Page 6 of Liberated By Sin

When his eyes fell over my chest and trailed the length of my abdomen, I followed and gasped in horror when I realized I was naked.

Not even the night my parents died had made me feel so utterly vulnerable and helpless. The sadistic tilt of his mouth and the gleam in his narrowed gaze sent me spiraling into despair. My only consolation was that the other bastard had warned him I was untouchable. However, he didn’t seem the type to abide by anyone’s rules.

I bit back a sob, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

You won’t break me.

“You know, witch, boss wants you cleaned up and pretty for tomorrow,” he said with a morbidly amused tone as he traced a rough hand up my thigh.

I yanked at my restraints, attempting to crawl away from his touch. “Let me go. You don’t have to do this. Please.”

“I know.” His shrug was callous. “But I do need to get paid.”

Thick fingers gripped my chin, causing the taste of blood to spill inside my mouth.

“What do you say? Bath or shower?”

“Fuck you!”

Searing pain ignited across the side of my face like a flame whenthe back of his hand connected with my cheek. Clamping down on my jaw, I muffled a scream as another steady drip of liquid rolled into my ear from a laceration most likely caused by his signet ring.

“That’s always an option too. Don’t tempt me.”

As much as I wanted to lash out or just outright beg for him to kill me, I couldn’t be stupid or lose hope. I was still breathing, and that meant there was still a chance to escape this nightmare. Kai and Derek were still out there. They had to know I wouldn’t just leave and cut them off.

Didn’t they?

I squeezed my eyes closed, still fighting back tears, and listened as his footsteps faded and the creaking of the heavy door followed soon after. It wasn’t until the world around me went silent that I realized I’d been holding my breath. A gasp of relief fled my quivering lips because even if, for just a moment, I was safe. Alone. I needed to plan, and strategize, and use my training to figure out how the fuck I’d get myself out of this mess.

Tilting my head, I tested the chains against the wrought iron bedpost, but both were solid. And the cuffs binding my wrists were too tight to slip through. Not even the errant thought of breaking my thumbs would free me.

“Fuck!” I screamed and attempted to kick my legs, but they were too weak. “This can’t be happening.”

My voice cracked, pain and despair rushing forward like the bursting of a dam. I cried out, every sob louder than the last.

Until I was suddenly drowning, water seeping down my nose and throat. My lungs were on fire, the burning amplified by the violent spasms and coughing that followed. I heard his barking laughter before my eyes snapped open to where the bastard stood above me, an empty bucket in his hand.

“That should shut you up.” He sneered with a laugh.

My chest heaved as I tried to regain my breath, but another splash of ice-cold water left me voiceless and frozen in every sense of the word.

“Oh, fuck. You should see your face, witch.” He doubled over, his vicious laughter thundering against my eardrum. “I’d heard stories about you, but now I know those were lies.”

Digging his thumb into my cheek, he reopened the cut inside my mouth and squeezed, prying open my jaw. I couldn’t hold back the whimpers. My suffering only spurred his cruelty.

“We aren’t supposed to sample the merchandise. But tell me, little witch, who would know?”

Before I could register his words, his mouth slammed into mine, aggressive and unforgiving. I raged beneath him, grappling to free myself and urging my legs to break through the prison of sedatives. When his tongue slid inside my mouth, I bit down, and his howls vibrated through my body.

Another sharp and heady slap rocked me into near unconsciousness.

“Bitch!” he roared with a newly attained lisp.

Through the haze of pain, my lips curved into a smile when I saw blood pouring from his mouth and dribbling past his chin.

I spat blood and a small chunk of flesh. “Coward. Why don’t you free me so we can play.”

His eyes narrowed into slits as he glared at me and pulled a key from his pocket as if calling my bluff. I could take him on a good day, armed with a blade. But my muscles were still weak, and I wasn’t even sure I could stand. I was trained to never show weakness, even in the face of death. But regret roiled inside me as he approached.