"Good afternoon," a familiar, warm voice sounds out, and chills instantly invade my body as I jump.

I scream as I turn and meet the eyes of Devin who is walking out of my kitchen.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in?" I yell.

"Sorry I scared you. I need to talk to you," he sighs in exasperation.

I glare at him and his perfectly clean, sexy self. It pisses me off to know how raging hot he is after he just shattered me.

"I don't want to talk. No second chances. Remember?"

"I don't want a second chance. I want to help you," he murmurs.

"I don't need your fucking help. I hate pity worse than I hate liars and cheaters," I snap.

"I never cheated," he defends.

"Well give the boy a medal for not cheating on me the whole two or three days we were a couple. I'm sorry, but that doesn't change anything. Get out! I don't need your help."

I hold the door open and motion for him to leave, but he props up against the wall to protest my gestured demand.

"I'm not going anywhere. I just picked up a slew of picture frames, shattered glass, and then I patched holes all in your apartment. You haven't gone to work, answered your phone, or even left this place at all in days. You do need help, and I can help you."

"I swear I'll call the cops if you don't get the fuck out of my house," I growl.

"Adisia, you need me to help you. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. I know an expert who specializes in this area, and I'll carry you there kicking and screaming if I have to. Now go get dressed."

"No," I declare, my feet digging into the ground to take my stance and emphasize my fervent protest.

He steps toward me, and I waver on my stand as I step back in response.

"If you touch me, I will scream. You will be arrested. Go away," I hiss through gritted teeth.

"No. I can play this game, too. I care about you, and -"

"Care about me?" I snark in interruption. "Is this really how you show someone you care? You trample all over them, and call them to tell them you're not really interested anymore?"

"I never said that," he snaps, his eyes chastising me. "I was trying to keep from hurting you. I handled it poorly, but I swear I was doing what I thought I should. This has been torture for me, too. You haven't been suffering alone."

"Pardon me if I don't show too much sympathy for your self-inflicted wounds. I'm not the one who called you to tell you it was over. I would have had the balls to do it to your face."

He winces under my cutting words, but he knows he can't argue with the facts.

"Get dressed, I'm taking you with me in fifteen minutes - ready or not," he says coldly.

I roll my eyes and plop down on my couch like an errant, surly teen. I put my headphones in and open my magazine to obnoxiously display my complete indifference to his empty threat.

I'm glad I actually showered yesterday and put on a fresh set of satin pajamas.

I'm in the middle of a page when I feel my body being lifted into the air. I instantly start screaming and fighting uselessly against the strength he's subduing me with.

He carries me bridal style out the door, and another guy joins us the moment we reach the hall. He shuts the door behind us, and Devin steps into the open elevator awaiting his abducting ass.

I scream louder, but no one comes to my aide. None of my self absorbed, useless neighbors even bother to poke their heads out to investigate my screams for help.

Assholes.

I'm flailing around uselessly in his arms as the elevator doors close.

"Let me go now," I squeal.

"Are you sure she needs help? She looks pretty sprightly to me. Maybe you're the only one suffering," the mystery guy whispers in a nearly muted tone. I don't think I was meant to hear, but he expected Devin to hear it.

"I'm not sprightly, I'm pissed. What kind of an egomaniac comes into his ex's house and kidnaps her so he can help coax her through the damn breakup. Get the fuck over yourself."

The mystery guy leans over and looks directly at me. I stop squirming slightly as he speaks.

"You heard that?" he asks with surprise.

"Yeah. Now hear this. You're fucking kidnapping me. It's a crime you will serve time in a federal prison for. Do you understand that?" I blare.

His eyes cut away from mine as he returns his attention to my kidnapper restraining my escape attempts.

"She's not the sobbing mess you said she was," the guy says to Devin.

"It's not just the emotions. Besides, you haven't seen her when no one's looking," he whispers.

"And you have? You sick son of a stalker bitch. Put me down now," I screech.

"I'm not putting you down. Now either I can tie you up or you can calm the hell down," he scolds, as if he's talking to a child.

Bastard. He's kidnapping me, and scolding me like I'm some kid who didn't clean their room up.

The other guy starts putting my fuzzy boots on my bare feet, and I start kicking wildly to try and connect with him. He just laughs in response while batting down my feet that prove to be ineffective against him.

I glare at him, and he holds his hands up innocently while giving me such a condescending smirk.

The door dings on the elevator, and I start screaming in vain once again. A man even holds the door open for us as we pass through the entrance of my apartment building.

Are you fucking kidding me?

Devin tosses me into the backseat of the black SUV that is waiting at the curb in true abduction fashion. I instantly scramble over to the other side and tug on a door that refuses to open.

"The child lock is on. Don't bother," he says while sitting down beside me.

The other guy jumps in the driver's seat and cranks the car. He glances at my death stare in the rearview mirror and laughs a little harder.

"What the hell is your name?" I snap.

"Why do you want my name?" he chuckles.

"So I can tell the cops the name of the accomplice who helped my psycho ex kidnap me."

He laughs even harder.

"Oh, in that case, sure," he snickers out.

"It's Ther. Just calm down. You know you're not going to the cops," Devin says softly.

"You have no idea the hell I'm going to raise. You have no right. Do you even realize what an arrogant, psycho ass you're being right now?"

"You have no idea how bad this can get if you don't get help," he says with a trembling tone.

"What in fuck's name are you talking about?"

"It's a long story you'll never believe. Just let me get you some help. If I'm wrong, then I'll apologize, and you'll never see me again."

I huff and flop back in the seat. "I can't wait for them to tell you you're wrong."

"I hope I am," he mumbles.

I cross my legs, vigorously shaking the one on top as I try to defuse my imminent explosion. I'd like to figure out what he thinks it is he can do for me.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask in a calmer but still agitated tone.

"My mother. She's good."

Holy fucking psycho ex.

"Really?" I ask in an unusually high octave. "You wait until after you dump me to introduce me to your mom?"

Ther bursts out laughing, but Devin rolls his eyes. I squirm uncomfortably in my short, slinky pajama set.

"I can't believe you kidnapped me to take me to your mom's while I'm wearing this," I grumble while motioning to my pajama set.

"Ther, toss me the bag," Devin says mildly.

Ther grabs a bag from the passenger seat and tosses it backwards. As soon as Devin catches it, he hands it to me while avoiding eye contact.

"I packed you some clothes and brought them down to the car while you were reading," he exasperates.

I glare at him while I rip it from his hands. He looks away and starts messing with his phone like a distracted ass.

A smirk spreads across my face when I pull out the shirt because I see a rare opportunity to be a gold medal bitch.

I slide my lacy bra on under my skimpy top, and then I connect it without showing anyone anything.

Devin squirms around slightly uncomfortable, so I know he's aware of what I just did. Then I stifle a grin as I slowly slide off the stringy pajama top.

The car violently darts out into the other lane, and Ther has to jerk it back into our original lane before he hits the side of an overpass.

Devin growls, "Damn it, Ther! Keep your eyes on the road."

"Well shit! I wasn't expecting a striptease in the backseat. Sue me."

Devin leans up and tilts the rearview mirror up so Ther can't see me anymore. He plops back down, and I can see him fighting hard not to look at me. He's also suppressing a threatening grin as I pull down the shorts, revealing my black underwear.

Ther starts to turn his head, but Devin threatens him.

"Do it and I'll kick your ass."

Ther starts snickering slightly, and I smirk as I pull my jeans up with a very slow, seductive slide. I leave them unbuttoned as I start pulling the shirt on, and my slow, sliding motion continues as I let it gingerly cascade over my flesh.

Devin is breathing a little uneasy, and I hear something crack in his hand. It's his phone.

"Shit. Ther, toss me another phone," he says calmly, as if it's nothing out of the ordinary.

Another phone? He keeps them on hand?

He pulls the card out of the broken phone and inserts it into the new phone that is an exact replica.

Wow. Perhaps that's why he called me from a different number.

"Break a lot of phones?" I ask while adjusting the new top that looks fairly slinky as well.

I don't remember this looking so sexy when I bought it. Then again, all of my clothes have fit me different lately - sexier. It's all been so odd.

"It happens," he says casually.

"Is that why you called me from a random number the other day?"

"Yeah. I didn't have another phone on me at the time. I've stocked up since then."

So fucking weird.

"It was my number he called you from. Just in case you ever want to-"

"Ther, I swear it would be in your best interest not to finish that sentence," Devin growls through gritted teeth.

Ther shifts uncomfortably in the front seat after hearing Devin's latest threat. I have to stifle another grin. I'm enjoying this for some reason. My demented mind is reveling in his psychotic jealously. I almost feel... drunk, maybe? It's strange.

I button the top of my pants as Ther lowers the rearview mirror back into place, and then he winks at me. I roll my eyes at the sick goon drooling behind the wheel, and Devin's eyes narrow at his horrid friend.

"Ther, I'm going to break your face if you keep on," he says while programming his new phone.

"I think you're right about her being infected. I can't help but look at her. She shouldn't be so... so hot," Ther grumbles while finally breaking his eyes away from me.

"Infected?" I ask in distaste.