A Liberated Decision - COMPLETED!

Chapter 20

Content Warning: Referring to what had happened. Mention of sexual assault.

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Tom had to go to work for a little bit, leaving Ashley alone to rest. He had brought her a bowl of cream of celery soup before he had left; claiming it was the smoothest thing for her to eat. She doubted that, but wasn't about to give up the food in front of her. She wished that it had been more substantial, but at least it had been warm.

Before he left, Ash had made sure to get him to give her a knife. She had wanted the extra protection. She knew Stan would keep Trent off her trail, but no need to take any chances. She wished for her gun. If Eddie had done anything with it, she'd make him regret it.

Ashley had never been in Tom's house. The alcohol had absorbed its way out of her system and the pain was intensifying. Every move against the couch irritated her back and the bruises that touched the fabric. She kept her focus off of herself as the nail biting agitation tried to tear her focus off of looking around the room.

It was simple. Random pictures hung here and there on the light, coffee brown walls. It kind of reminded her of Dom's apartment. White trimming offset the brown, making the room seem bigger than it really was. Two cheap lamps lit up the room, making it feel warm and cozy. Other than the old couch she was on, there were two leather rockers, each in opposite corners.

Sighing at the boredom, Ash quit looking around. Her body tensed as she heard the front door open and shut softly. Her hands gripped around the sheath of the knife, sliding it out and having it ready under her blanket. Her pulse was racing as she slowed her breathing. She wasn't sure who to expect.

A blonde-haired woman peaked in. Ashley warily eyed up the few purple streaks in her curly hair before checking out the girl's ink. She recognized Miko's gang symbols. Her throat felt like it was closing. What if Miko had hurt Dom? What if he found out about them?

Liv recognized the panic around Ashley's eyes. "Whoa, girl. I'm not here to kill you." She held up her hands in peaceful surrender.

Ashley swallowed hard. "Where's Dom?" Her voice cracked a little bit. Every second that was wasted sent a flood of worries through her mind. "What did you guys do with him?"

Liv could hear the woman unraveling. There's the worry that comes with caring for someone. She had no doubt that that was there now.

Dom quickly walked into the room with a glass. He pushed passed Liv and got down on his knees in front of Ash. "Hey, it's okay, baby. I'm right here." He rubbed her cheek.

Ashley let her breathing calm down. She smiled at him as she forced her racing pulse to slow down. "I thought maybe Miko..." She let the words cut off.

"Found out?" Dom finished her statement with a question.

Ashley nodded quickly. She could see something in his eyes. Something that he wanted to say. She waited for him to speak.

Dom locked his eyes on hers. "I told him, Ash. I couldn't lie to him." He said honestly.

Ashley flinched as her eyebrows popped up. "You... you told him?" She choked on the words as her brows quickly changed from surprise to being furrowed together in anger. Betrayal felt raw, coursing through her body at an unusual speed. "Why the hell did you do that? He'll kill us!" She snapped before eyeing up Liv. "Hell, that's probably what she's suppose to do!"

It was Liv's turn for her brows to shoot up. "Excuse me?" She returned Ashley's chilly glare. "If I wanted to kill you, honey, you'd be dead already." She informed her, already crossing her arms defiantly.