Page 9 of Addicted

“I got a lot of confidence period. So, what’s it gon’ be, Stone? You want me or not?”

Stone moved closer, so close I could smell his cologne. It smelled expensive. He leaned down, his face inches from mine.

“You really willing to give yourself to me to save him? You know what I do to people who cross me?”

“It ain’t hard to guess. And yeah, I’m willing. That’s my little brother. I’d do anything for him.”

“Even let me fuck you however I want? For as long as I want?”

“Yes.”

“What if I wanna keep you for a week? A month?”

“Then you keep me for a week or a month. Long as my brother is safe, I don’t give a fuck.”

Stone studied my face, looking for any sign of hesitation or fear. I made sure he didn’t find any.

The air between us was thick with tension. Anger, lust, danger, all mixed together. And despite everything, despite the fact that this man had just threatenedto kill me and Ishmael, despite the fact that I was tied to a chair in an abandoned warehouse, I felt myself getting wet.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Finally, he straightened up and pulled out his phone. He made a call, and I heard it ring twice before someone picked up.

“Take the lil’ nigga home,” Stone said into the phone. “Drop him at his address and make sure he get inside safe. And tell him if I catch him on any corner again, I’m putting a bullet in his head myself. And his sister, too. We clear?”

He listened for a second, then hung up.

“There,” he said, looking at me. “Your brother’s going home. Now you mine.”

Relief flooded through me so intense I almost started crying. Ish was safe. That’s all that mattered.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

“Don’t thank me yet. You don’t know what you just signed up for.”

Stone walked behind me and started untying the ropes around my wrists. When they fell away, I rubbed at the raw skin, wincing.

“Get up,” he ordered.

I stood on shaky legs, my body stiff from sitting in that position for so long. Stone grabbed my arm and led me toward the door.

“Where we going?” I asked.

“Don’t ask questions. Just do what I say.”

Every instinct in me wanted to fight back, to tell him he couldn’t just order me around. But Ishmael’s life was on the line, and I’d already made my choice.

“Okay,” I said.

We walked out of the warehouse, and I saw a blacked-out SUV waiting outside. Stone opened the back door and gestured for me to get in.

I climbed in, and he got in beside me. The driver was already in the front seat, and as soon as Stone closed the door, we started moving.

“Take us to the spot,” Stone said.

The driver nodded and pulled off.

I wanted to ask again where we were going, but I remembered Stone’s words about not asking questions. So I sat there in silence, staring out the window as we drove through the city.