Page 34 of Coercion

Afterall, if I did run, where would I go? I have no money, no belongings, I don’t even have any clothes.

And if I run, Preston will know. He’ll track me. I doubt I’d even get halfway down the road this time before he had me hauled back and then what would he do? Would he tie me to the bed? A shudder runs through me at the thought, at being so helpless and incapacitated as that.

No, running is not an option. Not that it ever really was.

But betraying Preston? Helping my uncle after everything he’s done to me, after murdering my parents? No, that’s not an option I’m willing to entertain either.

“Ruby?” Sidney says, peering at my face, and I realise I’ve been staring into the office, lost in my thoughts for far too long.

“Sorry.” I mumble.

“I asked if you’d like something to eat? You haven’t had anything since breakfast and you must be hungry.”

I smile, nodding. Iamhungry. I’m starving. I’m not used to actual regular meals. It feels like a novelty but I’m not sure I want to get used to it, what if I start to expect it and then someone takes it away? I’ll only set myself up for more pain. More heartbreak.

And yet, I should eat to keep my energy up. I should eat because I don’t know for definite when the next mealiscoming.

And I want to be ready for when Preston returns. I want to charm him, to show him that I’ve learnt my lesson. I just wish I knew how to be the kind of woman I know this man would normally go for.

Preston

I’m sat in the town house, watching the sun slowly set out the window, while around me my men are all relaxing, drinking, gambling, enjoying the downtime while we can get it.

In the middle of the room a man is tied to a chair and Noah and Blaine are busy tormenting him. I don’t really give a shit what the consequences are, if the man lives or not – it’s his name on the paperwork that quarantined our stock so as far as I’m concerned, he deserves whatever he gets. And so far, he’s not given any adequate justification for it. He’s just sat there,blubbering and begging like we’ll just change our minds and let him go. No harm, no foul and all that.

Cold beer hits my throat as I knock back another mouthful. It’s not my drink of choice but the good stuff, my whiskey, is back at the main house and, right now, I don’t want to go anywhere near that place. Only problem is my mind keeps drifting to it, to her, to wondering what she’s doing, if she’s hiding somewhere, if she’s thinking about me, if she’s lying in my bed, smelling my scent on the pillows, if she’s touching herself… no, she won’t be doing that. No normal woman who’s been put in her situation would do that and Ruby sure as hell is not normal.

“Boss,” Jace sits down on the couch beside me.

I grunt back but I keep my eyes fixed on the bound man. I feel in control, I feel me again but I’m certain the second I lay eyes on my wife, all of that will dissipate. I just need to understand why. Why her? Why now? I’ve fucked enough women, I’ve been in enough relationships, why is this girl so different? Sure, she’s pretty, but she’s also a fucking headcase.

“How’s the wife?”

I turn my head, glaring at Jace. He really wants to poke the dragon?

“Fine,” I murmur, hoping he takes the blatant hint that I don’t want to talk about it.

“Fine,” He repeats smirking. “It’s been what, twenty four hours and you’re sat here, drinking with all of us instead of at home with her?”

I shake my head, feeling another spike of emotion I have no good reason for. It shouldn’t matter what anyone thinks, after all, my marriage is a business deal, nothing more, who gives a shit if everyone around me talks? And yet some furious part of me does, if not for me, then for my wife, for her, for the fact thatthey’re even speaking her name, speaking about her like they have a right.

“She’s taking some space.” I mutter, like I even need to justify myself to him.

“You fucked her that good?” He jokes before slapping the arm chair and laughing.

The bottle in my hand shatters. I feel the cut of the glass slicing into my skin and I welcome that pain, I welcome that spike in adrenaline.

As I turn to face him, Jace is pale as a ghost and he clearly realises he’s overstepped the mark. He starts spluttering about drinking too much, about not thinking before he speaks, about how he’s so used to be being around Levi’s crew that he forgets how to behave now he’s back.

“Tell me,” I state, seizing upon the fact that he’s been there, mixed up in the Holtz business for near on three years. “Tell me what you know of her, of my wife.”

He gulps, dropping his gaze like he knows some dirty little secret.

“She claims to have fucked loads of men.” I say, studying his reaction for any tells, “Who are they? Is it true?”

He draws in a breath, shrugging a little with an obviously nervous laugh. “I didn’t really interact with her. No one did. Levi and Gunnar kept her locked up and out the way…”

I guess that fits with her behaviour. But why then is she pretending to be some sort of whore? Is that what she thinks I’m into? Is that what she thinks will please me?

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