I drove to the entrance to the underground tunnel that led to my basement with my cremation chamber. As soon as the iron door closed behind my SUV, I knew nothing would stop me now.
I wasn’t careful dragging Ridgeway out of the SUV. I tossed him to the ground, chained his wrists to the wall, and stripped him of his clothes. I then grabbed a chair, pulled it close, and waited for him to wake up.
It didn’t take too long; honestly, I was antsy. Much longer and I’d have grabbed the salts to wake him.
He blinked a few times, his eyes shifting around the room. He took in his naked, chained-up state and was about to scream, but he locked on to my face.
“Morning.”
He sneered. Didn’t respond, just glared and tried to eviscerate me with the hate that filled him.
“I’m not one for talking while doing this. But I needed you to understand what is going to happen.” I got up and walked to the closet. “In here I have many kinds of rope, and we will get tothem, believe me. However, we need to do a few things before we get to that.”
“Fuck you.”
I ignored him as he shouted expletives, screamed, and tried to rip the chains from the wall. As soon as he tired himself out, I continued on as if he’d never had a tantrum.
“I could be all, ‘You touched my man so I’m gonna cut off your fingers.’ Or, ‘You spoke to him so I’ll rip your tongue out.’” I shrugged. “It feels overdone, you know?”
“You’re fucking sick. The world will find out what you are.”
I smirked. “No, they won’t.” I held up two knives. “Have you ever heard of Lingchi?”
“You’re going to slice me up?”
I grinned. “Good to know you’re not as stupid as I thought you were. What do you know of this form of torture?” When he didn’t answer, I went on. “It began around tenth century CE in China.”
“Is the history lesson the torture part?”
I chuckled but continued. “Many have heard Lingchi translated as slow slicing or death by a thousand cuts. Now, traditionally the victim, or the Chinese prisoners, would be tied to a rude cross and given opium. I’m not going to do either of those.” I held up a syringe. “This is a paralytic. You’ll feel all the pain but be unable to fight. This is for my protection, not yours. I don’t want to be inadvertently kicked or spit on. I have someone who is waiting for me.”
He did try to kick me as soon as I got closer, but a swift punch to the face scrambled his brain long enough for me to administer the drug.
“There, it should only take a few moments. Let’s wait, shall we?” I went back to my chair and sat. Soon my beast would be fed, and I’d never leave Wynn’s side again.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Wynn
I feltlike someone had wrapped me in soggy cheese, tied me to a sandpaper tree, and poked me with needles. My head was full of cotton, my mouth as dry as the desert, and my throat was so raw that swallowing was agony.
The room I was in was dim, and after a quick glance I recognized it as Julian’s and my bedroom. I was at the castle, but where was my prince?
I opened my mouth but was shushed immediately. “No talking.” Victoria sat beside me, one of the staff beside her. “Try some cool water.” She took the glass from the woman and rested a straw to my lips. I took a tiny sip, and it immediately extinguished the fire in my throat.
I hummed and closed my eyes. I tried to chug it, but I was instructed I could only take small sips. Due to the nausea the midazolam caused, water wasn’t the best idea, but it tasted like the most amazing thing ever.
“Julian?” It was hard to talk, and I knew it had to do with the fact that Ridgeway had tried to strangle me.
“He’ll be here soon.” Victoria’s smile was shaky.
I was able to put two and two together. I’d been rescued, which meant they’d gotten the detective…which meant he was with Julian.
“I…”Cough. “Want to.”Cough. “See him.”
“Wynn, you need to rest.”
“Please.”
