Josie couldn’t go back.  Not after a taste of this.

She knew before she married Enzo that it was a terrible idea.  When he came along and offered her a “better” life, she knew it came with a steep price.  Her life and freedom would have to be traded away, but what was she going to do?  Turn down one of the most powerful men in the city?  She was broke, living paycheck to paycheck, and scrounging tips to make rent.  One rejection and he could ruin her already shitty life.

She knew from the beginning that she was just a tool.  Out of all the secrets he kept, his true intentions were never one of them.  He was getting older.  He needed to secure a legacy.  He’d picked her because she was young, attractive, and looked “sturdy” enough to carry his babies.  Yes, sturdy was his exact word.  It was disgusting to be reduced to a womb, but she appreciated the honesty, at least.

He married her, but she never saw him as a husband.  He was her employer in her mind.  When she couldn’t give him what he wanted, he lost interest.  You’d think the prick would realize there was a common denominator when none of the mistresses gave him a bastard either.  It wasn’t his fault, of course.  He blamed her.  The only reason she was still under his roof was because the family would crucify him if he got a divorce.  Adultery was no big deal.  Neither was extortion, laundering, battery, and maybe even murder, but divorce is where they drew the line.  That was fine by her.  She kept herself pretty and entertained guests when he needed her to.  She kept the bed warm if he ever wanted to try again.  It was a very dull, lonely existence.  The best thing that Enzo ever did for her was be the reason she got kidnapped.

It’d be easy to resent the men that swiped her off the street and kept her holed in up a motel for ransom, but the last week that she’d spent trapped in the room with Kane and Lynch was the most excitement she’d had since getting married.  These two were a different breed of criminal.  Enzo and his boys were all about appearances.  They maintained their perfectly manicured façades.  While she had seen glimpses of the gritty underbelly of the society she’d married into, so much of it felt like she was watching a performance.  These two were real.  They were unhinged.  They scared her… They thrilled her. 

Especially Lynch.

Kane was a hard-ass.  He didn’t have much to do with her outside of business, but Lynch?  Maybe it was desperation, but that man was a breath of fresh.  At first, he seemed like the worst of the two.  He was always popping pills.  He snapped at Kane.  He mumbled nonsense to himself.  There was clearly something off about him.  Hell, he was the one who originally subdued her.  It was pretty fucking terrifying.

But when they were alone?  He showed this soft side.  He untied her when Kane wasn’t around.  He offered her smokes.  Talked to her.  Listened to her.  Fucked her.  And when he did, he didn’t just hump her until he came inside and went on about his day.  There was foreplay.  Foreplay!  Even with the threat of being walked in on at any moment hanging over them, he took his time with her.  And dirty talk!  She swore that only existed in porn, just like the pussy-eating, clit-sucking, and fingering.  God, she’d gotten off more with him than she had in the past decade.  Maybe he was just using her like Enzo did.  He probably was, but it felt so good that she didn’t care.

Josie had kept herself oblivious to much of Enzo’s affairs.  Her goal was always to be as ignorant as possible, both for her safety and sanity.  Only now did she regret minding her own business.  She wished she had anything to give Lynch.  She didn’t even know what her husband had done or what they wanted out of him in exchange for her, but she’d tell Lynch anything he wanted to hear if it meant more of this.  She wanted to be more than just a hostage.  She wanted to be useful.  Being returned to Enzo filled her with dread.  She couldn’t go back to that life.  She’d rather them just kill her than hand her over to him.

It was late.  Kane was snoring in one of the beds.  Lynch was the night watch.  He had the armchair pulled up near her bed.  She couldn’t help but admire him in the dim light of the television screen.

“Lynch?”

Her whisper was barely audible over the snoring and TV, but it managed to get his attention.

“Hm?”

When he looked at her, she almost forgot what was on her mind.  That was exactly what worried her.

“What’s going to happen to me?”

Lynch’s face darkened at the question.  He sat up in the chair and leaned in closer to her.

“Don’t worry about that,” he said, keeping his voice low.  “Listen to me, okay?  Don’t worry about it.”

“Lynch—”

“I mean it.  We’re figuring it out.  You gotta trust me, Jo.”

There was no reason to believe him.  He was a bad man, probably even worse than what she was running from.  But she did.  She trusted him.