Page 130 of My Sweetest Temptation

“Fucking bitch!” One of them slapped me, hard, and I bit my tongue. The copper taste coated my teeth. My legs were finally closed, but then I was forced to sit up as one of the men removed the rest of my clothes.

“Stop!” I yelled, my voice finally working.

His laughter was methodical, and he never stopped assaulting me.

I punched and slapped the hands touching my body, but it earned me a punch to the side of my head. Now completely naked, hands roughly grabbed and pinched my breasts. I screamed when a set of teeth bit into the skin around my nipple. I fought and prayed that someone would come, but I feared I would never be saved.

They were going to rape me.

They might even kill me.

Tears fell freely down my face when I heard the sound of foil unwrapping. I shut my eyes and tried to block out the smell of harsh liquor and strong cologne. I prayed to the heavens above to strike me dead because I wouldn’t be able to live after this. The tip of the bastard’s penis was making its way in my entry when the door was ripped open and slammed into the wall. Loud male voices surrounded me.

A warm blanket was pulled over me, and I flinched and screamed, begging them to leave me alone. “Shh. It’s okay, Winter. You’re safe now,” Lo comforted me. He pulled me close, and I gripped his shirt for fear he would leave me.

“YOU SICK MOTHERFUCKER!”

Nico.

“I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!” he roared, his voice vibrating against the walls.

Punch. Crack. Punch.

When I found the strength, my eyes fluttered open, and I saw Nico, his chest heaving, as anger radiated off him like fire. The murderous look on his face scared me, especially with the splatter of blood on his knuckles and beautiful face. The sight should have freaked me out, but instead, I felt a sense of satisfaction.

Matteo came into focus, his eyes blazing with anger. He lifted one tattooed hand, trembling slightly, and ran his fingers through his hair. I caught sight of his knuckles, smeared with blood, just like Nico’s.

Luca stepped into the room, his expression shifting from confusion to sheer horror. “Oh, shit,” he breathed. His wide blue eyes locked onto mine. “Oh, fuck. Is she okay?”

The silence that followed was stifling. All that could be heard was the heavy, uneven rhythm of our breathing.

“I don’t know,” Nico finally responded.

Nico approached me, his movements careful, and lifted me gently, ensuring the sheet covered my bruised body. I winced in pain, and he paused, his arms tightening around me protectively.

“Enzo, get the car.” Nico’s words came out hoarse while he carried me out, cradling me close.

Once we reached the car, Nico settled into the backseat, holding me in his lap.

Enzo sped the car through the streets, and I felt Nico’s heart racing beneath me. He held me tightly, his arms my sanctuary.

“I’m so fucking sorry,” he whispered.

I wanted to respond, to tell him it wasn’t his fault, but the darkness pulled at me, and I slipped away into unconsciousness.

Rage.

I was drowning in boiling, scalding rage that felt like lava flowing through my veins, ready to erupt like a volcano. A rage I had never experienced until I walked into that room. The image needed to be bleached from my mind to obliterate that moment as if it had never existed.

My hands tightened around her frail body; I wanted to Hulk out and rip the fucker’s skin off in shreds. The urge to kill had never felt this strong—to kill each one of those fuckers.

The memory of how I found her would be burned into my mind for as long as I lived. Every detail spun around relentlessly like a broken record, and I couldn’t shut the damn thing off. It replayed while I stared at her pale face and the bruises marring her beautiful skin while she lay limply in my arms like a fragile angel who lost her wings.

Winter was working tonight, and the thought of seeing her had been the only thing on my mind all day. She was becoming a distraction that I couldn’t indulge in, especially with the Puppet Master at large. I needed to eliminate the fucker so I could go back to finding new ways to make my girl come.

I turned the corner toward Mya’s office, my mind racing with thoughts of wanting to strip Winter naked and pleasure her with my tongue, when a hard shoulder collided with mine.

“What’s the point of a bodyguard if they can’t do their job right to protect her?” a man’s voice said, forcing me to stop moving.

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