Page 57 of Ruthless Keeper
“Shut the fuck up,” I throw over my shoulder, giving her a warning glare before turning back to Cain.
“It’s my punishment to accept. If it kills me, I only have one condition; you let her go. Don’t reassign her to someone else. Otherwise, Eric will come for us, and he willdestroy us.”
Cain’s jaw flexes. He tries to sidestep, get a glimpse of Scarlett, but I shift my stance to continue guarding her from him. I got her into this mess, I didn’t double check to make sure Cain wasn’t around. Now, I get to deal with the ramifications. Her temper snapping isn’t her fault; it’s mine. I won’t let her bear consequences that fall squarely onmyshoulders.
“Agreed,” Cain finally says. “You have my word. Now, let’s see if you survive. We’re going to the annex.”
“Now?” I ask. Cain only glares in response, telling me everything I need to know.
I try to mentally prepare myself, but there’s no use. I know how cruel Cain is with a whip; I’ve seen him actually whip a man todeathbefore. I’m in for a world of agony, but if it protects Scarlett, it’s worth it.
“Now.”
“Let me take Scarlett back to our apartment—”
“No,” Cain snaps. “She got you into this fucking mess, and she’s lucky I’m not deciding that letting her live is more of a hassle than it’s worth. No, she stays, and shewatchesthe consequences of her insolence.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Scarlett
I’m anidiot.
I let my anger get the best of me. I let my hatred of Cain make me open my mouth and speak… and the monster who’s destroyed parts of me, who shattered my already-broken soul, just offered to give his life up for me. Not to savemylife, but to spare me the pain.
My heart thuds a rapidtap-tap-tapagainst my ribcage, like a hummingbird. Anxiety courses through my veins, mixing with adrenaline, sheer horror, and another, stranger emotion.
The man who stabbed me, waterboarded me, dumped me in a cell before claiming me and doing unspeakable things to my body… just risked his life to spare mepain.
I won’t hurt you.
I’ll never hurt you again.
I’ll never let anyone else hurt you.
He’s standing behind what I previously assumed to be empty words. He’snotgoing to hurt me—in fact, he’ll get himselfkilledto spare me.
No one has ever made that sort of sacrifice for me before. No one has stood behind me—or, in this case, before me—and offered up their life to save mine, let alone to spare me a whipping. Not my ownmother, and not even my brother.
“Monster—Greyson,” I whisper. “I’m… I’m—”
“I know, Flower,” he murmurs, turning around to face me. When he sees the tears swelling in my eyes, he pulls me into his arms.
For once, they don’t feel like a cruel cage. Right now, they feel like support… even thoughIshould be supportinghim.
“You should let me take it,” I say. “I…Ispoke back. He might… he mightkillyou.” I shouldn’t care that Monster might die; it would mean my freedom. I should beprayingthat Cain kills Monster. But I can’t… not when Monster’s doing for me what no one else has done. Not now that I realize that he was telling the truth from the moment he took me out of my torture chamber.
Hewon’thurt me.
Hewillprotect me from everyone but himself… and, since the moment he made his promises to me, the worst he’s done is sexually punish me. It’s been agony, yes, but… he hasn’t hurt me.
“Don’t even think it.” Monster cups my cheeks. “Scarlett, don’t even fucking think it. If I die, you’re free. It’s what you’ve wanted all along, isn’t it?” His tone is light, but the weight behind his words cuts deep.
I don’t know how to tell him that now, I’m not so sure Iwantto leave…
I can’t conjure the words—I don’t even know if they’re true. But, on impulse, I do the one thing I swore I’d never do. The one thing that I neverwould’vedone, if not for this very moment.
Heart pounding, I lean up on my tiptoes and press my lips to Monster’s. Time is suspended for a single, breathless moment asthe softness of his lips comes into contact with my own, and my heart skips a beat. It feels… alarmingly right.
