Tobias leans back, his smile fading. “Then you’ve outlived your purpose.”
Under His Skin
Chapter 20: Paige–1
Tobias slides the burner phone across the table, its smooth surface gliding to a stop directly in front of me. It feels like everyone in the room is holding their breath, the tension crackling in the air like static.
I stare at the phone, my fingers curling into fists in my lap. “What do you want me to say, exactly?” I ask, my voice low but steady, though I can feel it wavering at the edges.
Tobias leans back in his chair, his sharp eyes gleaming with cold amusement. “Tell him the truth. That we have you. That if he wants you to stay alive, he’ll talk to me.”
My throat tightens, the weight of his words pressing down like a hand around my neck. I glance around the room, catching the way Silas lounges in his chair with a faint grin, Callan sulks with his bruised face, and Jaxon sits like a shadow, his expression unreadable. None of them will step in.
No one is going to save me from this.
I reach for the phone with shaky fingers, the plastic cold and smooth against my palm. My stomach churns as I lift it, the room growing smaller around me with every breath. “And if he doesn’t agree to talk?” I manage, my voice barely above a whisper.
Tobias smiles faintly. “Then he loses you. Permanently.”
I swallow hard, my throat dry as sandpaper. I glance at him again, searching for some sign that there’s another way, but his expression is unrelenting.
The entire room is watching me, their eyes heavy and expectant as I slowly dial the number from memory. Each button press feels like a knife, cutting deeper into my chest. The dial tone hums in my ear, too loud, too sharp, my heart pounding harder with each passing second.
It rings once. Twice.
And then, his voice.
“Yes?”
I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. His voice is cold, clipped, sharp with authority. It’s the voice of a man who doesn’t waste words or time, a man who’s more concerned with his position than his family.
“Dad…” My voice cracks, trembling against the weight of the word.
There’s a pause, long and suffocating. When he speaks again, his tone is edged with impatience. “Paige? Where are you? What’s going on?”
I glance at Tobias, my heart pounding so loudly I can barely hear. He nods once, his expression cool and composed, silently giving me permission to tell the truth.
“I’m…” My fingers tighten around the phone, my grip unsteady. “I’m being held hostage. The Black Vipers have me.” My voice wavers, the words coming out in a rush. “They want you to talk to Tobias.”
Another pause, longer this time. The silence feels like a noose tightening around my neck.
When he speaks again, his words are cold and detached. “I don’t negotiate with them.”
The weight of his dismissal slams into me, my chest tightening with panic. “Please,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “Just talk to him. Please.”
I wait, my heart racing as the silence stretches on, each second feeling like a lifetime.
Finally, he speaks again, but his tone is sharp, skeptical. “How do I know they even have you? For all I know, this could be a setup.”
I look up, my gaze darting to Tobias. His nod is almost imperceptible, but it’s enough.
“They do,” I say, my voice breaking. “Dad, please. They- My breath hitches, and I force myself to continue. “They hit me. They’ve locked me in a room. I don’t know what they’ll do next. Just–just talk to him. Please.”
There’s a long, heavy silence on the other end, and I feel the weight of every pair of eyes in the room pressing down on me. I close my eyes, bracing myself for another dismissal, for him to hang up, for this to all fall apart.
And then, finally, he speaks
“Put him on the line.”
My knees nearly give out with relief, my grip on the phone tightening as I slide it across the table to Tobias. My hand shakes as I let go, my entire body trembling with the effort it took to say those words.
The room is deathly silent as Tobias picks up the phone and presses the speaker button. The sharp beep echoes off the walls, and then the line clicks open. The air feels thick, every breath harder to draw as we wait.
“Marcus,” Tobias says, his voice dripping with smug civility. “It’s been far too long.”
