Page 56 of Power and Possession

Topher Phillips strolled in, looking the same as he had before he betrayed me. He obviously hadn’t lost sleep or his appetite over his daughter’s abduction. He was a broad man, not particularly muscled, but average. He was easily half a foot shorter than me, and his gray hair was thinning significantly. It was hard for me to see any resemblance between him and Ashlynn.

He moved towards me, his beady eyes trained on my face. He stopped right in front of the chair and looked down at me.

It would be the only time he’d ever get to look down on me. In any other situation, I’d tower over him.

I feigned boredom. “What have you been up to, Topher?”

He glared, obviously annoyed at my nonchalance. I wasn’t going to beg for my life. That wasn’t my deal. Even if he drew a gun and shot me right here, my only regret was that I’d beleaving Ashlynn behind. I wondered if she’d mourn me.

“You’re not the one asking the questions,” he hissed, his voice slippery like an eel.

“I’m not? Well, that’s rather unfortunate. For you, at least. If I’m not asking the questions, then I’m answering them. What do you want to know? How your daughter looked on my arm? How much she begged me—”

He swung, and I was prepared enough to duck my head. But the second time, there was nowhere left for me to go and his fist collided with my nose. Blood trickled out, and I could taste it on my lips.

“If you say another word about her, I’ll kill you right this minute.”

I laughed, my chuckle echoing in the room. “Is that a promise? I’d love a quick death. Beats the hell out of whatever boring shit you have planned.”

Topher struggled to control his anger, his face turning red and his chest heaving. It was obvious he wasn’t in great physical shape. I imagined that in the next few years, if not sooner, Ashlynn would be completely alone in the world. It made my heart ache for her. She’d be just like me. Parentless.

“The boring shit? We’ll see how boring you think it is after I torture you and then take over your business.”

“You don’t have the balls,” I retorted.

He slugged me in the stomach, this time knocking me backwards in the chair. My back hit the ground, and I grunted.

I heard Topher’s heavy footsteps on the concrete as he left the room, locking the latch behind him.

I was upside down like a turtle flipped on its back. Not the best position to be in.

The door opened again, and this time three armed men came in.

“He decided it took three of you to deal with me, eh?” I said to their feet.

They ignored me and pulled the chair up, and then one of the men drew out a syringe.

“No thanks, I’m all up-to-date on my vaccines.”

He stuck the needle into my neck, and everything around me went fuzzy.

Chapter Thirty-One

Ashlynn

I had a hard time adjusting to the silence at the hotel. My father insisted that we stay there for a few days while I recovered. He never asked about what happened to me in Steele’s care, and every time I tried to even bring up the situation he changed the subject or left the room. I wasn’t sure if he was upset about what I went through, or if he simply didn’t care.

It was fine. I didn’t want to talk to him about it. I just wanted to know if Steele was alive. But part of me was too scared to ask.

So I spent the next couple of days watching TV and feeling sorry for myself. I didn’t dress, I didn’t shower. I slept during the day and was up all night.

My father came and went, mostly ignoring me. On the third day, he came into my room. I was still in the clothes that I had been wearing when I left Steele’s estate.

“We’re going home tomorrow. Shower. I’ve arranged for someone to come up and fit you for some clothes. And I’ve also found a psychologist to see you when we are back in the city.”

I sat there, stunned. I was a grown woman, and I didn’t want him to make these decisions for me. I opened my mouth, but he interrupted me.

“There’s also a doctor here to see you. They’ll make sure you don’t have any lingering…issues.” He shut the door before I could utter my protest.

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