Page 33 of Merciless Angel
“Come here, Sunshine.” Cash patted the leather couch as he sat down. “Have a seat while you enjoy your drink.”
Daire eyed me with blatant hunger as I crossed the room. He looked at me like I was a helpless mouse and he was a starving cat. It sent a cold chill through me.
I took a seat next to Cash, setting the champagne bottle on the coffee table. Needing to take the edge off my nerves, I took a large drink from the glass I held. My knees shook slightly. I did my best to still them before anyone noticed.
Sliding an arm around my shoulders, Cash pulled me against his hard body. He was the biggest of the three of them. Muscles that rippled beneath his clothes. A tall, intimidating physique. He could snap me like a twig.
“What did he do?” I whispered to Cash, nodding to the man hanging from the ceiling.
Cash leaned in close, breathing in my perfume. “Fuck, you smell amazing. He told someone about the night we made his friend disappear. The guy had hurt a kid in a pretty fucked up way. He deserved everything we did to him. Now we have to teach him what happens to those who talk.”
“Pay close attention, Angel,” Daire said. “We wouldn’t want you to end up the same way now, would we?”
What in the fuck? I didn’t tell anyone anything. Raina didn’t count. These assholes were so desperate to control me. They couldn’t stand the thought of even her knowing anything.
I watched as Daire pulled a set of brass knuckles from his jeans pocket. Sliding them onto his fingers, he smiled. His fist moved fast, smashing into the man’s face. A huge gash opened up on his cheek, spilling blood.
I gasped when Daire hit him again. The skin split open beneath his eye this time. He grunted in pain, mumbling something inaudible behind the tape over his mouth.
Blaze was quick to join in the violence. He took a swig of the rum he held before kicking the man in the ribs. The kick sent him swinging. It looked painful. I had a hard time watching. Somehow, I didn’t look away. I had to prove that I was stronger than they thought.
They took turns punching the guy until his head hung and he ceased to make much noise. That’s when Daire pulled out a knife. I finished my drink and reached for the bottle. I needed a refill for this.
Small slashes turned into large cuts that dripped blood all over the floor. A large, thick sheet of plastic had been laid down beforehand to protect the carpet. I guess the Angels were prepared for this kind of thing.
Daire turned away from the man, a crazed grin adorning his face. He nodded to Cash. “Want to finish him off?”
“Hell yeah.” Cash rose from the couch. When Daire offered him the knife, he shook his head.
Trepidation made me hold my breath. They were going to make me watch them kill another man. I’d witness a second murder. My next swallow of champagne went down hard as I realized that they never planned to let me go. Not unless they tired of me or killed me.
Daire and Blaze stood back, letting Cash take over. I wasn’t sure what I expected him to do. Tightly gripping the man’s head, Cash jerked it to one side, snapping his neck. I fought to contain the small shriek that spilled between the fingers I pressed to my lips.
A scream lodged in my throat. I choked it back, fighting hard to keep it inside. My eyes began to fill with tears that I blinked away. I wouldn’t let them see how much they scared me. They wanted to instill fear in me with this sick display. It worked.
Daire noticed my pale face and shaking hands. “You’re not going to fall apart on us, are you, Little Unicorn? Don’t tell me you’ve never seen Raina and the Gods do shit like this.”
With a vigorous shake of my head, I managed to speak without throwing up. “No, I haven’t. Never. They don’t include me in their activity.”
“How sweet of her to protect you from the harsh reality of vengeance.” Daire chuckled, reaching to push the hair back from my face. Peering into my eyes, he said, “Sorry to break it to you but we’ve only just begun.”
The three of them took the body down and wrapped it in the plastic before carrying it up the stairs. I had only a few minutes alone in the basement before they returned. There was nowhere for me to go. Nothing I could do to escape.
I was on the verge of panicking when they came back. Daire saw it in my eyes and smirked. He loved seeing me about to break. I’d known he was a twisted bastard. I suspected that I was about to see just how twisted he could be.
He nodded to the shackles hanging from the ceiling. “Your turn, Angel.”
My gaze flicked to the chains. “Please tell me this is a joke.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Daire held out a hand to me, tilting his head to one side.
He did not, in fact, look like he was joking. I’d played around with handcuffs in the past with previous lovers. Nothing like the shackles hanging from the ceiling. The fear that gripped me chased all thought from my mind. My fight or flight glitched out, leaving me frozen in place.
Cash took the glass from my hand and placed it on the table. A voice inside my head screamed at me to stand up. To take Daire’s hand and let him bind me with those chains. I would not let them break me down and reduce me to a puddle of fear.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I forced myself to stand up on shaky legs. Taking a step forward, I placed my hand in Daire’s.
He pulled me over to the hanging chains, raising one arm above my head as he locked the shackle around my wrist. Then he did the same to the other. I was forced to stand on my tiptoes. Blaze stepped forward with the duct tape in hand. The blood drained from my face when he put a thick layer over my mouth.