Page 118 of When We Break

“Riley.” My voice shakes, but it’s hard. “Calm.”

He follows my command but whines and shifts back and forth on his feet in agitation. Heknowsthis situation isn’t right.

“Now, leave the dog and come with me.”

“Lewis.” God, I hate saying that name. “I can’t go with you.”

“You can, and you will. I don’t know what you were trying to prove by movinghereof all places, but I’m taking you home where you belong.”

“I am home.” I swallow hard when his face goes beet red. How did I ever think this man was handsome? “Iamhome, Lewis.”

“No.” He shakes his head and steps toward me, and it excites Riley again, making him bark and snarl and lunge at Lewis. Lewis hits Riley on the head with the butt of his gun, knocking my poor boy out. “Riley!”

I fall to my knees at his side, my heart breaking.No. Not Riley.There’s so much blood. I can’t lose him.

“Oh, my baby.”

“Enough,” Lewis snaps. He grips my upper arm and yanks me to my feet, almost pulling my arm out of the socket. I cry out in pain, but he doesn’t seem to notice as he pulls me along out of the building and toward a black Mercedes parked at the curb.

I know without a doubt that I absolutely shouldnotget into that car.

“Help!” I scream, but then his hand is over my mouth. He simply lifts me off my feet and tosses me into the back seat of the car before he runs around and climbs into the driver’s seat and peels away.

“You’re going to learn to do what you’re told, tiny dancer.”

“Don’t call me that.” The words are out before I can stop them, and Lewis glares at me in the rearview mirror.

“I’ll call you whatever I want. Right now, I want to call youwhore.Howdareyou cheat on me with that redneck cowboy? I saw the pictures, Skyla. I know he had his hands on you, and I will not tolerate infidelity. I would never do that to you.”

Jesus God, he’s crazier than I thought.

“Lewis, this isn’t going to work.”

“Shut up.”

“You and I, we just aren’t meant for each other. I think you’re a lovely man.” I have to swallow the bile that comes up with that lie and work to keep the panic from rising so I can get more words out. “And I know you’re perfect for someone else. I’m simply not that someone.”

“I said shut up!” He’s gripping the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles are white.

“Lewis, you should stay in town for a few days. It’s really a lovely place. I think you’d like it here.”

“I’m going to forget you said that to me,” he says, and now that his voice is calm, it scares me even more. Jesus, what’s he going to do? “You belong in the city with me. We’re soulmates.”

I want to throw up and cry at the same time.

“I can visit the city another time, but I have?—”

“I am going to shut your cunt mouth up with my cock as soon as we get out of this car, tiny dancer.”

He turns a corner, and my already cold blood goes even colder.

Because he’s just turned into the airport, and he’s headed for a private plane.Oh God. No.

ChapterTwenty-Eight

BECKETT

“Ihave to go, Brad. Skyla’s waiting for me.”

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