I knew exactly what I was getting into when I agreed to help Theo. He’d tried to persuade me against it, but I was stubborn.

I asked for this.

I put myself at risk, and whatever happened, was all on me.

Hester pulled my wet hair back sharply, cracking my neck. “You’re pretty, you know that? I’ve never had to ruin a pretty face before. That kinda makes me sad.”

It was useless bargaining with a psychopath, so I remained silent. Strong.

Hester pressed the tip of her nose against my cheek and inhaled. “I smell your fear. It’s delicious.” Then, she licked my face like a dog, starting at my jaw and ending at my hairline. “Sweet. Salty. I fucking love redheads.”

She was either insane, or this was all just an intimidation tactic. Either way, I resisted her ploy.

“Don’t worry, boo. I already told Teetee you were my guest. He should be here soon. Should we give him a surprise when he comes? Ever lick pussy before?” Hester leaned in and pressed her glossy lips to mine. She tasted like peppermint. She tried to force her tongue into my mouth, but I kept my teeth clamped tight. I shut my eyes, so I didn’t have to look my crazed kidnapper in the eye. Was she high or just insane?

“How about we undress you and hang you from the ceiling? Spread-eagle? A welcome home present for Theo?” Hester circled me like a lioness stalking her prey. She produced a switchblade, seemingly from nowhere, and sliced through the duct tape around my wrists and ankles. “No funny business now,” she cooed. “Or I’ll truss you up like a piggy next time.”

Hester kicked aside the chair. I rubbed my sticky, chafed skin and reluctantly stood. I was still wet from my impromptu dip in Hester’s pool, but I had a feeling she wasn’t freeing me so I could get more comfortable. My knees and legs trembled violently as they fought to support my one-hundred-forty-pound frame. My body ached from being bound for what felt like days, but no way would I give this freak the satisfaction of knowing I was in pain. Although Hester appeared to be about my height, she slouched while I stood with my back straight. I wasn’t about to show any signs of weakness.

If I was going to die, I’d die fighting.

“Follow me,” she said, walking into her house. Her stilettos clicked like a ticking time bomb ready to detonate at any moment.

I did as I was told, but only to have a better chance of escaping later. The entire backyard was surrounded by a tall, imposing brick wall but surprisingly, her house didn’t seem particularly well-secured. In fact, I expected a lot more security.

“Want something to drink?” Hester offered, holding up a decanter filled with amber liquid. “Whiskey? Vodka?”

I shook my head.

“Suit yourself.” Hester poured herself a Jack Daniels and sipped it. “You know, Teetee wasn’t always this damaged and depressed. When I first met him, he was happy. Wanted to have his own magic show in Vegas. Can you believe it? Spent all his days holed up practicing his tricks. He was such a sweet, innocent kid.”

I leaned against the white leather couch, arms crossed. Hester was trying to make conversation, but I wasn’t interested. I was far more concerned with how I’d escape without her noticing

“Are you even old enough to drink?” I asked, nodding to her glass.

Instead of answering my question, Hester threw her head back and laughed. “Did you know that little cunt had the balls to steal an antique right out of my house?” Hester put down her glass. “It was worth twenty-five grand. A book I inherited from my daddy, God rest his soul. And Theo showed no remorse for doing it, either. He thought he had the right to steal from me. Pah!”

I tilted up my chin and tried to make myself look as big as possible. Hester was just a kid. A girl. One who was clearly troubled. Maybe I could talk some sense into her. “You said it wasn’t about the money. Then what is it really about, Hester?”

Hester grinned. “I’m glad you asked, Rosie pie. What is it really about? It’s about revenge, baby girl. Sweet, sweet revenge.”

“Over the theft of a book? Seems a bit extreme, don’t you think? I mean, someone as wealthy as you…”

“Not over the book, silly poo. No, no, no. I don’t care about the book. This is about the divorce.”

I scrunched my face. “What divorce?” Was Hester Theo’s ex-wife? No…that made no sense at all. Nothing Hester said made sense.

“It’s none of your stinking business. You’re just a means to an end,” Hester said. She finished her drink and put the glass down. “Now, if you’re thinking of running, I’ll have you know I have guards patrolling the perimeter. Please don’t do something stupid. I’d hate to have your brains splattered on my driveway. Now why don’t you take a seat and tell me more about yourself.”

Hester walked over and sat down on the sofa. She patted the space next to her. I reluctantly sat down.

“Where are you from?” she asked, as if she really cared about small talk with me. She crossed and uncrossed her ankles.

“Northbridge City,” I answered. “West coast.”

“Ooh, how exciting. Any brothers or sisters?”

I shook my head. “Only child.”

“Must’ve been a spoiled brat growing up,” Hester said. “What brings you to Vegas?”

“Work.” I knew I probably shouldn’t tell her the truth, but it didn’t make sense to lie, either. She probably already knew everything there was to know about me. Perhaps if I coaxed her enough, she’d take pity on me and let me go.

“What do you do?”

“I’m a producer. We’re filming in Vegas this week.”

Hester clapped her hands together rapidly like an excited child. “Movie or TV show?”

“TV.”

“Which one?”

“The O’Connells.”

“Oooh, I love that show. It’s hilarious. I follow it religiously. My fave character is Danny. He’s a riot.” Hester let out another maniac laugh.

The fact that Hester was chatting with me about the show and my life made me feel even more disturbed. It was as if she was pretending she hadn’t tied me up and kicked me into a pool an hour ago.

“Yeah, Danny is great,” I said, cracking my knuckles. If I made a swipe at her, would I be able to put her in a chokehold before her security guards busted through the door?

“I love that episode where they go camping and Danny has to shit in the woods and that bear comes up to him,” Hester reared back and slapped her hand against her thigh, howling with laughter. I laughed too, an awkward, forced chuckle. I didn’t admit it aloud, but that was one of my favorite episodes, too.

“You have to introduce me to the actors one day,” Hester said. “I bet they’re super nice. Think they’ll autograph my tits?”

Was this bitch for real? She’d be lucky if she didn’t land behind bars for the rest of her life for kidnapping me.

Hester grabbed the TV remote and flicked the channel to CBT. “Ooh, look, the show’s on right now. We do have a couple hours to kill. Let’s watch it together!” Hester wrapped her hands around my arm and squeezed tight.

I swallowed the bile in my throat and nodded. “Let’s.”