Page 80 of Dare To Free Us
A low rumble vibrated through Shura. “The first sound of you begging. I can’t wait to hear more of it.” I crushed my eyes shut against the dejection filling my soul.
“You bastard! Fight me like a man you coward!” Matteo roared.
Shura released me and stepped towards Matteo. Shadows of men moved in around me as they made sure to cut off any escape attempt. Even if I wanted to run I couldn’t, my body shook so hard I thought my legs were going to give out. The air had turned thin enough my vision swam. A chill was settling into my bones.
“No, I think I have a better idea,” Shura said, standing over Matteo. “I’m going to make you watch as Arianna submits to me.” My head shot up. What the hell was that supposed to mean? “I’m going to make you watch as your wife willing gets on her knees and sucks my thick Russian cock.”
No!
Matteo glared up at him, death in his eyes, baring his teeth as he snarled like an animal. If looks could kill, Shura would have died whatever painful death Matteo was imagining.
Shura spun back to me and walked forward. I stepped back, wanting to disappear. A strong arm pushed on my back, keeping me in place. Shura stepped right into my space.
“Arianna, don’t do it!” Matteo yelled.
I gaped at Shura, wanting to tell him no, but fearing the consequences. There was no doubt that Shura would not be willing to take rejection. The idea of getting on my knees and preforming oral sex on a man— my enemy— in front of my husband and strangers was unthinkable.
I couldn’t do it. “No.” It came out as a whisper.
Shura shook his head, looking down at me with little regard for the magnitude of his request. “You forced me to do this.” Pulling a knife from his back he about-faced and headed for Matteo.
“No!” I lunged for him but someone held me back. I thrashed and cried out against my human shackles.
Another man gripped the front of Matteo’s shirt and tore the top of it open. My eyes were already shedding tears when they landed on his abdomen dotted with red and purple bruising. My insides splintered like a rock hitting a windshield, with each injury I saw the crack grew larger, threatening the integrity as a whole.Oh my love.
Matteo growled like an animal, sitting perfectly still, preparing himself. When Shura raised the knife to his chest and the tip sank beneath Matteo’s skin his jaw turned to granite. Matteo’s gaze locked with Shura’s and refused to show an ounce of submission. Refused to give Shura a sliver of fear as he mutilated Matteo’s chest.
I shook my head and heaved for breath as Matteo took Shura’s abuse. His blade made a path diagonal across Matteo’s chest, spilling blood down the front of him. My stomach churned as my knees shook.
“Stop! Stop,” I cried, barely able to breathe. Shura stopped and turned to look at me.
“Get on your knees. Show you will submit to me in front of your husband and I will end him quickly.”End him!I knew that’s where the road was leading the moment I saw Shura, but to hear it was making it all too dire.
My heart was shredding to pieces inside me. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t make Matteo watch and blame himself while Shura forced me to give him head. Matteo would blame himself and didn’t want to cause him that kind of guilt. At the same time I couldn’t stand the sight of his suffering when I had a chance to stop it.
What fucking choice did I have? Shura would torture Matteo if I refused and there was nothing I could do to save his life. I was so fucked all I could do was shake my head and cry, while I closed my eyes and died inside.
“Arianna.” Matteo’s voice reached my ears. I opened my eyes and looked at the man who owned my heart and knew I could never forget the look on his face, not to mention his handsome features marred with blood and injuries. He was Matteo Russo, sitting tall without a hint of fear in his appearance, willing to die a painful death if it meant securing my honor. “Don’t do it. No matter what happens, don’t do it.”
“I can’t watch you suffer!” I cried.
“So is that a yes or a no?” Shura asked.
I looked into Matteo’s chocolate gaze. His head gave a slow, little shake, commanding me to say no. Begging me not to humiliate myself for the sake of Shura’s pride.
“Shura,” Nico interrupted. “This was not part of the plan. You said you’d kill him quickly.” Whatever shred of humanity Nico had left surfaced. “He’s beaten. Arianna is yours. Kill him and be done with him.”
“Easy, lover,” Vasilisa purred. “I like watching him suffer. Besides, I want to see her do it.”Evil bitch.She was just as bad as they were. I hated her, I hated all of them.
I was never capable of violence the way Becka was, she could fight back and spit in the face of horrible situations, but that wasn’t me. I wasn’t physically strong like her, and certainly had no advantage in this situation. So as much as I wanted to reach for a gun and commit multiple murders, I knew it wasn’t me that would suffer the failure.
Nico stared down at her with a pinched expression. When he didn’t argue further Shura looked back to me.
“Well?” Shura asked, looking impatient.
I met Matteo’s gaze and soaked in as much of his strength as I could. Then shook my head, feeling like a piece-of-shit for letting the love of my life be tortured. “I love you,” I mouthed silently. Matteo closed his eyes for a moment. I could tell he was letting my words soak in and using them to build strength for what was to come.
Shura pressed the blade to Matteo’s chest again, going deeper this time. I whimpered and whined, unable to look away from the damage. Blood ran fast from the wound. Matteo heaved for breath through his clenched teeth. But when Shura put more pressure behind the hilt and the blood came faster Matteo cried out, throwing his head back. It was a roar of half pain, half fury.