Page 96 of Slaughter

My hand goes to the back of the collar, and I feel a lock on it. Then a chain. “Hold her head up,” I demand. Tristan places his hands on either side of her head, holding it in place as I push her forward so I can see where it goes. “The chain is bolted to the wall,” I tell him.

“Does that key work?”

I try it. “No,” I snap.

“Fuck!” He growls.

My eyes drop, and I notice her hands are cuffed behind her back. “Fuck!”

“What is it?”

“Her hands are cuffed.” Fuck, Bunny! What did he do to you, baby?

“Motherfucker …”

“Go find out what we need from Lance. Kayn has him in the car.”

He nods and then takes off.

“Av … er … y.” Her broken voice breaks my heart.

I look down to see her eyes are still closed. “I’m here, Bunny.” Her body starts to shake, and she sniffs. “Hey. I’m here. You’re safe now,” I say and hate the words as soon as I say them. She should have been safe the entire time she was with me.

She starts to fight her restraints, and a soft cry comes from her busted lips. I kneel in front of her. “Bunny, look at me,” I say, holding her head again. “Come on, baby. Look at me.”

Her long dark lashes flutter open, showing me a little of her beautiful blue eyes. “That’s it.” They close again.

“We’re all clear,” I hear a voice in my ear.

“Stay alert,” my brother barks out to them.

“Try again, Bunny,” I say gently. “Open them up and look at me.”

They flutter open, but I know she’s not really seeing me because they’re glazed over. She blinks slowly. “That’s it, baby.”

“Got them,” my brother says, returning.

“Hold her head again,” I demand when he hands me the keys. He takes my place kneeling before her while I undo the lock on the back and slip it through the hole and remove it from her neck. Then I undo the cuffs from around her wrists. They’re bruised and covered in dry blood. She fought hard to get free, but it was never going to be enough.

I stand and remove my bulletproof vest, then grab the back of my shirt before ripping it over my head. I look down at her, and her eyes are closed again. Taking the shirt, I place it over her before lifting her up into my arms where she belongs.

“We’ve got her,” Tristan calls out into the earpiece. “Get your shit together and ready to go,” he orders his men.

I carry her out the front door to see Kayn standing outside by my SUV speaking to a few of Tristan’s men. “Where is Lance?” I demand.

“In the back of Jake’s SUV. Knocked out,” Kayn answers.

“Let’s go,” I order.

We all climb in, and Tristan immediately hands me the blanket his men brought for her, and I wrap her up in it.

“Here,” Tristan says, handing me a new bottle of water from the front.

“Drink this, Bunny.” I unscrew the lid. She doesn’t respond. “Bunny, you need to drink …” I shift her in my lap, attempting to wake her, but her head falls back, exposing her delicate neck covered in scratches, bruises, and blood. “Presleigh. Look at me. Come on, baby. I need you to wake up,” I say softly, but she keeps her eyes closed. “Look at me,” I demand this time.

My chest tightens when I get nothing. I drop my forehead down to hers and close my eyes. “I wasn’t too late,” I whisper, reassuring both of us that she isn’t gone. As if that will make it more believable. When my mind is telling me I failed her.

I pull back and readjust my arm under her head. “You need to drink this.” I press the bottle to her lips. Water runs down the side of her face, but some makes it into her mouth. She coughs, and her body jerks from the invasion of water filling her mouth.

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