Page 95 of Coercion

She sniffs, burying her face in my chest.

“Tell me, Ruby, tell me what’s going on.”

“I,” She shakes her head and I can feel how much she’s trembling. “I don’t want to do it,” She whispers so quietly.

“Do what?”

She starts sobbing more, becoming inconsolable and I tighten my grip. “It’s okay, I’ve got you, I’ve got you.” I repeat. I don’t know what the fuck Gunnar did, what the fuck he said, but by the time this is all over, I’m going to make him pay for every insult he’s inflicted on my wife.

“Preston,” She gasps, clinging to me.

“You’re okay.” I state, “I’ve got you, I’ve always got you.”

Ruby

Ihide out, pretending to be sick but I don’t think I’m fooling anyone.

Preston is being so careful around me and if anything, it makes it all worse. So much worse. I can’t look him in the eyes. I can’t even smile at him because I feel like a traitorous bitch.

But I also know I can’t do it, I can’t betray him.

Gunnar is going to hurt me, he’s going to let his men hurt me too and though it puts the fear of god into me, I don’t see any other way out of this.

On what is essentially judgement day, I say goodbye to Preston as normal and then as the hours slip by, I descend into what feels like complete and utter madness.

My chest tightens, my fear goes into a frenzy, I swear I’m having an actual heart attack and I find myself knocking back one drink after another. Paralysed by the thought of whichever way this plays out.

If I could, I would run, but Preston has already put paid to that idea – there’s no escaping this house, no escaping whatever this day brings.

I know I’m meant to meet with Eleri but I have Sidney message, telling her that I’m sick.

She replies straight away that she can come over instead and I say no, fearing that if she does, if she comes here, then Gunnar may alter his plan to this location. That she’d still be in danger. And I can’t have that.

Oh, I know Gunnar is going to make me pay, I know however this plays out, I’m dead, but I can’t do it, I can’t drag Eleri into it, I can’t betray Preston after everything he’s done for me.

No, sacrificing myself is the only option now.

I have no other cards left.

Preston

No one knows we’re coming. At least no one should.

And yet, as we take over the Holtz compound, there isn’t a single person to stop us. A single man putting up a fight. It’s like they just left the gates of Rome open and allowed the barbarians to waltz right in.

I frown, staring around, as an eery feeling settles in my bones. They should be fighting. They should be protecting this.

Where the fuck is Gunnar?

Where the fuck are all Levi’s men?

There’s no way they’ve simply fled and left all of this for us.

We stalk through into the main house, our footsteps echoing against the concrete walls.

The place is a shit-show, rubbish, furniture, you name it is strewn around like a tornado swept through.

“Over here.”