Read Torn from You for Free Online Page A

wheel.
    “Why? Why did you even bother being nice to
me?”
    “Emily. Quiet.”
    “Why didn’t you just take me weeks ago? What
was the point being nice to me at all? Why did you—”
    “Emily.” His sharp tone was enough to stop
me. “We’ll go through this once. Once, Emily.” He stared straight
ahead, his voice calm and laced with cold, like an ice pick banging
out each word. “Never speak unless asked a question. Do exactly as
you’re told without hesitation. The outburst you had ... That is
reason enough to have you killed, and that’s if you’re lucky. Worse
is giving you for the night to a group of workers. Then you’ll wish
you were dead.”
    I was finding it difficult to swallow, my
mind sick with memories of letting this guy kiss me, hold me. Oh
God, he made love to me. I couldn’t believe this was the Logan who
loved ice cream, who tenderly kissed me, held me in his arms, sang
to me. Lies. Acid-dunked lies.
    His monotone voice sounded like this was a
casual conversation. I opened my mouth to ask about his other
victims when I saw his jaw tighten and remembered what he’d said. I
gritted my teeth together instead and let the betrayal fester.
    “You’ll eat, drink, and even piss when I
tell you.” His words ground out as if he was having trouble
speaking, and his face was hard, eyes watching the road. “One
mistake, Emily—one. And the guy at the farmhouse—Raul—he will break
you and sell you to the highest bidder. If you want to remain with
me ...” He accentuated the word want, “you do exactly as I say. Any
questions?”
    “Yeah. How many women have you fucked over?
Let me guess, since you took your sweet ass time making me fall for
you first, I’m guessing four girls a year. Do your bandmates know
what you do in your spare time? What about your mother? Does she
approve of your extracurricular activities?” My head was yanked
back and the edge of a blade held to my throat.
    Logan took in a long drawn in breath. “You
see Jacob back there? The one who can easily slit your throat?
Well, he doesn’t listen to me. He is Raul’s right-hand man and does
exactly as Raul wants. And if Raul has told him to keep an eye on
you and kill you for being a bitch then that’s what he’ll do, and I
can’t stop him.” He paused then said, “Or, rather, I won’t.”
    I felt the coldness of the blade slice into
my skin. A trickle of blood dripped down my neck then slid onto my
T-shirt and absorbed into a big red blotch. The creak of leather
sounded as Jacob released me and sat back.
    I wanted to fight, scream and rake my nails
down Logan’s face until he bled like I was. I even considered
jumping out of the car and taking my chances with my injuries, but
instead I sat quietly and stared at the highway ahead. After ten
minutes of silence Logan shoved a water bottle into my hand and two
pills. “Swallow them.”
    I considered throwing them back at him for
about one second, and I think he knew it, because his frown
deepened. Then I thought of hiding them under my tongue, but
whatever the pills were they weren’t going to kill me; they
could’ve easily done that by now.
    I tossed the pills in my mouth then chugged
every last drop of water. I was so damn thirsty that my skin felt
like it was shriveling up like a dead animal left in the desert
sun.
    “Check her.”
    Before I knew what was happening Jacob
grabbed my chin and pressed—hard. I had no choice but to open my
mouth. His finger slid inside, and I gagged and coughed as he
crudely searched my mouth to make sure I’d swallowed the pills. I
tasted cigarettes and wished I kept some water to wash out my mouth
after he finished.
    “Clean.”
    Logan nodded. “We’re crossing the border.”
He pulled out a passport from his back jean pocket, and I gasped
when he flipped it open and I saw my picture. Then I saw with it
the round circular plastic case—my birth control. He tossed it on
my lap. God, he’d thought of everything. I did wonder why