Page 56 of Innocent Salvation

“Good. You’re awake.” He stood and walked toward her, gripping her chin hard so he could look at her, as she tried to pull away. “I see you’re still sulking. No matter.”

Gripping her upper arm, he hauled her to her feet, dragging her to the corner of the room, which was bare white walls, no windows and just the bed, a seat, and a lamp. As she stumbled, trying to give the illusion that she was weak and unable to defend herself and buy herself some time, he stopped and turned to her, his face a mask of anger and impatience.

“Stop fucking around, Sabine.”

Reaching the corner, she had no idea what he was planning until he pulled her arms over her head and hooked the rope to a hook in the ceiling, her tiptoes just touching the ground. Her shoulder joints stretched, and she was relieved her arms were in front of her instead of behind as they had been when she was first knocked out.

“Why are you doing this?”

Henri walked over to the door, opened it, and grabbed a bucket and a car battery. Through the door, she could make out some steps but little else. Her eyes fell back on the car battery and the bucket, which she could now see contained a sponge and water.

Ice-cold fear crawled up her spine when he brought over a tripod, which had been leaning in the dark corner, and began to set it up. She knew pain, had withstood her share but this was torture meant to get hardened criminals to talk. Her mind went to Sebastian and Fleur, of the time they’d spent together, of the love and fun they’d shared.

“In answer to your question, I’m doing this because Dominique needs to learn that I mean what I say. She thinks I’m bluffing. I’m going to show her I’ll do what it takes for the information I need.” He moved closer, a blade flickering as he used it to cut her dress from her body, leaving her in just her underwear, what there was of it.

Needing to take her mind off the awful, vulnerable position she was in, she asked another question. “And that is?”

Henri grinned and she could see the madness and greed in his eyes. “The Caribbean Pink.”

“The pink diamond that was lost over one hundred years ago?” It was hard to believe he’d go to all this trouble just for a jewel, but then Henri had always been obsessed with jewels. It was why his nickname was Magpie.

“It’s not lost. Jean-Claude’s family have been hiding it. Dominique is going to give it to me or I’m going to kill you.” Bending, he dipped the sponge in the water and used the clip on the jumper cables attached to the battery to pick it up.

As he moved toward her, Snow stilled, not giving him the satisfaction of showing her fear. “You’re willing to kill your own child for a diamond?”

Henri shrugged. “Except you aren’t mine, Sabine. That’s what I was trying to tell you. Dominique is nothing but a lying whore. She cheated on me with Jean-Claude. You’re his brat, not mine.”

As the shock of the revelation spun in her mind, he touched the sponge to her bare skin and pain unlike anything she’d ever known shot through her. A scream tore from her lips as her body jerked and spasmed uncontrollably.

When he took the sponge and the electric current away, she sagged on the hook, the pain in her arms nothing compared to the rage of fire moving through her body.

“I have to say you’re tougher since you joined that team you work with.”

“Why did you send Jack to help me if you hate me so much?”

“I don’t hate you, Snow. I loved you all your life and I knew if something happened to me you’d need someone to guide you. I saw the jobs you pulled on your own. They were sloppy. I taught you better. I never guessed you working for them would cause me so many problems though.”

“How did you know Jack?”

“Well, let’s just say his boss has a few nice gems of her own and I got caught. I agreed to flip on other acquaintances if I heard they might target her. We came to an agreement.”

He held the sponge to her skin once more and pain was like a red-hot blade through her body.

Breathing deep to get her breath, she lifted her head to see him smiling as he recorded every moment. “Sebastian will kill you for this.”

“Ah, Sebastian. The fine upstanding judge.” Henri walked around her, moving slowly and she tried not to flinch when he ran a finger along the scar from her bullet wound. “Here’s the thing. Sebastian isn’t who you think he is. You see, he’s been working for me this whole time. He was the one who set up my new identity.”

Her whole body rebelled at the words he spoke even as she saw the truth on his face. “You’re lying.”

“No, ma Cherie, I’m not. Sebastian has been helping me in exchange for the truth about his sister’s birth family, which I had delivered to his home address just after you left.”

Betrayal and a sense of loss like she’d never known lanced through her, causing an emptiness that left her hollow. No anger, no pain, just a cold nothing that took with it any vestige of her will to live. “Did you send the men to kill Margaret and attack the house?”

Everything was making sense now. She could see the men she’d surrounded herself with and trusted with the most precious part of herself, her heart, were nothing more than vultures out for themselves, willing to pick apart whatever she’d give in an effort to feed their own desires.

“Yes, clever girl. I had to make you think it was Patrick though to throw you off the scent. My girl is too quick for her own good.”

“Why did you take me if you hated me so much?”