Page 23 of Deadly Sacrifice

I crouch in front of her, spearing her with a hard look as I move my hand from the top of her head to her throat. I even give a little warning squeeze just to ensure she’s really paying attention. “Don’t embarrass yourself here, sweetheart,” I muse, giving Prudence a cocky smile. “We both know you’ll lose.”

Prudence swallows against my hand, gritting her teeth as she blinks away furious tears. “Why are you doing this to me?” she whispers, and the break in her voice hits me like a fucking bullet. She closes her eyes when one of the guys still watching makes another crude comment to her. “Why me, when I-I’m nobody to you?” she adds quietly.

I take a second to truly consider that, to think about my motives and what answer I’m willing to give her. Why am I targeting Prudence? Because my dad said so. Because my future depends on her breaking like a porcelain doll. Because the secret society I have no choice but to join will likely kill me if I don’t. I said we didn’t kill people, but that’s not entirely true. Our own members are easy to get rid of if one were to make a mistake.

But I can’t tell this little redhead that, can I?

So, instead, I lean in a little closer, making sure my answer is only for her ears, and then I say, “Because I fucking want to.” Prudence snaps her eyes open at the harsh bite in my voice, frowning at me. “Now clean your mess up. Show me how sorry you are, and maybe I won’t let that pack of horny guys surround you when I’m done here.”

“You’re the most vile, disgusting son of a bitch I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting,” she seethes. “And one day, you’ll be the one who’s sorry, Asher.”

I laugh, giving her throat one more squeeze before letting go and standing once more. “Doubtful,” is all I say, my smile firmly back on.

Prudence takes a deep breath, blowing it out slowly, and then she gets on her hands and knees again and dips her head toward my shoe.

“Flat on your stomach, if you don’t mind,” I say lightly, winking at the handful of guys recording this.

Her muscles lock up, and I roll my eyes, readying myself for another struggle with her, but then she shakes it off and drops, laying on the concrete with her face only an inch from my feet. I can’t explain the drug-like thrill that shoots straight through my veins as I watch Prudence squeeze her eyes shut, reluctantly open her mouth, and then lick away the wad of spit she left behind.

Having her down there, as low as she can possibly be, at my feet and following such a degrading command? Fuck. It may be better than getting sucked off.

“That’s enough,” I rasp, fighting the need to adjust myself in my jeans.

Prudence snaps her mouth closed, but she doesn’t make any move to get up. Her eyes are still shut, and a shudder rolls through her limbs.

“Up now, sweetheart. Come on,” I urge her gently.

“Nah, man, leave her on the floor for me! I’ve got something she can clean next,” one of the guys jokes, striding forward as his friends clap and elbow each other like a bunch of pre-pubescent boys.

I’m moving to block Prudence before I can think. Standing at her feet — though I do hear her finally moving to get up — I cross my arms and shake my head at him. “I don’t think so. I gave you all a show. Now it’s over. Get your asses moving.”

“Seriously, man?” he asks, peeking back at his friends like maybe he heard me wrong. “You did the hard work for us. A slut like that is easy picking now. Why not just walk away and leave her to me?” He shrugs, like it’s such a simple solution; leaving a trembling, angry woman alone with a pack of strangers who want to use her.

Use her just like I did.

That truth is a hard pill to swallow. I’ve never been like this. A few years ago, I never would have imagined myself in this situation. And yet I came out here, pushed Prudence to her knees, and cracked jokes like I’ve had the time of my goddamn life.

Revulsion curls tight in my stomach. The Celestials have been corrupting me all my life, little by little, so I didn’t notice until this very moment. I can’t deny that having her in this position for me isn’t a fucking turn on, but I’d have preferred her to be a willing plaything, not a spiteful brat being forced into it.

And, as always, the question that haunts me surfaces at the most inopportune time: What other choice do I have anyway? What’s the point of being ashamed of myself when things can only get worse from here? The end goal is to have Prudence broken beyond repair, so why bother myself with useless feelings about the matter?

As if I’ve shut down, pressed the off button in my mind, everything goes blank. My thoughts, my expression. I don’t care about the woman behind me, nor do I give a damn about the group of guys before me.

I smile at the man right in front of me. “You know what? Have at it,” I tell him, nodding back toward Prudence before turning and heading to my car. I need to get the fuck out of here before I do something reckless. Like try to play the big bad hero in her story and step in to defend her. Doing so will only cause pain down the line. She’ll think I care. I’ll soften for her terrified expression. Doubt will creep in. And then I could cost both of us our lives.

So I keep my head down as I walk to the parking lot, not planning on looking back.

Until I hear that guy order Prudence to suck him off. Not just him, but the entire group. Six or seven guys, right there on the edge of campus, for anyone to see. She refuses, naturally, but then he tells her that he’ll happily drag her off somewhere private if that’s the issue. My steps slow, but I purposely keep my gaze forward. Don’t fucking do it, Asher. Keep walking. And I plan to. Nothing is going to make me change my mind.

But then Prudence sobs something too muffled for me to make out, and all I can picture is what those guys are going to force her into because of me. Because I walked away. Because I’m a fucking asshole, too scared of his daddy to do the right thing.

I’m turning back for her in a second.

“On second thought,” I say once I reach them again, putting my hand on the ringleader’s shoulder and giving him a cold smile. “I don’t feel like sharing today.” My fingers dig in brutally when the fucker opens his mouth to argue. Leaning in close, I whisper to him, “If you do anything other than walk away, you’ll be dead before midnight. And I don’t make empty threats, buddy, so think long and hard about how much a blowjob is worth.”

He gives me this screwed up face, like he’s ready to fight over it, but whatever he sees in my eyes does the trick. He swallows, nodding and then giving Prudence a deep frown before muttering, “Yeah, no, she’s not that hot, anyway. I can get better head somewhere else.”

“Smart man,” I muse, finally letting him go and watching as he practically tucks his tail and speeds off, his friends following behind with confused expressions. When I turn back to Prudence, she’s angrily wiping tears off her cheeks. “You good?” I ask casually.

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