Page 10 of Hell Gate

My stomach bottoms out and a wheezing breath gusts from my lungs. Finish me? What are they planning to do with me? I picture myself enduring one horrible thing after another if I don’t get away, ending up chopped to little pieces sent floating down a backwoods creek in a trash bag.

Before my racing thoughts get far, strong hands lift me to my feet. Horny helps himself to feeling up my ass as he pretends to sweep dirt and grass off my shorts. He hooks a finger in my ripped fishnets and snaps them against my thigh with a pleased hum. I smack his wandering hands away, forgetting about my effort not to touch others. It’s his and his cohorts’ fault I fell in the first place.

He’s lucky. No freak accidental burns harm him when I touch him, as they have when others catch me off guard. I need to get out of here. I’m not in the mood to play games.

Undeterred, his arms circle my waist and haul me against his firm body. A gasp slips free at how warm he is, the heat of his body enveloping mine like an embrace. It melts through his flannel shirt into my hoodie and another answering burst of foreign warmth rises in me. I stamp out the weird flutter in my stomach.

No, body. We don’t get the warm fuzzies for someone when we’re in danger, dummy.

“You’re never any fun, tough guy.” He shoots a dismissive look over his shoulder at the other two, brushing off the comment to finish me. “I want to play first. It’s been too long since we’ve been topside. She’s ours for seven nights before duty calls.”

“Your lack of respect for our orders is growing old, Matthias,” Scary growls across the cemetery. “I’ll make good on my threats to report you for it.”

“I still get the job done.” Horny—Matthias—dips his nose against my neck, inhaling. I flinch, squirming to get away. Despite being leaner, he’s still way stronger than he looks, easily keeping my arms pinned in his hug. “Damn, you smell really fucking good. Like toasted cinnamon. Do you taste as good, too?”

A strangled shriek works its way out of me when I feel the swipe of his hot tongue trailing a path up my throat. Is—is his tongue split? Another sinful groan rumbles out of him, vibrating against my neck. My stomach dips, clashing with my desire to get out of this. The strength of the mixed reaction leaves me dizzy and confused.

“Delicious. I love that shot of fear mixed in. It makes your blood sing.” He lifts me up like I weigh nothing and I struggle, fighting him with my elbows and nails. It’s futile as he drags me over to the others. “She tastes incredible.”

My pulse rushes in my ears as they circle around me, closing me in on all sides. Ragged panting is making me lightheaded, draining my energy. My grip on my self control is fraying.

Up close, the other two are equally handsome. A short, hysterical laugh rips from me. Three sinfully hot assholes have me at their mercy.

Scary inhales sharply, tensing. “Valerian, she’s—”

“Impossible.” Even as Scowly mutters the refusal, he grabs at me, tugging sharply on my hoodie to pull me in his direction.

“I’m not done yet,” Matthias says in a firmer tone, his languid joking around ceasing. “The first taste wasn’t enough.”

Three sinister growls reverberate around me. The sounds are gravelly and primal.

“Mine,” Scary rumbles.

Horror twists my features as an answering noise like a goddamn pleased purr catches in my throat. I stop it before it escapes, snapping my wide-eyed gaze back and forth. Something in the air shifts and they cage me in until I’m bumping between three hard chests, their hands roaming my body as they please.

“Alder, hold her. I want to—” Valerian’s order cuts off as a surging panic takes hold of me.

Sink or swim.Hands holding me down. Well water choking me, burning, burning, burning.

“No!” I scream.

The three of them fall back as if something pushes them hard and hot air swirls around me, leaving my skin buzzing. Oh no. Did I cause that somehow?

Valerian parts his lips, giving me a calculating once over. While his companions stare at me, stunned, he keeps his wits about him.

Before any of them have the chance to make a move, I bolt for the tree line. Heat billows in my chest and tingles in my palms. My lungs burn and overwhelmed tears prick my eyes, but I don’t stop. A stray grave marker almost takes me out. I manage to keep my balance and run at full speed into the woods. Branches snag on my hoodie, my fishnets, and my cheek. I grit my teeth against the flash of pain from tiny scrapes.

The only thing that matters is getting away.

Once I’m deep enough, I hide behind a tree to catch my breath. Knees shaking, I peer around it, squatting to keep out of sight of anyone tracking me.

But they’re not. No one follows behind.

With a heavy sense of foreboding, I make my way back to the house, my mind rejecting everything weird that happened tonight. Those guys were there to scare me by playing up the local legend. That’s all.

CHAPTERFOUR

LILY

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