Chapter Eighteen: Emma

Kidnap My Heart

Chapter 18: Emma

After nearly three days, I was finally allowed to take a shower. I had three days of garage grime built up, so I wasn’t sure why Will was so surprised by my hour long shower. He was lucky I hadn’t made it a two hour shower. I didn’t even care that the water was freezing; I was just happy to get cleaned up and finally shave my legs and underarms. I’d found a razor in the bathroom that looked like it was new. God, I hoped it really was new.

Once I was finished, I turned the water off and realized I had two towels but no clothes, and there was no way I was walking out there in nothing but a towel. Will had given me the skimpiest towels ever, most likely on purpose.

“Will!” I yelled, poking my head out of the shower.

I waited a few seconds, but there was no answer.

I tried yelling even louder. “Will! I know you can hear me!”

Finally, the door opened and Will appeared in the doorway. “Yeah?” he asked.

I glanced down, making sure my head was the only thing poking out of the shower. When I was sure I wasn’t accidentally flashing him, I answered. “I need you to bring me some clothes.”

“Hmm…” He trailed off, pretending to be deep in thought. But I knew Will, and I knew there wasn’t anything going on up there. He was just being an ass. “No.”

“Why the hell not?” My patience was at an all-time low that day.

He shrugged. “You’ve got a towel. You can get your own clothes.”

“But—”

“Nope.”

I groaned, letting my head droop down in frustration. My wet, dark hair went in my face and almost went in my mouth, but I didn’t really care at the moment. I was more annoyed than bothered by something as simple as my hair. “So now you decide to grow some balls and quit being my bitch? Godammit.”

“I was never your bitch!”

“Sure you weren’t. Can you please get me some clothes?”

“No, because I’m not your bitch.”

“Oh, for the love of God… Eric!” If Will wasn’t going to get me some clothes, I knew Eric would. He wasn’t as big of a jerk as his brother.

Eric walked through the doorway not long after I shouted for him. “What’s up?”

“Can you get me some clothes? Your brother refuses to help me out.”

“Hey, she has legs,” Will said, shrugging.

“I’m not walking out in a towel so you can creep on me.”

Eric rolled his eyes at Will and then nodded at me. “I’ll go grab you something. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Where the hell would I go?”

Sometimes I wondered if Will was the only idiot around here. Honestly, some of the things Eric said made me wonder.

He didn’t answer; he just left. He came back with a change of clothes and was about to walk in and hand the clothes to me when Will stopped him. “Don’t worry, I can give them to her.”

“Eric, keep your perverted brother away from me.”

Eric shook his head at his brother. “Not happening, man.” He walked over and handed me the clothes, but I shook my head and pointed at the towel. He grabbed the towel and gave it to me, and I disappeared back into the shower to dry myself off.

“Uh… where do I put this?” he asked, sounding slightly uncomfortable.

“Just wait.”

Once I was dry, I poked my hand out and he handed me a pair of boxers. Gross. “Whose are these?”

“Will’s.”

“Oh. Gross.”

“Yeah, when you’re wearing those, think about all of the ball sweat that’s been holed up in there,” Will called out maliciously. “Just think about what’s been in those, Rage. Detergent can’t wipe out the memories.”

“If you don’t shut up, you won’t have anything to hole up in these anymore,” I snapped.

Eric laughed and handed me a pair of shorts. “They’re the smallest I could find. There are some strings to tighten them if they feel too loose.”

“Those are also mine, by the way,” Will said. “Two words: Ball. Sweat.”

I gritted my teeth together in disgust but said nothing. He would just be happy to hear the frustration emanating from my mouth. “Hand me the bra that’s on the counter.”

When there was no reply and no bra handed to me, I sighed. “It’s a bra, not a fungus. Grab it.”

“Just trying not to cross a line here,” Eric said, finally handing me a bra. “I feel like this is all just a trap.”

“I just want to get changed. Not everything has to have a double meaning. Hand me the shirt.”

He did and finally, I was free to exit. I opened the shower curtain and threw my head down, shaking my hair out and drying it with the other towel.

“Do you have to shake around like a wet dog?” Will asked.

“Yeah, thanks for that,” Eric grumbled. I’d forgotten he was still standing there. Oh, well. He probably needed a shower, too, to get rid of some of that cologne stench.

“Of course,” I said in reply to both of them.

I wrapped my hair in a towel and stepped out. Eric had even grabbed me some sandals. They were huge, but it was better than walking around with wet feet.

“Is there something to eat?”

“No, we’re working on it right now,” Eric said, pointing out the door. “Well, Taylor’s working on it right now, but we were helping her earlier.”

“Taylor’s probably burning your food right now. I’d go help her if I were you.”

“She’s not a good cook?”

I snorted in amusement. “Taylor doesn’t cook. She has a chef and the Chinese place by our apartment on speed dial.”

“Well, fuck.” That was enough to get Eric to run out of the bathroom to make sure Taylor wasn’t burning the house down, which, knowing her, was likely.

I turned to Will and gave him a cheeky smile. “Gonna show me to our room, roomie?”

If he thought I wasn’t going to rub this in for the rest of my stay, he was sadly mistaken. His plan to keep me in that garage had failed miserably. I’d made the right choice refusing his first two offers. Things had worked out in the end, and this was so much better than giving in. So, so much better.

He glared at me but nodded anyway. “Yeah, I guess. Let’s go.”

I followed him out of the bathroom and up the stairs to his room. He gave me a short tour of the room, but it was nothing I hadn’t already seen, and he even said as much: “Why am I even giving you a tour? I’m sure you already explored the place while I was gone.”

I shrugged, releasing my hair from the towel. It was pulling on my hair and giving me a major headache. I would just let it air dry. “Just in case I missed something.”

“Did you?”

“Nope.”

He looked at me weirdly—it was kind of a half-suspicious, half-surprised look. I didn’t know where it had come from or why he was making it, but I didn’t really care. Instead of asking him about it, I threw the wet towel aside and plopped down on his bed—my new bed. He could sleep on the floor.

“If you think you’re getting the bed, you’re wrong,” Will said. It was as if he could read my train of thought. I hadn’t even said anything!

“Oh, I know I’m getting the bed,” I said, crossing my bare legs. I’d rolled Will’s shorts up so they looked less like basketball shorts and more like female shorts.

“No, you’re not.”

“Oh, I am,” I insisted, nodding matter-of-factly.

“No, you’re not. It’s my room and my bed.”

“No, it’s our room and my bed.”

“I’m not budging on this,” he said, shaking his head. His dark brown hair actually swished around a little bit as he did this. It wasn’t hippie-hair, by any means, but it was long enough to swish a little. It was what Taylor would surely call “luscious” hair. “You’re not getting the bed. It’s mine. It’s been my bed for years. You can’t have it.”

I shrugged his words off. “We both know you’re going to budge. It’s mine.”

“Rage—” He let out a noise of frustration. “No. Unless you’re willing to share the bed, it isn’t happening.”

I rolled my eyes. Was he still going on about that? How could he still be willing to share a bed with me? Wow, this guy was vapid.

“From what I gather, I’m precious cargo that you have to take care of. I’m worth a lot of money, and obviously that’s the motive here. You have to take care of me and keep me content if you don’t want me to escape. You don’t want to get in trouble with your dad again, after all. You have to do things Eric’s way, and Eric has been letting Taylor sleep in his bed while he sleeps on the floor.”

Will thought about this for a few moments before giving in. “Damn it. Alright, fine. We’ll do it Eric’s way. You can sleep in the bed. If you decide you’re willing to sh—”

“Never gonna happen,” I interrupted, hauling my legs onto the bed and sitting cross-legged.

Will shrugged, a small smirk appearing on his lips. “You never know. You’re not the first to resist my charms in the beginning.”

I rolled my eyes. God, this guy was ridiculous. He obviously couldn’t stand me, but he was still hoping he’d get lucky. I wasn’t sure why he thought I’d be interested in meaningless sex, but it was never going to happen. I wasn’t going to sleep with a guy who hated me just because he found me attractive. My virginity was worth so much more than that to me. I wasn’t going to be another notch on his bedpost. Not a chance.

“Got nothing to say for once?” he taunted.

I gave him a deadpan look. “Unless you want me to verbalize my inner monologue about how ridiculous you are, I’d suggest ending this conversation right here.”

“Ridiculous because you know I’m right?”

Oh, dear Lord. “You couldn’t be any more wrong. Look, I get it. You’re hot. You are offensively attractive. You probably haven’t had much trouble getting girls in the past, but you need to realize that this isn’t an average situation. Considering the fact that you’re currently holding me hostage, I think it’s time you realize things aren’t going to go the way you’re used to. At all. Your looks and charm aren’t going to cut it this time, so get used to it and get over yourself.”

Will’s smirk vanished. “You’re painfully blunt sometimes. You know that?”

“Yes. Problem?”

He just shook his head and muttered something about me being unbelievable.

“What, did the truth hurt your ego? I’m sorry. This situation must be hard for you. Being a kidnapper must be so rough,” I said, laying the sarcasm on thick. “Now, imagine what being the victim feels like.”

He continued muttering to himself before speaking in a voice that was actually comprehensible. “How did I get stuck with you? This isn’t even fair. Taylor never talks back to Eric.”

“Because I’m so overjoyed by this situation myself,” I retorted.

He just rolled his eyes.

“No, really. I’m thrilled to be stuck sharing a room with an idiotic narcissist who doesn’t know the first thing about anything.”

“Whatever. Excuse me for not knowing the rules of kidnapping. That’s pretty much the only reason I’ve messed up since you’ve known me.”

I looked at him incredulously. “Don’t you think that should be basic knowledge for someone planning a kidnapping?” No wonder he seemed so clueless. He actually was clueless. Why was he even doing this?

He just shrugged. “My motto is act now, think later. Which explains why I keep giving you second chances.”

That last part didn’t seem like something he’d meant to say out loud, so I chose to ignore it. I kind of wanted to stop talking already and end it there, but the words kept coming out, and they wouldn’t stop. “Wow. That’s so insightful. Really, I’m impressed. I almost wish I could jot that motto down. Valuable life lesson right there.”

He roughly plopped down on the chair near the bed and threw his face into his hands. What a drama queen. “Why couldn’t I have gotten Taylor?” he groaned. He was such a whiner. “She’s so much calmer. Fucking Eric.”

“Because God hates you.”

He looked up and shot me an incredulous glance. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”

And then, it was like a dam burst. I don’t know why I chose this moment to just explode, but once that first question popped out, there was no stopping me. “Do you really think I’m worried about being nice to you? Have you missed every word I’ve said to you this past week? You kidnapped me a week before Taylor’s birthday party. Do you know how long I worked on that party? Do you know what I went through to make sure it turned out absolutely perfect? Do you know how much it sucks to miss out on that? Do you know how much it sucks to miss out on your best friend’s birthday, period, because your moody kidnapper wouldn’t let you out of the garage to celebrate with her? Do you know how much it sucks to be torn away from your family and your life because someone decided they needed some extra cash? Do you?”

Finally, Will just snapped. I could have gone on longer, but his outburst surprised me and cut me off. “Would you shut up already?”

“Make me,” I snapped, heat creeping onto my cheeks. My face felt like it was on fire. I was so angry, and it came out of nowhere. It must have been pent up anger or something, because that just wasn’t natural or okay.

“Maybe I will,” he said, attempting to sound threatening.

I laughed mockingly. “Please. I’m not scared of you.”

“Only because I’ve been too lenient with you,” he replied. “But you’ll learn to be scared when I start making good on my threats.”

I looked him straight in the eye and said, “Please. I’d like to see you try.”

Will liked to talk a big game, but when it came down to it, he was too much of a chicken to go through with it. There were some things he stuck to in order to make himself feel better, like the garage and the bathroom/shower rule, but the fact that I had a reason to call him my bitch was a clear indication of his true character.

With an angry look, he actually stood up and grabbed me by the arm, hauling me up effortlessly. He pressed his hand over my mouth, and at first, I was too shocked to move. I hadn’t thought he would actually attempt to literally shut my mouth, but that was exactly what he was doing.

Once the initial shock wore off, I struggled under his grip and bit his hand hard. I hoped I drew blood again. Not for the taste, obviously, because gross, but just because the horrified expression on his face was really funny the first time and I was hoping it would be even funnier the second time.

His electric blue eyes widened—how had I never noticed his eyes before? They made such a contrast with his dark hair—and he let out a stream of cuss words before screaming. “Ow! Rage, stop!”

Without Eric to help him pry my jaw open, he was pretty much stuck, so I kept biting down.  I was in no hurry.

“Seriously, Rage, this fucking hurts! I swear to God, you have fangs.” He winced and then finally exclaimed, “I’m sorry! Just stop!”

Satisfied with his forced apology, I relaxed my jaw and he quickly pulled his hand back before I could change my mind and bite down again. I laughed as he shook his hand out with an overt frown on his face. There were teeth marks all over his hand. It was great.

“Last time I do that,” he grumbled.

“I figured you’d learned your lesson the first time, but I guess not.”

“Believe me, I’ve learned it now,” Will said, rubbing his hand. He glanced up and nodded towards the door. “How about we go downstairs and see if the food’s ready? At least down there, you’ll have something to focus on that doesn’t involve insulting or physically harming me.”

I shrugged, trying to stop the smile from escaping and miserably failing. It was just too amusing. “Sure.”

I followed him out the door and downstairs. As I walked, my mind whirred as I began to reconsider my plans to violently escape. Will wasn’t going to hurt me. He wouldn’t. Not only was his father no longer allowing it since he had to do things Eric’s passive way, but I was now convinced he didn’t want to hurt me, anyway. Like I said, he talked a big game, but when it came down to it, he wouldn’t get truly physical.

He could’ve easily hit me back there. I would’ve been asking for it. I was taunting him, challenging him, almost. He could’ve made good on his threats, as he said, especially after I bit him, but he didn’t. Instead, he suggested going downstairs to join Eric and Taylor. The guy was harmless. This wasn’t the kind of kidnapping you saw on the news; Will wasn’t a danger or a threat. He was just a guy who was following Daddy’s orders.

I was better off waiting for an opportunity to escape to present itself. But why not have a little fun while I waited? Pulling those pranks on Will had been too funny, and now that we were both in the house and in the same room, we were easy targets for each other. I had no doubt in my mind that he would fire back once the first official shot was fired.

Well, then.

Let the games begin.