Page 126 of A Wild Darkness

Slowly, I walk toward her, keeping one arm behind me. My fingers grip the cold metal handcuffs in my back pocket, preparing to slip them onto her wrists.

“Is that what you want?” I ask, leaning in. “Is that what you do to all your victims? Fuck them, then chop their dicks off?”

Her head draws back, confusion sweeps across her face. Simultaneously, I swing my hand around to click the handcuff on her wrist—but someone kicks the door to the room open suddenly.

I whip my head around to see Christian and Stevie barge in, the heavy hotel door closing behind them.

Wendy’s sharp, red nails scratch my neck. The deep cut stings my skin. She scrambles off the bed and makes a run for the door. The pain is fiercer than I’d expect it to be for a simple scratch, but I’m quick on her heels.

She inadvertently sprints right into Christian’s arms as he grabs her around the shoulders and places his hand tightly over her mouth, muffling her cries for help.

“What the hell?” I grit out, my heart pounding inside my chest. “She could have escaped!”

Christian drags Wendy’s body, her legs kicking in the open air. He’s a strong dude, and she’s not going anywhere. He pulls her onto the bed. “Stevie didn’t want to wait any longer, and to be honest, I wanted in on the action anyway.”

I follow behind him,handcuffs back in my hands. I slip one ring around her wrist while Christian holds her in place. Then secure it onto the bottom of a built-in wall lamp.

“I’m going to take my hand off your mouth. Sebastian won’t hesitate to put a bullet right between your eyes if you scream,” Christian tells her.

Wendy’s bloodshot eyes swell with tears. Her black makeup creates a dark ring under her lashes as she nods her head in agreement.

“What the fuck is this?” she rushes out when he frees her, yanking on the restraints.

I walk over to the side of the bed, keeping Stevie in my peripheral vision. “You have done some bad things, Wendy.”

Her eyes scan the room before landing on Stevie standing next to a dresser. “Why is your girlfriend here?”

“That’s right.” Stevie fearlessly struts up to the edge of the bed. “You actually thought you were going to have sex with my boyfriend? Dream on, psycho.”

My chest swells with pride from Stevie not being fearful of Wendy and claiming me.

“Who are you people?” Wendy spits.

Squatting down next to her, I keep some distance, not wanting to get scratched again. “You have hurt a lot of innocent men, and now it’s time for you to pay.”

“Pay?” Her eyes widened with panic.

“Yes,” I say.

“So, that’s what this is? Are you guys even killers?” Wendy breathes heavily. “How did you get into the Society?”

“We joined with one goal in mind: to take each one of you down,” Stevie tells her.

Wendy turns her beady eyes to Stevie. “I’ve always been attracted to dangerous men. They’ve hurt me one too many times to count. All men deserve to be punished. As a woman, I’m sure you can understand that.”

Stevie blinks a few times before responding. “No. You’re evil, Wendy.”

“Look who your boyfriend is. He may say he’s not hurting innocent people, but there will come a day when the darkness⁠—”

“Shut the hell up!” I sneer.

Tears spill from beneath her eyelids. “Darkness in us always stems from daddy issues.”

“Any last words? Remorse?” Christian steps in, offering her one last chance to speak.

Tired of listening to her nonsense, I quickly slip my gun from behind my back and point it directly at her.

“Please don’t!” she begs.