I lick my lips. “I’m scared.”
“It’s okay, little girl. It’ll be quick.” He’s staring at my chest.
With my free hand, I tug at my bra top. “It’s hot in here.”
“Take it off.” The Giant leers at me.
He wants a public peep show. Gross. I don’t have to fake a tremor in my voice as I ask, “What will you do to me if I do?”
He clamps a hand on the back of my neck. I stiffen, leaning back, but he draws me forward, the way Kaiser does. No, no, it’s wrong. I don’t want anyone else touching me like that.
I’m shaking as he grips my head in one huge palm, forcing my chin up. He lowers his face. He’s going to kiss me.
No! Only Kaiser does that.
I fight, but he’s already mashing his lips against mine.
So I bite his lip.
He roars, jerking back.
I spit in his face. He releases me, surprised. He wipes the spit off the bridge of his nose and scrubs at his eyes.
Then backhands me across the ring.
I go flying.
I slam into the ropes, and they snap me forward. I hit the floor, tasting metal.
Fuck.
Fuck, that hurt.
I blink, dizzy. Fuck me, why did I let him hit me first? That was a terrible idea. He didn’t even punch me. Just a casual slap and he could’ve killed me.
Someone’s shouting. I see Angel’s desperate face. “Get up, Bella,” she mouths the words, but there’s no sound. Well, if there is, I can’t hear it.
The taste of blood is overwhelming. Fuck, did he knock out a tooth? I let my jaw go lax. Blood fills my mouth, along with the bitter taint of something else—the poison I’ve ingested. My gift to anyone who dares to try to fight me.
But fuck, I might be in over my head.
I rise slowly, trying not to jostle my skull too much.
The Giant is strolling back and forth on his side of the ring. Glaring at me. Why didn’t he finish me?
I look past him into the stands. The crowd’s on its feet, screaming, but I can’t hear them over the ringing in my head.
And Dominus is there, smiling. The fucker is smiling.
I have to win this.
Dominus signals to the Giant, and the big man turns and lumbers to me. I don’t move; if I run, I might pass out, and my plans are for him to touch me as much as possible, anyway.
“I’m going to fuck you up, little girl,” he snarls. “Gonna tear off your head and?—”
“Right, I get it. Gross.” It hurts to talk, but I can’t help it. I don’t want to hear him talk about all the awful things he wants to do with my body.
I should thank him for making it easier to kill him. But I don’t know if I’m going to win.
