Page 196 of Born in Depravity

“I’ll send this to my dear brother. I’m sure he can get the video to hisfriends.”

Luis smiled, baring teeth. Saliva built up in my mouth. I was going to be sick.

My heart pounded fiercely in my chest as fear choked the breath out of me. They were going to film me. I glanced over at Father. He stood there, his arms crossed.

I didn’t know why I had expected him to put a stop to it. He’d probably thought of it himself.

I supposed I always thought—hoped—parents would always love their children no matter the kind of person they were.

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a fist.

I doubted he had ever loved me or my mom.

He loved no one but himself.

Henry climbed onto the mattress with me.

I kicked him. His one hand made him awkward and I got lucky when my feet made contact with his chin.

His head snapped back and I looked up when he turned angry eyes on me.

“Get over here,” he said to Luis, while he pushed one hand down my middle. “Hold her down. I’m sure you can do that while filming.”

“With pleasure,” Luis replied nastily.

I struggled even harder. My hands came in contact with the blade beneath me. I wrapped my fist tightly around the handle. I doubted I could get out of this alive, but I wasn’t going to give in to them.

I was going to draw blood.

I tried to move the knife out from under me without being noticed when something caught my eye.

I froze.

My eyes moved up to Henry before going back down to the small cross tattoo on his forearm, nearly identical to the one Damien had.

The man who sold me to your father has the same tattoo on the exact same place on his left forearm.

Henry was …

I stared at him with wide eyes.

Henry must have felt me tense beneath him, because he paused, those cold eyes of his taking me in.

Leaning down, he brushed my hair off to the side and, “I’m going to fucking ruin you before I slit your throat. Then I’m going to send your fucking corpse to those Russian bastards so they know what happens to anyone who stands with them.”

I turned my face to the side when I felt his lips move down to mine. He caught the corner of my lips, and I could smell the putrid scent of his breath. I reared back and spit on his face just as Luis came over.

I wiggled as Luis tried to bring my arms back and Henry lifted my dress. The fact that I wasn’t wearing anything underneath never left my thoughts, only now, it was pushed to the forefront. I flung my leg up and moved my hand out from under me with the knife. I caught Henry on the side of his face, drawing blood.

He roared. “You fucking bitch!”

I closed my eyes and braced myself for another slap when the door pushed open with a bang.

We all turned.

I blinked.

I must be hallucinating, or I was dead and this must be my own brand of heaven … or hell, because standing there were Damien, Mikhail, and Nikolay, guns in their hands. Another man stood with them, who could have passed as Luis’s twin without the scars.

---