Maddie eventually bursts into laughter. How I wish I could hear that sweet sound. The things I’d do to go back to that time when life was easy. Before Victoria and before any of this ridiculousness.
“That’s enough,” Victoria says, yanking the iPad from my hands and locking the screen. “You got what you wanted. She’s completely safe and more than preoccupied with Ty and Eric.”
I look straight into her green eyes. She called him Ty, and I hold back a smirk. No one calls him that, which means he’s acting and playing a part. He told me he was planning something but wouldn’t tell me what it was. He said it was for my own good not to know until it was the right time. He infiltrated the O’Learys, and I wonder if Victoria has any idea there’s a chink in her armor. As long as Tyler’s around, he won’t allow anything bad to happen to Maddie, and that brings me a huge whoosh of relief.
My girl is safe, for now. I just wonder how the fuck Tyler’s going to get them out of this situation or how I’m going to help without blowing his cover.
Chapter Five
MADDIE
I’m starting to understand why inmates go crazy in a cell.
Day after day, the same routine, the same walls, same everything.
At least the well-behaved ones get to go outside for some fresh air. I don’t even get that. I do yoga, practice my dance techniques and old routines, work out, take baths, and observe Ty cook while trying to get more personal details out of him. I’ve watched reruns of Glee, The Big Bang Theory, and started the first season of Game of Thrones.
I’m bored as fuck.
I’ve been here for ten days, and I miss Liam more than ever. Part of me hates that I do while the other just wants to make sure he’s okay. And to let him know I’m alive. I doubt Victoria told him much about what she’s doing with me and is probably using it to her advantage to get him to do her bidding.
Unless we all play nicely, none of us will get out unscathed.
“Where ya going, Beanstalk?” I ask Ty when I see him grab car keys and slip on his jacket. I also gave him an appropriate nickname on day five because he’s a freaking giant with long-ass arms and legs. He told me he wouldn’t respond to it if I called him that, but eventually, he caved, and now I think he likes it.
Eric, on the other hand, doesn’t like his nickname—Captain Asshole. I even shortened it to Captain, but he still scowled at me.
At least Ty is nice enough where I don’t think he’ll kill me in my sleep. However, Capt A-hole looks like he wants to smother me with a pillow dipped in chloroform. I can’t help it that I’m annoying and obnoxious after being stuck inside for a week and a half. I literally have cabin fever. If Liam were here, he could attest to my actions. Locking me up without letting me out of the house is a one-way street to hearing me talk nonstop.
“I have to run into town and get some supplies and food,” he replies. It’s the first time he’s left since we’ve been here.
“Do I get to go if I promise to behave?” I ask, hopeful though I know better.
“No,” Eric responds for him. He’s always creeping up on us like a goddamn sniper. After the second day when Victoria called for Ty, he went back to being more reserved and distant. I have no doubt she saw us on her fucking cameras and didn’t like how he was getting comfortable with me. It took a few more days after that to soften Ty up again, and now our conversations are effortless until Eric ruins it, which happens often.
“I need things,” I turn and tell Eric. “Womanly things.”
He shoves a hand in his suit coat and then slaps a notepad down on the counter. Grabbing a pen, he places it next to it. “Write it down. He’ll get whatever you need.”
I arch a brow at Ty who looks less than thrilled to shop for girly shit.
“Okay, if you insist.” I smirk and start jotting down a list. Then I hand it to Ty.
“Is this a joke?” he asks, cocking an eyebrow. “Tampons, pads, Midol, Dove dark chocolate, three bottles of red wine. Condoms.”
I shrug, holding back a smile. “You never know when an opportunity will arise.”
Eric’s eyes are ice cold, and it’s obvious he’s had enough of me, but it’s comical to see how far I can push him. He was clearly born without a sense of humor.
“What size would you say, Captain? Magnum’s extra-large?”
The douche doesn’t even flinch at my obvious compliment to his dick size. “Ty, go.”