Free River: A Bad Boy Romance by Kendra Fate Page B

and taken me hostage. The police are probably on their way to us now.”
    “Gagged and handcuffed it is then”, River says, and moves towards Maddy.
    “Wait, wait”, Maddy says, the memory of the ride in the trunk of the car, all too recent.
    “How do I know you won't just kill me anyway?”
    “I guess you'll just have to trust me”, River says. “You ever trusted anyone in your life before Maddy?”
    “Have you?” Maddy says, turning the question back on him.
    “I trusted a lot of people, and most of them just let me down one way or another. I'm hoping you're not going to do that. Anyway”, he says. “I'll kill you if you try to run. If you behave, and I get across the border, I'll even pay for the bus to send you back home.”
    “What do you want me to do?” Maddy says. “Pretend to be your fiancée?”
    “Don't worry, I wouldn't ask you to do anything I didn't reckon you'd be capable of doing. I reckon you find it difficult enough hiding your true feelings, so the hatred I'm sensing from you, would make that kind of connection between us a little difficult to pull off. Nah, I just want you to act like nothing's wrong. It's much easier for me if I don't have to treat you like a hostage, sneaking around trying to hide you everywhere we go. After that, it's up to you whether you enjoy it or not.”
    “Why not just keep me tied up in the trunk of the car, or get rid of me altogether?” Maddy says.
    “I don't like eating alone.”
    “That's it?” Maddy says. “You're keeping me hostage because you don't like eating alone?”
    “Do you like eating alone, Maddy?” River says, his intonation serious.
    “I hope you burn in hell”, Maddy says.
    “That's not a very nice thing to say”, River says. “I'm inviting you out to dinner and you're telling me to go fuck myself.”
    “Inviting me out to dinner?” Maddy says, unable to believe what he's saying. “You're telling me to join you, and if I don't, you'll kill me.”
    “No, I said if you don't, I'll handcuff you and keep you in the back of the car, without any food. If you agree, and then try and run away, that's when I'll kill you. It's an important distinction.”
    “Is this how you date?” Maddy says. “With a gun in your hand?”
    “Hopefully I won't need it”, River says. “Now, I'm going to ask you again. The trunk of the car, or an evening of fun?”
    Maddy doesn't answer.
    “It's the perfect way for us to get to know each other”, River says.
    “I don't want us get to know each other. What have I possibly got to gain from us knowing each other?”
    “I'm the only friend you've got at the moment”, River says, “and I'm taking the opportunity to treat you with respect. I'm sorry for taking you hostage, but to be honest, you looked like you needed it. What's more, I think you ought to drop the whole woe is me act, because it's pretty fucking unappealing. I don't know you Madeleine Parker, but I can tell from what I've seen so far that you've got to loosen up and start enjoying life a little bit more. I would wager that this is probably the most exciting thing that's happened to you since you lost your virginity, and when you're old and bitter and complaining about what injustices the world has thrown at you over the years, you'll look back on this time with the most regret of all, as the time that you could have enjoyed yourself, but you didn't because you were too far up your own ass.”
    “That's it is it? That's your cod psychology analysis of me? And you think I should take the advice of a hostage taker, a bank robber and a murderer?”
    “I've never killed anyone in my life, but that doesn't mean I won't start now if I have to. I may be a bank robber, but at least I don't look like an undertaker.”
    Maddy is shocked and hurt. She's almost incapable of saying anything, and then finally manages to say, “This is a Valentino dress”, her voice quivering and tears beginning to form in her eyes again.
    “It doesn't matter