Page 78 of Tainted Truth

Anthony grips my chin too hard and turns my face back to him. “Ignore him. He doesn’t matter anymore now that I’m here.”

He dared to touch what’s mine.

Asher is mine.

My knuckles turn white as I clutch the arms of the chair, and my voice lowers. “What the fuck did you do to him?”

Anthony’s hand flies across my face again, and he leans down to whisper threateningly in my ear. “You’ll do well to remember not to speak to me that way.”

“Leave her alone,” Asher gets out between panting breaths.

Hearing his struggle renews my vigor. Whipping my head to the side, I butt my forehead into his nose. Anthony’s hand flies to his face, and blood streams down his mouth. “I will speak to you however I want! You don’t touch him ever again! Let us go!”

Anthony uses the handkerchief from his pocket to help staunch the bleeding. “You’re going to learn your place again, Flower. Don’t worry. I know just how to do that.”

His hands go for his belt buckle. The clink of metal causes nausea to whirl in my stomach. He whips off the leather with a crack and undoes his pants.

“Remember what I taught you before? You’re going to give me exactly what I want. Now don’t move.”

My mind and body freeze as he wraps the belt around my throat, yanking my head into a bow. He lowers his pants just enough to allow his erect dick to slip free.

“Open.”

Before he can force me to comply, a young man rushes through the door, barely out of adolescence. “Boss! Boss!” When he reaches us, Anthony spins with a punch to the kid’s gut.

Through gritted teeth, Anthony hisses, “Never interrupt me when I’m training, Jackson. You should have been informed of that.”

Jackson rolls onto his hands and knees and wheezes. “Sorry, Boss. Mr. Murphy sent me in. He said he’s urgent.”

Anthony turns to one of his men, giving instructions to stay with us and the rest are to set a perimeter around the building.

When everyone leaves except our guard, I whisper discreetly to Asher, waking him. “Are you okay?”

“Right as rain, Princess.” His words are tired, and I know he’s trying to make the situation seem less severe.

“We’re going to be okay. I’ll find us a way out of here.”

“The guys will come for us. We just have to hold on until they get here. It won’t be long.”

Dear God, I can only hope he’s right.

CHAPTER 34

SPENCER

Asher falls asleep reluctantly. His slouched position can’t be comfortable, but I highly doubt he’ll complain. I had to reassure him over and over that I would be fine and that he needed the rest. His skin is ghostly white from the blood loss from his gunshot wound.

I should sleep too, but I can’t relax my body enough to slide into unconsciousness. My face hurts from the two hits, so I can’t imagine how much pain Asher must be in.

Before falling asleep, Asher said I need to play along with whatever Anthony says and does. He said I need to play into Anthony’s fantasy—that I appreciate the dead women and that I’ve been testing him to see how much he really cared. He said anything within reason will help keep us alive longer. Asher wouldn’t sleep until I promised I’d try.

I’m not sure how I’m going to pull it off. Zane, Rio, and Asher said I wear my heart on my sleeve, but to ensure our survival, I will do my best.

Watching as the moon recedes from the sky and the sun rises over the horizon, I log everything I notice and commit every detail to memory. The guards rotate posts in the room three times; each new guard is a man I don’t recognize as one of thefive who showed up at Clay Creations. I hear multiple footsteps and light conversation outside the window twenty-four times. Not once do I hear car horns, trains, boats, or water.

The door creaks open when the sunlight shines directly through the windows. Not very high in the sky so it’s not noon yet.

“Asher,” I shout-whisper in an attempt to wake him. We’re about three feet apart, so I’m praying a whisper is enough. “Asher.”

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