Page 122 of Twisted Redemption

“Brooke!” Imani hisses. “Why the hell would you do that?”

“I needed answers! I can’t—I can’t explain why. I just did. My plan was to meet David, talk, and then leave. But...”

Imani’s eyes go wide. “These are from him?” She gestures to the bruises on my wrists, then narrows her eyes. “You did your makeup differently.”

For a moment, I think it’s a silly thing to focus on right now. But then I remember why I did my makeup differently.

“If you did that,” Liling says slowly, “because you’re hiding more bruises, I am going to find that man and kill him.”

I swallow. “He’s here.”

“What?!” they both shout.

“I’m sorry,” I rush out. “It was the only way I could get here. I made him think that I—god, I can’t tell you. I just made him think I trust him. That I want to get back together with him.”

“Oh my god,” Imani murmurs, bringing a hand to her forehead.

“Imani, I’m so sorry. None of this was supposed to happen. I was supposed to hang out in a hotel room, show up hours ago, and not add a whole bunch of unnecessary drama to your wedding day. But I—”

“I don’t care.” She pulls me into her arms, holding me tight. “All I care about is making sure you’re safe.”

“Grayson Security is here, right?”

“Yeah. Hold on, let me text DeAndre. Do you have a picture of David? He can get it to the people we have on security detail.”

“I don’t have my phone.”

“Social media!” Liling grabs her phone. “I’m still following David in a few places. No offense, Brooke. I just like to be able to snoop on assholes so I can watch from afar as their lives crash and burn. Peak entertainment.”

Right now, I couldn’t care less. Imani sends a picture to DeAndre before turning back to me.

“Relax,” she says. “We’re not going to let anything happen to you. Did he...” She trails off, grimacing.

“He drugged me. Tied me up. Didn’t feed me for almost a whole day. That’s it, really.”

She raises one eyebrow. “So you’re not hiding bruises under all that makeup?”

Avoiding her gaze, I say, “He hit me as well.”

“Jesus Christ,” Liling mutters.

There’s a knock on the door. We all freeze. When it opens, Ryan peeks in from the hallway.

“Hey. Just making sure you’re all okay. I got the update as I was walking down the hall.” Someone must speak to him through his ear piece, because he frowns for a moment, tilting his head like he’s listening to someone, before saying, “Yeah, I’ve got it.”

Imani steps forward. “You’ve got what?”

“You three,” Ryan says, but his eyes are on Liling and Liling only. “I’ll stay outside the door and then walk you to the ceremony room in a few minutes.”

I sag into a chair. He can’t get to you now.

“Just so you know, Brooke,” Ryan says. “Blaze is going to kill you when he gets here.”

“Gets here? What do you mean?”

“You think I’m going to lay eyes on my boss’s missing girlfriend—the one he’s been going crazy trying to find—and not tell him? I don’t have a deathwish, sweetheart. That’s all you.”

“I don’t want to see him.”

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