Page 72 of Vows of Silence

His gloved hands reached towards me, resting on my shoulders so that he could spin me around. Gently, he marched me back over to the computer, removing one hand from my shoulder and pulling the chair out for me, gesturing for me to sit.

I did, mainly because I was silenced by how scalding his touch had felt on my skin. But also because I really was interested. The only way I was going to learn anything was if I saw it with my own eyes. My father had kept me in the dark so long, I knew I could never rely on him for the truth. Silas would never tell me—even if he had been willing to talk—he’d expect me to learn for myself. So if he was at least willing to guide me, I was damn sure going to go along with it.

Besides, if I focused on what he had to show me, I wouldn’t have time to berate myself for missing his hands on me.

Stupid, touch-starved woman!

Silas silently spun me around and tucked the chair under the desk, and then he bent over the back of the chair, hovering over me. I looked over my shoulder to see his face lowering until he was practically cheek to cheek with me, and then my attention was snapped to my other side as he grabbed my hand, placed it on the mouse and covered it with his own.

His touch was soft, almost tender, as he guided my hand, moving the mouse through the computer, accessing files I never would have thought to click.

His other arm wrapped around me to type at the keyboard, entering passwords he didn’t bother to hide, and I closed my eyes for a second, breathing in the scent of him, feeling the strangest wave of comfort being wrapped inside his embrace like this.

And then reality came crashing back in.

This was Silas. My kidnapper. And I was wrapped up in his arms fuckinginhalinghim.

I was one seriously messed up woman!

I pulled my face slightly away from his and straightened my spine, focusing my whole attention on the screen in front of me, and not the confusing man by my side.

Silas’s breathing was slow and steady as he navigated his system, and then his hand was resting against the desk, his finger tapping gently as he selected a video and let it play.

It was the middle of the night, but I vaguely recognised London Docklands. I’d had lunch there with my girlfriends only a few months ago.

There was a ship docked, and a crane was lifting out huge shipping containers, dropping them to the ground with little to no care.

“Careful with that!” Adrien barked from somewhere off the camera. “If another of these bitches die, I swear to fuck you’ll be eating her remains for the remainder of the fucking month!”

Someone laughed in response, murmuring something I couldn’t quite hear.

“No point letting quality meat go to waste!”Adrien laughed back, and then suddenly there he was, as handsome as ever, that winning smile, the beautiful face.

And his evil fucking heart lying beneath it all.

The video continued playing, but I both felt and sensed the silver mask turning in my direction, watching me instead.

I forced my expression to remain neutral, even though I was slowly dying inside at what I was witnessing.

Silas had been right to show and not tell. Because I’m not sure I would have believed this if I wasn’t seeing and hearing for myself.

“A little birdie tells me you’ve got quality meat arriving at home yourself.”

Silas’s gloves creaked next to me, his fist clenching.

“Quality for now,”Adrien laughed.“Let’s see how she looks a few years from now, once I’ve finished with her.”

“If you need any help, you know where I am, man. I’ve wanted to take the Carbones down for years. I—”

I didn’t hear the rest. I didn’t want to.

They were talking about me. I was the “quality meat” Adrien was referring to.

I felt sick to my stomach.

I flinched violently as the shipping container was ripped open, and I got the briefest flash of naked women, all of them screaming. All of them looking terrified. Beside me, Silas’s breathing changed.

Whether he noticed my discomfort, or he thought I’d seen enough, Silas clicked off that video and opened another.