Chained (Caged Book 2) by D. H. Sidebottom Page A

that whatever you tell me, Leroy, is completely between us? It doesn’t go in any record, only in my own head. I am not obliged to report any crime, and I won’t. This is between you and me.”
    He nodded, gulping as he ran his tongue over his teeth. His face was pale and he looked like he was going to vomit.
    “I hurt someone.” He threw it out so bluntly that I couldn’t help but flinch. That had not been what I expected.
    “Okay. Was it an accident or planned?”
    “Definitely planned.” He turned to me. “I’m a druggie, Kloe. I will do anything for a hit, you know that.”
    “So you hurt someone to pay for drugs?”
    He screwed up his face and wobbled his head in consideration to my question. “Kind of. I owe someone a lot of money. This was the only way I could clear my debt.”
    “This?”
    “This,” he repeated. There was a look in his eyes that made the blood in my veins chill.
    When I sensed movement behind me, I closed my eyes and realised exactly what ‘this’ was.
    “I’m so sorry, Kloe,” Leroy whispered before he stood up and walked away.
    “Hello, Samantha.” The soft tone of Terry Asher’s voice whispered in my ear.

 
    R OBBIE GRUNTED AS I HELPED him through my front door. He had one arm around my shoulders and a crutch tucked under his other arm. “Fucking hell,” he grumbled, the loss of independence grieving him more than the pain. “I’m already sick of this shit.”
    I chuckled, kicking the pile of post that sat on the rug to one side so Robbie wouldn’t slip on it. “Give it time, man. It’s gonna take a while.”
    He blew out a breath as I lowered him on to the sofa. “It’s already been three weeks; I should be healing by now.”
    Anger made me clench my fists. “Don’t worry, Rob. You’ll get your retribution.”
    He quirked a brow at that. “I thought Terry was yours.”
    Laughing loudly, I nodded and headed into the kitchen to fix us a drink. “He is, but I’ll let you watch.”
    “You’re so fucking generous,” he shouted after me.
    “I am.”
    After passing him his coffee I went to pick up the mail. Red came trotting down the stairs, finally sensing mine and Rob’s presence and deciding we were worth a look in. True to her form, perception one of her strongest points, she gently climbed onto the sofa beside Rob and proceeded to lick his ear.
    He brushed her away but smiled and started to stroke her head. He loved her as much as I did.
    The first few letters were junk, and throwing them aside, I frowned when I saw a padded but thin brown envelope in between the usual white ones.
    Tearing it open, I stared in confusion as I pulled out a memory stick and a thick knot of long, copper hair.
    Every part of me froze in fear. My hand shook when I took the hair and lifted it to my nose. Air rushed from my lungs and my jaw started to vibrate when the soft but unique smell of honey and coconut – Kloe’s exclusive shampoo – struck every one of my senses.
    “Anderson?” Robbie knew too, the wary way he said my name had me trembling harder.
    Rage poured through me, my heart struggling to cope with the influx of adrenaline soaring my system.
    Silently, I grabbed the laptop and inserted the USB. My hands shook harder, my fingers hovering over the play icon. I didn’t want to watch, yet every part of me begged to.
    The screen was dark as the video came into focus. A dungeon.
    My breath caught and my heart stopped beating when Kloe’s limp and naked body came into shot. She hung from a chain, her arms stretched high as her fingers clung to the links of metal. Blood trickled down her chest and her stomach, dripping onto her thighs and down her legs. Her hair had been hacked off, and short and matted curls clung to her damp face.
    Ice flowed through me instead of blood. Shocks of electricity beat for my heart. And pure undiluted fury filled my lungs instead of air.
    Robbie looked from the screen to me, but, wisely, he didn’t say anything.
    My beautiful woman