Page 20 of Velvet Cruelty

“Ow,” I say, shaking my palm. “Little bitch!”

“You’re evil,” January spits. “Evil, horrible men!”

I press my hand back over her mouth. “You think we mind being evil, Tesorina? You think we care?”

Morelli pulls a handkerchief from his jacket. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Miss Whitehall. You’ve been sheltered your whole life. Told what’s right and wrong. Your morals are like your pussy. Completely untested. You’ve never had to make a choice. Doc, take your hand away.”

The moment I do, January screams and Morelli shoves the cloth between her lips. She gives a noise of muffled outrage, and he slaps her again.

“Remember what I said, Miss Whitehall. Behave yourself and live or disobey and die.” He turns to Basher. “Kill him.”

Basher presses the gun to Cooper’s head. The plastic contains the spray and the body jerks twice before going still.

January slumps in my arms. I’m pretty sure she’s passed out.

“So that’s done,” I say. “Can we eat? I’m fucking starving.”

Morelli sweeps a hand through his model-perfect hair. “Not yet. Set up a camera and put a chair into the middle of the room. Time to show Parker what we’ve done.”

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