Page 67 of Claiming Liberty
“Why?” I ask, my head tilting. “Isn’t the ultimate goal to get a master?”
She stares at me like she wants to shove my head in a blender. “Sure, if that’s what you want.” She turns to the island, picks up her can, and pauses. “Like I said, take my advice or leave it.”
“Why wouldn’t I want a master?”
“Because you’re not a fucking dog,” she growls and takes a drink before slamming the can on the granite counter. Her eyes close as she grasps the edge like she’s holding on for dear life. I let her, giving her time to work through whatever’s going on in her head. As soon as her eyes open, her grip releases, and she starts around the island to the door.
“Where are you going?” I ask, a little too panicky.
Her steps don’t falter.
“What would you recommend?” I ask, the fear in my voice real. Not for the reasons she might think but because I’m terrified she’ll walk away without me having her on my side. I need her.
She sighs and turns toward me. “Honestly?”
I nod.
“Fuck Sawyer so good he doesn’t want to sell you. He seems terrible until you find out what terrible really is… Then when that stops working, kill yourself.”
She turns and starts to walk away but halts when I speak.
“If you had the chance to kill Eli, would you take it?”
Her muscles bunch, and she doesn’t respond. I slowly start her way. “As well as his friends?”
And Sawyer.
I want to say it, but I can’t. I can barely say it to myself.
Sawyer has to die. That’s the reality. Heshoulddie. But killing him would be betraying Angel, so it can’t be a part of my plan. All I can do is hope it’s a part of Peter’s.
“Do you know how much pain you could cause yourself by saying something as stupid as that?”
I shrug. “If we should all just off ourselves, why not take a few of them out with us?”
She rears back, her lip curling. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I look away for a moment, my tongue poking into my cheek. If I tell her and she decides to tell Eli or anyone else, it’ll ruin our plan. It’ll ruineverything. It’s risky.Toorisky.
I look back to the woman to see her searching my face, but it’s me who finds what she’s looking for.
Hope.
If not this woman… Who?
“In twenty-four hours, Eli Colley will be dead, and you’ll be taken back to the manor. Don’t ask me how I know this, but it’s the truth.” I take a step toward her. “Now, if you want, you can try your strategy of being Sawyer’s fucktoy, although I have to warn you, that position’s taken… You could kill yourself, like you said, but I have a feeling if you were going to do that, you would’ve done it a long time ago.”
She blinks and opens her mouth, but I cut her off before she has a chance to speak.
“Or, you can do exactly as I say, and we can leave this island together. Along with every other woman here who’s being treated like property.”
I take another step, and she just stares at me, her face skeptical but her eyes glimmering. “Whoareyou?” she asks. I’m sure she means to appear cynical, and I would buy it if her voice didn’t shake.
When I reach her, I hold out my hand, not making a sound until she places her pale palm in mine.
“Liberty.”
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