Page 158 of Ash and Poison

“Here, it’s yours.” He gave me the anklet. “We found you because of this. Maybe it’s your mom that led us to you.”

I sighed when he pulled me closer to him again, his fingers digging into my skin, like he was afraid I’d disappear if he didn’t hold on tighter.

“I… God… I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t... Don’t scare me like that ever again.”

His fingers knotted into my hair as he took a deep breath, his nose pressed against my neck like he was trying to memorize my scent, my body.

“I was too.”

“I-I love you, Diya Sharma. Please, don’t ever leave me.” His voice was velvet, his body shuddering with fear and desperation.

And his words didn’t frighten me. Not anymore. They made me complete.

He loved me, and I trusted him to not hurt me.

“I love you, Asher Maddox, and I have no intentions of leaving you.” I looked at him with a smile, and he thumbed my lips with a soft sigh, his eyes turning dark.

“Aww, how romantic,” Layne drawled, her voice strained. Ellis was sitting on Layne, trying to punch my sister in her perfect nose. “But maybe save the confessions until after we deal with the homicidal bitch here?” Layne grunted, shoving Ellis off her stomach, and punching her in her mouth.

Ellis thrashed harder, wilder, screaming, cursing.

“Oh, come on!” Layne snapped, wrestling Ellis’s wrists down, slamming them against the concrete floor for good measure. “I have fought drunk assholes with better manners.” She sat on top of Ellis, and Ellis bucked beneath her, nearly knocking Layne off. Layne grabbed a fistful of Ellis’s hair, slamming her against the floor. Twice. “Jesus, she’s like a feral cat on meth. Hold still.”

“You said you love me,” Asher whispered, eyes wide.

“She did. You’re not going mad, but I am, Asher,” Layne said, panting. “I need help.”

I smiled at Asher with a nod.

“I did. I love you, Asher. I love you. And I’m going to fight for you…”

“You don’t have to. You already have me,” he whispered, eyes softer.

Layne’s hysterical laughter made me turn to her again. Her lips were bruised, but Ellis looked way worse.

“Anytime you two wanna stop eye-banging each other and maybe, I don’t know, help me tie this bitch up, that’d be super helpful!”

“Oh, and here…” Asher said, handing me a bag. “Layne brought this for you.”

I smiled.

“Come on. We have to help Layne before she decides to kill us instead.”

“You took your sweet fucking time,” Layne said, as we used the metal chains to shackle the rabid bitch to the only chair in the bunker. Her throne.

“I know you can take care of yourself,” I said to Layne.

“I’ll kill you,” Ellis hissed, baring her teeth. “I’ll rip your uterus right out before I choke you with…”

“This mannerless bitch.” Layne punched her right in her mouth as Ellis thrashed, screaming, cursing.

“Fight harder. There’s something oddly satisfying about breaking an animal that fights back,” I said with a satisfied smile.

She recognized that.

“I’ll bury you. Like I… did to all those bitches.”

“Your husband said that to me just before I took everything he treasured from him,” I scoffed.