“This can’t be happening,” I croaked into the darkness, words breaking, overcome with the thoughts of everyone I loved, even Derek. I told him I’d kill him out of anger, but I knew I’d never be able to hurt him, despite the pain he’d caused me. I loved him, and even if I had more time, I knew my heart could never belong to anyone else.
I wished I had more time to make things right with my father. A part of me knew he’d accepted his life, the lies and deceit out of coercion, and did his best to keep me safe, untainted from the world that had him shackled to violence.
“Are you done?”
I froze. The voice was low and filled with morbid amusement.
Had he been there this whole time? Bile rose to my throat, feeling violated in more ways than just my state of undress. He’d watched me break and grieve. The sick son of a bitch probably enjoyed every second of that.
“It’s about time you’re up.”
I felt the heat of his gaze on me, roaming my naked body. His shoes made the floorboards creak as he moved through the room and slammed the window shut. The soles of his shoes were loud on the surface of the floor. As he neared, I felt his looming presence directly beside me.
“I didn’t mean to strike you,kroshka. Forgive me. I just lost my temper, that’s all.” The back of his hand feathered down my abdomen, and I stiffened under his touch. “I know you’re not used to this, and I’d love to tell you that you’ll learn and bend under my direction as they all do. But you’re different, aren’t you?” he said, putting pressure on my hip. “You have a medical condition that would take too much effort to keep up with. So, I’ll enjoy you while I can.”
His calloused fingers dipped between my thighs.
“Don’t fucking touch me.” I tried to close my legs, to crawl out of my body as I yanked on the restraints and thrashed wildly in the bed, but it was no use. I was at his mercy. He’d touch and take everything he wanted. My chest suddenly felt heavy and constricting, making it difficult to breathe.
Ten, nine, eight…
“Relax, Evangelina. I’ll make you feel good, I promise.”
He lifted the cloth from my eyes, but I refused to look at him, squeezing my lids shut as tears spilled and pooled inside my ears.
“Come on,kroshka, let me see those eyes,” he said, gripping my face so hard my teeth cut into the inside of my mouth. “There you are,” he crooned close to my face as I blinked furiously, trying to disperse the moisture and adjust my vision to the room’s brightness.
“W-why are you doing this?” I asked, swallowing back the taste of copper.
“You’re like a three-for-one deal. I settled a debt, I’ll avenge my brother, and I’ll get to have my fun. Pity, it won’t be for much longer.”
My eyes fell to my bare abdomen where my insulin pump used to be. They’d removed it, and I had no idea how long ago and no fucking clue what my levels were. Shit. It was hard to gauge anything or feel any symptoms of distress. Adrenaline was pumping through me, and I was fucked. Completely and utterly fucked.
A fresh wave of tears crested in my eyes, and I fought hard to keep them from spilling. I hated that he’d see me so weak, frail, and helpless.
The mattress dipped when he sat, his mouth grazing over my collarbone. “You are beautiful, Evangelina.” He pressed the flat of his tongue to my skin and licked his way just below my chin. “You better keep those eyes open because the last thing I want you to see is how good I fuck you and that mouth of yours.”
Dmitry cupped my breast and took the other into his mouth, trapping my nipple painfully between his teeth before lapping at it with his tongue.
My whole body trembled as I forced my mind to escape, to hide somewhere he couldn’t hurt me.
Seven, six, five…
Fighting him wasn’t an option. I stared at a stain in one of the ceiling panels above me, its shape resembling a tiny paw, and I thought of Diego. The day I found him and how Derek helped me save him.
Derek.
I’d always felt protected by his side, as if nothing could hurt me. It was ironic how the one person I thought would always be there ended up being the biggest heartbreak of my life. I missed him on a visceral level. And despite his betrayal, I knew he’d never let this happen. A smile ghosted over my lips at the thought of what he’d do to Dmitry when he found out. It was a thought that both scared and thrilled me.
I bit down hard and suppressed a painful groan as his rough fingers pushed inside me.
“No… please, stop.” My pleas went unanswered as he continued his assault.
“Such a pretty pussy. Mind if I have a taste?”
“Fuck you! Don’t you fucking do it,” I cried out as he positioned himself between my legs, running his tongue up my inner thigh. I screamed louder and thrashed more violently the closer he got. “Four, three, two, one!”
As if on cue, the rapid fire of guns rang out from what sounded like the floor beneath us. We froze, waiting to confirm what we’d just heard.
