There, strapped to a chair, is a man beaten to a pulp with his throat slit from ear to ear. I don’t have to see his face to know it’s Steven, and the knowledge sends my mind into a tailspin.
There’s no way Marley is capable of this kind of brutality, which begs the question, where the hell are they now and who the hell did this to Steven?
Chapter 26
Marley
Once Zayne returns, he leads me down the hall to the living room where Lyla is curled up on the couch sleeping, her favorite cartoon playing on TV.
Tears fill my eyes, clogging the back of my throat. I start to move toward the couch, my heart beating with erratic relief in my chest, but Zayne holds his arm out to stop me. “Remember what I said.”
I nod and he lowers his arm.
I move to the sofa and crouch down beside her, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. She stirs, rubbing her tiny fists in her eyes before prying them open.
“Mama!” she exclaims when her eyes finally focus on me. She sits up and wraps her short little arms around my neck as I pull her into my lap, tears flowing down my cheeks as I hold her close.
“I’m here, baby girl. I’m here.”
“Why are you crying, Mama?” she asks, pulling back to study my face.
“I’m just so happy to see you.” I look her over, making sure she’s okay but she looks perfectly fine, completely oblivious to what’s happening. “Uncle Zayne said Daddy had to go on a trip so he brought me here to wait for you. I waited a really long time, Mommy.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”
“Lyla, we’re going to make a trip to the toy store with Mommy, okay?” Zayne asks in a kind, gentle voice. A stark contrast to the sinister man I’ve come to know over the last hour. “Do you remember what to do?”
Lyla nods.
“Good girl.”
I stand up and reach for her hand, gripping it tight in mine. He wants to take us to a public place. I take a deep breath. I can do this. I will do what he says, and once I find my opening, we will escape.
I just hope Asher finds us first.
“You wait here. I need to talk to your mother before we go.”
