Page 28 of Darkest Game
“You want to embarrass me,” Liam continues. “Make me a fucking laughingstock out of all the men who work for you so you can be on top.”
“It works for me. Don’t hate the game, Liam. Now, let’s finish this wedding celebration. I haven’t had the first dance with your wife yet.” Jack pulls me into his arms before I can react and swings me onto the dance floor. Liam watches us with so much hatred in his eyes.
Jack is going to take all my firsts away from Liam. This was supposed to be mine and Liam’s first dance together as husband and wife and Jack is making a mockery out of him.
“I expect you to have fun tonight,” Jack says low into my ear. All I feel is numb. First, I was almost killed today and now I’ll be raped tonight. It will be easier if I’m numb and can’t feel anything. “I expect you to moan my name as I fuck your virginity right out of you. Answer me.”
I nod.
Jack huffs and spins us faster around the room. “My wife shouldn’t have tried to kill you. I want you pretty. If anyone is going to mutilate you, it’s going to be me.”
My legs can’t hold me up any longer and I slump right into Jack. He stumbles back from the unexpected weight of me and I fall right to the floor. The guests murmur, talking about me, but none of them come to help.
Except for Liam.
He walks right onto the dance floor and helps me stand up. “It’s time for my first dance with Irina.”
Jack smirks. “You can pretend that you’ll be first, but you’ll always know you weren’t.” He goes back to Elaine, who gives him the cold shoulder, which doesn’t seem to bother Jack since he gives the cold shoulder right back to his wife.
“Let’s dance,” Liam murmurs, holding me close to him. His smell is intoxicating. His strength is comforting. And his eyes are endearing.
“I didn’t mean to fall.”
He guides me much more slowly around the dance floor than Jack did. Almost gentle. Almost like he cares. “I figured. You’re in shock. You were almost killed. And Jack is going to hurt you.”
“I’m not going to ask you to help me anymore. I know you won’t.”
He stares at me with an expression I can’t make out. Parts shock, parts anger, and parts sadness. “Irina…”
“I just want to say thank you for saving me from Elaine. I’ll handle the rest on my own.” I drop my arms and Liam lets me go. I walk back to my seat at Jack’s side since that’s where I belong now. Even as it’s breaking my soul.
Chapter Six
Liam
Jack stands up and claps his hands, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “It is time for the wedding night.”
A lot of the men whistle and holler. Irina sinks deeper into her seat, looking utterly miserable. Not surprising since she’s about to be raped tonight.
I clench my hands under the table. If I could kill Jack, I would. But I never try to do anything that would ruin my life and killing Jack would put my life into a tailspin. It’s better to just let this happen. I have no care for Irina. She’s just some Russian girl I was forced to marry.
“Now,” Jack continues, “normally it’s the groom who claims his bride on his wedding night. But for tonight, it’s going to beme. As boss, I am going to take this pretty girl’s virginity.” He runs his fingers down Irina’s face and she only ducks her chin more.
The men in the room let out a cheer while the few female guests look disgusted. I guess not everyone is happy about this. But what can the women do? Even Jack’s own wife can’t make him stop.
Elaine is still glaring daggers at Irina for failing to hurt her. When I saw the knife at Irina’s throat, something shifted inside of me. The urge to protect Irina like I’ve never felt before. I shouldn’t care one bit. Hell, if Elaine had killed her, it would have made my life a million times easier. Then Jack couldn’t hurt Irina tonight. Then Jack couldn’t hold Irina over my head and make a fool out of me. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with this fucking feeling inside of me. One of pure, hot anger and… guilt.
I feel guilty for not saving Irina, even though I shouldn’t. She means nothing to me.
But when I glance at her in her pretty wedding dress stained with blood from the cut on her arm I can’t help but feel the urge to comfort her. To make sure she’s safe.
“Once I’m done with her,” Jack says, “then her husband can have her. But I already told him that any man can have Irina after tonight. She’s a plaything for us all.”
It takes everything inside of me to not grab the steak knife from the table and chuck it at Jack’s face.
The men in the room only laugh more and share hungry little expressions that make me want to kill them all. Irina is going to be gang raped if I don’t stop it.
But to stop it, I’d have to go against Jack. I’d have to put my own life in danger to make it happen. I’d be going against everything I’ve worked for to get where I am… just to save a girl I don’t care about?
