Page 19 of Tainted Serenity

The more my arms are spread apart, the more my muscles strain until it becomes uncomfortable. I have to fight hard not to grit out.

“You have been a very bad boy, Grey. You should respect your master.”

“You are not my fucking master.”

Humiliation fills me at being this exposed and vulnerable in front of others, even if those others mean nothing.

“You will do as I say, as I tell you to. You will listen.”

Spit flies out of his mouth as he speaks, seething through his teeth. I ignore him, my muscles straining and every part of me aching from the bruises he caused me. He doesn’t like to be ignored, and I feel an impact on my fingers as he twists them back, causing another scream to slip from my dry lips. The pain is overwhelming, making black dots appear in my vision.

“Remember your place, boy.”

“You won’t ever win over me.” I stare at him, hatred pouring through my veins like black magic as I try to breathe regularly.

Arthur turns toward the guard, snapping his fingers, but it’s hard to even focus on it all when his next words ring in my ears like a taunting bell.

“Level three.”

The machine to which I’m bound forces my arms to extend tightly to my sides, creating a firm hold that makes my clothes cling to my skin as if they might burst at any moment. I sense my shoulder blades grinding against each other with every second that passes. Every muscle in my body begs for release and something keen to mercy, but there is nothing merciful about the two men in the room with me.

The gears of the machine whir as the guard changes levels, the room falling eerily silent while I struggle to breathe amidst the torment. The echo of my guttural screams permeates the walls, escaping when my body succumbs to the agony. It becomes all too consuming, tearing me from the inside out, the relentless ache splitting me apart as the exhaustion radiates through me.

I try to divert my focus from the excruciating ordeal, but all that comes to the forefront of my mind is how cold the chains are against my skin and how tight they are. Their icy touch bites into my ankles, mimicking the sensation of blades puncturing my skin, drawing masses of blood that will make me suffer from blood loss.

Arthur places a cold hand against my cheek as he stares into my eyes with determination and something else—a lingering fascination behind those dull eyes.

“Just give up. I’m going to break you one way or another. It’s your choice if you want to drag Naya into it or not.”

The mere mention of her name on his lips makes it feel like he has ripped my skin apart, grabbed hold of my still-beating heart, and then squeezed the life out of it until it stops beating entirely. Anger so potent it could burn down the room takes over me, and together with the sadness, it makes a terrible mix.

A dangerous potion of heartbreak and love.

“Don’t fucking say her name,” I grit through my teeth, pain lacing every word.

I am angry and unleashed, the sounds of the room grating my senses as my inner impulses take hold. I need to fucking hurt someone, murder Arthur for threatening to hurt Naya.

“If you even lay one finger on her, I will crack your spine with one movement.”

He stares at me as if he finds me amusing, but little does he know that I will follow through on my threats, and I won’t regret it one bit.

“Do you know where she is?” I ask, trying to hide the desperation within me while waiting for his reply.

“And if I do?”

I try to fight my way out of the restraints, but the chains cut into my skin, tightening their hold. And then I feel the machine’s gears start moving again, stretching out my arms even more until my shoulder blades meet fully, feeling as if they are crossing each other. My entire body fills with numbing pain, making it hard to focus on anything else but that.

But one thing is clear as day within my mind—the only thing that keeps me sane. My little doll’s perfect chestnut brown hair cascading down her back as she once wore a laced black bra, her smile as she turned to look at me, highlighting her beautiful freckles I love to kiss.

God, how I miss kissing her breathlessly.

“Tell me where the fuck she is.”

Arthur paces back and forth, his footsteps rhythmically reverberating. It sets off a disconcerting sensation within me while I anxiously wait for his answer, needing to know where the fuck they are holding her.

If she’s even here.

Fuck! She has to be.

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