Page 26 of Catch a King (Five Kings 1)

“Yes, honey?”

“You don’t have to tell me if you’d rather not, but when you said you put out, did that include Slade?”

I feel bad for asking when her eyes flash and she moves nearer. Without saying a word, she lifts her dress and my eyes fill with tears when I see the jagged scar of ownership.

“I’m sorry.” I stare at her with compassion and she shrugs. “It was the weirdest experience of my life, I’m not gonna lie. I thought he was going to kill me, then I was delivered so much pleasure I forgot my own name.”

“Is Axel ok with it?”

“He has to be. He knows the rules and when you put out that includes all of them. Anyway, Axel can’t say shit because he joined in a few times.”

“What?” I feel weak with disgust and she nods, her eyes bright. “Like I said before, women hating pigs, the lot of them. Axel ain’t no saint and neither am I?”

“But, not since…”

She looks down and I have my answer and my heart bleeds for her. Suddenly, it’s the most important thing to get the hell out of this place and return to a place where decent people live. Just thinking of what this poor girl has gone through reminds me what a lucky escape I had last night. Then again, Sawyer is family and may be more like them than I thought. What would I do if he invited his brother, or uncle, or both to play? I’d fight like hell to get out of here, mission, or no mission. I’ve fallen into the pit of hell and the only way out is to dance with the devil himself.

Chapter 21

Millie

Working the Dragon’s bar is much like the Reapers, without the respect. The guys are loud, crude and ugly inside and I have to turn away on more than one occasion when I see them treating the women so badly. I can’t believe they put up with it and I’m not sure how much longer I can continue staying silent.

My heart sinks when Slade gets to me before Sawyer returns and as he plants himself firmly on a seat at the bar, I struggle to look at him after what I’ve heard.

He clicks his fingers and says angrily, “Get me a drink.”

Counting to ten in my mind, I slide him a beer and he picks it up and throws it against the bar, making it smash into pieces. “I didn’t ask for a beer, get me a whiskey.”

I stare at him in disbelief as his lip curls and he sneers, “You got a problem with that?”

Thinking it best not to cause a scene, I slide him a whiskey and he grabs my hand and pulls me close over the bar.

“You think you’ve got away from me, think again. When you least expect it, I’ll find you and show you what happens to women who think they’re better than me.”

“Let go of me.”

I shake him off angrily and sneer. “Touch me again and you’ll regret it.”

“Or what?” He laughs out loud and I grab the jagged broken bottle that lies on the side. “You think I’m not afraid to remind you of your manners. You think I’m some defenseless woman who will put up with your shit. Well, go ahead and try, proving you’re the biggest dumb shit in the club because, honey, you’re nowhere near man enough for me and you may talk the talk, but darlin’, I walk the walk. Now smash one more piece of glass in my bar and you’ll be wearing it.”

For a moment I think I’ve gone too far and then his eyes light up with a spark of interest and my heart sinks. He loves this. He gets off on danger and violence and would love nothing more than a woman who fights back. Rather than warning him off, I’ve just made him hungrier and as he slides off the seat and grabs the hand of the nearest girl, I don’t miss the pure terror in her eyes as he picks up another piece of broken glass and says darkly, “Shame to waste it.”

He isn’t looking at her but at me the whole time and as he drags the poor woman off, I feel as if I’ve made a bad situation a whole lot worse.

I’m so on edge worrying about the girl and what he’s doing to her, and Ruby must notice because she makes her way from Griffin’s lap and leans on the bar. “Are you ok, Millie?”

“Not really.” I lower my voice. “I think Slade’s torturing that poor girl he dragged upstairs and I feel responsible.”

“Who, Avery?”

“I think that’s her name.”

Ruby shakes her head. “Don’t worry about her, honey, she’s been there more times than most of us. To be honest, she adores Slade and the fact he chooses her more than most, means he has some kind of feelings for her.”

“But, the glass, he took a piece of broken glass and I think he’s going to use it on her, shouldn’t we do something?”

“Don’t worry about it. Slade won’t hurt her, not against what she wants. Avery loves it rough, which is why she adores him so much. They get off on it, both of them, and when you see her later, she’ll probably thank you for working him up.”

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