She looks like she belongs here. All muddied. Bloody. Semen-crusted. Hair matted. God, she’s gorgeous. I really want her to last.
Raphael doesn’t respond, just stands there like a statue, watching her. Rory paces like a caged lion behind me. Eyes sharp, Vincent leans against the wall near the entryway just in case she tries to bolt again. Not that she’d get far.
I step forward and offer my hand, trying to keep my tone light. “You know, I’ve never seen Rory so riled up before. That’s impressive, Briella Darling.”
She snorts, but it’s weaker than usual. “What can I say? I aim to please. Chomp chomp, Red.” She winks at him but accepts my hand.
The first thing I do is lock one cuff around her wrist. Quick as a flash, I get another on her left wrist, then fasten the collar around her neck. I’m the quickest at this. She throws me a daggered glare.
Chaining her arms above her head, I add, “I hope you make it to Level 4.”
She pauses, her bravado slipping for a second. “What’s Level 4?”
I give her my best shit-eating grin, shrugging as if it’s nothing. “No spoilers, Darling.”
Her mouth opens like she’s going to fire off another quip, but Rory suddenly stops pacing and excuses himself, disappearinginto a smaller room adjacent to the dungeon. Jude follows on his heels. I can’t help the soft laugh that escapes me.
“Aww, is Red a little scared?” She clenches her fists, testing the cuffs.
“Nah.” I lean in close—not too close—and hurry to kiss her cheek. “My partner’s pretty theatrical. You never really know what he’s up to.”
It’s a small truth, but I enjoy her confused expression. Stepping back, I tighten the last chain and hoist it until she’s standing on her tiptoes. A minute later, I hear Rory’s savage scream. It lasts all of two seconds. Briella stiffens, trying to crane her neck.
Jude walks out first, wiping his hands on a rag and shrugging. “Stopped the bleeding.”
I chuckle, then glance over at Raphael. He nods slightly, satisfied with my work, while Jude removes his shirt, revealing a few military tats, then chiseled muscle. He folds his shirt and now his pants like he’s performing a sacred ritual. Looks like he’s gone commando today. I shrug. His ass ain’t bad, but he’s not my partner. And I’m enjoying the sight ofherass way more. Probably got Rory drooling since he’s such an ass guy.
Briella twists her lips into a defiant smirk. “So what now? Are you all going to stand there, brooding and flexing? Or is this the part where I’m supposed to beg for mercy?”
Her voice wavers just a little. I almost feel sorry for her. Almost. I’ll give her a straight-up A-rating for the ear thing. But she won’t just be begging for mercy by the halfway point. She’ll be screaming, praying, and begging for death.
But when the dust clears, I really hope she makes it to Level 4.
8
Briella
ALL OF THIS FOR LITTLE OL’ ME.
Citizen Soldier Playlist
“Pretend My Pain Away”
Ihad to pause for a breath when I knocked off Jude’s mask. Aka Cheekbones. Seriously, those things are sharper than a samurai blade, and he has a patience that rivals an ancient dormant volcano waiting centuries to erupt.
The tunnels stink like iron, damp stone, and something faintly metallic, like blood. Yeah, it’s probably blood. I’m cold, I’m scared, and I know by the end of this, I’ll probably piss myself. But even now, even here, it’s still better than Easthaven.
At Easthaven, there were no tunnels, no cave walls or lanterns. No men who could go from terrifying to strangely entertaining in seconds. Just white walls, straitjackets, and meds that scraped my brain clean so I couldn’t fixate or dissociate. They had fun scrambling my mind until I was barely human.
But here? Here, I get to have fun too. These boys, especially Rory, might be dangerous, but at least they don’t pretend to save me while breaking me apart. And I have to admit, they have style.
And holy demon men, they have abs! Lookers, too. Even the nice one, Seth, starts to remove his shirt, showcasing all that muscle. Muscle he used to dismember my ex. Guy’s goodwith his hands. Not that I should be thinking about his rugged, callused hands.
Rory might be red and crazy, but he’s also hot as hell, and his accent makes me feel all ooey and gooey inside.
Vincent is huge. Not strongman huge. But pro-wrestler huge. The kind who could bend me like a pretzel, and I’d still lick his toes. If I wanted to be bent like a pretzel by a guy who looks like the blueprint for tattoo artists.
Jude appears on my other side. Whoa! I didn’t exactly expect tall, black volcano to be naked and unashamed. Make that very tall. And sculpted. And beautiful. No shame. Never shame. Not with the dark sword hanging between his legs. He’s a shower. Definitely a shower.
