Rainy Day | Rhea Ripley

Chapter 19

A/N: This chapter includes pretty graphic depictions of violence and drug abuse, read at your own risk, this is your trigger warning.

Hanging on by the strings that you're pulling 

So you cut me down just to push me around

- Punching Bag by Set It Off

Alex's POV

"Will you at least take off these ridiculous handcuffs?" I rattled the metal around my wrist against the bedframe.

Xav had seen one too many episodes of Law and Order SVU.

"So you can go sneaking around and sell me out to the police? Try again baby" his laugh sounded creaky and his voice was dripping with sarcasm.

I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the wall.

"What good am I going to be for you when you keep me tied up here? I won't be able to work the tables in handcuffs, that would look a tiny bit suspicious don't you think?"

He ignored me and went back to frantically typing on his phone.

Something was bothering him, making him nervous. That was a good thing. 

I had known Xav long enough to know that when he was nervous he tended to get sloppy with everything that he did.

And I really needed him to get sloppy.

The plan I had made hadn't worked. I had counted on him taking me back without question, I didn't think he'd actually be smart enough to figure out I was trying to expose him so now I had to improvise. 

He had tied up both of my wrists and ankles to the four bedposts with one pair of handcuffs each, which was complete overkill if you asked me.

But I reckoned he just really wanted to see me tied to this bed spread-eagle with no question about the practicality of it.

Funnily enough, if it was Demi who did this to me I would have thanked her. I shook my head, trying to physically get rid of the thought of her. If I got emotional now I would get sloppy too and that could be deadly in my current position. 

It was impossible to tell what time it was but I was pretty sure that tonight's gambling event had already started. They were still setting up a few of the tables, some of the guys still downstairs in the bar as if getting drunk was a smart move for them, so the main events hadn't started yet. 

Xav always picked the groups he wanted to con very carefully.

The original plan had been to unsuspiciously expose him (and with that myself) as a grifter during the game. If I was lucky enough there was some rich guy with fancy lawyers there who would take care of this for me and all I'd have to do was tell the truth to the police and the court.

But now that I could feel how closely Xav was watching me, waiting for me to do just that I realized that this plan wasn't just risky, it was simply unrealistic.

Really there was only one thing about him I could use to my advantage, something I was very adept at utilizing.

And that was his anger.

This wouldn't end well for me, I knew that, but I had made up my mind and I wanted to help Dominik and Demi, whatever the cost.

I took a deep breath and put on the most bratty facial expression I could muster given the circumstances.