Page 69 of Always Been Mine

It didn’t make it right.

Don’t jump to conclusions.

What if he couldn’t deny it?

Ask Gabe. Trust him.

At that moment, Beatrice felt fear. Not fear for an imminent death, but fear that she would die with these conflicted emotions about the man she loved.

As her turmoil continued, she almost didn’t notice the voice was speaking to her once more.

“. . . so you had no idea, poor Beatrice.”

The inflection on her name made her ears prick up. It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

The first man came back on. “This presents such a wonderful opportunity. You do realize that Gabriel Sullivan acted with full orders from your father. That the killing of those children was sanctioned by the admiral.”

“You’re lying about Gabe and my father,” Beatrice lifted her head and stared at the mirror defiantly.

“Ask them.”

“How can I when you’ve abducted me?” she retorted.

Diabolical laughter echoed around her. She was feeling dizzy and the room spun.

“We’ll return you to your father, but we’ll have a little fun with you first.”

“Wh . . . What?”

“Do you know how Dmitry Yerzov sent his messages to Zorin’s enemies?”

This time her fear had morphed into something else. Terror.

After the last threat,someone in a ski mask came in and gave her water, but not food. She couldn’t eat anyway for her stomach was tied up in knots. They let her use the restroom, but marched her right back to the chair and secured her once more. This time they blindfolded her.

They kept her guessing a few hours more. Maybe it was another whole day. She had lost concept of time.

Footsteps came up to the door. It opened. Her ears picked up maybe three men shuffling into the room.

Something was dragged into the center of the room, probably the table she spotted in the corner earlier. Her chair was suddenly shoved forward and the edge of the table hit her rib cage. She didn’t react or say anything.

Her hands were untied and her arms were pulled forward across the table, and held down firmly.

No!

Panic seized her for she knew what was about to happen. Images of Kelly Winters’s brutalized body flashed through her mind.

She attempted to fight, yank her hands away, but they were slammed painfully down on the table when she tried.

“The more you fight, the more it’s going to hurt,” a voice said by her ear.

“You sadistic bastards . . .” she whispered hoarsely.

“Just sending a message.”

The pain hit her and she screamed. Unrelenting agony tore through her flesh. Her arms burned with each slice. After a while, all the pain faded, but someone was still screaming.

“Gabe, help me.”Beatrice reached out to him in the darkness.

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