Page 71 of Guarded from Corruption

I’m dimly aware of my body jerking.

Then I’m boneless, sliding out of my seat.

Panic tears through me, terrible claws ripping at me from the inside out.

What’s happening?

Why?

I’m on the floor; a puppet with all its strings cut.

All I can do is gasp against the pain.

Dr. Regan kneels over me with a grimly satisfied expression. “Sorry about this, Jade. But you’ll be okay.”

My heart is fluttering hummingbird fast. My lungs don’t want to work.

Mid-gasp, he shoves a piece of fabric in my mouth and ties it tightly behind my head.

The terror is suffocating.

Part of my brain wants to shut down. Make this all go away.

But Niall. He’s out there. He won’t let?—

Oh, no. He’s touching me. Rolling me on my side.

While my limbs are still limp, Dr. Regan pulls my arms behind my back and starts to tie up my wrists.

Niall has to know. But how? I can’t signal him. Can’t yell for help. Can’t fight back.

“I was going to win you, you know.” He says it in a conversational tone as his fingers graze across my wrists. “I knew about the group. Not that I was involved; I’m not that reckless. But once I knew you’d been taken, I had to have you. I’d been waiting, you see. For the right woman to be available. And then—” His voice goes silky. “There you were.”

How? Dr. Regan? The kind, fifty-something family practitioner? He gives all the employees gift cards for their birthdays. Throws a big holiday party for the entire staff, with an open bar, no less. How is this possible?

My legs are starting to come back to life, but he’s already at my ankles, tying them together. “I was upset when you escaped,” he continues. “My prize, snatched away from me. Then I thought… maybe Olivia would be an adequate replacement. But she wasn’t you.”

How did I not know? How could I have worked for this man for over a year and not seen?

Now done with my ankles, Dr. Regan moves in front of me and crouches down again. He’s close enough to see his white stubble and the tiny cut under his jaw and the flakes of dry skin on his nose. The scent of deodorant is strong, but it doesn’t entirely mask the slight aroma of sweat.

“It actually worked out better this way,” he says with a smirk. “If I’d bought you, I’d be in jail. But I never went to that place, so no one could identify me. My name wasn’t anywhere.”

In a contemplative tone, he adds, “I’d thought about going there to check you out. Touch you.” He strokes my cheek, and I have enough control of my body to jerk away from him. “But this is better. Now I can take you. And I don’t have to pay anything.”

He’s a monster.

“It’s going to be fun, Jade.” His finger traces the line of my jaw. “You have so much fire. Escaping? Then using yourself as bait to take the whole thing down?” A pause. “I’m really going to enjoy training you. You’ll be perfect when I’m done with you.”

Terrified birds are flapping madly in my chest even as I try to keep myself calm.

Niall is out there. Once I don’t come out, he’ll come looking for me.

“I’ll have to stash you in the closet for a few hours,” Dr. Regan says off-handedly. “Just until everyone leaves. Then I’ll bring you home. Well.” He lets out a harsh chuckle. “Your new home.”

No. No. No.

He grabs my legs and starts to drag me across the floor.

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