Page 94 of Tangled Trust

"I’m going to give you one more chance to explain yourself. I’m warning you, Ella. I’m in no mood for bullshit, so you’d better think carefully before you lie to me."

27

ELLA

Sebastian’s eyes are scaring the life out of me. I have to be very careful what I say and do now. I can’t afford to antagonize him, or he’ll kill me for sure.

My head is pounding! It’s hard to think straight when you’re on the verge of throwing up from the pain. We can’t have gotten very far, so if I can get someone’s attention, I’m sure I’ll be back with Carter and Jagger in no time. If I’m smart, that is.

"I think I know who you’ve been talking to," I start.

Sebastian is glowering at me, but he doesn’t say anything, so I carry on talking.

"I think it’s my boss’s ex-wife. She seems to think that he and I have something going on. We keep telling her that our relationship is purely professional, but she doesn’t believe us."

"Who’s the father?" he insists.

"It was a one-night stand. Someone I met in a bar shortly after I got here."

"That’s rather slutty of you, wouldn’t you say, Ella?"

"I was vulnerable, Seb. Leaving you was so hard. I was lonely, and I thought I’d made a terrible mistake."

"You did make a terrible mistake. You left me without giving me an opportunity to defend myself," he snarls, but I can see the rage subsiding.

"I should have spoken to you first. I don’t know what I was thinking."

"And now here you are. Pregnant and soon to be unemployed. What are your plans now, Ella, you fucking idiot?"

"Please, I’m sorry, Seb. I may not have sent you those messages, but, truthfully, I’m glad you’re here. I need you, but I was too embarrassed to call."

I don’t know if my plan is working. Sebastian is a cunning man, and for all I know, he sees through my flimsy attempts at placating him.

"What are you saying?"

"I’m saying, I’m sorry. I thought I could live without you, but I was wrong."

The words are sticking in my craw. Their vile stench has me on the brink of retching, but my life depends on my performance, so I hold steady on my new course.

"Can you ever forgive me, Seb?"

The man I fear greatly, the one who currently holds the power of life and death over me, moves closer to where I’m sitting up on the bed. He comes so close to my face that I feel his breath on my skin as he says, "You’re a lying bitch, Ella Parker. I don’t believe a word you’re spewing at me."

"No, please, I swear. You must believe me. Ask Aunt Sue if you think I’m full of shit. I told her how foolish I felt. I even shared with her that I wanted to come back, but I knew you wouldn’t believe me. Call her."

The room is silent except for the ticking sound of the wall clock. My heart is racing while I watch for signs that Sebastian believes me.

"I’ll prove it to you," I say softly. "We’ll make love, and you’ll know. My body won’t lie, Seb."

He rushes me and grabs me by my hair.

"Stop it! You’re hurting me," I cry out, but Seb isn’t listening to me anymore.

Is he going to kill me now? This is it. I’m going to be dead soon, and Carter will never know what happened to me. He’s going to think that I ran away like I did before.

"No!" I scream when I see Seb’s arm coming down.

But the man with the hate in his eyes and the rage in his fists is all over me.

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