Page 159 of Moth to a Flame

Once we tied Lester up, Landon helped me through a quick shower. He wouldn’t let me do anything by myself, and honestly, with the state of my fingers, I couldn’t.

He soaped my body. Shampooed my hair. Kissed me where it hurt. Gave me his T-shirt and pulled on a pair of leggings he took from this person in Chicago while he’d tracked me down.

He said he’d tell me about it me later. I didn’t argue.

I was his good girl. I was his best girl. Hisonlyone. He kept praising me like that as he kissed the raw skin where my fingernails used to be. Then he bandaged me up with the sterile pads from the first aid kit he got on the way, knowing I’d need it.

“Mmmm!” Lester goes and ruins the moment for us.

Or…he doesn’t. Landon’s lips tug up at my rapist’s tortured scream. He’s gorgeous. Watching him smile is the equivalent of staring up at a full moon on a starless night. There’s only him, and he’s chosen to shine his light on me.

I’ll never take that for granted. He lowers his lips to my neck, and I desperately cling to his naked chest, despite how much it hurts my fingers.

When he steps back, my chest deflates.

“Little lamb.” He gestures with his hand toward Lester, his smirk remaining firm on his lips that are framed by days’ old stubble. An almost beard. “Ladies first.”

“Oh.” I giggle. Silly me. Landon would never leave me. Ever.

“Do you have anything in mind?” His black eyes darken. How’s that even possible? “Anything I can help you with?”

A million options run through my head.

So many tortures I could opt for.

“You said you’ve held on to my fingernails.” My heart warms even as revenge swarms through my veins.

“I have.” His gaze darts to the coat he’s left on the kitchen counter.

My mouth waters at how the muscles of his bare chest and abs flex as he twists toward it.

“But.” He grabs my chin between his fingers. “I’m extremely possessive of them, love.”

“I’ll let you pull out the new ones when they grow back.” Ignoring Lester’s wailing sounds, I step toward Landon, running my bandaged fingers over his taut body. “I’m going to feed these to him.”

Landon’s nostrils flare. I can tell he gets turned on by what I said despite himself. “I’ll never hurt you like that.”

“Nothing you can do will ever hurt me.” I cup his thick erection over his jeans. “Please…”

With one final groan, he breaches over the short distance to the counter. His large hand slips inside one of the pockets and here they are.

Ten black nails with my dried blood on them.

I’m so proud of myself. I tricked my abuser. My nightmare. And now, I’m going to fuck him up.

“You did so well,” Landon tells me words he’s repeated over and over since he got here. He takes one of my palms facing up and presses my nails into my hand. “So well.”

“Thank you.” I shoot him a smile and lower to my knees.

Now that I’m right there, in Lester’s face, he looks even more pathetic.

So weak with his slobber soaking the gag and running down his chin. He keeps screaming as his eyes plead with me to let him go.

“Really, truly pathetic.” I voice my thoughts. Landon pets my head affectionately. I’m owned and cherished while being set free to do whatever I want. It’s intoxicating. “You were such a big man when you tortured me. When you hurt those other girls. Where has that big man gone, huh, Lester? Where is he?”

“Definitely not down here.” There’s a shift in the air around me. I turn fast enough to catch the sight of Landon’s boot connecting to where Lester’s penis used to be. “Nothing big here.”Kick. “Nothing.”Kick, kick, kick. “At all.”

They took off Lester’s stitches, but as he said at the beginning of ourtrip, he’s not healed yet. The area where Landon kicked him was bruised before. His skin has turned the shade of crimson red, swelling up quickly.

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