Page 89 of Her Faithful Protector

He continues his taunting. “It’s like a moth to a flame. Like the mighty Jack Kelleher drawn to my trap.” He steps close to the window, reveling in my agony in close-up. “This is a prototype, repurposed just for you,” he boasts. “It seems to be working perfectly, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Kelleher?”

Willem then turns to Ava, emphasizing his victory. “What did I say, darling? The brain always wins!”

Ava’s pleas grow more desperate as the pressure on my arm intensifies, threatening to crush it entirely.

“Please, stop!” she cries.

“It’s a shame that she’s such a whore.” Willem takes her injured arm, putting it on display. “We would’ve had the most spectacular wedding, one that you could only dream of giving her. Well, I would’ve had to reconstruct her ring finger, but hey!”

He cut her finger off?

He fucking cut her finger off?

Rage burns me, intensifying my determination to escape. Tremors course through my body, causing even Willem himself to cast concerned glances at my strength. But the trap is unyielding. I unleash a roar, cursing, “Willem Botha! You won’t leave this place alive!”

He touches the bandage on Ava’s finger, causing her to grimace in pain. Then, he forcefully pushes her against the glass, making her face him as he closely studies her expression. “Bring me Quinton, or she and you will be another wasted Romeo and Juliet story.”

My teeth grind together. The pain from witnessing this scene and the agony in my arm exceed my limits. My skin is about to tear, and everything beneath it feels like it’s about to explode, much like flesh in zombie movies.

I have to do something. Perhaps it’s time to cut my arm…

Amid Ava’s cries and my own screams, the pressure suddenly stops, giving me momentary respite. But my arm remains trapped inside the unforgiving tube.

A man approaches my dangling arm from the other side—the bearded man, Willem’s last line of defense. He yanks at my wrist, making me shake in agony. Then, he injects something into my vein.

Pain, tingling, and numbness surge through my body. But I know this is just the beginning. Tyler had better find us before Willem unleashes his worst!

33

AVA

I watch helplessly as the bearded man yanks Jack’s limp body by the arms like a hyena on a fresh kill. My heart wrenches in sync with every pull. Jack’s left forearm, a grotesque canvas of deep red and hints of purple, serves as a snarky reminder of the unspeakable torment he had endured.

By this time, I’ve stopped feeling my own pain, unsure about the fate of my hand. I passed out after the amputation, then I woke up smelling burned flesh. I think the men tried to stop the bleeding.

Even in his unconscious state, Jack is somehow fighting. With each laborious step, the bearded man struggles to maneuver him, as if the Marine has become too burdensome. After a few impatient grunts from his boss, he manages to settle Jack onto a chair.

They remove his jacket and bulletproof vest. Jack’s biceps strain against his T-shirt sleeves as his arms are tightly bound to the armrests, and the sound of duct tape being pulled tightly fills the air.

Sadism projects from Willem’s eyes as he rubs Jack’s arm.

“I should’ve used that vacuum tube on his balls,” he sneerslike a juvenile. “Imagine them bursting like a pair of balloons!”

The two bad actors share a twisted laugh, overriding the soft whirs coming from the computer fans around us. Then Willem takes something out of a shelf. He hands me a tablet and a stylus pen.

“I know you prefer pencil and paper. But you’re not against technology, are you?” he says. “I’d say your digital work was even better.”

“What do you want me to draw, Willem?” My anxiety shoots up as malice oozes out of his stare.

“Draw him,” he orders, pointing at Jack, who’s starting to wake up.

“What?”

“Draw him!”

The bearded man yanks Jack’s head, forcing me to see his bruised and battered face. He then points his gun at Jack’s temple.

“Every bruise must be accounted for!” Willem warns. “Or I keep adding it on him. He’s got a lot of space for me to do it. I guess, the downside of being a big man.”

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