Page 33 of Curses and Cures

Stopping in front of the next woman, a petite lady with pretty blue eyes and a blonde pixie cut, I silently apologise. She locks eyes with me and gently nods her head, giving me permission to examine her. With Soren standing behind me, I can’t pretend this time.

“I’ll be gentle,” I say softly, gently parting her outer labia, and finding her entrance.

She tenses around me, biting on her bottom lip as I slide my finger inside of her, pressing against her hymen. She’s intact. She’s a virgin.

“Well?” Soren demands.

Withdrawing my finger, I look up at him. “Broken.”

“Fuck!” he exclaims. “And the other two?”

I move onto the next woman, she’s the one with the split lip and swollen eye. She shuffles backwards away from me, fear making her run. Before I’m even able to reassure her, Three-quarter Skull has gripped her hair and is yanking her back towards me.

“Stop it!” I yell, grabbing his meaty arm, trying to pull him off of her.

Without a second thought, he twists around and throws a punch, sending me sprawling backwards. The woman he’s got a hold off starts screaming as blood pours from my nose. I reach up to touch it, hissing in pain. It feels bruised, sore, but hopefully not broken.

“Shut her the fuck up!” Soren roars at Three-quarter Skull before grabbing me by the hair and dragging me to the last woman who’s shaking so violently her teeth chatter.

“Check her,” he orders, shoving me towards her.

“What about–”

“Virgin,” Three-quarter Skull says as he pulls his fingers from between the sobbing woman’s legs and shoves them in his mouth. “Hmmm,” he hums.

“Oh God, no,” I cry, wanting to save her from her fate. “You can’t do this!”

“I said check her!” Soren roars, forcing me forward with a hard shove.

Stumbling, I drop to my knees before the last woman. She appears to be the oldest here, but still no older than her late twenties. I meet her gaze, and the deep blue of her eyes swim with tears.

“It’s okay,” she whispers. “Just do it.”

I reach between her woman’s legs, entering her as gently as I can. She’s not a virgin.

“Her hymen is broken,” I say, my mouth pressing together as I remove my hands and gently grip her knee, apologising with my touch.

She gives me a weak smile, tears trembling on her lashes.

“One out of six,” Soren says, yanking me to my feet and gesturing towards the terrified woman who still struggles in Three-quarter Skull’s hold. “Get her prepared for shipment tomorrow.”

“Don’t do this,” I plead, rounding on Soren.

Soren tips his head back and laughs. “You think begging will work on me?”

“Give her to your men. Don’t sign her death warrant, please.”

That really makes him laugh, and an ice-cold feeling settles in my blood as he smiles at me. “You think that’ll be any better?”

I swallow hard, hoping, praying that Arden, Lorcan and Carrick will be here soon. I just need to steal more time. “I won’t make any more diamonds if you hurt any of them. I refuse,” I say, changing tactics.

“You will, because if you don’t, I will slit all of their throats right now and I will make you wear their blood as a reminder of your poor choices. Am I understood?”

A few of the women begin to cry, and I force myself to breathe, to get control of my wildly erratic emotions. “At least let me give her something before she goes. Something that will help…” I say, my voice cracking as I stare at the woman, feeling utterly helpless.

“Why should I? You’re being insolent.”

“Because I’m keeping your son alive,” I reply, my voice dropping.

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