Page 85 of Degrading Her

I thought of everything I was going to do to destroy Erica. Gouge her eyes out. Cut off her hands. Disembowel her.

There was no one in this world that could touch Fiona. And she had crossed that line.

“And don’t bring anyone with you,” Erica said. “I may not have our men anymore, but I do have a gun. And all it takes is one bullet, and your lovely little Fi is gone.”

Fiona was already bruised and battered. I had to take each step with extreme caution. I had to manipulate the situation and put Erica under my control.

But what if that wasn’t enough?

“Send your address,” I said. Then I hung up, slamming the steering wheel with an angry howl. I had always said I would check Erica’s background myself because I hadn’t been the one to hire her. But with Fiona around, I had been distracted.

How had I not seen it?

All of this was because of the mistakes I had made. Underestimating Hatchcom Focus. Falling in love when the only thing that mattered was?—

No. That was wrong.

The only thing that mattered was keeping Fiona safe, even if that meant breaking her heart so that she left me.

Even when it came to my family’s business.

Even if that meant giving everything up in order to protect her.

It was all her.

My phone vibrated; the address was near Lakeville.

I screeched out of the parking lot, heading there as fast as I could. I may have screwed up in so many ways when it came to Fiona, but I wasn’t going to let her get hurt.

Over my dead body.

Chapter 21

Fiona

I opened my eyes slowly.A wide window on the sidewall. Trees blocking the sunlight. That was right. I was in Lakeville. In Erica’s home. She was supposed to cheer me up. But now it was morning.

How much had I had to drink?

“Good job taking your medicine,” Erica called around the corner. “How long ago did you drink that? Are you feeling any of the effects yet? It should help you relax.”

I could barely turn my head. What had I taken? My vision kept shifting, like the world was constantly falling on its side. I clutched my stomach; I was going to throw up.

“I said, how are you feeling, Fi?” Erica asked.

I wrinkled my brows, or tried to, but I couldn’t tell if I did. My face was numb.

“If you lay back like that,” she pushed on my shoulder until I was pressed against the couch, “nausea won’t get to you this time. There you go. Just like that.”

This time?

I closed my eyes, willing them to open again. But theheadache split through me. I was so tired. The last thing I could remember was falling asleep, then waking up and being thirsty. Taking that drink off of the side table.

Was that my medicine?

“Your lover is on the way,” she said. Did she mean Sawyer? Why was he coming here? “Seems he cares about you after all. I thought he was—I don’t know—fascinated? Infatuated? There’s the word!”

Was she insulting me?

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