Page 116 of Pure Vengeance

The cold chill of trepidation she thought she’d left behind her traveled up the length of her body. She’d been drugged. It was happening all over again!

“Oh God.”

She wasn’t sure if the words actually escaped her lips, but they ricocheted around her brain like an alarm.Oh God, Oh God, Oh God!

She watched in silent horror as one of his hands neared her chin and gently maneuvered it in the direction he wanted, and for the first time, she realized she couldn’t move her hands properly. She tried, naturally, insisting her wrist rise to counter him, but however hard she fought, her arms wouldn’t seem to respond.

“Here.” He took a step forward, the position of her head now providing the perfect angle for their gazes to lock. “That’s better.”

As she finally laid eyes on the man who sounded so cool and in control, she was certain time had stopped altogether.

“Lawes.” Yet again, she didn’t know if she really spoke or if the word only boomed in her mind, but staring at him, it hardly mattered.

The monster from her nightmares—from her history—was back.

Another hallucination.The conclusion soothed her, even if she didn’t truly believe it.It’s like last time. This isn’t real.

But what if last time had been real, and she’d only dismissed it as a trick of her mind? What if Lawes had been there, and her friends just hadn’t noticed him? Freezing dismay rose to her throat, tightening her airway.

What if he’d been there all along, lurking in the dark and biding his time?

“How quickly you’ve forgotten the rules.” His gaze narrowed, as if disappointed, and despite her better judgment, she felt her fright escalate at his obvious disapproval. “That’s not how you address me, Hannah, and you know it.”

“I…” She blinked at him, trying frantically to make sense of what was happening.

Lawes, the man who’d ensnared her and kept her and others locked in cages in the basement of his pseudo-dental practice, was there with her. Seemingly, he’d sedated her and had her trapped.

God, help me…

“How do you refer to me?” He tapped his foot with impatience, the rhythm audible, even though she couldn’t see the deed.

“Sir.” She pushed out the word as if dazed. Her senses confirmed it was him—the same dazzling green eyes she’d been conditioned to fear and worship and the same mop of light brown hair, although perhaps he was grayer than she remembered. “How are you here?”

“Close.” His lips tugged into a smile. “It’s Mr. Lawes, sir, little girl, but I’ll offer you one reprieve since I know you’re not fully conscious yet.”

Little girl.

A thousand shards of memories fell like spiked glass around her. That’s what he used to call her when he’d kept her chained and on her knees.Hislittle girl.

“What’s happening?” Pain cramped in her belly, commanding her to double over, yet her body seemed unable to react the way it craved. She was strapped down to a chair of some sort, but so far, her senses hadn’t offered her any further insight into why, how, or where she was. Her brow furrowed as the hurt amplified, her eyes falling closed. “I feel sick.”

“You’re okay.” The waver in his voice might have concerned her more had the pain in her tummy not been so consuming. “It’s another byproduct of the sedative, that’s all.” What felt like a huge palm rested softly on her forehead, as if judging her temperature.

She wanted to curl up and cry, but whatever contraption he was using to hold her made that impossible. Her arms felt secured to something on either side of her, and the more she roused, the more she was aware that her legs seemed to be tethered, too.

“What do you want?” She loathed her piteous tone.

That was Lawes’ power. He could always reduce her to an imploring and pathetic version of herself, and she hated him for it.

“What do I want?” He almost laughed. “What I want right now is for you to address me correctly. Last chance, Hannah.”

“What do you want, Mr. Lawes, sir?” Her toes curled as she was required to cede, the act reminding her that where expensive stockings had once been, her legs and feet were now bare.

“Better.” His tone was hard. “Now we can talk about what I want.”

As if I don’t know…

Predators like Lawes only ever wanted one thing.

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