Page 18 of Sinner's Ransom: Taken
Chapter Five
Montgomery curled in on himself and pressed his face into his knees, the tears hot on his cheeks. The fear of dying curdled in his stomach and rose in his throat. He’d already vomited once since Stone left, and between the vomit and the sweat that clung to him, the room smelled putrid. It was possible night had come and gone, but he didn’t know for sure because the room had no windows. He had no concept of time while he was stuck in here. Either way, his clothes felt disgusting, and he had since taken off his trousers and shirt and thrown them into a corner, leaving him in his boxer briefs.
Stone hadn’t come to visit again, and Montgomery didn’t want him to come in here because that could possibly mean it was the last time he’d take a breath. The thought terrified him. He didn’t want to die; he had too much to live for. He was only twenty-eight, for fuck’s sake, and he hadn’t done anything productive with his life.
Fuck!
A whimper left his mouth, but he bit his lip to stop another from escaping. He wasn’t going to let these assholes see that he was scared. The one time he begged did nothing. He saw how much Stone took pleasure in him saying please. He’d never said please to anyone before. Not Richard, or the maids, or hisfriends. Did anyone even realize he was missing other than his dad? Richard probably wouldn’t have if he hadn’t received a ransom demand. What about Chase? Did he know, and did he even care?
The door creaked open and Montgomery’s head whipped up to stare at it. Stone entered, another small, white tub of fruit in his hands. He wore a pair of knee-length pants today and a simple white shirt, and he looked like he’d just rolled out of bed with his short, dark hair a mess on his head. He had a rough five-o’clock shadow along the length of his jaw, and he blinked blearily at him after he locked the door behind himself.
“Thought you might be hungry, Monty.” He dropped the tub on the ground, and it clattered on the threadbare carpet. The spoon followed.
Had he been anywhere else or in a different situation, Montgomery wouldn’t have touched it when it’d fallen on the ground, but his stomach grumbled, and even though he felt physically sick, he grabbed it and ate as much as he could before his body rebelled on him again. Luckily, he didn’t vomit again, but his stomach ached. He placed the half-eaten tub on the floor.
“Is it morning?” he asked, finally glancing at Stone again.
The man had his arms crossed over his chest and he watched Montgomery intently, like a lion watching prey, waiting for the chance to strike. Montgomery certainly felt like his prey.
“Yeah, about seven.”
Stone’s feet were bare, and Montgomery focused on them because he couldn’t look at Stone’s face.
“When are you going to do the video for the media?” he asked.
“Soon. We have guys coming around to help us. You’re going to be on it.”
Montgomery’s gaze shot up to his face. “What? Why?”
Stone snorted. “We need proof you’re alive. Booker might not care for it, but the public will.”
Montgomery made a noise and fell back against the wall. It felt good against his back, without the barrier of his clothing. The room had grown ridiculously hot overnight, even with the fan above him running. “I lied before. You underestimate how much people dislike me.”
“You’re still a person.” Stone grinned wickedly. “People thrive on drama. You’re drama.”
“Thanks.”
“That’s not a compliment.” He shifted closer, and Montgomery held his breath. “Calm down, I’m not going to kill you yet. I need you alive.”
The reminder that he’d die eventually made his blood freeze in his veins. He gripped his arms tighter against his body to stop them from trembling. He could do this, he just needed to be strong. Give them hell while he could.
Mind made up, he swallowed the fear and raised his chin. “You’re going to regret ever laying a finger on me.”
“You’ve said that before. Don’t you have any new lines?”
Montgomery gritted his teeth at that damn smile. He hated it already, and he’d barely been around the man for twenty-four hours. “How’s this for a new line?” He pushed himself to his feet, body sore from the horrible sleep he’d gotten on the hard floor, and curled his hands into fists. “You can’t break me. I won’t let it happen. Ialwaysget what I want, and youwilllet me go.”
Stone’s brows rose. “Will I?”
Montgomery nodded. “Maybe not now, but I’m going to make your life unbearable. I promise you that.” He stepped closer until their faces were inches apart. He felt Stone’s warm breath tickle his cheek. It smelled minty fresh from toothpaste, and reminded Montgomery of how fuzzy his teeth felt in his mouth. “You’ll be pushing me out the door in a few days.”
Stone’s pink tongue ran over his top lip and he stared down at Montgomery. He was a few inches taller, and that advantage pissed Montgomery off.
“Or I could just kill you instead of sending you on your way.”
Be strong, fuck this guy—that’s what Montgomery’s new motto was. He swallowed down bile and kept his chin raised. They couldn’t kill him because they needed him. “I dare you to try.”
Something passed in Stone’s eyes, and he looked almost impressed. He grinned. “You grew some balls overnight, Monty.”
