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Ream never moved. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t react. Nothing.
She laughed and then walked away a few feet before she turned and the leather whip uncoiled and sliced into Ream’s back.
I screamed, fighting against Greg’s relentless hold. “Ream,” I choked out. “No. Please, I swear I won’t say anything. Please.”
There wasn’t even a glance my way as my words went ignored and Alexa brought down the whip again. Then harder again. And again. He never moved. His back muscles flexed when the whip hit, almost as if they were trying to run away, but the muscles bounced back only to have it repeat over and over again.
Alexa nodded to Lance and my eyes widened in horror as he walked over to the wall and grabbed another weapon. It had several feet of long strands and at the end of each one was something shiny. Shudders racked through me as I watched Alexa take the weapon from Lance.
“You see, Ream came here knowing full well he was exchanging his life for yours.” She walked around the post, the whip dragging along the cement floor behind her. “And he wouldn’t risk your life by telling anyone or coming in here guns blazing. You know why, princess … because I have extra insurance.”
She raised the whip over her head, and this time Ream did flinch as the weapon launched across his back. His fingers curled into the wood and his body stiffened, and I heard a controlled groan escape his mouth. Blood dripped down his back from whatever was on the ends of the strands of the whip.
“Alexa, I swear I’ll never say anything,” I sobbed. And now I meant the words. She loved Ream, in her own sick, disgusting way, and she was abusing him, hurting him just to prove a point. To make certain I’d never forget the images of this in my mind.
And she was right. I wouldn’t. She engraved them in me.
Alexa raised her arm and the sound of the whip hitting his flesh echoed in the room. It was as if I could hear his skin splitting open.
It came down on him again and again until he collapsed. All his weight hanging from his arms secured to the ring on the post.
Ream. Oh God. Ream. No.
My eyes tore away from Ream as Alexa stepped in front of me. I hadn’t even noticed her. But when she held out her hand holding the whip with Ream’s blood dripping off the strands I couldn’t stop myself as I raised my head and glared at her.
“Fuck you, bitch.” I spit in her face.
Suddenly Greg’s arms released me and I saw Alexa’s arm rise with the whip ready to hit me with it.
“Do it, and I’ll never be yours.” Ream’s voice tore through the room in a loud bellow. I didn’t even think he was capable of talking after what she’d just done to him.
Alexa lowered her arm and before Greg could grab me again I ran to Ream.
“Get her,” Alexa said, her tone as if I was a pesky rodent who’d escaped her trap.
I banged into the post, my trembling limbs barely able to support me as I used the structure to hold me up.
“Ream.” I was careful not to touch his shredded back as I cupped his head in my hands. Choked sobs and fresh tears streamed down my face. I could smell the copper scent of his blood and the perspiration of his ravaged body.
“Go, Kat.” His voice was broken and raspy, as if it hurt him just to speak two words.
“I love you, baby,” I cried then pressed my mouth to his quivering lips. They just touched before I was suddenly torn away.
Greg’s arm looped around my waist, lifting me off the ground, and then he headed for the door.
“Ream!” I screamed. “Please. No.” I didn’t give a crap about looking weak or if I begged. Nothing mattered except that I was being torn away from Ream.
Greg’s hand reached out for the doorknob just as it flung open and hit him square in the face. He staggered back and dropped me. I fell to the floor and went to scramble back to Ream when I looked up at the gun pointed at … I turned my head. Pointed at Alexa.
“My love. I told you to wait in my room. You’d see him soon enough.” Alexa’s voice held a slight uneasiness to it as she slowly started walking toward the door. “Do not act foolishly. You know what will happen.”
“Don’t move.” The girl with the gray eyes held the gun with one hand, steadily pointed at Alexa.
“Sweetie. What are you doing? I’ve cared for you. Given you everything you’ve ever wanted. We have been like … sisters.”
I heard the shuffle of feet and saw Greg make his move. I jerked when the gun went off and Greg fell to the floor, blood seeping from the wound in his chest.
When I looked back at Alexa, she didn’t even seem affected by Greg’s death. She confidently took another step forward and reached out her hand. “Give me the gun. We will talk about this.”
The girl shook her head, and her blonde strands flowed back and forth over her shoulders. “No. You lied to me. You told me you’d never go after him if I stayed with you. You promised me. I did everything you wanted. Everything. Not once did I go against you and for what? So you could plan all along to go after my brother?”
I heard the clang of the ring hit the post and then Ream’s ragged voice. “Haven?”
I gasped. Haven. His sister? But she died … in the hospital.
“He belongs to me,” Alexa shouted.
The gun went off again and this time the bullet hit the floor next to Alexa. “Haven. You’d be dead in the street by now if Olaf hadn’t taken you from the hospital. Ream couldn’t look after you. We did. You’re family. Both of you are. And now we will have Ream back, don’t you see? We’ll all be together again. I did this for us.”
