Page 24 of Warped

Chapter Thirteen

V

I woke to the sensation of choking, of the air in my lungs burning. For a moment, I didn’t understand what was happening, still caught between that time between wake and sleep, but then I realized hands were around my throat and I couldn’t breathe.

My eyelids sprang open and I found myself looking directly up into Tony’s face. His eyes were cold, emotionless, and the sight of them frightened me as much as the not being able to breathe. I grabbed at his wrists, trying to pry them off me, but he was stronger than he looked and his hands didn’t budge.

Panic filled me, and I resorted to battering against his arms and shoulders with my fists, flailing uselessly. I knew there was some kind of technique I could use, but my panicked, oxygen starved mind refused to process anything practical. All it kept screaming was ‘breathe, breathe, breathe,’ but I couldn’t. My lungs burned like they were on fire, such excruciating pain.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take it any longer, the hands released from around my throat.

I sucked in a painful gulp of air, making a horrible wheezing noise. Working purely on instinct, I scrambled away, so my back slammed up against the headboard of the bed. I only wanted to put as much distance between myself and Tony as possible. My hands found my throat, and already I could tell I’d have bruises. I’d have to wear a neck scarf when I went to court.

Assuming I lived that long.

I couldn’t speak. I wanted to yell at him, ask him what the fuck he was doing, but it took all of my concentration to hold back on the pain in my throat and lungs, and not lose it completely.

Tony stood at the side of the bed, looking down at me. I saw no expression in his eyes. I remembered what X had told me about him—how he got his name from tearing people’s faces apart with his teeth. X had said Tony had gotten control of the psychopath inside him, but the way he was looking at me right now, it seemed the psychopath was awake and raring to go.

I managed to squeak. “What the fuck?”

“I hear you decided to take yourself on a little walk alone yesterday.”

Shit, one of the men had blabbed. I was so sure they’d keep their mouths shut—knowing they’d get into trouble for allowing me out of their sight.

“Who told you?” I rasped. “Paulie or Warren?”

“Neither of them,” he replied. “Though they’ll be getting their punishment, too, don’t you worry. I happen to have friends on the street where you took your little walk, and they said they saw my guys grab you and drag you back with them.”

Shit. My stomach twisted. Who had seen us? Did that mean they’d also seen X, or had I not been spotted until after I’d walked away from him?

Did Tony know X was still alive?

I became aware of the rectangle of card still stuck down the side of my bra, and my heartrate increased once more. Did he know I had the business card? Would he search me and find it? I couldn’t imagine what my punishment for that would be. Tony hadn’t laid a finger on me since we’d gotten here, but I assumed that was because I’d toed the line and done everything he’d asked. My moment of madness had only happened because I’d spotted X.

My initial panic began to fade, and was gradually replaced with a slow boiling anger.

“If you lay a finger on me again, I swear I won’t go to trial.”

He laughed. “Do you actually think those pathetic threats will work on me? You have far more to lose in this situation than I do. If you don’t go to trial, your father walks free. I’ll have no reason to protect you anymore, and your father will have you killed.”

I motioned to my throat. “You think this is protecting me?”

“It is if it makes you think next time before you try running away from my men. Where were you going, anyway?”

“I already told Paulie and Warren. I wasn’t running anywhere. I just needed some air. I’d gotten sick during my interview and I had a headache. All I wanted was to be able to walk up and down the street without feeling like I had someone on my tail. Do you have any idea how claustrophobic it feels to have people constantly watching you?”

He gave me a snide glance. “Oh, boo-hoo,” he mocked. “You felt claustrophobic. Big deal. Better to feel claustrophobic than be dead.”

“I wasn’t going to be killed just by walking down the street. Seems to me I’m in more danger here.”

“No, sweetheart. You’re not, and do you know why?” He didn’t give me the chance to answer. “Because what I did to you just then was a warning. Your father’s men, however, won’t bother to give you a warning. They will drive by, lean out the window with a weapon, and put enough bullets in your body to make sure you won’t be turning up in court. Got it?

The most frustrating thing was that he was right. Not that I had any intention of thanking him for his ‘lesson.’ My throat felt like I’d swallowed razor blades, and every time I coughed, I groaned and wrapped my hand around the outside of my neck as though it could somehow make me feel better.

My hatred for Tony solidified in my gut like a rotten piece of meat, festering and poisoning my blood. I didn’t let people treat me like this, and I wouldn’t let him get away with it. I didn’t know what I would do yet, but already my mind was turning over options. I just needed to get past the trial, but then what? Find X and run with Nicole? Tony would no longer have a reason to protect me, and I knew too much for him to let me go. I had the horrible feeling this was going to end up in a kill or be killed situation, and Tony had a hell of a lot more backup than I did. I didn’t even have my own gun.

He had me in a corner, and there was nothing I could do about it.

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