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.

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