AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I thought you guys did your research on me. Don’t you already know everything about my past?” I grimace. “And my present.”
He shakes his head. “No. We don’t know everything about you. Well, Vic probably does, but not me.” He grins. “I like to get to know someone the old fashioned way.”
There’s something in his voice as he says it, a sort of warmth that makes me feel like he doesn’t just see me as a pawn in this sprawling, convoluted game they’re playing, but like a person.
Like someone he wants to know.
Someone worthwhile.
The alcohol burns in my veins, and I can’t seem to tear my gaze away from his gorgeous face. He doesn’t ask me any more questions, and I almost wish he would, because the silence between us feels loaded with too many confusing things. Finally, he takes the bottle from me and puts it back on the nightstand.
“You should get some sleep,” he says. “You’ve had a long night.”
“Right. Okay.”
Pulling back the sheets, I get into bed, feeling awkward as he crawls in beside me. I’m so on edge that all my muscles are tense, my body too aware of him. The warmth of him beside me makes my skin tingle, and I realize I’m practically holding my breath.
I stare at the wall, curled up on my side, not sure how I’ll ever fall asleep like this. But exhaustion tugs at me, every single hour of this marathon day dragging me down, and eventually, my eyelids fall shut and stay that way.
28
WILLOW
Carl is standingin my apartment, leering at me. His gaze is latched on to my body, roaming up and down, and I can feel it like a physical touch.
I shudder hard, trying to back away, but he reaches for me, his arms stretching long, his hands insistent. When I open my mouth to say no, no sound comes out, and I try to run, but there’s nowhere to go.
Then he’s on me, pinning me to the wall, whispering in my ear that he’ll keep his mouth shut if I can make him happy with mine. I feel like I’m going to be sick, and it would serve him right if I threw up all over him.
One minute, I’m trying to fight him off, and the next, he’s being ripped away from me.
He makes a grunt of pain, and I look up to see Vic wrestling with Carl, getting him down on the ground.
Something in my head screams at me to look away, saying that I know how this goes and I don’t want to see it. But I can’t. I’m staring, and I can’t look away.
Victor draws his gun and takes aim. This time, he doesn’t muffle the shot with a pillow, so I see the moment the bullets pierce Carl’s chest, spattering blood all over the place. Several droplets land on me, hot and sticky, and the shaky, nauseated feeling in my stomach grows even stronger.
I turn and run, not wanting to be near the grotesquely sprawled body, desperate to get away from the spreading pool of blood on the floor. I rush down the hall, going for my bedroom, but when I open the door, it doesn’t lead to my room.
Instead, I walk into that small room at the brothel.
Nikolai is there, hulking and angry, and he grabs me, throwing me onto the bed before climbing on top of me. I try to fight him off, but he’s too big.
“No!” I scream, beating at his chest, trying to push him off. “No, leave me alone!”
Then in a flash, Nikolai goes rigid. Blood splatters my face, soaking into my clothes. I feel like I’m drowning in it.
Malice, Ransom, and Victor stride into the room, already soaked head to toe in blood, grim looks on their faces. They grab Nikolai and force him into the corner.
Once again, I try to look away. I try to hide my eyes, but I can’t move. I’m frozen in place on the mattress, watching them torture Nikolai. Watching them kill him.
They don’t hold back, either. Every movement is brutal and precise. They want him to suffer, and they make sure he does. They’re violent and dark. Dangerous, blood soaked monsters that leave a trail of death behind them.
And yet still, somehow, I feel drawn to them.
Somehow, arousal tightens low in my belly when I look at them.
I want to get off the bed and run… but if I did, I’m not sure whether I would run away or run directly toward them.
