Page 178 of Rescuing Ally: Part 1

Hank moves first, his fingers working the restraints loose from my wrists. The absence of them feels foreign, and my body is too spent to process the freedom. He sets me gingerly on my feet, but I crumple, limp and boneless.

But Hank doesn’t let me fall.

His strong arms catch me, hauling me up, keeping me steady.

I expect to be wrapped in warmth, to be eased back into something soft and comforting. Finished.

But Hank doesn’t take me to the shower.

He half-carries and half-drags me toward the center of the room.

My breath hitches.

Overhead, the restraints dangle—black leather and polished steel, gleaming ominously in the dim light. My stomach tightens, heat and anticipation twisting with something sharper.

Hank doesn’t say a word as he positions me beneath them, his grip firm, guiding.

Then—Gabe steps in.

His presence shifts the air, heavy with intent.

His heat wraps around me before his hands even touch my skin, his energy a dark, living thing.

He moves in close—so close I can feel the ghost of his breath at my temple, his fingers brushing the cuffs as he lifts my wrists.

One by one, he secures me.

Leather bites into my skin, snug, unyielding.

Then he bends, fastening my ankles wide—spreading me open, leaving me completely exposed.

The click of the last buckle is a quiet death knell to my will.

I’m his now.

Hank releases me.

Steps back. The space between us opens, vast and irreversible.

A single glance passes between them—silent, absolute—a language spoken in power and trust, in a bond older than my presence between them.

Hank gives a slight nod.

And then, the words.

“She’s yours now.” His voice is low.

Final.

A chill snakes down my spine, my stomach twisting as I realize Hank intends to leave me alone with Gabe.

Gabe, who is a sadist.

Who won’t take mercy on me.

Who is looking at me now like I’m the most exquisite thing he’s ever seen—bound and waiting, his for the taking. The smirk that usually plays on his lips is gone. In its place, something deeper.

Darker.

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