I can’t breathe.
Can’t even think. I’m no longer in control of my body. Both of my hands are on fire, the crunch of my bones making tears slip down my cheeks.
Suddenly it stops. Orin steps back, looking almost bored. My fingers throb. I know my thumbs are broken, and he’s not going to stop. He’s just taking a small break.
“Ready to talk now?” Vex asks mildly. “Or shall we keep playing until Cade gets here?”
“Fuck you.” My voice breaks on the final syllable. I hate that I’m crying. It makes me look and feel weak, but it fucking hurts. And I know it’s only going to get worse.
But I won’t stop fighting. I refuse.
Vex crouches down in front of me. “They’re really not worth it, Ansel. Trust me on this. You think we’re bad? The Firm is worse.Maybe you’re right. Maybe Cade won’t come for you. Why would he risk his family for someone like you?”
Thing is, he thinks this is going to hurt me, but it doesn’t. It’s reassuring. I don’t want Cade to come for me. I don’t want him to save me.
I just want him to be safe.
Orin moves toward me, something new in his hands. It’s small, with long, jagged spikes on a metal board. I whimper. God, the pain. It’s going to be so much worse.
I hope I die soon. Anything to get away from this.
He twists the screws once more, and I cry out as he presses something against my forearms. Those long iron spikes bite into my flesh as he rolls them up my arm. Blood pools on my skin, and my vision whites out. Tears stain my cheeks, my body shaking so badly that my teeth rattle in my mouth.
And he doesn’t let up. He just pushes down harder, and my mouth opens in a bloodcurdling scream. It rattles the eaves above me, making Vex laugh at my pain.
“Aw, don’t break too soon, little butterfly,” Vex says. “Don’t worry, we won’t let you die.”
It takes so much effort to move my gaze to him, but I do it.
Vex smirks at me. “At least, not until Cade is here. If he doesn’t tell us what we want to know, we’ll slit your throat in front of him.”
Pain shoots through me, and I let out terrible sobs, but I can’t stop, especially when he moves to the other arm. Those spikes sink into my flesh, and I crane my neck back and scream, biting my tongue in the process, blood pooling in my mouth.
It has to end. It has to. I have to eventually pass out. But my mind holds on. And when Orin finally moves back to his cart, leaving those spikes stuck in my skin, I blink through my tears.
Vex crouches down in front of me. “Let me tell you a secret. We’re going to kill you anyway. Both of you. Neither you nor Cade will walk out of here alive.”
Fury overrides the pain. I gather up the blood in my mouth and spit it straight into the cunt’s face. “Fuck you.”
Vex calmly wipes himself clean before straightening. He studiesme thoughtfully. “I think I’ll have Orin rub vinegar into those wounds. It’s going to hurt like hell.”
But before he can do that, clipped footsteps echo through the warehouse.
Vex whirls around as Orin moves behind me. “Ah, Cade! You’re early. Never mind, we can continue the fun while you watch for a bit.”
No. It can’t be true. Please don’t let Cade be here.Please.
But as Vex steps to one side, I realize my prayers aren’t being answered. Because that’s Cade striding toward me, his fury so palpable it’s almost an aura around him. I’ve never thought of Cade as dangerous before now.
But there’s no question that a predator is approaching us.
He’s wearing a heavy sweater. It’s an odd thing to notice, but it throws me. I’ve never seen his arms covered before.
Cade stops a few feet away from us. “I think you’ll find that I’ll be having the fun here. You made a mistake when you brought my butterfly into this.”
Cold metal presses against my temple. Fuck.
I’ve been in this position before. I wish it were Samson with the pistol this time. I don’t think Orin will be persuaded to put it down as easily.
