His first love

"Wake up, princess."

A heavy boot kicked the metal leg of the chair.

Falon Massey gasped. Her eyes snapped open.

The harsh glare of a tactical flashlight blinded her. She turned her head away. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic, painful rhythm.

She tried to pull her hands apart. The rough hemp rope bit into the raw skin of her wrists. Warm blood trickled down her palms.

She was kidnapped. The air in the abandoned Brooklyn warehouse was thick. It smelled of rust, mold, and stale urine.

Dwayne Boggs grabbed a fistful of her hair. He yanked her head back.

Falon let out a sharp cry. Her scalp burned.

Dwayne reached into the pocket of his dirty jacket. He pulled out her personal phone.

He grabbed her right hand. He forced her thumb onto the sensor. The screen unlocked with a soft click.

The bright light of the screen illuminated Dwayne's scarred face. He scrolled through her contacts.

He stopped at a name. Jerod Mercer.

Falon's chest tightened. Jerod. Her fiancé. He would pay. He would get her out of here.

Dwayne tapped the screen. He put the phone on speaker and held it up.

The line rang once. Twice.

Then, a click.

The smooth, elegant sound of a live violin drifted through the tiny speaker. It was the string quartet from the Manhattan penthouse ballroom.

"What now, Falon?" Jerod's voice cut through the music. He sounded annoyed. Bored.

Falon's breath hitched. She opened her mouth to scream, but Dwayne pressed a cold, heavy tactical knife against her carotid artery. The sharp edge sliced a millimeter into her skin. A drop of blood slid down her neck.

"Listen closely, Mercer," Dwayne growled. "I have your fiancée. I want one million dollars in cryptocurrency. I will send you the wallet address. You have one hour, or I start mailing you her fingers."

"Jerod, darling," a soft, whiny voice echoed in the background. "They're waiting for us to cut the cake."

Abby.

Falon's stomach dropped to the floor. The string quartet. The cake cutting. Abby's voice. It wasn't just a party. It was a wedding. *Their* wedding.

"Is this your new PR stunt, Falon?" Jerod's tone dripped with absolute disdain. "Hiring a thug to interrupt our wedding? It is pathetic. I've already told you, this is Abby's wish before she dies, we're just having a fake wedding"

"Jerod, it is real!" Falon screamed. She did not care about the knife. The blade dug deeper. The sting was nothing compared to the ice forming in her veins. "He is going to kill me!"

"Your voice sounds completely unhinged," Jerod said coldly. "You lack basic class. Do not test my limits again."

"Jerod-"

"Do whatever you want with her," Jerod said to the kidnapper. "I am done."

The call disconnected.

A sharp, piercing beep filled the warehouse.

Falon stopped breathing. The frantic beating of her heart slowed to a heavy, hollow thud. Her hands stopped pulling at the ropes. The fight drained out of her muscles.

He left her to die.

Dwayne stared at the phone. His face turned red. The veins in his neck bulged.

"Son of a bitch!" Dwayne roared.

He threw the phone against the concrete wall.

The device shattered. Pieces of glass and plastic rained down on the floor.