Page 24 of Cruel Knots

I’ve been brought into an underground chamber. The walls are rough and carved from black stone that absorbs the faintest traces of light. My kidnapper used manacles to shackle my wrists and left me to lie on the cold, hard ground.

The chains linked to the manacles clink with my movements as I slowly sit up. Nothing hurts except for the stinging ache in the side of my neck. Whoever grabbed me in the hotel lobby hasn’t hurt me in any other way yet.

“She’s finally awake,” a male voice sounds from somewhere close by.

My head whips around, searching the darkness surrounding me.

Three tall figures move closer, looming over me. They’d been so still and quiet until now, that they’d almost melded with the shadows.

One of the men steps forward and kneels before me.

I squint, failing to discern his facial features. Who are these men and what do they want from me?

Fear chokes my throat at the uncertainty of my situation. “Who are you?” I ask through a parched throat.

The man doesn’t reply. Instead, he reaches out toward me.

I flinch, scrabbling to get away from him but the long train of my wedding gown prevents me from going too far. The satiny fabric wraps around my legs, shackling me to my position on the ground.

The stranger lets out a rough chuckle.

Picking up the hem of my dress, he rubs the fabric between his fingers. “Silky, soft, and light,” he croons. “It suits you, Lucia.”

A sliver of surprise shoots through the thick haze of fear. There’s something familiar about the way he speaks. Not only that, but I recognize his voice immediately. This is the same guy who grabbed me earlier.

“I’m going to have so much fun cutting through all this silk and satin,” he whispers.

It’s only then I notice the glint of sleek metal in his right hand. The sight of it, combined with his threat, sends a shiver through me.

“Does my brother scare you?” A different voice questions me.

I look up at the man who stands before me. His eyes glitter in the dark as he gazes at me unblinkingly.

“Why have I been brought here?” I ask in a shaky voice. “I don’t know you. I’ve never done anything to harm you. Why are you doing this to me?”

“You might’ve forgotten about us but we always remembered you. We always take back what we’re owed, Princess.”

“Think, Lucia,” says a third voice. This guy is leaner than the other two but just as tall as them. He stands behind the guy who’s just spoken. “Have you never done anything to hurt someone? Have you always been the good angel you pretend to be?”

Three faces erupt in my mind’s eye. Damien, Leon, and Mikhail. Even when I’m paralyzed with terror, I think of them and how they’d died because of me.

There’s no way these psychos are talking about them, I think to myself. How would they know anything about my past?

“Looks like she’s giving it a thought,” says the man who’s kneeling before me.

“What do you want from me?” I ask in a trembling voice. “Why have you brought me here?”

“Retribution,” says the man standing before me. “You owe us.”

“I don’t owe anyone anything,” I shout. Using all my strength, I push myself off the floor and stand up. “Please, just let me go.”

A growl escapes the guy before me. “Why the hell is she perfuming in a situation like this?” he hisses.

His words suddenly make me aware of my throbbing core. My memories rush in, reminding me of Callum’s diabolical plot. He tampered with my blockers and now, I’m close to going into heat.

“She’s starting to affect me too,” growls the man at my feet. “What the fuck are you up to, Princess?”

The heavy chains shackling me clink together as I step away from him. My situation has become twice as dangerous now. I don’t know who these men are but their tall, well-built statures are enough to tell me they’re alphas.

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