Page 116 of Ash Storm

Reka

“Uncle R?” Reka asked.

They’d spoken while she and Chloe were at the hospital, and Reka had expected perhaps another video call together, but certainly not to see her uncle here in the flesh.

She looked at Thorne, who stood quietly behind her uncle.

“What are you doing here, Uncle R? Is everything okay? Has something happened?”

Pain distorted his uncle’s features for a moment. Then his expression was ice again.

“You fucker!” he said, pulling Ash into the corridor and slamming him against the opposite wall.

Ash went white under his tan.

His shoulder.

Reka’s mind reeled at the sudden, unexpected violence. She’d always known her uncle had a dangerous job, but she’d never—ever—seen him employ violence. And to see him use it against Ash … it was more than she could stomach.

Her uncle had lost his mind.

There was no other explanation for this.

Reka ran forward to get between her uncle and the man she loved—but met an immovable wall instead.

Thorne.

“Let me go,” she hissed.

“Wait,” he said. “Your uncle and Ash need to have this conversation.”

“This isn’t a conversation,” she said pointedly. “He’s hurting him.”

“Wait,” Thorne repeated calmly. He didn’t touch her, but his stance made it clear she wouldn’t get past him.

Her uncle placed a thick, muscled arm against Ash’s collarbone, pressing down on his neck.

And it suddenly struck her that Ash probably knew ten different ways of getting out of that hold, but he wasn’t using any of them.

He’s not fighting back.

“You fucker. You took advantage of her.”

What?

“Uncle R!” she shouted, trying to get the man’s attention.

The older man finally turned to look at her, still keeping Ash pinned to the wall. “He took advantage of you, and I’m going to end …”

“End what?” Ash said, baring his teeth. His lips twisted in a sardonic smile. “My career?”

“You think this is funny?”

Her uncle pressed harder against Ash’s throat. Ash made a strangled sound.

“No …” Reka said. Then quietly, to Thorne. “Please let me through. I won’t let my uncle hurt Ash.”

Thorne raised his eyebrow. “I think it’d be better if you let the two of them talk it out.”