Page 35 of Sinful Kingdom

As if they’re watching us—which they probably are—footsteps pound outside the door before the locks are pulled back and two men step inside.

I want to say I’m on my feet in a heartbeat, shoving Zay behind me and standing tall, but something tells me it might be a lie. The burning pain from my back sure clues me into the fact that I’m not being as slick as I’d normally be.

“What do you want?” I growl as the warmth of my own blood trickles down my back.

My hands tremble at my sides as my head spins. But succumbing to my own fears right now isn’t going to help anyone. And if they were to learn my weakness… No, just fucking no.

“You want to see your girl?” one of them growls, fully distracting me from the blood.

“Yes,” I state simply.

“Okay, then come with us.”

I stare at them for a beat before looking back.

Zay holds my eyes then nods, telling me to go.

“No, I can’t—”

“We might not offer again,” one of the men warns darkly. “The kid will be okay.”

I’ve no idea if these are two of the men who tied me up and whipped me—it’s impossible to tell with only their eyes showing in darkness. Not that it matters. I don’t trust any of them. Especially not with Zay.

“It’s okay,” Zay whispers. “Go make sure she’s okay.”

“I’d do as he says if I were you,” the other guy states. Something tells me that if his face weren’t covered, he’d be smirking.

I hesitate, fear that this might all be a ruse to get me away from Zay growing.

“Go, Alex. I can handle it,” he says firmly.

My leg moves of its own accord, taking me closer to the men, and hopefully my girl.

“Let’s go then. And I swear to God, if you’ve hurt her, I will gut both of you alive.”

One of them chuckles darkly and the other steps around me, slamming his palms against my ruined back and shoving me face-first into the wall so he can cuff me.

“Cunt,” I hiss with my cheek pressed against the cold concrete wall.

“Be nice, or we might change our minds.”

I keep my mouth shut, because I can’t risk that happening.

I need to know if Evie is here or if they’re just baiting me. I need to know if she’s okay, and if she’s not, then I need to figure out a way to bring this place to the ground, with or without the help of my body.

I’m marched from the room, shouting back for Zay to be strong. The hallways I’m taken down are about as depressing as the room we’re locked in.

It’s so cold that we have to be underground. It’s summer on the outside. Even the solid walls caging me in shouldn’t keep the warmth out quite so effectively, unless we’re that far away from the sun.

But before I get to figure it all out, I’m shoved into a room that looks a lot like the one I’ve just left, only this one has a single chair in the middle and screens attached to every wall.

“What the hell is this?” I demand.

“We told you, we brought you to see your girl.”

This wasn’t what I had in fucking mind, arsehole, I seethe silently.

“Take a seat,” the other says, shoving me into the chair, making my eyes water with pain when I’m dragged back into it. “You wouldn’t want to miss the show.”

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