Page 48 of Justice

Tiffany laughs, a cold and humorless sound. "You never meant for it to go so far?" she mocks, reaching through the bars to grab Joanne by the hair. "Well, we never meant to make you suffer. But here we are."

With that, she yanks Joanne forward, slamming her face into the bars. Blood spurts from her nose as she crumples to the floor, sobbing.

Meadow, Tiana, and Leah descend on the other girls, raining blows and scratches. Their screams echo off the walls, mixing with the sickening thuds of flesh hitting flesh.

I watch with grim satisfaction as our women exact their revenge. It's a brutal sight, but one that feels righteous and necessary. The girls' screams grow hoarse as our MC girls unleash their fury, making them pay for their betrayal of Elle.

Joanne crawls into the corner, her face a bloody mess, whimpering pathetically. Tiffany grabs her by the hair again, forcing her to look up.

"This is what happens when you cross one of our own," she snarls. "Elle trusted you, and you set her up like a lamb to the slaughter."

Joanne can only sob in response, while Debbie is unconscious in the corner. The other girls fare no better, huddled together in a battered heap, their once pretty faces now marred with bruises and cuts. Meadow spits on them.

Mason grins. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything hotter than Meadow right now.” I snicker at his reaction.

I turn my attention back to Danny, who's watching the scene with wide, horrified eyes, his hand still clutching his bleeding cheek.

Kevin is crying heavily in the corner of the cage, trying to stay away from the blows from the girls and hoping to go unnoticed.

I grab Danny by the collar, hauling him up to face me. "You see what happens to those who betray us?" I hiss, gesturing to the battered girls in the cell. "That's just a taste of what's coming for you."

Danny trembles in my grasp, his eyes pleading. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he babbles. "Please, I'll do anything, just don't hurt me anymore."

I laugh coldly. "You'll do anything? How about bringing back the innocence you stole from Elle? Can you do that, you piece of shit?"

He shakes his head miserably, tears and blood mingling on his face. I shove him roughly to the ground in disgust.

"Pathetic," I snarl. "You were man enough to plan a rape but can't face the consequences of your actions."

I turn to Kevin, who's trying to make himself appear as small as possible in the corner of the cage. "And you," I growl, stalking toward him. "The mastermind behind this whole vile scheme."

Kevin whimpers as I reach through the bars, grabbing a fistful of his hair and slamming his head against the metal. He yelps in pain, trying feebly to pry my hand away.

"I should end your miserable life right here and now," I muse, tightening my grip. "But that would be too easy, wouldn't it?”

“Let’s string them up, boys.” Mason and Reid grab them from the cage, and we string them up from the ceiling until they’re hanging with their feet barely touching the ground.

I step back, admiring our handiwork as Kevin and Danny dangle helplessly from the ceiling, their arms stretched painfully above their heads.

"Now, let's see how long you can last like this," I say, circling them slowly. "Maybe a few hours of this agony will loosen your tongues even more, help you remember every detail of that night."

Kevin’s and Danny's muffled sobs echo through the room, their bodies trembling from pain and fear. I nod to Mason and Reid, signaling for them to begin.

They step forward, each brandishing a weapon, Mason with a baseball bat and Reid with a length of chain. They take turns striking the suspended boys, targeting their ribs, their stomachs,their legs. The dull thumps of them being hit mingle with Kevin’s and Danny's agonized screams.

But even as I revel in their suffering, a nagging thought tugs at the back of my mind—the hooded man in the woods.

Who the fuck is he? It’s killing me that I don’t know who he is.

I step forward, grabbing Danny's chin roughly and forcing him to meet my gaze. "The man in the woods," I growl. "Tell me everything you remember about him. Every detail, no matter how small."

Danny's eyes are glassy from the pain, his breaths coming in shallow gasps. "Tall," he wheezes. "Over six feet. Broad shoulders. Wearing all black… a hoodie, I think."

I tighten my grip. "What else? Did you see his face? Hear his voice?"

Danny shakes his head weakly. "No… no, he stayed hidden. But his voice… it was deep. Rough. He sounded older."

I release him, my mind racing. It's not much, but it's a start. I turn to Derek, seeing the same determination in his eyes.

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