Page 115 of Ruthless Prince
Biting my bottom lip, I closed the browser and put the phone down, shoulders slumping. Yet another article featuring a supposed friend of mine had just popped up. I was sick of seeing all these people who claimed to know me talking about how they ‘knew all along’ that Logan and I were seeing each other. It was pathetic, and it proved how hard it was to make real friends in the gilded world I’d grown upin.
As the gloomy thoughts piled up in my mind, a light bulb suddenly seemed to switch on, immediately clearing the fog away. I sat up straight, eyes widening. How could I have forgotten to consider RowanHarris?
He was the perfect person to ask forhelp.
He was a bit nutty in some ways, and he was more of an acquaintance than a friend, considering how infrequently we saw or spoke to each other, but he had decent connections, and I knew he was trustworthy. Like me, he hated all the bullshit that came with our elite world, and we’d always gotten along well. He also hated Logan just as much as I did after being bullied by him and his cronies when they were in school together many years ago, so I knew he’d believe whatever I said abouthim.
I knew his phone number off by heart, because he’d always shied away from social media messaging platforms like Facebook and Instagram. He claimed they were part of a vast government conspiracy to spy on all of us (that much was probably true, to be honest) so the only way he could ever be contacted was via his encrypted email or privatenumber.
With trembling fingers, I tapped out a message to him.Rowan, it’s Willow. I really need your help with something. PS - Please don’t tell anyone I’m contactingyou.
He replied a few minutes later.Hi, Willow. Are you all right? Congratulations on your engagement, by the way. Sorry I haven’t said it until now. To be honest, I was pretty shocked by the whole thing. Hope you’re happy,though.
Me:It’s not real. None of it is. That’s why I need your help. Your number is secure, right? No one can hack in and read yourmessages?
Rowan:Of course it’s secure. What’s going on? What do you mean it isn’treal?
Me:It’s a long story, but basically, my father sold me to the Thornes. I’m being forced to marry Logan, and he’s threatened my brother so that I play along. I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe me. You can’t tell anyone. Not even myfamily.
Rowan:Don’t worry,I believe you. The Thornes are total scum, especially Logan. What can I do tohelp?
Me:Before you do anything to get me out of here, I need you to get Jared somewhere safe. Somewhere Logan and his minions can’t get tohim.
Rowan:Shit. I really want to help, but I honestly don’t know how to do that. I don’t even know how to get close to Jared without setting off some sort of alarm bells with his security detail. Are you sure I can’t go to your mother for help? It would make things a loteasier.
Me:Please, you can’t tell anyone else. We can’t riskit.
Rowan:Okay.Give me a minute to get out of my office so I can call you. We’ll talk about itthen.
Me:You can’t call me. Logan is recording everything Isay.
Rowan:Of course he is.Bastard.
Me:Sorry. I know it would be easier to talk in person, but I really can’t. Textonly.
Rowan:Don’t apologize. Not your fault. I’ll try to find a way to get Jared out, and then I’ll text you with an update. Don’t worry, I’ll think of something. I promise. Just hang in there. Help iscoming.
I double-checked that the phone was on silent mode, and then I hid it in the large wooden blanket box that sat on the floor at the end of mybed.
A few minutes later, I heard heavy footsteps pounding in the hall outside.Shit.Logan washome.
I went to my spot on the floor and kneeled with my head bowed and my hands clasped behind my back. Logan stepped inside and locked the door behind him, as he always did when he came to hurt me or force more training toys into myass.
I expected him to gently pet my head and call me a good girl for being in the correct submissive position, but instead, he wound his hand in my hair, roughly forcing my head back at an awkward angle. I bit back a whimper and tried to ignore how striking his eyes were as they raked overme.
It would be easy to fall for him if I were anyone else, but I could never forget the monster lurking beneath his gorgeous façade. I couldn’t afford to. Not when so much was at stake. I remained silent, staring up at him impassively as I willed myself to go along with whatever he demanded of me, no matter how much ithurt.
“Where is it?” he finally asked, eyesnarrowing.
“What do you mean, sir?” Iasked.
His fingers closed around my throat, and he almost choked me as he lifted me and threw me onto the bed. Gasping for breath, I rubbed my tender neck and stared up at him with wide-eyedtrepidation.
“Don’t play dumb,” he growled, eyes blazing. “I know about the dumbwaiter. I know you’ve been sending notesdownstairs.”
My pulse spiked, and my breathing became labored as butterflies scattered in my stomach. “I don’t know what you mean, sir,” I said, arranging my face into the picture ofinnocence.
I knew he had no evidence, because I flushed all of Anna’s notes down the toilet after I read them, and I’d also instructed her to get rid of hers. He might suspect something now that he knew the dumbwaiter existed, but unless Anna sold me out, he couldn’t prove athing.
