Page 71 of Ruthless

“Fuckingidiota.” The silver of Lobo’s ring catches the light as he comes closer. At least now I have a name to put with the bastard.

Heat hits my back, and I know it’s him before he speaks. I squeeze my eyes shut, wishing that I was anywhere else but here.

“Remember what happened to the last girl who thought she could outsmart the big bad wolf?” he whispers against my neck. “He ate her.”

I swallow down the bile that threatens to come up my throat as my limbs begin to shake. Cold metal touches the skin of my upper back, and I flinch, but don’t cry out as I fight against the shackles on my wrists.

“Don’t fucking move.” He grips the collar of my gown and brings the knife down the center, slicing the back of it in half.

The cool air hits my bare back, and I dig my toes into the concrete to keep from losing my balance. I swallow down the vomit building in my throat as calloused fingers along my spine.

“So smooth. Untainted.” He leans forward and sinks his teeth into the base of his neck. “And I can’t wait to mark you.” His lips curve into a smile against my skin. “Fuck, maybe I’ll even keep you for myself for a little while.” Then his hand slides down my back and across to cup my lower stomach. “Never fucked a pregnant bitch before.” He presses his groin into my ass, and I can feel how excited he is at the thought. “There’s a first time for everything.”

“He will find me. And when he does, he’ll kill you.” I won’t elaborate on whoheis because we both know. Zane will find us in time. I know it. He has to.

“He’s not going to want you when I’m through with you.” Lobo presses a kiss to the side of my head. The heat leaves my back as he steps back, and I can hear his ragged breathing behind me, but I keep my eyes forward and on Fiona’s lifeless form. The only good that will come out of this is that she’s not awake to see whatever’s about to happen to me.

The crack is the only warning I get before fire licks all along my back from the whip in his hand. My whole body tenses as I throw my head back and scream. The pain is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. It feels like my skin is being peeled away from my body.

“It always gets my dick hard when you bitches scream for me.” He laughs and licks the side of my face. “The louder, the better.”

The whip slices through the air, and I brace, ready for what’s about to happen this time. He takes his time making sure to hit fresh skin every time. I bite down on my bottom lip to keep from crying out. The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth, but I don’t relent. I won’t give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream for him again.

Fiona begins to come to on the ground, and when our eyes meet, we both know that things are about to get much worse before they get better. She keeps her gaze on mine as tears stream down our cheeks. The whip continues to tear up my back, but I do my best to tune out the noise.

Each strike is more brutal than the last. All of the muscles in my body are pushed past the point of exhaustion as I struggle to keep myself upright. I don’t have the strength to hold my head up much longer. I’m strung up like a marionette, and he’s the puppeteer pulling my strings.

The heat of his breath hits my shoulder, and my stomach turns. “He will spend the rest of his life looking for you, but it’ll be too late. He won’t be able to save you, just like he failed to save her.”

My hands clench into fists as I focus on my breathing. It’s the only way to get through this. Warm liquid drips down my back, but he keeps going. I’ve lost count of how many slashes I’ve been given.

Time stands still as I linger in between the space where dreams and reality collide. It feels like I’m floating out of my skin. The sounds of him hitting my back become more and more distant until it eventually fades into the background. I shut my eyes one final time, letting it all go silent and letting the nightmare finally end.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN

Zane

The metal shackles dig into the torn skin of my wrists as blood pools into the back of my throat, but her sobs are the only sound that echoes in the room.

She’s naked and on her knees in front of me. The bastard holding her by the throat is hiding among the shadows. He’s afraid to show his face, and I want to rip him apart with my bare hands for violating her the way he did.

Her blond hair is covered in dirt, and there’s that fucking paw tattoo on the side of her neck. The black ink looks fresh. Then she lifts her head, and all the air is knocked out of me. Blond hair becomes dark.

“Kennedy!” This can’t be fucking happening.

Blue eyes glisten with tears behind her glasses. “Help me, Zane. Please?” She struggles to reach me as his fingers clamp down tighter around her throat.

The face won’t come into view. All I can make out is the wolf tattoo on his finger. Then he steps out into the light. “Boo!”

I jolt awake in a cold sweat. I’m still in the same jeans and T-shirt I had on earlier.

“Nightmare?” Asher’s sitting in the dark in a chair across from me, with a sleeping Lily on his chest.

“I must have dozed off.” I grab a hair tie off the coffee table and pull my hair up into a knot on my head. “What time is it?”

“A little after three.”

“Any word from Finn yet?”

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