Five feet.
Four.
Three.
I catch her by the hair, seize the silky curls, and rip her back as she screams.
4
Briella
IF PLAYING MEANS CHOKING ME TO DEATH, I DOUBT HE’LL HAVE MUCH FUN.
Citizen Soldier Playlist
“Rock Bottom”
Pain howls through my scalp as the crazy redhead drags me back. Shitshitshit!
From the frying pan into the fire.
Joah was unhinged. This guy is straight-up demented.
I’m still kicking and punching and scratching when he takes me down, rolling my body onto the ground until he’s holding me with his weight…and all his hot muscle. Seriously, one look at these guys, and I wondered if they were made in some body-building lab in hell.
But I have worse things to worry about right now. Like when deranged lunatic Red grips my throat, cutting off my air. Blood splatters have dried on his face, but it makes him no less menacing. Especially when he’s still wearing the half-skull mask. It still can’t disguise his vivid blue eyes.
“Stop your nonsense, Firecracker,” he chuckles darkly in that accent. “Ye will wear yourself out before we get t’play.”
My flailing hands are helpless, fingers barely brushing his chest I know he’s leaving bruises on my throat. My vision begins to blur from the lack of breath. If playing means choking me to death, I doubt he’ll have much fun.
“Rory,” a deeper voice bellows from behind him.
Red loosens his grip, and I cough, lungs on fire.
“Mmm.” He smiles cruelly and gives me a shake. “Such a tiny throat. Can’t wait till it’s wrapped around my dick.”
I rear up and hurl a projectile of spit at him. Horror curdles my blood when he rips off his mask and cocks his head with a sinister smirk. “Hmm… let’s see how sweet ye really taste, Lass.”
“Fu—no!” I yell, but he dives down and crushes his mouth on mine.
His lips are violent, hungry, relentless, forcing mine open. His beard chafes my face. The heat of him consumes me as his tongue breaches my lips, stabbing inside with a demand, devouring me.
The worst part? It’s a damn good kiss. The kind that burns through every ounce of resistance I have left. Hot and maddening, each stroke of his tongue sends an electric jolt straight through my body, igniting every nerve.
He grinds against me, and I gasp inside his mouth because I just got a sense of how big Red is down there. God, that ungodly thing feels like it belongs in its own zip code. Pulses of heat surge low in my belly, and for a fleeting moment, I almost forget I should be fighting him. His touch leaves trails of fire, and it’s as if the whole world narrows to this single, desperate kiss.
I want to shove him away. Ishouldshove him away. But his heat, his raw need, it pulls me under, and damn it, I can’t seem to escape.
When he tilts his head, holding me here with the force of his jaw, the deep groan he unleashes sinks into my lungs and scrambles my brain. I can’t help it. A moan escapes my throat.
He freezes. Red breaks the kiss and grins down at me. Bastard heard that moan, felt that moan. I narrow my eyes, burning them against his. It should be a crime for him to look so crazy and hot. A rugged, gamy kind of hot.
“Well, well, now,” he remarks, licking his lips, licking my taste. “Sounds like my little Firecracker enjoyed that. And I’ll say…” he taps his chin with the hand that is not gripping my throat. “I wasn’t disappointed. I predicted cinnamon. But the caramel was a nice touch. How was it for you?”
“Rot in hell!” I snarl.
“Oh, I’m bringing it to ye, little Firecracker.”
