Page 98 of Crush (Deadly Hearts 1)

I want to run, I want to shout at him to stop, but I can’t. I’m completely incapable.

“See how easy it is when you don’t fight?” he asks, pushing my hair out of my face.

He removes his hand, but then I feel a sharp prick when he injects something into my arm.

I scream and buck on the table as whatever it was burns through my veins like fire. Tears prick my eyes, and my breathing is a heavy pant.

After what seems like a lifetime of this agony, it disappears, soothed by another injection in my other arm.

“How does that feel?” he asks.

“Good,” I rasp, giving him what he wants.

“Yes, very good,” he says and then jabs me again with the burning hot fire, making me scream my lungs out with the torture this substance is inflicting on me.

I come to, not having realized I passed out. I don’t know how much time has passed. It could be a minute, it could be several hours. I’m in a state of no pain, so am able to hear the light slap-slap as he jerks off. I turn my head towards the sound and get hit in the face with his cum.

“You’re so pretty,” he says. “You look so much like your mother.”

“How do you know my mother?” I ask slowly, trying to steady my breathing and ignore the cum dripping down my face.

“My brother was in love with her for a long time. Your father killed him, so now I’m going to kill you so he can know the pain.”

“What?” I choke out. “What are you talking about?”

“Revenge, dear girl,” he says. “I’m sure you know all about it. You will die here by my hand, but I want to play with you first. You are such fun. I thought you would drop unconscious long before you did. So strong.”

I blink. “What are you doing to me?”

“That’s not important,” he says. “What is important right now is that you call your men. I want you to tell them that you are fine and had to leave on family business.” His vicious smirk sends the icy finger of dread down my spine. He holds up my phone and turns it on. He holds it to my thumb to unlock it and, wincing when I hear how many messages ding, he brings up David’s number.

“They will know I’m lying,” I point out. Declan, most especially, is no fool. I’m counting on him to find me, wherever the fuck I am. I wish I had some clue, but there is dead silence outside of this room.

It rings and then David answers, “Ruby? Where the fuck are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” I say in the strongest voice I can. I can’t give this demented asshole any cause for concern. “I had urgent family business. I can’t go into it right now, but I’m okay.”

“Okay,” he drawls, not buying it for a second, but unsure how to contradict me.

“Listen, will you tell Ramsey to record the Man City match for me. You know how much I love them and don’t want to miss a single game.”

There is a slight pause which tells me that I’m on speaker and Ramsey is already listening.

“Sure,” he says slowly. “I’ll do that.”

Now he knows I’m in trouble. They all know that I’m United all the way.

“I’ll call again soon,” I say and then Boomer hangs up. “Happy?” I ask, trying to find the fire that I know exists somewhere in me, somewhere.

“For now,” he says and turns my phone off again. “I have someone coming to visit us. He is very particular, and you need to be silent and still or he will get very angry.”

I nod, needing a minute to gather myself. I have to figure out a way to get myself out of this, because it doesn’t look like the men have any idea where I am yet. I don’t even know where I am yet.

A moment later, there is a soft knock on what appears to be a metal door. Boomer goes off to open it, and I watch his progress. Now I know where the door is. Although, I’m certain it will be locked up like Fort Knox. I hear scuffling and then a familiar face swims into view. I frown and it hits me in the heart like a speeding bullet. Surely, I’m hallucinating or something. But there again, I know how corrupt he is, so associating with the likes of Boomer here is probably all in a day’s work for him.

“Oh, yes, she is perfect,” D.I. Smith whispers, stroking my face.

I pull away, but he grips my chin tightly.

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