Page 116 of Ruthless Game

“What, only he gets to call you that?”

He dropped me, and my knees hit hard stone.

I screamed.

He laughed.

“You want to play, little sister? We can play.”

“I don’t want to play any games with you,” I spat.

“Last chance, Emma. Me … or well, it’s just me.”

“No.”

“That’s too bad. But don’t worry. You want in the water that badly?”

I tried to scrabble away, but I wasn’t fast enough—he had a rock in his hand.

“Then you can go in the water. You can die there.”

And then something hard hit my head, lights exploded in my eyes, and then everything went black.

43

Emma

When I came to, my head ached, my arms were tied, and my legs felt heavy. I glanced down woozily. There was a huge rock strung to my calves.

At least I was still wearing clothes. That might seem like a small thing, but it was a huge relief, knowing he hadn’t touched me.

“How’d you sleep, sis?” Jeffrey asked from above me. “You’re always so sweet when you’re unconscious. I’m sad it’s the last time I’ll get to see you like that.”

I didn’t know which was worse: that he’d spied on me in the past, or the implication that it wouldn’t happen again … because I’d be dead.

Think, Emma. Think.

It was a little hard to think with the pain in my forehead and neck, the weight on my body, but I needed to. There had to be a way out of this, because I certainly wasn’t going to Houdini my way out of these ropes. No, I’d have to manipulate Jeffrey somehow. As vomit inducing as it was, I’d have to pretend to go along with what he wanted.

It was so dark, it had to be late. The game had to be over now. Which meant Max would’ve seen his phone and would know where to find me.

He’d come for me. I knew he’d come. I just prayed he wouldn’t be too late.

“Jeffrey, untie me, please. I’ll give you everything you want. But you’re scaring me.”

“Show me,” he said silkily. “Give me a preview and I’ll consider it.”

I parted my lips, licking them. He probably thought I was flirting, but it was really because my mouth was dry with fear.

It got dryer when he straddled my hips.

“Touch me,” he moaned.

Ew.

But I did, grabbing his limp, denim-clad dick between my tied hands and twisting and squeezing so hard he shrieked in pain. I used that moment to try to shove him off me, but he was too strong.

Regaining control, he stared down, death in his eyes.