Page 41 of Lorcan

Just as I was about to push myself up, I felt her kick me on the other side. I gasped for air as she held me down, opening my diaphragm more.

“One more,” she whispered. I braced for it but again, nothing happened until I looked up and she slapped me so hard, I felt my entire face move to the side. The sting from the slap was overwhelming as I gasped, tears rolling down my cheeks.

“You’ll be feeling that for a while,” she said. “Wheezing is good, that hand will show up on your face soon, so that’ll show him you ain’t in a luxury pad, even though you are. One word and I’ll end him.”

“I have to do this.”

“Okay,” she said. “I will do what I can for you.”

I nodded, and tried to stop the sobs that were coming. Halen came back into the room after Ebony left and looked at me on my knees.

“What happened?”

“Nothing,” I wheezed. “I did something to make it believable. Now chain me up tight.”

“God, Bridget, this guy is a freakin’ asshole. I’ve dealt with his type before. Are you sure you don’t want us to hide you?”

“Chain me up,” I told him.

Halen let out a frustrated breath and moved around me, clasping heavy chains to a cuff on my wrist and then linking it over the pipe above me before clasping it over the other cuff and attaching to the pipes on the other side of the wall.

“Try and move your arms.”

I did but they stayed put, each arm spread out, holding me up.

“Stand up.”

“Why?”

“It’s more torture if you stand than kneel.”

I nodded, allowing him to help me to my feet. He pulled the chains tighter so that they held me up and my weight was off me.

“He’s close now,” Halen said. “Percy will speak to him, see if he can dissuade him from coming to see you but if he offers money, we have to take it and let him in.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

Halen left the room, closing the door with a resounding click and leaving me chained and in pain from the kicks. My face was burning from the slap, my tears drying on the heat of my cheek.

I could hear nothing but the thunderous blood pumping through my veins. It was almost deafening as I waited on bated breath for that door to open.

There was no way Ethan would come all this way unless he wanted to see me. This was the only way I could see to help. I had to face this.

After what felt like an hour, I heard the click of my door and it opened. Ethan’s shit eating grin was present, Percy at his back. Ethan threw the bundled money at him and closed the door on his face.

“Looks like they’re keeping you in excellent condition,” Ethan said, his voice grating on my nerves. I was lucky I’d asked them to bind me, else I would launch at him. “Ah, Bridgie, it’s so good to see you in chains. If I knew you weren’t such a flight risk, I’d fork out the money for you now and take my time ripping you apart, piece by delicious piece until there was nothing left of you, but I’ll let you live in some disgusting fat sheikh’s hold, or maybe a serial killer. A lot of them are looking on the black market for targets now and since you don’t have a family anymore…no one will know.”

I felt nauseated with every one of his poisonous words coming at me. It ignited my rage.

“That cheek looks mighty sore,” he said, putting his hand on my chin and moving my face to the side harshly. I hissed in response as his thumb pushed into my cheek hard. “Have you been a little bitch to your captors?”

I tried to breathe out of my nose but when he got closer and I inhaled his obnoxious and heady cologne, I wanted to gag.

“Hmmm, it’s a shame they bruised this pretty face,” he said, getting closer. His fingers dug into my jaw but I wouldn’t cry out. I couldn’t give him the satisfaction. “It’s a shame it belongs to such a cunt.”

He closed the distance between us and licked up the side of my face, over my eyelashes and back down my heated cheek. He left a trail of saliva on my face without the ability to wipe it off.

“I paid good money just now, money I could have put down for a whore,” he said, as he moved around me to stand behind me. I was shaking in anger at his words. “I could have a little taste of what’s mine still, after all, you are a paid for hire whore now.”

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