Page 13 of Sinner's Ransom: Taken
Montgomery held up his hands. “Aren’t you going to at least undo this?”
Stone stilled, his lips pursed. Montgomery knew when he’d lost a battle. He sighed.
“Take it public.” He pushed himself to his feet and squared his shoulders. “I don’t think you realize how famous I am.”
Stone’s eyebrows rose. “For being a whore?”
“For being a socialite. I party with the stars. I get fucked by actors, directors, and men with more money than you can dream of.” Montgomery raised his chin proudly. “I’m like the male version of Paris Hilton, only most people don’t secretly hate me.”
Stone heaved a sigh and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “What has this got to do with anything?”
“Right now, no one but Dad and the cops know I’m being held for ransom. They want to keep it that way. Richard loves that it’s being kept quiet because when the time comes and you kill me, he gets to play the victim. Poor Richard Booker lost his son. No one will have to know that he refused to pay the ransom with money he clearly has.” Montgomery shrugged. “My suggestion? Make it public. Send stuff to the media, let them know you’ve kidnapped me. Tell them you asked for ten million and Richard refused, so now you’re upping it to thirty. Back him into a fucking corner.”
By the time he was finished, Montgomery’s chest rose and fell in quick and angry breaths. Fury simmered in his blood—fury for Richard, the prick, who’d never cared for him in a way a father should. Fuck him and his stupid mistress whore. Why should he be loyal to them when Richard clearly couldn’t give a damn about him?
Stone tilted his head, his eyes squinted in thought. Then he nodded. “Okay. We’ll do that.”
“Good. Now cut this.” He held up his wrists to Stone.
The other man pulled out the flip knife again and sliced through the tape. Montgomery rubbed at his wrists and sighed. They stung now that they were free from the constraints, and it felt like he was finally getting blood back to the tips of his fingers. But it didn’t last.
Stone shoved him backward, making him tumble against the chair once more, and twisted his arm. Montgomery shouted in pain when Stone ducked behind him and grabbed something off the floor. Rope twined around his right wrist, tying him to the sturdy wooden arm. Montgomery struggled against Stone as he tried to do the same to the other, and they fought until Stone finally had that one tied as well.
“What the fuck?” Montgomery kicked at him, but Stone danced out of the way. “I helped you!”
Stone clicked his tongue at him. “That’s not my problem, it’s yours.”
“Dude,come on!”
He stepped closer. “Do you know what the problem is with people like you, Monty?”
“Montgomery.”
“The problem is that you do everything for yourself and nothing for anyone else. You don’t care who you hurt to get what you want.” He crouched in front of him, palms heavy on Montgomery’s knees.
Montgomery would have tried to kick him again, but Stone’s touch stilled him. Even though he wore long pants, it was like he could feel the heat of his hands on his skin, and a new sensation buzzed inside of him, teased him. Stone’s cologne drifted throughout the room, torturing him with a scent that smelled far too good. And the twinge of pain still left in his wrists made his belly hot and balls draw tight against his body. This was the kind of man who intrigued him from the start, but Stone was also his kidnapper. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—feel this way about him. What the fuck was wrong with him?
“How is what I did selfish? I’m helping you get thirty million,” Montgomery snapped, baring his teeth at Stone.
“You didn’t do that for me, Monty. You did that for yourself.” Stone ran his palm up Montgomery’s leg, pausing to squeeze at his thigh. He grinned wickedly. “Get comfortable. You’re going to be here for a while.”
Stone rose, smiled, and turned his back to him, heading toward the door.
Montgomery cursed loudly, swearing at him as he left. Then he screamed and yelled, his throat sore after a few minutes, but he didn’t let up. He continued until his throat felt raw and the only sounds that came out were croaks, and then he slumped into the chair in exhaustion. He didn’t know how long he’d been screaming for, but it wasn’t physically possible anymore.
Fuck. He needed to get out of here.
