It's A Trap

*Sandra*

I looked down at the number on the desk, now second-guessing my choice to call. I had to save Takara, but I was done with this asshole. I picked my phone up painstakingly entering each number slowly. Joseph, Jay, Henry, and I all listened to the phone ringing throughout the office. "I knew you would call Sandy." He said as soon as he answered the phone. I couldn't figure out how he knew about Takara unless he saw a picture of her in my little shoebox. "Ryan," I responded. "What do you want?" He laughed at my question. Probably because we all already knew what he wanted. Me. "I want you to meet me. I want you to be alone. I want to talk." He tried to keep talking but another voice kept cutting in. Ark. "I want to talk to Smoke." He ordered. "You got me for now you fucking traitor!" Henry didn't even hesitate. They didn't want them to think they were affecting Joseph, so he was straining trying not to speak. I looked at his face smiling at him for some comfort. It didn't work, So I walked up to him in front of the others grabbed his hand and placed it on my chest. He looked at me like I was possessed but I just smiled and whispered "No man can be pissed with a boob in his hand." He laughed out loud visibly relaxing almost instantly he turned me around wrapping his arms around me. "You think Smoke should let you have your own territory. Have you lost your damn mind jackass?" Henry was seething. I grabbed Joseph's hand walking us closer to the phone. "Ark tells Ryan I will meet him if he leaves Takara alone," I said breaking in between the arguing. Joseph spun me around, "No you will not." He said loudly. We could hear Ryan's laugh echoing throughout the room. "What's wrong Smoke, are you afraid I will take her from you?" He paused, "again?" Joseph let go of me picking the phone off of the table. "You could never take her from me jackass, you will never be anywhere near her again!" He was almost screaming. Ryan had hit a nerve which is exactly what he wanted. I grabbed his arm but he jerked away from me. He didn't want me to calm him down. "I am going to end you, Ryan. Ark, you aren't getting shit, I am going to rip off your head and place it on a stake in the city house front yard." He was talking calmly now. Not relaxed calm, but a scary calm. The voice, the one that spoke directly to my darkest places, was flowing from his lips hypnotizing me.

He slammed my phone down and walked away from me. I followed him instantly worried about Takara, "What did you just do Jo? They will hurt her. Ryan will kill her to get to me. Tanya was a warning." I could feel the anger and fear flowing out of my eyes in the form of tears. He ruined it. He took the plan and stomped on it. How could he do that? This is my choice. He didn't turn around to look at me. I ran up to him, "Are you listening to me?" I said grabbing his arm. He turned to me sobbing, not a few tears flowing in anger like mine, full sobbing. He grabbed me wrapping his arms around me repeating he was sorry. I grabbed him tightly, "You have nothing to be sorry for. What's wrong Joseph? It's okay, I'm sorry, we can find another way." I was saying anything I could to try to help him. He looked down at me, his eyes and nose red, tears still running steadily down his face, "I should have protected you. He shouldn't have gotten you again at all. I shouldn't have let go of your hand." He was still talking about the wreck. I grabbed his face in my hands telling him to look into my eyes. "You didn't do that, Ryan did. You saved me in less than two days. You couldn't help he wrecked the car, that you were betrayed. You are not responsible for anything but saving me my king, you take my pain away." I kissed him hard before allowing him to respond. I could feel the water on my face from his tears and the darkness crept up inside of me. Feeling his pain was different than feeling my own. It hurt, physically, suddenly I couldn't breathe. Seeing a change in me brought him out of his state of mind. He instantly started talking to me calmly, "Breathe darling, It's okay. I'm okay, we are going to end this." He said rubbing my cheek with his thumb. Finally, I exhaled.

After a few minutes, he walked back to his desk to sit back down. Henry looked at me with a disgusted look on his face. "What now?" I said more harshly than I intended. My adrenaline still pumping. "Sorry Sunshine, Your phone keeps ringing. I think they are trying to call back." he looked down at my phone. I picked it up waiting for it to ring again. "No one says anything, okay?" I ordered. After some discomfort from having me give a real order, they all nodded, including Joseph. I am not sure if he was nodding at me or Henry and Jay, but he nodded meaning they would give me space to deal with this. In seconds my phone rang again. I let it ring several times preparing to answer it. "Hello, Ryan," I said dully showing I was unimpressed. "Sandy, if you give that psycho the phone again, I am going straight for her." He warned. I closed my eyes took a deep breath, and told him he was now only speaking with me. I told him I would meet him at the south hotel at 7:00 after dinner. "Only you." He ordered. I agreed telling him that I would come into the hotel alone, but they would be close by. "I will not be going anywhere with you. You will not touch me. They will hear everything, and come in if needed." I was the one giving orders now. I knew he would argue but eventually, he agreed. I was giving him no other option. If he wanted to see me he would do it my way. "I'll see you then my beautiful Sandy," He said before giving the phone back to Ark. I had thought about telling him not to bring Ark with him, but we needed them both in one place. I knew that and I wasn't allowing the guys to influence this decision. "Hello Sunshine, or Sandy, or Sandra, or Smoke's Whore, Whatever you want me to call you." He said with a dark chuckle. I didn't respond putting my hand up to control the beasts surrounding me. "Are you still there bitch?" He said coldly. "I prefer bitch, it's a perfect fit to my personality as a dumbass coward is to yours." I laughed darkly as well. "Listen whore, you wouldn't be talking so much if I showed you how big of a coward I really was, bending your dumbass over." He said strongly. I laughed again at him thinking forcing a woman makes him anything less than a coward. "Okay big guy, whenever you want to die instantly you try that. What do you want, I tire of dealing with ignorance." I said completely filled with darkness now.

I looked over to Joseph. He was gripping his desk chair so hard that I could see white in his knuckles. I held the phone to my chest asking if he wanted to speak with Ark instead. I had no business arguing with him. His problem was with the brotherhood, not with me. He smiled dangerously walking towards me and reaching for the phone. I mouthed "Stay calm" before kissing him gently and walking to sit down. Watching his darkness fully shown in front of me should have scared me, but it didn't. It was sexy, strong, protective, and violent. Not unnecessarily violent like Ryan's was but a violence that I can understand. I felt like our darkness was dancing together in the shadows like our shadows danced the first night he took me to his bed. "Hello Ark." That calm cold voice came out smooth. I looked up to see him looking directly at me. Did he see the shadows dancing as well? Without thinking I bit my bottom lip. He smiled at me this time. Ark was telling him that he wasn't afraid of the king. He told him he wanted his own territory, and that he would cause damage and destruction until he got it. "I'll turn into Luca Smoke, and we all know you fear him." He chucked but Joseph chuckled louder. "I am not afraid of you or Luca, I respect Luca. Come tell me that to my face tough guy, outside of the hotel while we meet." He smiled as the words left his lips. He looked excited. Like a kid who is going to get a big surprise gift at the end of the day. I knew immediately after that smile that he was ready for this meeting. He was going to kill them both. Ark agreed to meet him outside. I wasn't worried, I knew no one would let him get hurt. This time it was Ark that hung up so I didn't think they would be calling back. Joseph walked towards me kissing my cheek. He leaned to my ear and whispered, "The darkness I saw in you, speaks strongly to mine, never hide it from me. I want you so bad right now. After this is over I am going to spend 3 whole days inside of you." He bit my neck softly before standing up and walking back to his desk. I felt goosebumps form all over my body.

Once in his chair, he looked at the other guys. "We have to plan this out, and I need Zeus to go too. I know he is watching Tanya. I will call him. What are you two thinking?" He looked down at his phone looking for Zeus' phone number. "I don't like this boss, I want to go in with her." Jay wasn't happy. His voice was raspy and harsh. "You can't," Joseph said simply. "I am well-trained sir, I can be unseen." He said quickly in response. "No. She wants to handle this. We will let her. You can get her strapped into a vest, make sure her comm works perfectly, and teach her some defense moves. She will go in alone, like she told him she would." Joseph didn't look up from his phone while he spoke. He wasn't negotiating. Jay gave me a concerned look but nodded his head in agreement. "I will call the hotel to make sure Pan can clear it out in time," Henry said quietly. I could tell he wasn't happy either. Joseph stood up from his chair looking down at both of them, "Jay, you will help Sandra, grab some guards you have been working with we can trust, and meet us in the kitchen at 530." Jay stood shaking his head yes before turning to walk out of the office. "Henry you will get ahold of our men in the south, Pan, and others. Make sure the 5-mile radius around that hotel is cleared. A large gas leak may do it. You can also ensure all our gear is ready. You can cook dinner or we can order out. Up to you." Henry also stood up shaking his head, yes, but he looked at me smiling, "What you want for our last supper Sunshine?" He laughed.