Page 64 of Hell on Wheels

Chapter 16

“You won’t get awaywith this, Fred.”

He finished pouring gasoline from a can, tossing it aside as he pulled out a lighter. With a quick spin on the dial with his thumb, a flame sparked to life.

Fred stared at the flickering light. “Fire is fascinating.”

I didn’t reply, yanking on the metal cuffs in a desperate attempt to pull free from the pipe he attached them to when we entered this abandoned building.

“It doesn’t have any preference,” he continued, dropping the lighter as it landed with a spark, igniting the gasoline. “Hungry, insatiable, it’ll consume anyone and everything in its path. A beast so terrible it inflicts the most horrendous pain imaginable.”

Just as he described, hungry flames traveled the path along the floor, out the door on the second floor, and reached for the walls.

“I don’t know what you think you’re going to accomplish. The fire will have every biker in the compound running toward us.”

He ignored me.

“Skin heats first, getting red and warm. Sweat breaks out to help cool the body. It doesn’t work. Blisters form, filling with fluid.”

What the hell?

“The blood begins to boil in the veins. Organs and tissue cook.” He smiled at me. “Everything becomes charred if it’s heated long enough.”

Oh my God. He was crazy!

“Lark!”

My eyes widened when I heard Flint’s voice.

Fred aimed his gun at my head. “Don’t call out to him.”

Swallowing hard, I nodded. “Okay.”

The room was filling with smoke, and Fred didn’t uncuff me. Panic filled my chest as I yanked on the cuffs harder, the metal cutting into my wrists.

“Don’t leave me here,” I begged, hating that I found myself at his mercy again.

Fred had all the control. Just the way he liked it.

“Not yet.”

Shit! No amount of struggling helped. I wouldn’t get free on my own.

“Please.” I paused, closing my eyes with the next word that left my mouth. “Daddy.”

A hand cupped my face. “Open your eyes.”

I stared into his gaze as I obeyed.

“Good girl,” he praised.

My stomach clenched, and I felt ill. I swore I would never give in to his sick, twisted desires again.

“Please,” I choked, coughing on the thick smoke filling the room. “Get us out, Daddy.”

“You’ll come back to me?”

Was that what he wanted? “Yes.”

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