Page 105 of Moonlit Thorns

“Galen trapped me back here. He’s off to hurt Asher!” At least that’s what I’m assuming. He definitely seemed like he was in a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ mood.

“Okay, hang on.” Cinder disappears from view and returns a few minutes later with a car jack in her hands. “Back up!”

I move to the far side of the car and tuck my head down with my hands over my head, then hear bang, bang and finally the splintering of glass. Two days and two broken windows.

“Thank you!”

She helps me out through the window, and I narrowly miss face-planting in the dirt parking lot.

“Are you okay?” Her gaze snags on the cut on my forehead.

“Yes! I just have to get up to Midnight Manor.”

“Here, take my car.” She shoves her keys at me and points in the direction she’s parked. “The blue Toyota.”

I give her a quick hug. “Thank you, I promise I’ll bring it back in one piece.”

Without waiting for her to say anything, I rush over to the car, start it, and race out of the parking lot.

Chapter

Forty-Two

ASHER

Sending Anabelle away was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I almost couldn’t do it. Once I left that room, I almost raced back there a hundred times to take it all back. But then I’d think of my mother and her fate because of the man she was married to, and I’d stop myself. I can’t be the reason for Anabelle’s demise.

I’ve been wallowing and drinking since she left, trying to relive the memories so I don’t ever forget them. They’re all I have left of her, and I couldn’t bear if they too disappeared one day.

I’m still wallowing when my cell phone rings. I know it’s not Anabelle because she doesn’t even have my number. I confiscated her phone as soon as she arrived here. That’s the only reason I bother to pull it from my pocket.

“What?” I say by way of answering.

“Mr. Voss, it’s Philip from the front gate. We’ve just had a breach, sir.”

I sit up straight in my chair. “What happened?”

“The car just careened right through them, sir. It was Miss Boudreaux’s car, sir, but?—”

I hang up, standing and rushing out of the room.

What the hell is Anabelle thinking? She could have been hurt. I know she’s pissed at me, but she can’t put herself in danger.

I run through the house, both desperate to see her and afraid to. Afraid I’ll be too weak to send her away again now that I know what it feels like without her, even if it was only for a few hours.

When I burst through the front door, her car comes to a screeching halt nearby. But instead of Anabelle getting out of the car, it’s that asshole Galen.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I stalk over to him, and I’d love nothing more to flatten him.

“I saw what you did to her. You Vosses think you can get away with anything.”

“I would never raise a hand to her. She’d tell you the same.” My hands form into fists at my side.

“She did tell me. She confirmed for me that you’re the one who hit her and put those bruises on her. That you’re the one who hurt her.”

His words make me stumble back. Anabelle might be mad at me, but would she really falsely accuse me of something she knows I loathe my father for doing to me?

“I’m here to arrest you, and this time, all the money in the world won’t save you, Voss.”

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