Page 113 of Exile and Embrace

His jaw tightens as he takes a step into the room.

He smirks and kicks the bottom of my foot.

I grit my teeth against the pain, not willing to give him the reaction that he wants.

Eventually, I’m not going to be able to hold back the screams, but I want to delay his satisfaction as long as possible.

Seamus’s eyes narrow. “I’ll give the boy credit, he picked a tougher woman than I would have thought he wanted. That stubborn nature is only going to get you hurt.”

“Seems like I’m doing just fine so far.” I jut my chin out, challenging him with a hard stare.

“You’re going to regret your impertinence. Finnigan’s going to kill you. He doesn’t know how to live without being part of the family, and he values his own life. If you keep pushing me, I’m going to kill you long before Finnigan gets here.”

“That’s an empty threat, and we both know it. You’re a cruel bastard. It doesn't matter, though. Even if you do kill me, Finn isn’t going to care.”

Seamus shrugs and crouches down. “Two dead bodies is no more bother to me than one. Finnigan has always been the weak link. My life would likely be easier without him.”

My stomach lurches. It twists and turns, tying itself into tight knots as I try to figure out whether Seamus is bluffing.

When I dated Declan, I did everything I could to avoid his father. There was always something unsettling about him, and that hasn’t changed since I left Virginia.

Seamus wraps his hand around my ankle, pressing against either side. “I want information about what my son is planning with Cillian.”

“I don’t know anything.”

Seamus digs his fingers deep into my flesh.

I grit my teeth, holding back a scream.

He could easily break my ankle if he wanted to.

I meet his amused gaze, glaring as I sit straighter.

“You really are a stubborn woman.” Seamus shakes his head. “It’s in your best interest to tell me the truth, Ava. I wouldn’t expect you to know much about the world that you keep walking into, but you know something. You lived with my son.”

“I don’t know anything.” I kick out my leg, trying to catch him in the jaw.

Seamus drops my ankle for a moment as my foot stops short of his face.

He laughs and shakes his head. “You’re going to get yourself killed long before Finnigan gets here. Now, tell me the truth. What is he doing with Cillian O’Reilly?”

“Working for him would be my guess.”

Declan enters the room, rolling his eyes to the ceiling before looking back at me. “I told you that she was difficult years ago, Dad.”

“Yes, well, at least she would obey you then. All it took was a hit or two to make her compliant.” Seamus grins, showing off his gold canine tooth.

A shudder rolls through my body as he grabs my ankle and yanks me toward him.

The ropes feel as if they’re going to rip through my torso, knocking the air from my lungs.

Seamus laughs and lets go of my ankle. “You need to have a rougher hand with her this time, Declan. Some women just need to learn their place.”

Terror rolls through me in waves, but the anger overrides it, keeping me alert.

I clench my jaw, biting back a response.

I take slow breaths, trying to fill my lungs once more.

---