Playing With the Rich Boys | ✓

Chapter Forty-Four - To Get to You

♪ Dusk Till Dawn - ZAYN ft. Sia 

"WE'RE GOING TO BRING THAT ENTIRE FAMILY TO ITS KNEES. AND YOU'RE THE BAIT."

My pulse quickened further, my chest tightening, the breaths getting shorter and shallower. "Wh-what do you mean?" I tried to sound like I was still in control when I was about to break.

"Someone very close to us took the fall for Arthur Lennox's crimes." He paused. "I'm sure you heard about it on the news earlier this year. A week ago, he was killed in prison by an upset investor who'd been jailed. I'll bet you didn't hear about that on the news."

"I-I'm sorry," I said frantically.

"Shut up," the second one snapped. "You have no fucking idea what's happened here. Don't pretend for one second you have any clue, or any right to say anything."

"Why would the Lennoxes come for me?" I asked. "They don't need me." Maybe if I reasoned with me, they would eventually let me go if I was no longer of any value to them.

"You're right. They don't care about anything except themselves and lining their pockets with cash. But we're not after you sweetheart. We're after Parker Lennox. We left him a nice note, and an even better photo of you."

No. I didn't know what his family was like, but Parker was good. He didn't deserve this. After all the times I'd come to him, or rather, he'd come to me, I still knew almost nothing about him. He was the voice of reason always. When emotions ran high around him, he was calm. He was the guy who escaped to a rooftop above the city, the one who wanted his bodyguards away from him. The one who hated being loved for his family, for what he represented.

"You're wrong. He's got his bodyguards. They won't let him out of their sight."

But a part of me was scared. Scared that he would still come. The first one held up a photo in front of me. It was me, tied to the chair with my head slumped to the side. There was a purple bruise on the side of my face. My breath was caught in my throat.

"We hear he's a smart chap. I'm sure he'll find a way," the second said.

"Y-you've been following me then?" I asked. My mind was racing. How had I let this happen to myself? I was always cautious. How long had they been planning this?

"You're an easy person to follow," the first one responded. "But it was quite a rare opportunity to find you alone. You're quite the popular one, aren't you?"

"The theme park...it was empty. A fake sign?" I asked again.

"No. We owe your boyfriend for that one. Because like the fucking selfish, entitled prick he is, he hired out the entire park for the day."

"You think that the two of you can win against the Lennoxes?" I spat, trying to seem brave.

"Once we have Parker, the Lennoxes have no moves left," they laughed. "You're just like us. Once a Lennox gets tired of you, they're done with you. They'll chew you up and spit you out. We can offer you a better deal. When he comes, you show him what betrayal feels like and we let you go. Maybe, if you do a real good job, we'll give you a small bit of the money we'll get. We know you're not a trust fund kid," he scoffed.

"Really? Just like that, you'll let me go?"

"Really. We're men of our word," the first one said, leaning down to meet me at eye level again.

Parker. Please don't come for me.

"Never," I said before spitting onto his ski mask.

He laughed before bringing the back of his hand to my face, putting stars in my eyes. I could taste blood against my cheek. He wiped the spit from the mask. The second guy laughed at him, leaning against the wall.