The Insurance Policy Gets Handsy

Chapter 6: The Insurance Policy Gets Handsy

Ryan’s mind was a blur when he regained consciousness. The first thing he noticed was the smell—rich, luxurious incense that reminded him of a high-end spa. Confusion took over. He had fully expected to wake up in a grimy warehouse or tied to a rusty chair in some godforsaken basement.

"Am I dead?" Ryan muttered to himself. "Is this heaven? Or some luxury spa that kidnaps broke attorneys?"

He shifted slightly and realized he was lying on something soft—a plush bed with silk sheets. Ryan wriggled, testing the restraints on his wrists. Yep, still tied up.

"Weirdly cozy for a kidnapping," he thought, his lawyer brain kicking in. "If this is ransom-level care, I’m worth a lot more than I thought."

As he moved, he felt something—or rather, someone—beside him. A large, warm body. A very large, very warm, very naked!!!!.

“Who’s there?” he demanded, his voice wavering.

A deep, familiar voice responded, dripping with amusement. “Well, well. The little rat finally left its hole.”

“Wait a damn second,” Ryan growled, his panic giving way to irritation. “Is that—”

Before he could finish, a strong arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer to the warm body.

“....”

“YOU!” Ryan shouted, thrashing around. “You damn Insurance! What the hell is wrong with you?! Where am I?! And why am I tied up like some weird sacrifice?! Also, WHY are you half-naked and IN BED WITH ME?!”

Joshua chuckled, the vibration of his laugh annoyingly comforting against Ryan’s side. “You have a lot of questions for someone who walked into a trap with both feet. For the record, I’m not half-naked. I’m shirtless. Are you blind? "

"Oh! You are.”

“Relax,” the voice said teasingly. “You’ve had a rough day. Consider this a complimentary spa experience, courtesy of your damn insurance.”

“Oh, thank you for clearing that up!” Ryan snapped, flailing uselessly. “Untie me, you overgrown delinquent! And stop calling me a rat!”

“But you squeak so cutely,” Joshua teased, his grip tightening slightly. “And you’re here because you don’t listen. I warned you to stay put, didn’t I? But nooo, you just had to go snooping around your brother’s apartment.”

Ryan stopped struggling, momentarily stunned. “Wait… this is about my brother? You knew this would happen?”

Joshua sighed, his tone softening slightly. “I had a hunch. You’re reckless, Ryan. Always have been. It’s one of the things I…” He paused, clearing his throat. “Never mind.”

Ryan’s lawyer instincts flared. “Finish that sentence. One of the things you what? Hate about me? Mock about me? Kidnap me over?”

Joshua’s voice dropped, low and teasing. “...One of the things I like about you.”

Ryan’s brain short-circuited. “WHAT?! I—NO! Don’t say things like that when I can’t see your face! You’re messing with me!”

“I don’t need to mess with you. You’re a lawyer; you mess with yourself just fine,” Joshua replied, clearly enjoying Ryan’s flustered state.

Ryan groaned. “I swear, if I wasn’t tied up right now—”

“You’d what?” Joshua interrupted, his tone smug again. “You’re so brave when you can’t fight back. If you’re done panicking, we need to talk.”

“Oh, sure. Let’s have a little chat while I’m blindfolded and tied up like your hostage. Great dynamic for meaningful dialogue! I bet you are also into some weird stuffs” Ryan retorted.

Joshua excited "wanna try?"

Ryan flustered "Fuck off?!!, don't breathee beside my ears".

Joshua sighed dramatically. “Fine, i'll keep my distance from your ears, I don't wanna die due to lack of air”

To Ryan’s surprise, Joshua reached over and removed the blindfold. Ryan blinked rapidly, adjusting to the dim lighting. The room was as luxurious as it smelled, with plush furniture and an air of quiet opulence.

“See? No dungeons or dark alleys. I don’t kidnap in style, Ryan—I rescue in style,” Joshua said, leaning back on the bed like he owned the world.

“Rescue?!” Ryan sputtered. “You rescued me by scaring the crap out of me and tying me up?!! It would have been my last day if I had a weak heart”

Joshua smirked. “Well, if I didn’t grab you, those guys who ambushed you probably wouldn’t have given you such a nice bed. Or, you know, left you breathing.”

Ryan froze, the reality of the situation dawning on him. “Wait… those people at my brother’s place… they were after me?”

“Of course,” Joshua replied nonchalantly. “You’ve been poking around in things that could get you killed. But don’t worry, Insurance is here.”

Ryan glared at him. “Stop calling yourself Insurance! You’re not my policy. You’re just a pain in my—”

Joshua leaned in suddenly, his face inches from Ryan’s. His green eyes sparkled with mischief. “Careful, Ryan. You wouldn’t want to insult the man who just saved your life… again.”

Ryan opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by a small voice from the corner of the room.

“Uncle Rat is funny!”

Both men turned to see the little boy from the car, peeking around the doorframe with a wide grin. His bright green eyes twinkled, and his tiny hand waved enthusiastically at Ryan.

Ryan groaned, slumping back onto the bed. “Great. I’ve been downgraded from ‘attorney’ to ‘Uncle Rat.’ This is my life now.”

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