Page 58 of Daughter of a Monster

My eyes dart around the room, searching for escape, but the only exit is through the door behind him. I run straight at him, hoping to throw him off guard by barging into him as forcefully as I can, but it’s pointless. He merely wraps his arms around me, lifting me off the ground and leaving my legs kicking the air as the file falls to the ground.

“Let go of me!” I scream, throwing everything I can into fighting him. I pound with my fists. I kick and I scream. I will go down fighting.

“Not until you calm down.” His words come out in grunts as I flail hopelessly against him. He hoists me over his shoulder, giving me free rein to batter my fists against his back.

“I’ll calm down when you put me the fuck down!”

My body jostles with each step, my fists proving fruitless against him.

“That won’t be happening,” he grunts.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To your room.”

I start to yell again, hoping someone, anyone will hear me and come to help. Barrett comes jogging down the hall towards us, a look of confusion on his face.

“Help!” I yell.

“Get lost,” Jericho growls at him.

Barrett salutes and turns in the direction he came from, giving me a guilty look as I plead for him to help. I wonder if he is the same as my brother. The good one. If he’s being forced to do Jericho’s bidding, held captive by an invisible threat. By the time we reach my room, I’ve stopped my screaming, knowing that it’s pointless. Everyone here works for Jericho Priest. They’re not going to care what he does to me.

He dumps me down onto the bed and I bounce on the mattress before clambering off and racing for the door. But he beats me to it, slamming it shut.

He smirks.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I shove my face right into his. “You’re just like him. That’s why you’ve got all those rooms down in the basement. You have them locked up like animals. I saw it on the cameras. Don’t try to deny it.”

All he does is cock a brow, the smirk still firmly in place. “Did you see anyone in the rooms?” He waits for my answer but I don’t give him one. I was so struck by what I saw, I didn’t think about the fact that all the ones I saw were empty. “You don’t know what you think you know.”

I shove my finger into his chest, fuming at his words. “You’re working for him, aren’t you?”

He grabs my wrist, twisting my hand away from him. “Don’t touch me.” I shove my other finger in his chest and he grabs that too, painfully yanking my wrists outwards and causing me to buckle as he walks me backward. He slams me against the wall and then he releases my hands only to grip me around the throat.

“I do not work for anyone.” He presses his body tight to mine, pinning me against the wall. I want to say I don’t notice the way he feels against me, that I don’t notice each curve and dip of his muscles and that my body doesn’t heat. But I would be lying. His fingers are tight, but they are up high, gripping the underside of my jaw rather than my neck.

“He didn’t pay you to keep me here?” I ask.

His dark eyes flash with anger. “No. He did not.”

I struggle, reaching up to dig my nails into the hand that circles my throat. I feel so stupid and foolish for ending up here, with him. Once again I’ve been blind.

“Are you in competition with him?” I kick him in the shin, but all he does is narrow his eyes and block himself from kicking range by pressing himself harder against me. Maybe he plans to blackmail my father somehow.

“You’re sick. You’re evil. You’re just like him!” I spit out.

His fingers tense, tightening under my jaw painfully. “I’m nothing like your father!” he roars before letting me go.

I crumple to the ground, my hands and knees breaking the fall. He towers over me but for some reason, it’s not fear I feel. I have no doubt this man could hurt me. He’s so much stronger, there’s so much rage and anger behind his eyes, but his physical reactions so far have been measured, held back, more of a threat than anything else. Like his heart isn’t really in it.

“Then why am I here?” I ask. “Why have you got a file on me? Why did you try to visit my father in prison?”

He grabs my hair, jerking my head upwards so I’m looking straight at him. His upper lip twitches, one side lifting ever so slightly. Almost like a snarl.

“You’re here to make him pay,” he hisses the words in my ear and then lets go, pushing me back to the ground before storming toward the door. I hear the lock slide into place and drag myself off the ground, racing toward the door and throwing my fists against it.

“Let me out!” I yell, even though I know it’s pointless.

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