Hottest Mess (S.I.N. #2)(54)

“What the hell?”

“Are you even looking at her?” Liam demanded. “Are you listening to her? Or are you believing whatever the hell you want to believe and seeing what you think you should see?”

Before Dallas could speak, his friend continued. “You’re embarrassed and scared and yeah, maybe you have a right to be worried, but you’re the one who ran, dude. Not Jane. Do you really believe she doesn’t want to see you? That she doesn’t believe you two can get past this? I mean, hell. She told you she could deal. Maybe you ought to do her the courtesy of believing her.”

Dallas’s stomach twisted, because Liam was right. He remembered her words from before they’d committed to being together. She’d said that he had her on a pedestal when she shouldn’t be. She swore that his darkness didn’t scare her. More important, she said it wouldn’t break her.

He’d told himself he believed her, but he hadn’t. Not really. She would always be on a pedestal to him. She would always be the one true thing in his life.

But maybe Liam was right. Maybe she could be both.

Hell, maybe she had to be. Because if she couldn’t be right down there in the dark with the real Dallas—with all his screw-ups and faults and f*cked up needs—how could she be his truth?

“Dallas, man? You gonna answer me this century?”

“Sorry.” He drew in a breath. “I do want to get past this. Hell, I want everything with her. But the real bottom line is that I don’t want to hurt her. I can’t live with myself if I hurt her.”

“No? What do you think walking away from her did?”

“I thought I was protecting her.”

“Yeah? Well, that was—”

“Bullshit,” Dallas finished. “Yeah. I get it. I screwed up.”

“Big time. Doesn’t do you a whole lot of good to bolt. I mean seriously, man, I thought you had bigger balls than that.”

“She brings me to my knees, Liam.”

Liam nodded. “I know she does. And I’m happy for you. Not sure I could handle being so ripped up by a woman, but I get that you love her. And god knows I’ve spent enough time with you two to know you’re meant to be together.”

“So what should I do?

“Talk to her. Figure it out together. And in the meantime, you litter her birth father’s house with electronic listening devices.”

Despite himself, Dallas chuckled. “And there’s problem number 7536 we have to get past.”

Liam laughed. “You already told me that part will be a piece of cake.” He stood. “And one last thing. I’m going to give you the same advice about Jane that I’ll give you about me. Stop keeping shit from us.”

“You’re saying I should tell her about Colin?”

“Hell no. That shit you hide. At least until we’re certain. One way or the other.”

Dallas met Liam’s eyes. “Let’s hope for the other.”

“No kidding, man.”

They were walking out together when Dallas’s phone pinged to signal an incoming text. “Jane,” he said, glancing at the screen. “She says, ‘Look.’ ”

Liam glanced at him. “What the f*ck?”

Dallas frowned. “There’s a picture attached. Hang on.” He opened it, then froze.

“Holy shit,” Liam said, obviously looking over his shoulder and seeing exactly what Dallas saw. Jane, and she was chained spread-eagled to a bed with a blindfold covering her eyes and clamps tight on her nipples.

Fear—cold and icy—cut through Dallas.

“Is there another message?” Liam asked. “A ransom demand? Someone sent this from her phone, but who the f*ck would have—”

“Wait.” Dallas held up a hand, trying to think. Something about this was familiar. Something that eased his fear even though it didn’t quell it. “Wait,” he repeated. “This room. This room, it’s—oh, f*ck,” he said, turning back to Liam. “This is the room she had built in her house.”

“The playroom you just told me about?”

Dallas nodded.

“So someone’s holding her in the townhouse?”

“I don’t think so,” Dallas said slowly. “I think she’s baiting me.”

Liam met his eyes. “You think she’d go that far?”

“Don’t you?”

Liam hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah, I think she would. So what are you going to do?”

Dallas didn’t even hesitate. “I’m taking the bait. I can’t risk the possibility that we’re wrong. And more than that, like you said, she and I need to talk.”

“And right now,” Liam said with a smirk, “at least she’s a captive audience.”





Fight Me, Fuck Me

I know that Brody is just upstairs, but it doesn’t matter. I’m alone in here. In the dark.

The room isn’t soundproofed, but it might as well be. I can hear nothing except my own breathing, which is growing more and more rapid the longer I lay here, tied down on this bed, unable to move, unable to do anything except remember—and hope beyond hope that Dallas is coming.

I’d thought this was a good idea. That by laying myself out like this he might finally, hopefully, understand that’s what I truly am to him. An offering. I’m offering myself up to him. My hopes, my dreams, my body, my life. I’m his, and he’s mine, and I just want him to finally get that. To embrace it. To love me so fully and completely that we go with each other as far as we can and need, no barriers, no qualms, no fears.