Page 28 of Merciless

I tugged and twisted both my arms and legs hoping to myself. But none of my bindings so much as loosened.Instead, the rope just ripped into my skin.

At least with the amount of water raining down on me, no one ever has to know that I pissed myself in his chair while I wait for him to take pity on me and come back. That can be my little secret.

Each second sitting here feels like an hour. The only noises are the running water and my teeth clanking together. They’re annoying the shit out of me, but I can’t stop them. I am that fucking cold.

I’ve no idea how much time has passed when there’s a loud bang in the direction that Reid disappeared. It’s probably fruitless, but a small amount of hope seeps into my veins that this might be over.

In the grand scheme of things, a cold-water shower is tame as fuck for the likes of Reid Harris.

I’m not stupid enough to believe this is how he gets his prisoners to squeal. He’s capable of so much more.

This is just the beginning. He’s easing me in. Warming me up, metaphorically at least. And he’s enjoying every goddamn minute of it.

Footsteps approach and I open my eyes. They instantly fill with water, making everything blur. But I know it isn’t Reid. The aura is totally wrong.

It’s the other occupant of this house. Reid’s right-hand man. Julian Dempsey. Or JD, as he prefers.

I blink away the water, forcing myself to focus.

Wearing a pair of dark sweats and a wifebeater, he has his thick tattooed arms crossed over his chest and is resting against the wall as he studies me.

“You know, when Reid told me that you were down here wet and waiting for him, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Kinda disappointed, not gonna lie.”

“Get fucked,” I hiss, water spraying from my lips as I speak.

“That sounds like a fantastic idea,” he mutters to himself, before pushing from the wall and moving closer to get a better view.

Just out of the spray of the water, he drops to his haunches.

“You fucked up, little dove,” he states simply.

“Dove?” I hiss. Reid calling me his pet is bad enough. I don’t need to be called after a fucking bird as well.

“Yeah. White hair. Fragile. Locked up in a cage waiting for its owner to free it.”

My teeth grind as he explains his thought process.

“Birds have feathers,” I point out.“And I’m not fucking fragile.”

He smirks as his eyes roam over every inch of my body.

The way he studies me, I might as well be naked.

It’s unnerving. It’s… thrilling.

For just a moment, the bone-chilling coldness of the water is forgotten as I soak up the warmth in his gaze, the heat of his obvious desire.

Unlike Reid, JD gives things away. And right now, all kinds of filthy things are flickering behind those stunning blue eyes.

Things that make my blood heat and my core tighten.

I’ve heard the rumors about his skills. The club whores all like to share notes on the Hawks they’ve been lucky enough to spend time with. And let’s just say, this man fucking loves giving head. His tongue isn’t his only good feature, if the gossip is to be believed either. What he’s rocking beneath those sweats is pretty fucking fierce too, apparently.

Of course, it might all be bullshit and bragging rights.

It’s not likely I’ll get a chance to test the theories out while I’m stuck down here.

I’m sure it’s not part of Reid’s torture plan for me to let JD eat me until I can’t take any more and scream my secrets in exchange for relief.

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