Page 96 of Torment

In fact, the only thing she felt was relief. It was finally over. Her demon had been slayed, and by the hands of the man she loved.

It was fucking poetic.

She saw the anger and the rage consume Hunter as he carved his way through Brent’s flesh. And honestly, she didn’t have the urge to stop him once. He was doing it for her, she knew that, and she loved him for it—completely.

Scarlet felt her body relax in her father’s arms and she closed her eyes just for a few seconds before someone started to clap.

When she opened her eyes and saw Rex walking around Brent’s body, still clapping, a look of self-satisfactory on his face, gleaming with amusement, she knew it wasn’t over yet.

“Well done. Even I got chills throughout the entire performance.” He stopped in front of Brent and tilted his head to the side as if he wanted to see Brent’s dead face, maybe take a mental picture of it and stash it inside one of those twisted archive drawers in his mind.

Hunter eyed Rex suspiciously, and Scarlet knew Hunter was still on edge, waiting for Rex to make the wrong move.

“It’s over, Rex,” Hunter said. “Now I’m taking my woman, and I’m leaving.”

Rex held his hands up in the air. “Of course. She is yours now after all, so I have no objections whatsoever.”

Hunter nodded, picked up his shirt from the floor, and started to wipe the blood off his hands as he made his way over to her. James gently put her down, and she gave two steps before falling into Hunter’s arms.

The way he wrapped his arms around her, the way his warmth swept through her body, it was like she had finally found home after all these years.

“I love you, Scar,” he whispered as he kissed the top of her head, stroking his fingers down her hair.

“I love you too.” The more she said those words, the more she wanted to say it. This entire experience, everything about it, had solidified their bond. Hunter killing for her, letting her torturer bleed by his hands—it was as if nothing in this world would ever have the power to break what had been strengthened between them.

Hunter lifted her chin and placed a tender kiss on her lips. It was soft, delicate, but had the power to electrify her entire body.

He looked down at her. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Just as they turned around, Rex cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention back to him.

“One last thing.”

Scarlet’s heart sank to her stomach, her gut heavy as she turned to face him.

That smirk was still on his face. “Since this all worked out for all of you, because…well, because of me,” he said arrogantly, “I only ask for one favor in return.”

Scarlet glanced up at Hunter and saw the tick in his jaw.

Rex shrugged. “It seems only fair that I get something out of this as well, don’t you think?”

Hunter gave a step forward, and gently urged her behind him. “I’d say you got plenty out of tonight’s events.”

“Really? How do you figure that?” Rex challenged.

“Well, you certainly tested Piper’s gag reflex to the limit, didn’t you?”

Rex waved it off. “Like I told you, my first is way better at sucking my cock than Piper.”

Scarlet raised a brow. “Your first is Carla, right?”

“Yes, Carla. I call her my first because she is my favorite.” He straightened his sleeves and shot his cuffs. “I just hope the damage you did isn’t permanent. It would be a shame if I had to put her along with the rest of myusedcollection.”

Hunter snorted. “You do realize you’re talking about a person, right? A real live person?”

“A real live person whose only goal in life is to please me. If she can’t do that anymore, what use does she have?”

Hunter just shook his head, dumbfounded by Rex’s disregard for human life, and for the body of a woman.