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“What’s up, beautiful?”
I took a deep breath before speaking. “I love you.”
It was terrible fucking timing, I knew that. I’d said those three stupid words while we had an audience, but I didn’t care. If it was my only chance to let him know, then I was going to take that chance and hold tight to it. There was no room for hesitation and no guarantee that I’d get a second chance. So, I needed to let him know right now. Right this second. Because if I was going to die, I sure as hell wasn’t going to die without telling him the truth about where my heart was.
Because my heart was with Logan.
Always.
I heard him blow out a breath before he spoke again. “You’re going to tell me that again when we’re together, understand?”
“Lo-”
“Do you understand me?” There was a desperation to his voice that I’d never heard, though I was sure Conlon and Nicole didn’t pick up on it.
“Yes,” I responded finally.
“Good girl.”
Conlon turned off the speaker and pressed the phone back to his ear, turning around and walking into what I assumed was the bathroom where he closed and locked the door behind him.
All of this was such a surreal experience. Here I was, twenty seven years old, professing my love to a man while I was tied to a chair and probably on the verge of being murdered. Yet I was so cal
m about it. Maybe because I knew that I’d said everything I needed to, maybe because I knew Logan had a plan. I wasn’t sure. But there was a layer of peace that surrounded me.
I’d mended my friendship with Rose and Violet.
I finally told Logan I loved him.
If this was the end, my end, then okay. So be it. But I wasn’t going down without a fight, and if Conlon wanted to kill me then he’d be sporting twin cuts on both forearms before all of the fight was out of me.
Okay, so maybe I’d never physically harmed anyone except for the time I accidentally hit Toby Kingsley in the face with a textbook when we were twelve. But this was a totally different situation and I didn’t see any textbooks in the tiny cabin I was trapped in.
“You really think he’ll get us out of here?” Nicole asked and looked at me with tears in her eyes.
I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth and say that I could only hope he would. She was so scared, bruised, and shaken that I just wanted to make her feel better. “We’re going to get out of here, Nicole. I promise.”
Just then, Conlon emerged from the bathroom, slipping his phone back in his pocket. He walked over to us and then crouched down in front of me again, his head cocked to the side as he studied me curiously.
“What?” I finally growled through gritted teeth.
“That was a sweet moment, wasn’t it? Was that the first time you told him you loved him?”
I wanted to slap him. Spit on him. Throw a tantrum. But instead, I didn’t answer for a moment and allowed my heart rate to slow. “Yes. But you wouldn’t know anything about love, would you, Greg?”
His eyes darkened. “What the fuck did you say to me?”
I cleared my throat and spoke a little louder, leaning forward. “I said you wouldn’t know anything about love. It’s why you are the way you are, right? Mommy issues, perhaps?”
I anticipated the slap as he backhanded me, but nothing could prepare me for the pain that rocked through me. My cheek stung, immediately hot, and I tasted blood in my mouth. My right eye watered from the force of the slap, but I was too far gone to care. I’d gotten the reaction I wanted.
I’d finally struck a nerve with Greg Conlon and it felt so good.
However, it didn’t feel so good when he spoke again a few moments later and said the words that chilled me to the bone.
“Logan will be here soon with that little fucking mutt of yours. That was the deal, J. You for the dog. Still feeling cocky?”
Chapter 19
