Page 18 of The Wrecked One

When Anurak tried to rise, the asshole kicked him down, then went over and dragged him by the shirt. Positioning him against the wall by the door, he said something in Thai, not one of the phrases I knew, and Anurak went quiet.

Pushing Anurak to the floor again, he moved between Mya and the bed, rolled back his shoulders, and redirected his attention to us. “It’s only fair she gets a question, too. A choice as well.” Eyes on Mya, he asked her, “What’s your decision going to be, Mya?” He leaned down and ripped the tape from her mouth and tossed it.

She didn’t give him the satisfaction of crying from the pain that must’ve caused and instead yelled, “You. I choose kicking the shit out of you.” She lifted her chin, defiant.

“Ah, you want to involve me in this equation? Then let’s bloody well do it, yeah?” When his hand slipped to his belt buckle, and he undid it, I’d never felt so helpless in all my life.

“Don’t you fucking touch her.” The veins in my forearms bulged as I fought the restraints.

Letting go of his buckle, he took a knee by Mya and cupped her chin, forcefully commanding her to look at him. “I’ve changed my mind on the torture. Instead, you get to decide who lives and who dies.”

She raised her hands, snatching his wrist, but he didn’t budge.

“There’s one other option. You can save both of their lives if you give me something else.” He brought his face closer to hers.

Realizing what he was implying, I knew hell was real and on earth. “Just ask us what you want to know.” I did my best to channel my strength, but I was stuck to the bed and losing my mind. This can’t be happening. “We’ll tell you. Anything.” Just don’t hurt her.

Not letting go of her, he casually glanced at me over his shoulder. “You’ll tell me everything down to your social security number and mother’s maiden name. I’m not worried. But first, I plan to break you both.”

“Trust me,” I choked out, “I’m already broken. You’ve got me where you want me.” He had full control of me with Mya in his grasp like that.

My mind tripped back to the past, my brain short-circuiting from this nightmare. Painful memories flipped like pages from a horror novel. And then I fell apart. Like a fucking house of cards.

Down.

Scattered everywhere and on the verge of puking.

I watched him resettle his eyes on Mya as he said in a low, commanding tone, “You can sit on the desk and Oliver here will watch me fuck you, or they both die. Your body in exchange for two lives is a fair trade. But are you willing to make that sacrifice?”

“Mya, no,” I screamed, my vision obstructed by unshed tears as I swallowed back more bile. The anger inside began to take a back seat to fear. Fear like I’d never felt in my entire fucking life. And now I finally understood what my dad?—

“If you hurt them, I’ll never talk.” Mya’s determination interrupted my thoughts. “You’ll have to kill me anyway.” Tears spilled down her cheeks despite her brave words, and I tried again to get off the bed, hating myself for not being able to help her.

“Don’t hurt her,” I pleaded to the man I planned to rip apart with my bare hands. “I’ll do anything you want.” I wasn’t above groveling on my hands and knees. Because it was the truth. I would do anything to protect her.

Ignoring me, he unsheathed a knife strapped to the side of his leg, shifted her legs around, and cut the rope at her ankles. “What’s your choice, Mya?”

I was going to choke on the vomit stuck in my throat or have a heart attack and die right there, and then I wouldn’t be able to save her.

The bastard stood and removed his belt from the loops, and I struggled and fought, doing everything in my power to escape.

Staring at her freed ankles, Mya moved her gaze up the man’s body as he offered her a hand to stand.

“Do. Not. Do. It.” My words punctured the air, but they didn’t seem to hold any weight in my weak position. “Mya, please,” I said around a broken sob.

Visibly trembling, she peered at Anurak before returning her attention to me. “I . . .”

Relief filled my chest when she knocked his gloved hand away. Give me death any day over anyone laying a hand on this woman.

“You won’t kill them,” she whispered, her voice soft and fragile, and yet, filled with determination, “because if you do, you’ll never get answers from me.”

Stay stubborn. You’ve got this. Please.

“That’s a risk I’ll have to take, then.” He went for his Glock and walked over to the bed, but without Mya’s feet bound, she immediately stood and lunged for him.

He twisted around and captured her by the throat, lifting her off the ground in one quick movement.

“Put her down.” My demand, and my struggles against the cuffs, continued to do nothing. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

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