Page 56 of Scars Run Deep

Blocked ID: Don’t contact me again.

Asher: “Nyx coming to me still serves to fuck you over even all these years later.”

Blocked ID: You recorded those torture sessions?

Asher: Yes. Do you recall those words spoken?

Blocked ID: I have total recall. Once again, your father talking about things he didn’t fully understand. Egomaniacs think they know all, a mistake that can cost them dearly. I hope you’re not about to follow him down that path.

Asher: Your threats are veiled, so your animosity is checked at least. You need me for something.

Blocked ID: The situation is fluid. It’s foolish to burn bridges unless absolutely necessary.

Asher: I agree. So don’t make it become necessary on my end.

Blocked ID: Get to your point then.

Asher: I know who Nyx is.

After that, there’d been a long delay, before he’d responded back with a time and coordinates for a meet, urging me to come alone or he wouldn’t show.

And here I was now, waiting on him to finally step out of the shadows.

I turned back toward the entrance of the old abandoned storage facility in the middle of nowhere, almost two hours outside Hexwood. And that had been with me pushing my BMW to its limits.

I was about to stow my phone away, when it buzzed in my hand.

Blocked ID: Go inside.

A split second later the PIN pad lock of the front doors of the facility beeped, sounding like a foghorn through the still, dark night. The strip of light shifted from red to green, and then the doors unlocked, opening slightly in a rather creepy invitation.

Good thing I was no stranger to that sort of thing.

I stowed my phone away, then approached the entrance, fingering the butt of my Glock as I moved cautiously, rapidly scanning my surroundings in the process.

The moment I stepped inside, the lights went on, blinding me for a good few seconds.

I heard that beeping again and then the doors clanged shut behind me.

I shot a look over my shoulder at it.

Was I caged?

My pulse picked up at the notion.

I gritted my teeth, trying to force it down.

No. No. No.

I wasn’t caged.

I wouldn’t be ever again.

This was just temporary. I could leave. I could escape. I could walk the fuck out of here.

I wasn’t fucking well caged. I wasn’t!

By the time I blinked away the spots in my vision and swallowed down the panic, I took in the rows of open and empty storage units either side of me, getting my bearings.

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