Meadow’s POV:


    ric was keeping me locked up in his house like a goddamn prisoner.


    It had been days–neatly a week–since he’d left for Vegas, and he hadn’t contacted me once, or at least


    offered some kind of exnation for his behavior the other night.


    He was pretending like I didn’t exist, yet he made sure I never left the house.


    The first day I saw the hefty men in suits, I wondered why on earth they were just hanging around and not talking to anyone–except Mel when she forced them to eat the food she made.


    But realization hit me the very next day when they came back. They were here for me. He didn’t want me to leave the house to the facility where my sister was still being held. I’d escaped twice before, and he didn’t want it to repeat itself.


    And it fucking enraged me. He couldn’t send a simple text but got me some… bodyguards? If I could even


    call them that. They were more of prison guards than anything else.


    The whole idea that he didn’t want me to see my sister was ridiculous. I didn’t want to see her either, especially after thest time I went to see her. But this was also him trying to prove a point. Making me


    seem as ‘weak–minded‘ as he said I was.


    But right now, something else was about to enrage me entirely.


    “What do you mean I can’t leave?” I snapped at one of the bodyguards.


    “We have orders not to let you leave, Ma’am.”


    Heat crawled up my neck. These men had to be older than me, and them calling me ‘ma’am‘ made me


    ufortable.


    I was only twenty–three, damn it!


    I crossed my arms in front of my chest. “Well, I’m not leaving to see my sister,” I replied. “My best friend is sick. I need to go take care of her.”


    Nova wanted toe spend some time with me today, but she caught the flu. And now all I wanted to do was go to her apartment with some soup I made.


    And they wouldn’t let me?


    “You’re not supposed to leave the house,” the other bodyguard said coolly. “We have no idea who or what you’re not supposed to be seeing. Your husband’s instructions are not to let you leave thepound.”


    I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the frustration rise up my chest like some prickly pins.


    This was despicable!


    How on earth did he have the right to control me when he wasn’t even here? After the way he’d spoken to


    me that night?


    “Call him then,” I muttered. “Call him and tell him I need to leave.”


    They both looked at me like I was crazy. They exchanged odd nces with each other before the first one spoke again. “He’s your husband, isn’t he?”


    Embarrassment wed at my throat.


    The other one shot him a wide–eyed re. And then he managed a polite smile at me that ended up turning into a grimace. “I’m afraid we don’t have the… luxury of his phone number. He didn’t speak to us directly.”


    I nearly face–palmed. Of course, he didn’t. Trip was his bodyguard. He probably had him do this.


    I swallowed, shifting from one foot to the other. I couldn’t call ric.


    First, I didn’t even have his contact. And things were going to get awkward if I told these strangers that I didn’t have my husband’s phone number.


    I was saved from the awkward moment when I heard the sound of an engine rev. It wasn’t long until the car came to a stop in front of the house.


    Trip usually came to check in everyday, so this had to be him.


    “Trip,” I started as I descended the stairs. “Trip, can you tell these men to…” I trailed off when the driver of the blue sports car got out of it.


    It wasn’t Trip. It couldn’t have been him, even. Trip drove an SUV.


    It was ric’s brother.


    “Nn.” He had on a white shirt and ck pants with a leather jacket, hair ruffled like he had been running his hand through it.


    “Aw, don’t sound so disappointed to see your brother–inw, princess.”


    My jaw ticked. “What are you doing here?”


    He tilted his head, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. “Well, I’vee here to save you.” His eyes dragged down to the bag in my hand. “And from the looks of it, you do need saving.”


    “I just want to go see my sick friend, but your lunatic brother won’t let me.”


    “Damn,” he chuckled. “I thought I was the lunatic brother.” When I scowled at him, he simply smirked.” Rx. I’m here because he asked me to. Told me a little about your…” his eyes shifted to the bodyguards.


    Situation.”


    I didn’t answer. I thought Nn and ric weren’t close, but from the looks of it, he trusted him enough to tell him that he locked his wife in his house–even though he didn’t trust him enough to tell him that our marriage wasn’t real.


    “I’m actually here in ce of Trip,” he finally admitted. “Ric wanted me to check in on you. But it looks like you need me to check you out of here instead. I’ll take you to go see your friend.” He nodded toward his car, silently telling me to get in.


    I didn’t want to go anywhere with Nn. He didn’t like me, and there was no way I was taking him to Nova’s apartment.


    “Schei?e,” he cursed under his breath, sensing my hesitation. “Look. I’m not supposed to be doing this. If Ric finds out I took you out, he’s gonna have my fucking eyeballs. But I can’t just leave you looking as miserable as you do right now, so I’m willing to bend a few rules for you.”


    I shot him a re.


    Nn didn’t even flinch. “Or you could remain here until he gets back. Both options work for me.”


    I shut my eyes for a full second, thinking about it. Better to go with an asshole like Nn than just remain in this prison. “Fuck it,” I muttered under my breath.


    I had no other choice. As I made my way to the passenger seat of Nn’s car, I heard him offer a sound warning to the men. “My brother hears a sound about this, and I’ll have both your heads. We clear?<b>” </b>


    “I thought you rode a bike?” I asked Nn the moment he got in the car.


    He smirked, stepping on the gas pedal with a force that made my body jerk back. I quickly fastened my seatbelt. “Decided to take a little break today. Can’t fault a guy for wanting to have car sex either, can you?”


    Bile rose up my throat and I gagged. “Please don’t tell me you had sex in this car beforeing here.”


    Nn dodged my question. “Plus, it’s better for Ric to know I carried you in my car. He’ll fucking kill me if he finds out you were on my bike.”


    My lips twitched slightly but I fought hard not to smile. Nothing was funny about this.


    I looked out the window as he drove.


    “So…” he started after a few minutes of heavy, awkward silence. “What’s the deal with your psycho sister?<b>” </b>


    I whipped my head around to scowl at him. “She’s not a psycho.”


    He arched a brow. “Why was she in a psychiatric facility then? All Ric told me was that she hurt you.”


    I scoffed. “I thought he told you…” I trailed off as a dreadful feeling settled in my chest. My brows drew


    together as I stared hard at Nn’s side profile. “Wait… did you say ‘was‘?”


    “What do you mean?”


    “You asked ‘why was she in a psychiatric facility?‘ Is she…”


    Nn spared me a nce. “You don’t know?”


    When I didn’t respond, he sighed. “I thought you did. It’s the entire reason Ric is being so bloody


    protective of you right now. Says she’s dangerous.”


    My heart dropped into my stomach.