“Honestly, besides the bad hospitality of not offering your captive a fucking bathroom break… haven’t any of you ever heard of a mop? And what is that, black mold? Do you want to die? Because I’m not going down in a biohazard!”
Another crash, another long-suffering groan from some unseen guard, and then Alfie’s laugh.
Hislaugh.
What the fuck was going on there?
Unable to resist getting the information I dearly needed, I shoved the gun into Milo’s back, forcing him to move faster. “Open up,” I ordered in a growl.
Milo didn’t bother knocking. He bent over with a loud groan and pulled up the rusted door with an almighty squeak.
And we were met with none other than Alfie.
Standing over the prone bodies of two scumbag-looking idiots.
16
Chapter 15
For a second, I forgot I was angry. Which considering everything, was honestly a miracle. I’d been kidnapped, threatened, and forced to inhabit one of those most disgusting rooms I’d ever been in. All without being allowed to pee.
And yet, the moment Crowe stepped through the garage door looking all big and angry and terrifyingly competent, my stupid heart immediately did a little happy wiggle.
Traitor.
I needed to remember I wasmadat him. Hehurtme.Abandonedme. And then acted so shocked when I tracked him down, as if he didn’t know that we belonged together.
Pffft.
Big fat baby.
Yet… There he was. Limping and bleeding, holding a gun to the creepy Graves dude from the house while looking at me like he’d tear apart the idiots I’d already sorted out if he saw so much as even a hair out of place on me.
And sadly… (or not so sadly as it might be) there were quite a few hairs out of place after my ordeal.
The expression on his face was annoyingly sweet, and the fact that hedidshow up to save the day was even more so.
Crowe took in the bodies on the floor, then zeroed in on me, his eyes wild with a complicated mess of relief and something that looked a hell of a lot like pride. His mouth twitched, almost like he wanted to smile, but instead, he rolled his eyes so hard I was worried he might give himself a headache.
“Really, Alfie?” he growled, voice gruff but not nearly as angry as he probably wanted it to sound. My big softie. “You couldn’t just wait to be rescued like a normal person?”
I grinned, not caring at all (for once in my life) that I probably looked like an utter mess because my Crowe was… well. Mine. He had to be, right? If he came all this waywithhis bad guy, to save my sexy ass? “You were taking way too long, Daddy,” I told him, crossing my arms with as much dignity as a guy in ripped cargo shorts and a shirt that I’d definitely sweated through could muster. “Besides, these idiots literally zip-tied me in the front. They were practically asking for it.”
The only outlier was the creepy guy, who stared at me, and the prone figures in front of me with a weird combination of awe and complete disgust. And a healthy dose of confusion.
I straightened even more, pointlessly smoothing down my shirt as I focused my attention back on Crowe. “So, Daddy… Think we can get out of here now?”
Crowe’s jaw worked, the vein in his neck doing a very sexy throbbing thing that made me want to take a bite and taste him. “Are you hurt?” he demanded.
“No,” I said, a little more breathless than I meant to. “But my pride might be a little bruised at having you look at me in this state, and I’m pretty sure I’m about to embarrass myself in a way I will not be able to recover from if I don’t get to a damn toilet.”
Crowe blinked twice before giving me another once over. “You’re sure?” he pressed, softening at the edges, but still trying real hard to act like he didn’t care.
I knew better now.
And his concern caused the most delicious little flutter in my belly. I mean, how could it not? Even when I was so desperate to pee I was about thirty seconds away from making this the most humiliating day of my life, he was worried about me.
I tried to keep it together, doing a terrible job. “Swear on all things bright, fluffy and colourful, Daddy, if you don’t get me out of this mold palace and into an actual bathroom,youwon’t be okay.”
