Page 711 of Coal Hearts

Everything I felt for him overflowed.

I felt so honoured to have found him.

So lucky to have been his.

Even for a little while.

I hugged him.

I squeezed him.

“I love you,” I whispered in his ear. “No matter what. Always. Forever. I—”

“Get the fuck up.” Victor yanked me off him and grabbed my nape. My white dress fluttered around me, blood stained and torn. Pinching the delicate column of my neck above my collar, he squeezed so hard my ears crackled and a headache instantly throbbed.

“Let her go,” Henri growled, finding strength to sit up.

It cost him everything.

His eyes fogged with creeping death and pain.

But he stayed upright, swaying and swallowing hard. “Vic—”

Victor dragged me in front of his chest, keeping me pinned. Grabbing my breast and tracing his fingers where my heart pounded, he smirked. “Stab here, mon ami. In your own time.”

Henri shuddered.

Our eyes met.

The world fell away.

The connection between us blazed bright, and I knew.

I saw his decision before he did it.

Don’t. I tried to shake my head.

I love you. He sighed. Always.

And then he flipped the knife so the blade landed in his palm and threw it as hard as he could at Victor beside me.

The glint of the dagger as it spun in the air.

The clang of it hitting the cave wall as Victor ducked wickedly fast, taking me with him.

And the godawful crunch of Henri’s skull as a guard rammed the butt of his gun against his temple.

Henri flopped backward. Unconscious and barely breathing.

This time, the guards bound him.

Buckling the leather straps around his ankles, one of the guards looked at Henri’s arms, flopped wide and loose. “Eh, Sir?” He looked at Victor. “We can’t strap his arms down, he’s not wearing cuffs for the hooks—”

“Roland.” Victor looked at the despicable Master holding Peter. “Grab the spare box in the cupboard, will you?”

Tears streamed down my cheeks as Victor shoved me to my knees.

“Be my pleasure.” Roland snickered and waddled across the cave. He wrenched open the cupboard doors, and my heart pounded as a hundred empty eye sockets stared back. He reached into the bottom shelf, slipped a black box free, then shuffled back to Victor, his tourmaline mask sparkling and cape billowing.