Page 86 of Taming Liberty

Jasper extends his hand toward me, and I lift my head to stare at it.

“Go ahead,” he says, misplaced encouragement in his tone. Like he’s a savior come to rescue me instead of my executioner.

It pains me to play into his game, but for the sake of prolonging my time, I place my hand in his. I groan as he helps me stand, every part of my body begging for rest. He gently places his hands on my arms and backs me up into the car.

I stare him in the eyes and resist the urge to reach for the shard.

Wait.

Wait.

“There you go,” he coos, giving me the closest thing to a charming smile someone like Jasper is capable of as he brushes my shoulders and sighs.

“What are you—”

The air knocks from me as Jasper shoves his fist into a spot just below my ribs. Pain erupts that makes me feel like he’s popped my lungs, and I can’t imagine ever breathing again.

My knees buckle, and I collapse onto the ground, my body hunched and mouth hanging open. My face presses against a mixture of dirt and gravel, and my knees are tucked in with my ass in the air.

Jasper takes a step back and snickers. “Sorry, love, I couldn’t help myself.” He wedges his shoe beneath me and shoves me back by my chest. I roll onto my back and finally suck in air, but it isn’t nearly enough. I cough out every exhale.

“So many people go for the gut or the face, but do you see how efficient a hit to the diaphragm is?”

I suck in a breath that feels fuller than the one before it, but it still feels like I’m getting oxygen through a straw.

He crouches and pushes sweaty strands of hair out of my face. I whip my head to the side in an attempt to get away from the touch, but it's useless.

“Tell me, was it this easy for Ramos to convince you he was a good guy? Just a little gentle touch?” His hand travels from my shoulder to my breast, and I grab his arm to stop him. I shift away on my back but stop when I feel the shard coming loose from my waistband.

“If I’d known it was that easy, maybe I’d have told you I loved you too.”

I turn my head to look at him, not having the strength to hide the shock from my face.

He laughs. “If you wanted privacy, you shouldn’t have been yelling your declarations in the street.”

He was there, right in front of Julia’s house.

Oh my God.

“You didn’t hurt them,” I say, more of a plea for reassurance than a statement.

His lips part, showing his canines. He tsks and shakes his head. “Oh, Liberty. Always worried about everyone else. When are you going to start looking out for yourself?”

He moves his eyes to my chest, and when he runs his hand down my shirt to the seam, I grip his wrist again. He responds by using his free hand to dig into the gash in my chest, and I throw my head back in a scream, letting go of his wrist.

He pulls away from the gash and lifts my shirt up over my stomach. His fingertips trace my waistband. “Do you remember what I said to you that day on the cliff?”

I close my eyes and use all of my strength to fill my lungs, the first time I’ve managed since being knocked to the ground. My exhale stutters as I shiver.

Yes, I remember. Too fucking clearly. He appeared on the cliff just as Anna jumped off. I glared at him, determined not to show how terrifying it felt to be alone with him, even for a moment. He asked if I was scared to jump and asked if I needed someone to hold my hand. I told him to go to hell.

I don’t think it pissed him off. If anything, it amused him, but what happened next made me back down.

“Careful, Ivy. You don’t want to hurt my feelings. I know all the right ways to hurt you back.”

“Oh, fuck off, Jasper.”

He laughed. “You don’t believe me? Just ask your friend.”

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