he could be. Not because he cares, but because he’s a prideful prick who was embarrassed yesterday, and now, he’s cooked something up to fix all that.
That’s got to be it. I’m almost sure of it, when another option pops to mind.
The ring!
I bet he’s here for the ring. It’s the only thing of value I still have on me that he’s owed. I bet he wants it back.
I move to the spare bathroom where I set the ring in a flowerpot yesterday. It’s not that I don’t trust Rhett, I do, that became much more apparent last night, but back when I wasn’t sure yet, I moved the ring in here for safe keeping.
Except when I look for the ring, it’s gone!
I dump the pot over, spilling dirt all over the countertop, my hands moving through the roots of the violet as Nathan and Rhett talk very loudly in the other room.
How could the ring be gone? I know I put it here! I specifically tucked it around the left leaf of the right flower furthest from the sink.
Did Rhett really take the ring? Why would he take it?
He sounded so genuine last night. God, maybe that was all part of the game.
He tells me cute, little stories about his grandma and taking care of old people, then I’m eating cake off his fork, sleeping in his arms, and sucking his cock while he steals my engagement ring.
This guy really got lucky with an idiot for a captive.
I storm down the hallway, my eyes focused on Rhett, my heart thundering in my chest as my stomach tightens. “Where’s the ring?”
“What?” He narrows his brows convincingly. “It’s on the dresser where you left it.”
“Don’t play dumb. I moved it into the spare bathroom yesterday. No one goes in there. I put it in the plant.”
“Why?” he groans, narrowing his brows with perfect inflection. He’s good. I’ll give him that. “Why would you put it in a plant?”
“I’m asking the questions!”
He turns toward me, his shoulders squared. “And I’m giving you an answer. I didn’t take the ring.”
“Ugh.” Nathan steps forward, dark circles around his eyes like he hasn’t slept all night. He still has on the suit he was wearing yesterday at the wedding. “Are you talking about your engagement ring? I swear to fucking God, Pepper. That diamond cost me a hundred and fifty grand.”
A hundred and fifty grand? My eyes widen. Why would anyone spend that much on a ring? I could buy a house for that much money.
“Well,” I glance back to Rhett, his size even more noticeable now that he’s standing next to Nathan, “I was kidnapped and now I’m pretty sure the whole purpose was to get that ring.”
“No,” Rhett groans, “the whole purpose was to take you and make this fuck pay for your return, but then I didn’t want to return you.”
I don’t know why a part of me thought that Rhett felt something that night I brought him paint samples, and I don’t know why I let myself believe he came to the wedding because he wanted me for himself.
God, I’m delusional.
“Sure,” I mutter, gutted and feeling like an idiot. “Well… the ring is a good alternative, right?”
“No.” He looks straight toward me, and if I were the woman I was ten minutes ago, I’d probably believe him. “I didn’t take the ring. It’s got to be around here somewhere. As soon as this fuck leaves, I’ll help you look for it.”
“I’m sure you will,” I groan, glancing back toward Nathan as a frog croaks in the distance. It’s probably the same one from last night. Maybe he was trying to warn me about the idiotic mistakes I was about to make. “How did you know I was here?”
He draws in a heavy breath and drags his gaze down over me, studying my frame as though I’ve been taken by wolves and he’s seeing me for the first time in months.
“Your dad called last night and told me your mom fell going down the stairs yesterday. She needs a pretty big surgery. Your dad wanted to see if I had a number for you. I didn’t, so he told me you were with the painter.
” He nods once and glances down at the ground as though he’s hurt, though we both know it’s a show. “I knew exactly where that was.”
My heart slams against my chest as I slide on the high-heeled shoes I was planning to wear to my wedding. “What hospital is she in?”
“I told your dad to take her to the specialty hospital up in the Springs. I paid for the nicest room and called in favors with the top doctors in the area. She’ll be in good hands.”
Funny he’d do this now but couldn’t be bothered before.
“I’ll take you over there,” he continues.
“Like hell you will,” Rhett growls. “She’s mine.”
“Yours?” I glance back toward the man I’ve been calling daddy. “You lied to me about everything. Now it’s probably my fault my mom fell, and yeah,” I glance back toward Nathan, “take me to the hospital.”
“In his T-shirt?”
“It’s all I have.”
Nathan nods, his upper lip curling in what looks like disgust. “Get in the car.”
My chest tightens, my heart aches, and nothing feels right. I know that now for sure, because for a second… it did. It really freaking did.