Page 37 of Twisted Truth

I get a little light-headed for a moment, and then I’m a few steps behind everyone else. Asher stops and turns back tome. He reaches for my hand with his free one and pulls me close.

“You okay, Ella?”

“I . . . just had a wave of anxiety,” I say through a shaking voice. “Sorry, it’s just that the last time I was here, Kyle was so angry. He was throwing things and he . . .”

I stop myself, not wanting to unload any more drama onto Asher.

“He what?”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.” His tone leaves no room for argument, so I swallow and blurt out the truth.

“He tried to stop me from leaving with force. Then he . . . he threw me against the wall and chased me to the elevator.”

I thought I’d seen Asher’s eyes angry. They flash with a new level of rage I’ve never seen. He holds me tighter for a moment, and I take a few deep breaths.

“Normally I would never ask you to do something like this. But I don’t trust that piece of shit to be honest about what’s yours. I want you here so you can make sure we get all of your things. But I promise, you’re safe. He won’t even get near you.”

I nod.

We stop in front of Kyle’s door where Robert is already yelling for Kyle to open up. Kyle is yelling back. Asher holds up the phone so Chief Olsen can hear the exchange.

Kyle must see me through the peephole. “Ella! What the fuck are you doing here? And who are all these men?”

“I already explained who we are,” Robert says. “We are Ms. Hale’s security team, and we are here to collect her things. And this is your last warning. I will break down your door if you don’t open it up.”

“I’m calling the police!” Kyle yells.

Asher steps up to the door with a cruel, vindictive smile on his face. He holds his phone near the peep hole. “Here’s thething, Kyle, is it? I have the chief of police right here on the phone with me. Call the police all you want. No officers will come for you. No officers are going to help you. So, you can open the door, and we can simply walk through it, or we can break it open, and you will have a door that won’t close for a few days until it’s fixed. You decide which sounds better to you.”

“Fuck you!”

“Yes, fuck me. That doesn’t change the situation. We are not here to harm you. If you cooperate, you have my word on that. We are here for Ms. Hale’s things, only. You have until the count of three to open the door, or we’ll break it down.

“One,” he says, deadly calm.

“You can’t do this!” Kyle screeches.

“I can, and I will. Two.”

“Fuck!”

“Thr—”

Theclinkand slither of the chain sliding out of the lock sounds from the other side of the door. Then the deadbolt and two additional locks click. Robert shoves the door open, and Kyle jumps out of the way with a shout. Nine men flood their way into the apartment and walk around Kyle as if he’s a piece of furniture sitting near the door.

He stands with his eyes wide, his mouth opening and closing in shock.

At that same moment, Matthew arrives with a team of movers carrying empty cardboard boxes. There are now about fifteen men moving through the apartment, pulling open drawers, cupboards, closets, and grabbing anything and everything that looks like it belongs to a woman.

Kyle turns toward me. “How dare you do this, Ella!” he yells, glaring at me. “You stupid whore!”

I open my mouth to retort, but both Asher and Declan descend on him in a flash. He stumbles backward and bumps into the couch, then falls backward onto it.

“Keep your mouth closed,” Asher says in a deadly whisper, leaning down over Kyle, who’s flat on his back on the couch. “You are not allowed to address Ella. You don’t look at her. You don’t speak to her. You don’t say her name.”

Asher backs up and Declan takes his place standing over Kyle, and when Kyle moves to stand up from the couch, Declan shoves him back down onto it with one hand.