Page 80 of Alluring Darkness
With that vicious smirk on his lips, Eli raises the gun again and points it to his right. “I’m going to killhim.”
I snap my gaze towards where he’s pointing.
My stomach bottoms out.
Dread spreads through my limbs like cold poison as I watch Kaden and Rico force a tied-up and gagged Connor to his knees next to Eli. My brother’s eyes are wide with shock as he stares at me.
No, no, no. This can’t be happening.
My heart thunders in my chest, but I force my voice to remain bored as I look back at Eli and let a confused expression descend on my features. “Why did you bring one of your classmates here?”
“Cut the crap, Raina.” Eli cocks his head, a knowing glint in his eyes. “Did you really think I didn’t know who you are? That Connor here is your brother?”
I swallow, but I remain silent because I don’t know how to talk my way out of this.
“Why do you think I’ve been calling youprincess?” Eli continues. “You’re Harvey Smith’s daughter. That makes you practically royalty at Blackwater.” His mocking smile is a slash of white. “Even if you’re shit at everything you do.”
“I, uhm…”
“I have to admit, it was a ballsy plan. But did you really think I didn’t know that you enrolled at Blackwater and keyed my car on your very first day and messed with me on purpose every chance you got just so that I would forget about your brother and come after you instead?”
My gaze darts to Connor. If I thought his eyes had been wide before, it’s nothing compared to now. Utter shock and disbelief pulse across his entire face as he stares at me with eyes as wide as dinner plates. He tries to say something through the gag, but only muffled noise comes out.
“Of course I knew,” Eli says, answering his own question. “But I didn’t mind. Because you’re much more fun to torment and…” A sly smile tugs at his lips as he rakes his gaze up and down my body. “Fuckwith.”
My heart slams so loudly against my ribs that I can almost hear it echo through the dark forest around us.
“But you crossed a line yesterday,” Eli continues, his voice hardening. “When you brought my brothers into it.”
Panic flashes through my chest, and I whip my gaze over the four men before me. Jace is standing on Eli’s left with a wide grin on his face and a baseball bat on his shoulder. Kaden and Rico are on his right, standing on either side of Connor. Both of them keep one hand on my brother’s shoulder, forcing him to stay on his knees.
Plans whirl through my skull, but none of them offer a clear solution for how I’m supposed to fix this, so all I manage to do is to shake my head and press out, “No. No.”
“And now, you will pay for that,” Eli finishes.
Sheer terror crashes over me as he places the gun against the side of Connor’s head.
“No!” I scream.
On the ground, Connor struggles against his bonds but Kaden and Rico just tighten their grip on his shoulders.
I take a half step towards them, but Eli tuts and shakes his head at me while pushing the muzzle harder against Connor’s temple.
“What do you want?” Even I can hear the desperation in my voice as I plead with the devil before me. “Do you want me to beg, Eli? Is that it? Because I will. I will do anything you want.”
His eyes dance with wickedness as he holds my gaze. “No, I don’t want you to beg. I want you togrovel. I want you to kneel and crawl and kiss our boots and grovel for our fucking mercy.”
Connor shouts something and struggles hard, but I can’t look at him because there is only one way out of this and we both know it.
Throwing all sense of pride to the wind, I immediately drop to my knees and crawl up to Eli’s feet. Then I kiss the top of his black combat boot.
“I’m sorry.” Moving my head, I kiss his left one as well. “I’m sorry.” With my palms pressed against the ground, I keep my head bowed over his feet as I plead. “I should never have involved your brothers. Please, I’m sorry.”
“Then beg their forgiveness as well,” Eli declares.
I move so that I’m kneeling in front of Jace, and then kiss his boots as well. “I’m sorry.”
“I said,beg,” Eli orders, echoing my own words from that gun range yesterday.