Page 63 of Sinful Kingdom

Sucking in a deep breath, I steel myself for the performance of my life.

“Let’s go.”

None too gently, he drags me from inside the van, his fingertips digging into my upper arms before I’m thrown across the gravel.

My palms and knees burn with the impact, and my leggings immediately rip.

Tears fill my eyes as pain shoots through my body, but I use it to my advantage.

Play the game, Evie. Play the—

I’m snatched from the ground by the back of Alex’s shirt before he restrains my hands behind my back, making my shoulders smart.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers in my ear before his fingers twist so tightly in my hair that the tears filling my eyes spill over.

He marches me toward an old church. I’m sure back in the day it was probably beautiful, but right now, it’s nothing but harrowing with the low sunlight glinting in the stained glass windows, making the dark stonework even more terrifying.

I can’t say I’m surprised, though. These men are more than happy playing God. It’s actually quite fitting for them to be here.

Long before we get to the colossal double doors, they creak open slowly, proving our assumptions of being watched from the moment we drove through the gate correct.

“Delivery,” the guy grunts before throwing me forward into the waiting arms of two other masked men.

Thankfully, they catch me before I hit the stone entryway.

“Who are you?” they bark at the man.

“No one. And I can assure you, after doing this, you won’t see me again.”

I’m jostled around enough to catch sight of him running back to the van.

“Boss,” one of the guys says, pressing his finger against an earpiece. “We have company. We need the grounds swept.”

I glance up when silence falls. I can’t read anything in his cold, dark eyes as he listens to whoever is on the other end of his comms.

But a violent shudder rips through me the second they run over my body like I’m nothing more than a toy that has just been delivered purely for his pleasure.

“We have the girl.”

My entire body jolts, hearing those words.

Play the game, Evie.

But while I might tell myself that, there is nothing fake about the whimper that spills from my lips as I’m shoved forward.

“You got it, boss. We’ll be right there.”

One of the men holds me tightly while the other pulls rope from his pocket.

He binds my wrists together behind my back while I whimper in pain.

“That’s enough,” he snaps before wrapping the second length around my head, gagging me.

I cry out and try to fight against them, but I’m no match for their strength.

And it’s in that moment that I really understand just how much of a stupid idea this might have been.

Happy with their work, they each wrap a hand around my upper arms and march me through the church entrance toward another set of doors.

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