Page 68 of Tusk's Fury

Silas takes a menacing step closer to Silver, who is still all decked out in her silver outfit—a sequined tube top and silver mini skirt with silver boots. “I don’t want to hear about your incompetence. I’m not paying you one cent until you bring me the baby.”

Tusk’s ex tells him, “That’s not going to happen. My husband is never going to let his only daughter go. You’ll have to be satisfied with your Eve.”

He moves closer, looming over both women, who move closer to each other. “Fine. You didn’t keep up your end of the bargain, so I’m not upholding mine.”

Silver makes an indignant sound. “The money is the only reason I helped, and now you’re reneging on paying us. That’s not fair. We brought you the woman you wanted. That should earn us at least half the money you promised.”

I keep watching them argue, even as I edge away. Big hands grab me. “Oh, no, you don’t. Stay put.” Glancing at Silas, he says, “Your Eve is trying to slip away.”

Silas walks over and grabs me away from the other man. “Bring me the baby if you want your money. If not, I’ll find another woman to do the job.”

He starts hauling me towards a dark SUV and shoves me inside. I immediately scoot across the seat and try to climb out the other side. But just as I’m reaching for the handle, one of the other men jerks it open and climbs inside, forcing me back towards Silas, who is settling into place on the other side of me.

I know all too well how prideful Silas Harper is. Throwing a fit, yelling at him, or arguing will provoke a nasty response from him. There’s no telling what he might do if I’m openly defiant in front of his followers. It would be seen as extreme disrespect and emasculating to have his woman reject him openly. Therefore, I close my mouth and cast my eyes down.

I’m already formulating a plan to escape. First, I’ll figure out what he wants and try to reason with him. If that doesn’t work, I’ll bide my time, pretend to cooperate, and then run away the first chance I get. If I get an opportunity, I’ll contact Tusk and tell him where I am. Of course, first, I have to figure out where I am.

I hate that my breasts are heavy with milk that my baby will never get because this asshole have separated us. I get emotional just thinking about it. No matter what, Silas can’t get his hands on her. A shiver runs up my spine when I realize how trapped I would be right now if I’d taken Victoria into the restroom tonight. Silas could make me do anything simply by using my daughter against me.

***

I wake up in darkness with soft bedding beneath me. The room is warm, pleasant, and smells like leather and something else familiar that I can’t quite put my finger on at the moment. It takes me a second for everything to come flooding back. My hand goes to the back of my head. Instead of blood, there is a bandage wrapped around my head. My first thought is that I might have been rescued by Tusk and his club brothers. Then I hear the faint sound of religious music filtering in from another room. Nope. Silas Harper has me tucked away on one of his properties. I remember Zen telling us he was rich now.

When I try to sit up, my arms give out, causing me to fall back onto the bed. I can feel a migraine building in my left temple. I reach up one hand and massage the area, wondering if anyone is going to come for me. Unable to just lie in the dark like a good little victim, I grope for the bedside table and turn the light on. I’m in a tiny bedroom with lots of ornate wood trim and old-fashioned decorations. I realize that the other smell I couldn’t identify at first was cedar.

Within a couple of minutes, I hear someone at the door and the sound of a lock turning. The door creaks open, and Silas enters.

“Good evening. You’re awake, I see. How is your head feeling?”

I force myself to sit up because lying down in front of him makes me feel vulnerable. “My head still hurts,” I tell him quietly.

He gestures towards the nightstand. “I left you some pain killers and water to wash them down with.”

I glance anxiously at the two small white pills lying blamelessly in front of a bottle of water. I’ve just been abducted and am being held against my will by this man. Trust is practically nonexistent. For all I know, those could be tranquilizers or roofies. Yeah, I’m not eating or drinking anything this guy has to offer. “Maybe in a bit. My stomach is upset right now,” I tell him calmly.

He senses what my problem is, because he’s clever that way. “You can trust me, child. I’m a bishop now. I’d never lead you astray.”

“You kidnapped me,” I tell him mildly.

“Actually, those whores kidnapped you. I rescued you from them.”

Not letting go of this point, I remind him, “You offered them money to abduct me. I heard it with my own ears, Silas.”

He steps close enough for me to see the finely woven black homespun fabric of his clothing. His brown hair is sprinkled with gray. His dark beady eyes seem to be looking into my very soul. I see a flicker of disapproval in his expression, and then it is gone. He sighs and clasps his hands together in front of his body.

“You were living a life of sin, my child. Our people reported to me that you were involved with some dirty biker, had a child out of wedlock, and had fallen from grace completely.”

Fallen from graceis his way of saying I’m no longer Mormon. “I left the church. So, if that’s what you heard, it’s true.”

“Of course, it is. Our people wouldn’t lie about something like that.”

“No insult intended, but I want to go home,” I tell him firmly.

“You are home, my child. You’re my Eve. Your place is at my side.”

“No. I know you and my father made some kind of shady deal six years ago, but I never agreed to it.”

A cold little smile curves up the corners of his mouth. He responds smoothly, “I know that many young women are fearful of strong willed men and of marriage. I suppose that makes marrying me doubly frightening. But you’re no longer a young, innocent virgin, Brittany. You’re more mature and have been keeping company with much rougher men than me.”

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