Page 45 of Cruel Games

Or even if hecould.

“There’s no greater punishment than sitting here listening to you act like you’re some fucking harbinger of doom. Christ’s sake, bitch, could you be any more annoying?”

Oh, good. He’s still lively.

Ivy seemed to consider this reaction for a second before her hand darted out and connected with the side of his face. The resoundingslapechoed around the room, rendering us all speechless.

Jackal’s jaw ticked, and he grinned with the half of his mouth still smarting from the assault. “Well, bitch has a mean right hand, too. Too bad you’re so revolted by us. Lilly wouldloveyou.”

She frowned in confusion, rubbing the part of her hand that stung from the impact. “Who the fuck’s Lilly?”

“Our boss,” I contributed, my back tight from laying on this uncomfortable-ass table too long. “If you’re going to keep me strapped to this table, could you maybe flip me over or something?”

Her laughter was less maniacal this time, more honestly amused. She seemed genuinely taken by surprise at my audacity, and I couldn’t help but take pride in the reaction I drew from her.

I could be sassy when I wanted to be. Jackal wasn’t the only smartass in our group. He was just the bluntest, with the least tact or taste.

She shot a glare over her shoulder at me. “Your back pain will be the least of your worries soon enough; don’t worry, Dingo.”

Jackal’s teeth snapped at her, coming within an inch of her still-outstretched finger. “Come a little closer, bitch. I bite back.”

“You don’t scare me, dog,” she snapped back, baring her own blunted teeth in response. “Bigger beasts than you have tried.”

That glint of teeth was so subtle yet dangerously lethal that it had me squirming atop the table, my eyes cutting as best as they could at Coyote, who was still standing, his hands clenched around the legs of the table where my feet had been bound.

For the first time in my life, I wished I was fluent in Coyote’s silent language he shared with Jackal.

EIGHTEEN

JACKAL

On the outside,I was all vicious, raving beast, ready to bite her finger off the secondshe put it close enough.

Inside, I wanted this bitch to do to me what she did to my men.

And so much more.

The joke I’d made about her being unattractive, about not being able to make a man hard, they were all shattered in a heartbeat as my cock reminded me just howeasilyshe could bend my body to her will. There was never a choice when it came to a woman who matched my freak. The insanity and brokenness within her eyes, the sadness buried in her soul, the burning, white-hot need for revenge—I was familiar with them all. Looking into her soul through those expressive windows was like seeing myself reflected at me, bared for the whole world to judge.

She was me and I was her, and fuck all if it wasn’t hotter than hell that she was willing and more than able to incapacitate me and torture me at the drop of a hat.

Hell, I couldn’t even reallyfeelthe burns on my scars anymore. The skin still ached, the soreness almost tissue-deep, but the pain was nothing compared to the barest likelihood that I might be able to taste this woman’s flesh before she offed me.

Fuck, I wonder if I can convince her to slit my throat while I come. Talk about a life-altering experience.

Her hand gripped me by the throat, and I finally gave in, loosing a yelp of excitement as those pretty, taloned fingers tightened around my neck, constricting my airway, leaving me gasping for air.

“Oh, yeah, baby, choke me. At least then I won’t have to look at you anymore.”

I didn’t mean a single one of the words I uttered. Fuck, if anything, I meant theopposite.But goading and angering her seemed the fastest way to get what Iwanted.

Pain.

I wantedherbrand of pain. I wanted apersonal vendettabehind every twist, every stab, every hole she carved in me.

I wanted to know what rage at that level could do to a person. What damage it could cause. And how close that line danced on the edge of pleasure.

She’d awakened something in me. And I wanted more.

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