Page 82 of The Gilded Cuff
Emery dropped his hand and stepped back, the space between them large enough to fill an entire galaxy.
“Get the fuck out. Now!” he bellowed. The shout had her moving fast, her body trembling with sexual frustration, her heart shattering as she tugged her skirt down and fled the study. She had to leave, but she couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. All she felt was the splitting of her ribs as she tried to suck in air and the implosion of her heart in her chest. He hated her, never wanted to see her again.
Shock pulsed through her, numbing her to everything as she stumbled down the hall. Her purse…She needed to find her purse so she could get out of here.
Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. There would be a time and place to grieve, but now wasn’t it.
Be strong. Have to be strong. Or she’d never make it out of the house.
“Sophie? What’s wrong?” Hans was there in an instant, wrapping an arm around her shaking shoulders. She couldn’t get the words out, only turned into him and shook with silent sobs.
Never in her life had she felt so cheap, so used. Emery had screwed her and tossed her out like a whore.
“What happened? Where’s Emery?” Hans demanded.
Finally she had the strength to say what she couldn’t before. “He used me, Hans. He said hateful things and heusedme…I need to leave right now.”
The shock in Han’s black eyes quickly turned to anger. “I’ll take you back to town. We’ll get your things first. After that I’ll beat the shit out of him for being an ass.” The last was more a muttered growl to himself than one meant for her ears.
“No, please don’t. He isn’t worth the bruised knuckles you’d get from hitting that rock hard head of his.”
Hans laughed but it came out forced and rusty. She touched his arm, squeezing slightly.
“Please, don’t do anything. I mean it. Just stay here and keep an eye on him. He’ll need you more than ever.”
Hans gripped her shoulders when she turned to leave.
“Hang on. What do you mean?”
“Cody…Cody found out that Fenn is alive. When Antonio held him hostage, Cody got into the man’s files from his computer. He gave them to me when he was in the hospital. We agreed not to tell Emery, not until we were sure Fenn was alive and especially that he was safe. Antonio is looking for him and was planning on going for him after he’d killed Emery. I looked through the files Cody gave me and found Fenn’s location. He’s in Walnut Springs in Colorado. We sent Wes Thorne to find him.”
“And Emery knew nothing of this?” Hans asked.
“No. I wanted to tell him. But I know him. He’d be reckless. He’d go running off to Colorado and get himself killed by Antonio. And we didn’t tell you because you’d either have to tell him or lie to him and we didn’t want to put you in that position. You’re too important to him. Hehasto trust you when he can’t trust anyone else.”
Hans’s dark eyes were full of worry but he seemed to understand.
“How did he find out? Is that why he was cruel to you?”
She nodded. “I don’t know how, but he found out.” She closed her eyes, took a breath, opened her eyes and met Hans’s gaze. “I have to go. Please take care of him. For what it’s worth…I still love him. I’ll always love him and I don’t want him to get hurt.”
The usually stoic bodyguard cleared his throat. “Love is worth a lot, Sophie, especially from a woman like you. I’ll keep him out of trouble for you.”
“Thank you.” She stood upon tiptoe and kissed his cheek. The smile she summoned trembled at the corners. She retrieved her purse from the coat check and left through the front door. The world was quiet outside. The noise of the party was muted. It was early yet, only just past six, but the skies were black with night. A color that matched her aching soul and battered heart. It managed to beat a steady rhythm, even though the pain.
Sophie took a few steps down the long gravel path leading to the main gates where the valets could call a taxi for her. The crunch of gravel behind her made her stop abruptly. A hand clamped down over her mouth. She dropped her purse and clawed at the gloved hand. Another arm hauled her back into a muscled body.
“Hello, sweetheart. We meet at last.” The prick of a needle stung her neck like an angry wasp.
Her muffled cry went unheard.
“We’ll set a nice little trap for our boy Emery.” Something sharp sliced her arm and blood dribbled down onto her purse and the ground around it. The spot where the needle pierced her began to burn. Black spots bloomed over her eyes and heaviness stole through her arms. She struggled to stay awake, but it didn’t matter.
Every nightmare she’d ever had, every horror she’d faced when she closed her eyes, was there.
She was back on the playground with Rachel. Rachel. Her small body was an easy target as the man grabbed her by the waist, hoisting her up and covering her mouth with a cloth. Sophie couldn’t move, couldn’t scream. She was rooted to the spot in terror. The man laughed, the sound grating in her ears.
“I’ll be back for you, little girl, when I’m done with this one,” he’d jeered, the crooked teeth and soulless eyes a sight she’d repressed in the blackest part of her soul.
