Page 43 of Venomous Games

“So you can come home soon, right?” I ask.

“Not yet….”

My shoulders sag in disappointment. “We’ve never not seen each other for this long.” I lie back on the bed.

“I know. But, Maven, I can’t continue to do it. To hurt you, the one person I love.” I can hear her crying, and I close my eyes.

“It’s okay. You didn’t hurt me, Carrie. You just surprised me is all.”

“You’ll be fine without any business for that long?” she asks.

“Yes, you know I will.” She always got after me for saving so much money. She’d go on and on about how one day it would get me in trouble, but now I’m glad I did.

“Why aren’t you ready?” a voice booms from the doorway, making me sit up on the bed, my heart racing.

“Who’s that?” Carrie asks.

“Sorry, Carrie, I have to go. I’m at a doctor’s appointment, and, well, the doc is about to shove something up my ass and make me very uncomfortable,” I lie, then add in a whisper, “I love you.”

I keep my eyes on Boston. His dark brows pinch together as I hear her say it back before I hang up. He’s dressed in a really nice suit, and he’s even wearing a tie.

Fancy.

“Stop breaking into my apartment,” I grumble

“Your apartment is now mine. I bought it,” he says.

“What? You can’t…” I say, shocked and slightly impressed.

Not that I’ll let him know that last part.

“I can. I bought the land and building. You’ll be notified once the paperwork is final. Now, get up and get dressed. You’ll make us late.” He waves a hand.

“No,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. His gaze drops to my chest before slowly raising back up to my eyes. I love the way he looks at me when he thinks I don’t notice.

“Now, Dynamite! And you will be on your best behavior, because these men won’t take kindly to your antics.”

“I don’t care,” I bark. “Fuck those men, and fuck you.” He takes a step toward me, but then pauses as something catches his eye. He prowls across the room, crouches, and picks up something that’s sticking out from beneath the bed. It’s the mask I took from Bailey’s house. Shit, I forgot I put it there.

“Where did you get this?” he questions, menace in his tone.

“Fuck you,” I repeat.

He shakes his head and then walks out with the mask. I hear the front door open and close, then I lie back down. Maybe that did the job of getting him to leave for good. Closing my eyes, I think of Carrie. I hope the treatment facility is working for her and that it will do the job. Suddenly, I feel something cold and hard snap around my wrist, then I’m yanked up my bed. My eyes fly open, and I see Boston behind me, climbing onto the mattress.

I try to wriggle free but he has my arm in a tight grip.

“What are you doing?” I cry. He doesn’t answer, just maneuvers me around until he has me in a position to snap the cuffs around the other wrist. I dig my feet into the mattress, but it does me no good against his brute strength as he handcuffs me to my headboard.

He gets to his feet and looks down at me.

“Remove them. Now,” I growl.

“No,” he says, then scans around the room. If I had a gun and free hands right now, I would shoot him. Maybe with his own gun. “What do you plan to wear to the event?” he asks.

“Nothing,” I grit out.

He leaves the bedroom, then returns a few moments later with a knife in his hand. He looms over me, and I manage to kick him in the stomach. He grunts, then readjusts himself so he can hold my legs down.