(Penny)

When I woke up, I thought I was dreaming. I was naked, in bed, under warm covers. I was comfortable, rested, my body still feeling the effects from what Noah had done to me. I was so relaxed, my muscles a little achy but totally worth it.

I sat up and took the covers with me. I leaned over the bed and saw my clothes on the floor. I ran a hand through my messy hair and exhaled, replaying the whole night. It had been pretty crazy. A fight. Getting kidnapped. Getting saved. The hottest sex of my life.

Smiling, I told myself I needed to write that story down.

I climbed out of bed and got dressed. The smell of coffee filtered through the door and attacked my nose. I hadn’t eaten in hours and definitely needed some coffee.

Truthfully, I had no plan in place. I had no idea how I was supposed to get out of whatever I was in. Apparently Noah’s boss wanted me dead because of my story. A story that wasn’t even published yet. A story that wouldn’t get published because the truth would stay in my notebook. So I could read and understand what the fights were all about. Maybe somewhere I’d find out why my father had died.

I opened the bedroom door and exited the room.

When I got to the living room, the kitchen area was on my right. I saw someone standing there, with his back to me. My instinct told me it was Noah. But then the apartment door opened.

“Noah,” I whispered.

I looked to my right again.

The person in the kitchen was now turned around, two coffee mugs in his hands.

“Good morning, sunshine,” he said.

I froze.

It was Seth.

Noah had set me up.

* * *

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Noah yelled as I started to run down the hallway.

“I was just offering her some coffee,” Seth said.

I made it to the bedroom and Noah had his hands around my waist. I started to throw elbows and kick, wanting to get free.

Noah was stronger than Seth so I had no fucking chance of getting away.

Noah walked me into the bedroom and tossed me to the bed.

“Calm down!” he yelled.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I yelled back.

“I’m saving you,” he said. “Christ. I had to go get rid of your car.”

“What? Why the hell is he here?”

Noah sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Listen to me. This won’t work unless you fully listen to me.”

“Okay. Fine.”

“I’m not going to hurt you. Seth is not going to hurt you. Something is wrong here, honey. I’m buying you time.”

“What do you mean something’s wrong?”

“You said it yourself… your boss is paying to write this story? It’s not getting printed? He’s adamant about it? That’s not right. Something is happening.”

“So what am I supposed to do?”

Noah offered me his hand. “You’re going to come with me and get a cup of damn coffee. Then we’re going to talk about what to do.”

I grabbed Noah’s hand and he pulled me from the bed. My free hand touched his chest. It ignited every bad desire in my body and soul.

“Morning,” he said.

“Yeah, right. Good morning.”

He kissed my forehead. “Penny, I have to say this truthfully. If you fucking lie to me or Seth, you’re not going to leave this apartment alive.”

I nodded. “Sounds fair.”

I went back to the kitchen and sat on a barstool.

“Cream? Sugar?” Seth asked.

He had a cut on the right side of his head. He looked hungover and half dead.

“Sure,” I said.

Seth gave me the coffee and nodded.

“Thanks,” I said.

“Sorry about last night,” he said. “I was just doing what I was told.”

“Getting drunk and wanting to stuff your dick in my mouth?” I asked. “That’s a normal night for you?”

“Look,” Seth said, “I don’t have to defend myself to you. You’re just lucky Noah found you when he did. I can’t believe I knocked myself out.”

“You… what…”

I looked at Noah and he curled his lip at me.

He’s still lying for me…

“Yeah,” Seth said. “Maybe you didn’t see it. I remember standing in the corner, feeling sick. I swear, Noah, you were there.”

“No, man,” Noah said. “By the time I got there, you were on the floor. I thought someone attacked you. Hell, I thought she attacked you.”

“Did you?” Seth asked me.

“No. You were drunk. You took me… I was tied to that chair. Then it was quiet for a while. When you came into the office you were drunk.”

“Shit,” Seth said. “Marcos is going to have my ass.”

“You sent a picture to him,” I said, casually looking at Noah.

“I did? Good. Did I…” Seth ran a hand through his hair. He looked at Noah. “Ah, fuck. I hit you, didn’t I?”

“Got her lip good,” Noah said and he jammed his thumb to the corner of my mouth. “I cleaned her up.” Noah looked at me. “Seth and I agree that something isn’t adding up here.”

“Okay,” I said. “What does that mean?”

“You’re supposed to be with Marcos today,” Seth said. “He’s going to kill you.”

“He said that?” I asked.

Seth grinned. “What the fuck…”

“She doesn’t understand,” Noah said. “Cut her some slack, man.”

“Right. Sure.”

“What am I supposed to do now?” I asked.

“Marcos knows something,” Seth said. “Someone wants you involved in our business. I’m not having it. Jesus Christ, I can’t believe this… I can’t believe what we have to do here.”

“So I’m staying alive?” I asked, looking at Noah.

“For the moment,” he said. “But there’s something you have to do.”

“Sure. Anything.”

Noah took out a gun and put it on the counter.

My heart skipped a beat.

“Look at me, Penny,” he said.

I looked into his eyes. The warrior, the beast, the man who took care of me last night.

“Come on,” Seth said. “Don’t torture her, Noah. Just get the information and pass her along.” Seth then grabbed his stomach and made a line out of the kitchen for the bathroom. “Fuck… my stomach…”

Noah then pointed to the gun. He leaned down and put his lips to my ear. “You have to shoot me.”