Rose stirred some time later, groggy and confused as to why she was lying on the floor. She tried to sit up, only to realize that her wrists and ankles had been taped together.

It was then that the events that had taken place outside the vet clinic came rushing back to her; the sheriff injecting her with some sort of drug, her collapsing as she’d tried to run from him and the man with the black cloth. She had been kidnapped, it seemed. And by the sheriff of all people.

As to why she’d been abducted, Rose wasn’t sure. But if the sheriff was involved, Rose was willing to bet that Jared Chalke was behind this whole mess somehow. The knowledge that Jared would go to such extremes to get to her terrified Rose. She didn’t even want to think about what he could possibly have planned for her.

Which left her with just one real question still unanswered: Where am I?

“Ah, she wakes!”

Rose felt herself stiffen at the sound of Jared’s voice.

She craned her head to look at him as he entered the small, barren room she was being held in. He came to stand beside her head, smiling down at her in a way that made her skin crawl as his eyes roamed over her bound body. Behind him stood the sheriff, arms crossed as he avoided looking in her direction. Rose remained silent, glaring at them both.

“Aw, don’t be that way, Rose,” Jared chided, seeing the venom in her eyes. He squatted down beside her, running his fingers through her hair in mock reverence. “I’m just so glad that my favorite little pricktease could finally join us.”

Rose tried to twist away from him, but his hand tightened painfully in her hair, making her eyes water. He pulled her head up so that her face was even with his.

Jared kissed her, forcing her mouth open so that he could invade it with his tongue. He tasted like stale cigarettes.

Rose gagged. She tried to struggle free, but with her hands bound behind her back and her body still weak with the aftereffects of the drug in her system, it was pointless. So Rose did the only thing she could think of.

Jared screamed as Rose’s teeth clamped down onto his tongue. He released the grip that he had in her hair, pushing her away from him so that she fell back to the floor, landing uncomfortably on her restrained arms. She spit a glob of his blood out of her mouth and onto the floor, gagging again.

“You fucking bitch!” Rose didn’t have time to brace herself as Jared’s open hand came down across her face, slapping her so hard that her teeth rattled.

“Chalke…” the sheriff said uneasily, taking a step toward them. To his credit, he was starting to look like he regretted dragging Rose into this.

Too bad Rose didn’t give a fuck.

“I’m fine,” Jared said, holding out a hand to halt the sheriff as he composed himself. He wiped the back of his hand against his mouth, laughing when it came away wet with his own blood. “You always did like to fight me, didn’t you, Rose?” he said, chuckling to himself again as he got to his feet. He gazed hungrily down at her, like a hunter that had finally cornered his prey. “Well, there will be plenty of time for all that later. That is, after I deal with your little boyfriend.”

His words made Rose’s blood run cold. What did he want with Colt? Wasn’t it enough that he had her here already? Why go after Colt, too?

“Oh, that’s right,” Jared quipped, seeing the confusion warring on her face and smiling. “You’re probably wondering why I brought you here in the first place. You see, your boy stole something from me; well, besides you, that is,” he added with a toothy smile. “I want back what he took, with interest.”

Rose struggled upright into a seated position. She could feel herself shaking, only with rage instead of fear this time.

“Whatever you’re planning, it’s not going to work,” she bit out before she could stop herself. “Colt’s too smart to fall for whatever stupid trick you’re trying to pull.”

Jared gave another cold laugh. “Is that so?” he mused, rubbing his chin as if considering her words. “You know what I think?” he asked, hunkering back down so that they were at eye level again. Rose recoiled from the sudden close proximity, but Jared just smirked at her. “I think your rich boyfriend will fall for it. You know why?” He reached out and caressed a finger down her cheek. “Because, if he ever wants to see you alive again, he’ll pay up. And he’ll pay up big.”

Rose’s mouth went dry suddenly, her heart hitching uncontrollably in her chest.

Jared laughed at her stricken expression, standing up once more. “Don’t worry, Rose. I enjoy your company too much to kill you. But won’t Mr. Roman be so disappointed when I take you and his money and run?”

Rose didn’t respond, her mind too busy running through all the terrible outcomes her situation faced.

Taking her silence as submission, Jared grinned, reaching into his back pocket to produce a cellphone. Her cellphone.

“I took this while you were sleeping, hope you don’t mind.” Jared looked back over his shoulder at the sheriff. “Sheriff Thorn, if you would be so kind as to give Rose some proper motivation,” he said, waving a hand in her direction.

“What’s happening?” Rose asked, near frantic now that the initial shock of being kidnapped had passed. Her eyes darted between the men. “What are you going to do?”

The sheriff reluctantly walked over to her, pulling his gun from its holster and leveling it at her head.

Rose made a startled, fearful sound as the gun pressed against her temple.

Jared clucked his tongue disapprovingly at her. “Now, now, Rose. Don’t get any ideas about screaming for help, because the sheriff here would sure hate to have to blow a hole in your pretty head.” He held up her phone, angling the camera lens at her. “All right, Rose, now here’s what I want you to say…”