Page 119 of Brassy Bigwig

Me: Can’t wait!

After that, I pull up my conversation with Shelby and finally read her waiting message.

Shelby: I know you said D was a generous lover, but he must have generously fucked you the fuck up last night. You were dead halfway through one glass of wine.

I can’t help but laugh at her message. She’s not wrong.

Shelby: Anyway, Reed surprised me with breakfast followed by a full spa day today. Massage, facial, hair, nails… the works. And he’s getting us a limo to the club tonight. He told me he got a promotion at work and wanted to splurge by spoiling me. So I won’t be available most of the day. I hope you have a blast with D, and I can’t wait to hear all the details!

That’s so adorable. I think Reed feels inadequate sometimes, compared to Shelby. She makes substantially more than he does, almost without trying. He works so hard, and he’s good at what he does. If anyone deserves a promotion, it’s him.

Me: Wow! Have a great time!!! I doubt I’ll be reachable once I meet up with D. He was pretty adamant about not coming up for air for a while once we talked through everything.

Me: I promise to call or text as soon as I can, though. Thank you so much for being on OUR side and not just mine. As always, you knew exactly what I needed to hear.

Me: I love you, poophead.

Once the message is sent, I take another swig of my coffee before heading into the bathroom to shower. That should help clear my head, but I also want to make sure I’m completely cleanly shaven and smooth for D.

When my hair is frizz and knot free and I’m happy with the silkiness of my skin, I turn the water off and grab a towel from the hook outside of the shower door. I wrap it around my body and then grab another one for my hair.

Before I exit the bathroom, I brush my teeth and apply some moisturizer to my face. Finally, once I’m back out in my room, I grab a pair of shorts out of my dresser. I toss them onto the bed and turn back around to grab a pair of underwear from my drawer, but something stops me, and I give further thought to my wardrobe choice.

It will be sexier if I wear a skirt.

And D isn’t expecting it. Quickly, I drop my shorts back onto my bed and go into my closet. I grab a tight black pencil skirt and a bright red blouse and take them back out into my room. I select a sexy black thong out of my underwear drawer, and I pull it on before zipping the skirt into place and tucking in the blouse.

As I look at myself in the mirror, I hear my phone vibrate again. Before I check it, I flash myself an excited grin. I haven’t felt this giddy or nervous since my first date with D back in Greece.

Walking to my bed, I take another sip of coffee, careful not to spill it. Then I pick up my phone and unlock it. When I pull up my messages, I nearly drop my phone.

It’s from Blake.

I haven’t heard from him in two weeks, and the moment I meet up with D again, he’s back? What the fuck?

Against my better judgement, I open the message and nearly throw up as soon as I see what he sent. Staring back at me is Shelby. Tied to a chair with duct tape over her mouth and tears streaming down her face. She looks absolutely terrified, and it crushes me. Next to her in another chair is Reed. At least it looks like him, but I can only see the top of his head and part of one side of his face. I think there is duct tape over his mouth too, but I can’t make it out. He has blood dripping out of his ear, and the way his head is hanging, he looks unconscious.

“Oh my god,” I cry to the empty room as hot tears roll down my cheeks.

What the fuck do I do? Where are they? Shelby just said her and Reed were out to breakfast. How could this be?

Opening my conversation with Shelby once more, I type out a quick message.

Me: Shelby, please message me back ASAP. Something happened, and I need to know you’re okay!

I double check the time she sent her first message. It was a while ago at nine thirty-four.

Fuck.

That’s plenty of time for Blake to have gotten ahold of them and taken them somewhere. But how? And where?

I feel my phone vibrate in my hand again, and I look down to see another message from Blake has come through.

212-555-1212: REED DIDNT MAKE IT

212-555-1212: UNLESS YOU WANT SHELBY TO SUFFER THE SAME FATE MEET ME AT 8293 72ND STREET BROOKLYN

212-555-1212: COME ALONE AND DONT TELL ANYONE WHERE YOURE GOING OR ILL FUCKING KILL HER

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