Page 177 of Puck Me Secretly

I needed water. I dropped my duffle bag and headed for the kitchen.

“You want to double date?”

I gave a little snort of laughter, but stopped short when I saw Baxter, standing in the kitchen. He held a large, shiny black gun. Baxter motioned for me to put my phone down.

“I need to go.”

A beat from Calder. “Yeah, okay.”

“Talk soon?”

“Sure.”

I hung up the phone.

“Put it on the island,” Baxter motioned with the gun. I set the phone on the large marble island.

“Slide it over.”

I pushed it and watched as my only chance of a lifeline slid across the island towards him.

“What are you doing, Baxter?”

“Shut up and sit down.” He pulled a chair close.

I tried to even my breath. I moved towards the chair. His hand shoved my shoulder, pushing me to sit.

He tossed me two cable ties. “Put them on your ankles. And don’t try any funny shit. If they are too loose, you will experience what a pistol whip feels like.”

I bent down and secured each ankle to a chair leg.

“Hands behind your back.”

I winced when he yanked my hands together and secured me to one of the back rungs of the chair. I tested my bondage. I couldn’t move any of my limbs.

“What are you doing, Baxter?”

“Shut the fuck up,” he raised the gun, in a threat to hit me. “God,I’m so fucking tired of your voice. Grating on my nerves. Talking back to me.”

My entire body trembled, but I worked to keep my breath even and my spine straight. I was a fucking Ashford. Wedon’t dofear.

I watched him as he paced the length of the kitchen.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Back and forth he moved, like some deranged manic who had taken himself off his meds. His eyes lifted to mine and then he strode towards me.

I winced when he cocked the gun and butted it against my forehead. The metal felt cold against my skin.

Would you rather be on a burning plane that is crashing or have a lunatic point a gun at your head?

Max was on the plane, so my choice is definitely plane crash.

---