Page 1 of Tracking Luxe

PROLOGUE

Several Hours Ago

Footsteps approached.

Luxe knew it was different than all the foot traffic she'd heard for the last however long it had been, it felt like hours, could be longer still. She knew it was him coming back. The hard-heavy shuffle grew closer to the door and then stopped. Her hearing strained.

The way her heart rate increased had nothing to do with fear and all to do with wanting to murder, maybe not murder, she'd seen a season of Orange is the New Black and she didn't figure she could make it in prison, even if she did have connections with Jamie Steele who would more than likely help her dispose of an asshole body, for a hefty price. Too much like hard work. But assault and battery with a motel bedside table? now that she could get with.

The key turned in the lock, behind the blindfold she saw the light enter the room before a shadow stepped in.

Smelling food, she stayed perfectly still, not a hair moved, nor a muscle flickered, though her pulse increased steadily catching a masculine scent in the air that hadn't been there a minute ago, she evened out her breathing, let him think she was asleep, like she didn't care what was going on.

"I know you're awake." The deep voice went right through her like burning ice. Rich baritone, the kind of voice smokers had at the end of the night.

Fuck you.

And fuck you, asshole.

Abruptly the blindfold was pulled down, left hanging around her neck. Blinking against the fluorescent lighting above, her vision refocused and then she looked at her captor.

Him.

Ay Dios mio. My god.

CHAPTER ONE

“You kidnapped a woman … how did you expect this dating 101 to turn out?” – Luxe Reyes

Day One

Resting bitch-face; It was reserved for when women were in states of relaxation and or faced down with a fucking moron who had dared to take them hostage. Luxe's expression wasallbitch, nothing resting about it as she stared at the bearded guy. “Is this your first kidnap, and did you have to check outKidnapping for Dummiesfrom the library?” Disdain, the likes of which was legendary for a pissed off woman, dripped off her teeth. She felt unmoored in her own skin, an inkling of wise fear ghosted her words though she tried in vain not to show what she was feeling.

As quips went it wasn’t her best but not bad for a quick-thinking put down. If only her captor had shown even a facial flicker of response she would feel more victorious in her insult. As it stood, he was stony silent, slouched in the armchair over by the window, fingers drumming on his jean clad legs. Staring at her.

If Luxe was in one of those popular TV shows on HBO she could almost hear the roughly spoken voice over guy now announcing; Last week in Luxe Reyes’ life. She’d been at the Apollo Kingsmen middle of the week party and suddenly she was grabbed from behind and tossed into the back of a car and driven back to her motel room. This here ends the episode, please watch next week to find out what happens.

How had it come to this that she was tied to a bed with a madman----okay, to be decided on that, but it wasn’t looking good----holding her hostage? He hadn’t even given a reason, except to spout she had something of his. “Look… I’m a thief, I steal things all the time, you’re going to have to be more specific. But chances are I’ve hocked whatever it was I took long ago, too bad,compañero. Check the inside pocket of my bag, there’s cash in there, take it as recompense and you can untie me and we can forget this ever happened.”

He didn’t move, didn’t say a word. Only a muscle in his jaw ticked showed he was still alive.

Jesus, this guy had watched too many Tarantino movies.

When he’d first walked into her motel room, pulled down the blindfold, after leaving her tied up for hours, and she’d seen who it was, dauntingly tall and muscular, Luxe had felt a flicker of relief. She recognized him instantly. Grinder from the Renegade Souls MC. Her first thought had been; thank god it was not an actual madman who would kill her, chop her up into little pieces and store her in his deep freeze for twenty years. She had a somewhat sketchy history with Grinder, in that they’dsorta-hooked up one night without the actual sex happening. It was all very embarrassing and she’d rather not even think about it. But now he was here with his accusing gray eyes all over her and she had no idea what it was he wanted from her.

Irritation flooded her vision. “Are you just going to sit there? I’m tired of this game now.”

Keep them talking. Wasn’t that what the advice says to do in these situations? Make it personable so the kidnapper has a hard time killing you.Yeah, be my best friend and don’t kill me.

No tactic Luxe tried was working and it was just pissing her off.

Their stare off continued for what felt like an age, before he looked down at his phone, took to his feet, slipped into his jacket and strolled over to the bed. Her entire nervous system twitched in anticipation of him growing closer. It was involuntary, not fear as it should be, stupid really, she should be terrified. Disillusioned? Perhaps, but a slither of awareness for Grinder, to know somewhere logical that he wasn’t going to hurt her made her ballsy and loose in the tongue area. “You’re going to un-fucking-tie me right now, Grinder.”

His gray moody eyes flicked up hearing his name, other than that she got no response. He was all talk when he’d strolled in, now he was mister tight lip. She scowled as he pulled the blindfold back over her eyes.

“This isliterallythe opposite of what I just said,” she hissed, he re-tied both arms to the headboard and like a stunned rabbit she took it.

She heard the pull of fresh duct tape and cursed him out in Spanish right before the tape covered her mouth once more. “I’ll be back.” Was all he’d said before he clicked the door shut and locked it.Fuck you, Terminator!she muffled. She listened for a long time as his feet drifted away and a bike roared to life outside.

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