Page 93 of Cruel Vows

I move into his path. “Don’t you think about putting a hand on her.”

“I’ve thought about it.” Noah looks past me to Jace. “We’re going to move them into the other room. I don’t want the blood to stain the cement.”

Before I can attack him, Jace’s arm is banded around my neck and another man enters the cell with rope.

I thrash against the hold, even as the men work to tie me back up. “You’re going to die.”

Noah sighs, leaning closer. “If that’s supposed to scare me, you’re going to have to try harder. Your father mastered the art of making his enemies fear him. You should take a page from his book.”

Jace hauls Ellie to her feet, and we’re led out of my cell and down the hall to the other door.

The door swings open to a white room, the floor a sleek epoxy over the cement with a large drain in the middle. Countersline one side of the wall, various tools and knives hanging on a pegboard above it.

The sink is large, and there’s another large tub beside that.

Ellie’s sharp intake of breath is all I need to know that she’s terrified. I’m going to do everything I can to save her, but there’s no other way out of this room. There’s only a single door, unless there’s another one hidden somewhere behind the thick plastic draped over the walls.

Noah nods to three metal chairs in the middle of the room, sitting a few feet in front of the grate. “Put them there and tie them up, then bring in our other guest.”

The second Jace lets go of me, I surge forward, and though my hands are tied behind my back, I slam my foot into Noah’s shin.

Groaning, Noah nearly loses his balance, catching himself at the last moment while Jace tackles me to the ground. My head bounces off the floor, more stars dancing across my vision.

Blood pools in my mouth from my teeth sinking into my bottom lip.

Noah slams his foot into my bicep. “You stupid fucker. I’m going to have fun killing you.”

Jace hauls me to my feet with the other man, dragging me to the chair and shoving me down onto it.

Ellie looks at me like I have three heads as they tie me to the chair. The ropes bite into my skin, the roughness scratching my skin until warm blood starts to seep out.

The door to the room opens again and for a moment, I don’t know who the men are dragging in.

The person is slumped in their arms, head hung and what little of their face is visible is covered in bruises and blood.

Ellie’s sharp gasp breaks through the silence. “Aiden?”

The person groans and lifts his head, staring back at us through swollen eyes.

It’s Aiden, though he barely looks like himself. With the cuts and eggplant-colored bruises on his skin, he looks more like someone who’s spent the better part of the last week being beat.

Even though he hasn’t. I spoke to him only a couple days ago.

Noah smirks and moves closer to Ellie. “You and Aiden could have matching bruises. I think you deserve it for your escape attempt, don’t you?”

Without waiting for her answer, he slams his fist into the side of her face.

Ellie screams, her head snapping to the side. The skin on her high cheekbone splits, blood trickling down to her jaw, mixing with tears as they make their way down.

I roar, trying to get free but the restraints are too tight. “You keep your fucking hands off her, you hear me?”

Noah laughs and shakes his head, stooping down to look me in the eyes. “I’m just getting started. Jace.”

Aiden is dragged over to the third chair and tied to it, but with how horrible he looks, I doubt that he will be going anywhere.

Jace saunters over to the counter along the side of the room, taking his time looking at the knives on the wall before yanking a small one with a curved blade down. He selects a taser and slides it into his back pocket.

Watching him has my heart tearing through my chest, urging me to get in front of Ellie and defend her with everything I have.

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