Page 36 of Trust in the Fallen

The bell rings, and he advances on me without hesitation, but I make quick work of blocking his first three hits before slamming my fist into his face. The crack of his nose sets the fire in my chest alight, and each hit I land only amplifies it.

It’s not until he’s bloody and broken on the floor in front of me that I’m finally satisfied. Crimson coats my hands and arms, but the aching in my stomach is settled for now. Leighton will come to us when she’s ready, and until then, I have somewhere to come where I’m in control.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE

LEIGHTON

Jason barely acknowledges my existence for the rest of the night. His hand is always planted somewhere on my body, but he makes no attempt to speak to me or include me in any conversations he has.

And you know what? I prefer it this way. The less I have to speak to him, the easier it is for me to get through the night without allowing the tears threatening at the edge of my vision to fall.

Walking away from Wyatt and Elias broke my heart the first time. But the second? It obliterated it to the point I’m surprised it can still beat in my chest. They showed me all the things I could have if I were just strong enough to break away, but they don’t see the rest of the picture. They don’t realize that the deal my father and Governor Collins have that binds Jason and I together is a matter of life and death.

I can’t allow anyone to get hurt because of me, even if that means I have to give up everything I’ve ever wanted.

The car ride home is quiet, the chauffeur in the front quietly tapping the steering wheel in time with the beat of the music. I’m exhausted. After a week locked in the house, a whole night around people, in this uncomfortable dress and shoes that make my ankle ache to the point of tears, I’m ready for another week in bed.

If only.

I thank the driver as he helps me out of the car, and he gives me a kind smile in return, but Jason doesn’t bother saying anything to the man as he climbs the steps.

He’s never been especially mean to any of the staff, but I also wouldn’t call him nice. For the most part he just ignores them, pretends they don’t exist because he thinks they’re below him. I tried to make friends with one of the cooks last year, a woman a little older than me. She saw me reading one day, and we got to talking about our favorite books, and a friendship blossomed from there. At least until Jason got wind of it and fired her. He didn’t even tell me before he did it. He just let her go, told her never to contact the house again, and we’ve never spoken about it again.

He wanders down the hall toward his office while I make a beeline up the stairs to the bedroom. I don’t hesitate in stripping the dress over my head and kicking the strappy heels from my feet.

I wince when my sore foot hits the cool floorboards, but go through the motions of hanging the designer gown on its hanger ready to go to the dry cleaner tomorrow morning and putting my shoes where they belong.

I’m just pulling a silk dressing gown around my body when I step out of the walk-in and almost slam straight into Jason. Whiskey touches my nose, and I try to step away. He’s always rougher when he’s been drinking, and I wasn’t paying close attention to just how much he was drinking throughout the night.

He catches my elbow and tugs me into his body, forcing me to look up at him. His eyes are dark and wild, a touch of danger dancing in them as he stares down at me.

“I’m tired,” I say quietly and pull my arm from his grasp, but he doesn’t let me get far. I only make it two steps toward the bed before his arm wraps around my waist and pulls me back against him. His grip on me is tight, too tight. Whatever this is, he’s intending to inflict pain on me and that thought has panic settling in my gut. “Jason…”

“Shut up,” he snaps. He brings his free hand up to cover my mouth, rendering me completely speechless. “Did you fuck them, Leighton? Hmm? Did you let those fucking criminals stick their cocks in you?”

My eyes widen in surprise, but I couldn’t answer even if I wanted to, and that’s by design. He doesn’t care what I have to say. He’s made his own mind up about what happened last weekend, and nothing that comes out of my mouth would change it.

“You did, didn’t you?” He chuckles against the shell of my ear. “Did they fuck you good? I thought I smelled them on you when you came home, but then I thought there’s no way goody two-shoes Leighton would have a one-night stand with not one, but two, men. You don’t even fucking swear, you would never do that. But you did.”

The venom in his tone slices right through me. As far as I’m concerned, I didn’t cheat. At the time I’d made my mind up about leaving him, and I’d told him that. I told him it was over. I gave him the freaking ring back.

Hewas the one who cheated. Repeatedly if what Wyatt and Elias told me tonight is anything to go by. He’s the one who didn’t care about our relationship, the one who snuck around behind my back.

I shove my elbows into his stomach, trying desperately to dislodge myself from his hold, but it’s useless. He’s stronger than me.

“I don’t think so, Leighton. Why don’t you show me how you fucked those cunts? Why don’t you suck my cock like the whore they made you?”

Every muscle in my body tightens to the point of pain. Jason’s done a lot of things over the years, but he’s never forced himself on me. He’s never taken what I didn’t offer, and fear grips me around the throat, making it impossible to drag in a breath.

He shoves me to my knees, and I cry out as they hit the hardwood floors. One hand fists my hair at the base of my skull while the other grips my face tightly. “Did you let them fuck you together? Did they take turns fucking your cunt? Your mouth? Did you let them in that tight little ass you’ve denied me all these years?”

A pained sob tears through my chest as red hot tears fall against my cheeks. Terror is a powerful emotion, potent and overwhelming in the way it seeps through your veins, rendering you completely powerless to your situation.

“Take my cock out, Leighton. I’m going to fuck your whore throat until you pass out, and then I’m going to fuck that pussy you’ve been offering to anyone who will take it.”

My hands shake as I do as he asks. What choice do I have? He has the upper hand in every single way, and I’m just the useless girl I’ve always been.

“Hurry the fuck up,” he snaps, immediately followed by a slap so hard my ears ring from the force of it.

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