Page 8 of Twisted Empire

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said with a rasp in her voice. “You’re practically a kid still. I already gave upeverythingfor Logan. You’d never comprehend what I’ve been through or the choices I’ve needed to make.”

My stomach twisted at her tone. “Did you have to run off and fake your death? Whoever you’re with now, that man who came in earlier—did he force you?”

Yvonne let out a cool laugh. “That was my one consolation prize after everything else fell apart. You don’t know what real love is yet either, even if you imagine you do.”

She figured she was in love with a murderous criminal overlord, then? I restrained a shiver. No, I definitely couldn’t comprehend that at all. He obviously wasn’t even trying to put on a show of having a conscience, talking about killing me and her own son for nothing more than trying to get at the truth.

“You could have stayed with Logan,” I couldn’t help pointing out. “You didn’thaveto leave him.”

“I made the best choices I had with the hand I was dealt.”

Her shoes squeaked against the floor as if she were turning to go. I wasn’t getting anywhere by talking to her.

My pulse stuttered, but I knew what I had to do, even if the thought made me queasy. If I couldn’t convince her to sympathize with me using my words, I’d have to turn to my fists.

And to accomplish that, I needed her on this side of the closet door. Preferably as close to me as possible.

“So you’re a shitty mother, basically,” I tossed out. “Putting your love life over being there for your son. Some sacrifice.”

As I spoke, I flexed my arms and felt the give of the silk scarf. I could slip my hands out in an instant—as soon as it was therightinstant.

Yvonne whirled back around with a rustle of her clothes. “Don’t youdaremake any judgments about my choices when you haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea,” I said, putting on as caustic a tone as I could manage. A little honest anger bubbled up inside me at the memories of Logan mourning the woman in front of me. “You met this guy, and you had an inconvenient husband you weren’t quite as head over heels for anymore, so you chucked your whole family in the trash to chase your new ‘love.’”

“It wasn’t like that,” Yvonne snapped. “Shut up about things you don’t understand.”

“I understand how much it hurt both Holand and Logan, losing you. I’ve seen the pain on their faces, over and over. You’d know how much losing you wrecked them if you’d bothered to pay any attention instead of only caring about yourself.”

“I did what I had to do. Shut your mouth and mind your own business.”

I forced a derisive snort. “You kidnapped me. I think it’s one hundred percent my business that you’re a selfish, conniving bitch who never gave a damn about anyone other than—”

My taunts jabbed deep enough that Yvonne didn’t even let me finish my sentence. She strode forward and slapped me across the face hard enough that my head jerked to the side, my cheek stinging.

But that was exactly what I’d wanted.

Even as her palm collided with my cheekbone, I was shoving my wrists free from the scarf.

My hands whipped forward, one snatching off the blindfold, the other already aiming a punch where I’d been able to estimate her head was. My knuckles slammed into her temple, just a tad off course. I’d hoped to sock her in the nose.

Yvonne shrieked as she stumbled to the side. She groped at her hip, no doubt for the gun, but I rushed at her with all of my strength and every instinct my Krav Maga training had drilled into me.

I just had to keep hitting until I was sure I could get away.

I kept my fists flying and swiped out with my foot as well. Yvonne flailed at me, curling her fingers into claws and stabbing her elbow at me, but it was obvious she had no training at all. I managed to dodge her blows and then kicked at her ankles, making her stagger.

At the last second, she managed to head-butt me in the stomach. I let out a whoomph as the air left my lungs, but then I flung myself forward again.

When I rammed my heel into her knee, she buckled over. I grabbed her hair at the back of her head and smacked her face down into the floor with all my might.

Yvonne groaned, her body trembling with the impact. She sagged to the side in a daze, and I sprang past her out the closet door.

Yanking it shut behind me, I scanned the room for something to hold it closed. An oak desk stood against the wall right next to the closet. When I shoved it over, I found it was as heavy as I’d hoped.

I hefted it in front of the closet and then dashed out of the bedroom.

Yvonne’s furious voice rang out behind me as she started to pummel the door from inside the closet. “Get back here, you bitch! Let me out, or you’ll wish Ihadkilled you in the first place.”

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