Chapter 278: I Am Yours to Kill or Torture

Morgan Sterling roared. Asher had just spoken so calmly… No, ever since Asher had boarded this boat, he had been nothing but composed. The only time he’d panicked was when the knife grazed Leah Sinclair’s neck. Otherwise, he acted as if everything was under his control.

Ever since they were young, no matter how the elders praised Asher, he’d always remained composed, never showing any particular joy, as if he simply deserved it all.

It was even more so now that he was an adult. From accepting an award in person from a high-ranking government official to simply playing a game of dice, he always wore the same impassive expression.

That expression struck Morgan as hypocritical, sickening. The things Asher disdained were the very things Morgan had always craved.

Asher Keating pressed his lips together. “I don’t know why you think that. We grew up together. If you hadn’t conspired with Aaron Keating and Madeline Sterling to set me up, I never would have gotten involved in the Keating Group’s business.”

“Look at you! HA HA HA! So even you getting involved with the Keating Group’s business was our fault? You’re the innocent one, perfectly content, is that it? Asher Keating, you’re so damn hypocritical!” Morgan’s voice dripped with mockery.

Asher didn’t want to talk to him anymore. He was too fanatical. “Let Leah go, and I’ll take her place. Kill me, cut me up—do whatever you want.”

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Leah cried out, her voice muffled. She struggled desperately, and because of her movements, the knife in Morgan’s hand grazed her neck again. Beads of blood welled up, but Leah seemed oblivious to the pain, focused only on breaking free.

Morgan shifted the blade slightly. The last thing he wanted was for Leah to get agitated and slit her own throat on his knife.

“Asher Keating, I told you. More than seeing you dead, I’d rather see you suffer. HA HA HA! Hugh, tie them both up.”

“Right, right.”

Hugh Sterling looked around and quickly grabbed two lengths of rope. He first bound Sean Yates’s hands behind his back, then quickly tied up Asher Keating as well.

“Morgan Sterling! What the hell do you want?” Asher stared at Morgan, who had an implacable expression, completely unwilling to negotiate.

“What do I want? Heh. What do you think… Third Brother?”

As he spoke, Morgan shoved Leah in front of Asher. His eyes glinted with a twisted lust. “You’re so fond of her. Wouldn’t you be in agony if I took her right here in front of you?”

“Morgan Sterling!”

Asher’s eyes flew open. ‘Morgan is insane.’ He could see he was serious, this wasn’t an empty threat. “Let her go! I’ll give you anything you want! Just don’t touch her!”

*SLAP.*

A heavy slap landed across Asher’s face. “You’re too loud. You’ll ruin my mood. And if you ruin my mood, I won’t be so gentle with Leah.”

Morgan stood up, turned to Leah, and ripped the tape from her mouth. “You see, Leah? After all this running around, you still end up with me. If you had just agreed the first time I asked you to be mine, we could have avoided all this trouble, couldn’t we?”

“Morgan Sterling, let Third Brother go! I’ll go with you! Just let him go!”

Leah’s eyes, rims red, were fixed on Asher. She couldn’t let him stay here. From what Morgan had just said, she understood everything now. Morgan didn’t just hate Asher—he despised him. If Asher stayed, Morgan would find every possible way to torture him.

“Oh? So now you’ll come with me? It’s too late for that, Leah.” Morgan used the tip of his knife to lift her chin, his gaze full of predatory interest.

“What will it take for you to let him go!”

“How about this… you show a little initiative, and I’ll consider letting him live.” Morgan’s lips curled into a smirk, his eyes filled with venom.

“What kind of initiative?”

“What? You’ve been with Third Brother all this time and he hasn’t taught you how to be proactive?”

Morgan laughed and leaned close to Leah’s ear. “Do you know how to use your mouth? Hmm? Do it for me, right here. Use your mouth, and I’ll let Asher Keating live. Otherwise… I’ll tie an iron weight to him right now and toss him into the sea. Do you think he’ll survive?”

Leah’s eyes widened and the color drained from her face. Her lips trembled as she looked at Asher. Morgan’s back was to Asher, and he had spoken softly, so Asher didn’t know what he’d said to her. But seeing her expression, his brow furrowed deeply.

Morgan watched her, a cold sneer on his lips. “Well, Leah?”

Leah looked back at Morgan. He was still smiling faintly at her, but his eyes were dark and predatory. Leah swallowed hard. “If I… do what you say… will you let him go? I’ll go with you.”

“That depends on your performance, Leah. If you do a good job, and I’m in a good mood, I might just let him go. After all, he’s useless to me. You’re the only one I want.”

Morgan’s knife remained pressed under Leah’s chin. The tip was placed so that the slightest increase in pressure would slice her throat.

Leah took a deep, shuddering breath. “Untie my hands,” she said, her voice trembling. “It’s… inconvenient otherwise.”

“Heh.”

Morgan chuckled, a playful look on his face. He seemed to consider it for a moment before reaching back and untying the ropes binding her hands. But before she could even rub her wrists, he grabbed them and tied them again in front of her.

“There. Much more convenient.”

Leah looked past him to Asher, who seemed to realize what Morgan was demanding. He began to struggle, his eyes bloodshot. “Leah, don’t listen to him! He won’t let me go no matter what you do! Don’t listen to him!”

Leah bit her lip. Their gazes met, passing right through Morgan. There was a hint of reassurance in Asher’s eyes. He had already realized that the knot Hugh Sterling had tied wasn’t a dead one.

He’d realized it during the earlier phone call—the text message had come from Hugh. He was working to free himself now. ‘She has to understand,’ he thought. He just needed her to stall for a little longer, just a moment more, and he would have the ropes undone.

Seeing Leah hesitate, Morgan was clearly displeased. He turned, knife in hand, his voice laced with impatience. “Third Brother, you really are too damn loud!”

‘Now!’

“Leah!”

The moment Asher’s voice rang out, Leah moved, slamming herself hard into Morgan. He stumbled forward, and in that same instant, Asher—now free from his ropes—charged and tackled him to the ground.

Before Morgan could react, Asher grabbed his hand and slammed it against the floor several times. Morgan cried out in pain, the knife flying from his grasp. The two men began to fight, bare-fisted.

Sean Yates had also broken free of his ropes and was now entangled with the other two men, blocking their advance.

Morgan landed a punch on Asher’s chest, aggravating a previous injury. Asher’s face paled for a second, but he didn’t hesitate. He seized Morgan’s fist with one hand and wrenched it down hard.

Morgan tried to pull free, but Asher’s hand was like an iron clamp. Asher pinned Morgan’s head with his other hand, brought up his knee, and slammed it into his face. Blood instantly gushed from Morgan’s nose. He used the momentum to ram into Asher, and the two of them went rolling across the floor.