Page 28 of Fervent

She spit in his face, and I stiffened, terrified for her.

Perrone retreated, his fingers wiping off her spittle. “Did you spit out Mason’s cum? Or did you show your respect by swallowing?”

She twisted her head, refusing to answer or meet his gaze.

“Answer the question,” he said, his voice dangerously low. He could have screamed and it wouldn’t have been more intimidating.

“I swallowed every last drop,” she said, her gaze imparting wrath. “You don’t deserve my spit.”

He smacked her, and the slap of palm to cheek tightened my teeth. I clamped my jaw shut, because speaking now wouldn’t help either of us.

The door flung open, and Cleft pushed Jax inside. Puffy, red skin surrounded his left eye, as if he’d been hit.

Perrone rounded on him. “Are you still denying it, boy?”

“It wasn’t me,” Jax said, his shoulders slumping, breathing labored.

I swerved my gaze between the two of them, trying to decode what was happening here, but I had no clue. Perrone seemed unpredictable, easily enraged. Why else would his men cower at his presence, including his own son?

“Do you think I’m stupid?” He advanced on Jax, his face reddening with each second that passed. “You opened your big mouth to your new girlfriend.”

But the only woman Jax had been with recently, as far as I knew, was Nikki. A chill slid down my spine.

Perone’s voice rose. “Mason disappeared, and your slut ran straight to the cops! So tell me,” he said, jabbing the air with a finger. “If you kept your fucking mouth shut, like you claim, then how did they find their way to me?”

“I don’t know,” Jax said. He straightened his spine but never quite met his father’s eyes.

“You arelyingto me. I had to pay off my guy on the force to make this go away. I thought you were serious about proving yourself, but apparently, you need a reminder.”

Jax shook his head. “I swear. I didn’t say a word.”

“Hmm.” Perrone gestured to Cleft. “Bring her in.”

I didn’t want to watch what I feared was coming, but I couldn’t tear my gaze from Cleft as he opened the door wide. Two guys shoved Nikki into the room, and he caught her before she tumbled to the cement. Cleft held her up under one arm, and her head lolled to the side. They’d obviously drugged her.

“She didn’t do anything!” Jax yelled. He staggered forward, his face as white as his father’s button-down shirt.

Perrone pointed toward a chair. “Sit the fuck down.”

Jax did so without hesitation. He was terrified of his father, and I was terrified for Nikki.

My gaze shifted to Alex, whose wide eyes pummeled me. I couldn’t protect either one of them. “Hey!” I shouted. “You want to hurt someone, you fucking bastard? Hurtme!”

Perrone narrowed his brows. “Someone gag him.”

Brock picked up the gag from the floor and stalked toward me, his mouth curving up at the corners. He wrestled my lips open before shoving the rubber ball in.

I was useless, unable to plead for Nikki, and when Jax lowered his head into his hands, I yanked at the chains in a fit of panic. Jax was freaking out—I was fucking freaking out—and I couldn’t do a thing about it.

I couldn’t save Nikki.

Couldn’t save Alex.

How the fuck had we gotten to this place?

“You guys should be ashamed of yourselves,” Perrone said. “I’ve got prisoners waltzing into my office, unauthorized filming going on, and my own fucking son can’t keep his big mouth shut!”

“Please,” Jax begged, lifting his head. “She doesn’t know anything.”

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