Page 18 of Destroy (Deadly Hearts 2)
I hold my hand out for the whip and Layton drops it lightly against my palm, then he moves across the room to stand with the other men.
“Go,” I croak out.
“Stay,” she says calmly. “I want you all to witness this.”
“Fuck,” I moan. “Princess, please.”
Silence.
She has nothing left to say and if I don’t do this, she will leave me. I don’t know which is worse right now. My heart is hammering in my chest when I whisper, “Have you been a bad girl, Princess?”
Her tense shoulders relax, and I see her take a deep breath.
“Yes,” she says, exhaling slowly.
I shuffle around so that I’m facing her back. I can see our initials etched into her skin by Layton the other night.
“What have you done?” I ask, forcing my voice to steady out.
“I have betrayed the men I care about,” she whispers. “The men that I lo—love.”
I cast my glance to the other three men, who aren’t moving a muscle. No. This is all on me. I feel sick.
“How so?” I ask.
“I let another man touch me,” she says.
“No,” I say, shaking my head vehemently. “Ruby. No!”
“I allowed another man inside me. I betrayed the men I love.”
“Dammit,” I shout at her. “What are you doing?”
Nothing.
I pull my arm back and whip her as lightly as I can, knowing she will only say it again and again and I can’t hear it. My stomach clenches into a tight ball.
“Harder,” she murmurs.
“No.”
“Harder. I fucked another man,” she spits out harshly.
“Ruby!”
“Harder, Daddy. I need this.”
“Fuck!” I roar at her and whip her again, this time a bit harder. I know exactly how to wield this fucking instrument. I know exactly how much force to use to not hurt her and how much force will break the skin.
“Again,” she says steadily.
Feeling the bile rise in my throat, I do as she asks.
She doesn’t utter a single sound. She just stands there.
“Anything else, Princess?” I croak out.
“I killed a man,” she says.
