Page 29 of Slaughter

“You what?” My hands instantly go to my arm and feel around for a lump. I find one a couple of inches up from my wrist.

“It has an alarm on it. If you run, it will alert me.” He finally lifts his eyes to look at mine. “I will find you. And you will not like what I do to you.”

I swallow at the threat in his voice.

“Why am I here, Avery?” I ask, tears threatening my eyes again. I’m his prisoner. He’s gonna make me his own personal slave. He’ll beat me if I defy him. Well, I refuse to do whatever he says just because he thinks he’s God. He can beat me all he wants. I can take a punch or even a kick. Him slapping my face felt more like foreplay than abuse.

I can tell he’s trying to decide if he should answer my previous question or not. Finally, he speaks. “Your brother …”

“I’m here because of Preston?” I snap.

“You are collateral.”

I hang my head. What the hell has my brother gotten me into? What could he possibly be doing working with Avery?

Foggy thoughts of a phone call with Preston the other night comes to mind.

“Presleigh! You don’t understand what he is capable of. How dangerous he is,” he urges.

“I do.”

“Get your ass off this phone and on the jet. Now, Presleigh. If you don’t, he will make a move.” He growls. “And it’ll be too late.”

Guess this is his move. To kidnap me for something my brother has done. My chest tightens as my pussy gets wet.

I’m so fucked!

“Let me call him.” The words rush out of my split lips.

“No.”

“Avery,” I snap. “I wanna talk to Preston.” I’m gonna rip him a new one. “Where is my phone?”

He shakes his head. “You are not allowed to use any electronic devices.”

“You’re joking?” I ask as my mouth drops.

I hang my head when he says nothing. My family was just as twisted as Avery’s, but Avery and I always said we would never become them. Guess he changed his mind. My brother, on the other hand, was always in trouble. He was like both my father and my mother. I swore for a long time I was adopted. “How much?”

I look up at him, and he stares at me with an expressionless look. Eleven years ago, I could tell you what he was feeling anytime I looked at him. I guess over the years, he has learned to hide them. I’m sure his father taught him that, or he just no longer feels at all. “How much?” I demand when he ignores me.

“It’s not about money.”

“Bullshit!” I snap, slamming my palm on the table. If my brother is involved, then it’s about money. I’ve had to help bail his ass out several times over the years.

He says nothing. I hate the silence more than anything.

I fist my hand down on the table. “Then what is it about?” I snap.

“You don’t need to know,” he says simply.

“This is my life!” I shout, feeling my chest tighten. “And I don’t want to spend it with you.” I can’t. I’ll die. I won’t be able to survive this again. I got lucky before, but he’ll make sure the job is done this time. And I refuse to die for Avery. He turned his back on me once, and that was enough.

“That is not your decision to make.” His voice is calm. I’m anything but.

“One million.” I offer desperately to pay him off. Maybe he’ll let me go. Money always talked with him and his family.

He can’t hide the surprise in his eyes. “Excuse me?”

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