Page 45 of Slaughter

“Can you do that?”

I look over at him with narrowed eyes, picking up a knife. “You doubt me?”

He sighs heavily. “Keeping her tied and gagged to a bed is different than proving to Damon that she is your slave.”

“I fucking know that …”

“We all know how he treats his slaves. Most don’t even last a year.”

I drop the knife and turn to fully face him. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying you’re gonna have to up your game, or you may just lose her to a man who will treat her like an actual slave.”

PRESLEIGH

After I eat, I find myself standing in the bathroom up in my bedroom once again, and I sigh. It seems to be the only place where Darrell doesn’t bother following me.

I can tell Avery plans on keeping me a while because the bathroom and bedroom where I have been sentenced to have everything I’ll ever need. The bathroom has all the same products I used back at home, which means the bastard has been in my house. He has watched me, more than just that one time in the club when he confronted me. Or that other time he showed up at my house twice in one night. It makes my body break out in goose bumps how much I’ve missed. How careless I was. I’m not that person. Not since our parents passed, but I guess over time, I just got comfortable. Thought I was safe because I did what I was told. I roll my eyes at myself. I never had a choice in the matter.

I dried my hair because I had nothing better to do wasting my time. Once done, I placed the hair dryer on the countertop and turned around to survey the bathroom. If I wasn’t here against my will, I could really enjoy the white tiled floor and gold trimmings. It has a standup shower with a glass door and a clawfoot tub. I’m not sure what Avery does for a living, but it wouldn’t matter. His family has money. Just thinking about his family has my chest tightening in fear. I have to get out of here. Being Avery’s slave is not an option. I have to fight for my freedom. After what he did to me this morning, I know there’s no way I’ll survive here. And I’d rather die trying than stay his prisoner. After all, if I remain here, death will be inevitable.

My eyes go back to the clawfoot tub over by a huge window. Looking over at, I begin to form a plan.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

AVERY

I KNOW I TOLD THE GUY I was going to break both of his legs, but after the little talk I had with my brother, I felt like breaking a little more.

“Did you know that you have two hundred and six bones in your body?” I ask, and he whimpers. “I’ve only broken about ten so far,” I say as the hammer hangs from my hand. I went back to it after I was done with the knife.

Blood pours from his nose and mouth. One eye is swollen shut, and his front teeth are missing. “How did you know where she lived?” I repeat myself.

He sucks in a long breath. “Dennis told me,” he mumbles. “I was supposed to meet him there that night you caught up with him.” He swallows.

He’s giving up information much easier now. “Why?”

“After following the woman for weeks, he was given the orders to take her just hours before he ran into her at the club that night. He had over forty hours with her and wanted to know if I wanted a piece before he delivered her.”

My jaw tightens.

“That doesn’t explain why you were there just yesterday,” my brother says.

He tilts his head back to try to stop his nose from bleeding. It won’t. I broke that bitch. “To see if she was there.”

“Why would she be there?” I snap. “I have her!”

He shakes his head softly once. “No one believes she’s your slave,” he says shakily. “They think you staged the whole thing to scare Preston and show Damon you had her.”

I take a step toward the man who bleeds before me. “I’m gonna kill you.”

His eyes widen. “But… I’m just a messenger.”

“Killing the messenger sends a message,” I inform him.

“I was supposed to report back to Damon—”

“Oh, you will,” I interrupt him. “I will ship your cut-up, rotting corpse back to him. You will be the message.”

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