Page 141 of Inferno

Vlad’s dark brown eyes bore into mine, and a scream escapes my lips as he violently tears open his belt.

With a cruel smirk he taunts, “You want this, don’t you, you dirty bitch? You deserve this.”

The blood rushes from my head to my toes, leaving a dizzying, tingling numbness.

While the dildo vibrates, I feel a mix of pleasure and desperation, my body reacting with involuntary twitches and trembling movements. I can’t. I can’t fucking do this.

I gasp for air, a burning sensation in my lungs, bile rising in my throat, a bitter taste coating my tongue.

A searing inferno consumes my body, while simultaneously, a glacial shard of ice impales my heart, creating a contrast of unbearable heat and bone-deep cold.

“No. No. No,” I cry out in desperation.

I hear Vlad’s deep chuckle echo through the room. Taunting me.

“Help me,” I whimper.

Visions of Vlad grabbing Isabella spring into my mind. The more I fight, the weaker my body feels.

A flash of light blinds me before it fades to black again.

I try to speak.

Begging for help, but my body won’t let me as I fall limp.

Chapter 54

DECLAN

“Finn. Get in there and get her out. Now!” I scream through my headset.

Abruptly I stand, watching Conan and Finn rush into the room. The guard’s rough movements as they remove her restraints are audible before her body flops heavily into Conan’s arms.

“Be careful. This could be a trick,” I tell them.

I don’t believe my own words.

Whatever demons she came face-to-face with knocked her the fuck out.

The agony as she cried out for help was almost haunting.

In that moment, her fierceness subsided, and her true vulnerability came out. I’d expect that to excite me, but it didn’t. It made me feel sick.

“The games are over for now. Put the remaining two in the holding room. Finn, check over Ebony and let me know the verdict.”

I tug at the hem of my black T-shirt and rest my hands on the desk.

They carry her into the third room and lay her down on the bed as Reggie brings in some of Finn’s supplies that we keep nearby.

He uses a stethoscope to check her heart rate and takes her blood pressure, the cuff tightening around her arm.

Relief washes over me as she blinks her eyes open. They’re red, and she’s confused as she looks around.

“W-what happened?” Her voice is soft, almost innocent.

Relief, that is all I feel.

“You passed out,” Finn replies bluntly, not shifting focus from his task.

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