Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 199879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 999(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 999(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
When it’s burning red, Kashton and I walk over to her. “Where do you want it?” Kash asks her.
Snot, drool, and tears cover her face as she screams so loud, she begins to choke around the gag. “This is only the beginning,” I tell her, knowing that our fathers will make her life a living hell.
Kashton undoes the latch attached to the ball gag harness at the back of her head that forces her chin to the ceiling. He grips her hair and shoves her head down. I press the brand to the back of her neck. The smell of burning flesh fills the room and so does the sound of sizzling skin and her gagged scream.
TWENTY
ASHTYN
I’m shaking as I watch the naked woman in the chair. She’s thrashing as Kashton holds her hair down, and Saint brands the back of her neck. My watery eyes widen, and my heart hammers in my chest. How can they do this to her? Hurt an innocent woman just because another Lord told them to?
Saint removes the brand. Kashton yanks her head up, and she’s shaking uncontrollably. Her bloodshot eyes are on mine as if she can see me, and a chill runs up my spine.
I push off the glass, stepping back, and hit something…no someone. My body stiffens, and a hand covers my mouth while another wraps around my arms, pinning them down to my side.
“Shh,” a voice whispers in my ear, and I’m paralyzed—unable to move. I might as well be in the straitjacket like the woman in the other room. “Don’t make a sound, baby girl. They can’t see you, but they can hear you.”
It’s Haidyn! I blink, and a tear rolls down my cheek.
He removes his hand from my mouth, and I take in a shaky breath. I spin around as he pulls his cell from his pocket and watch him type away on it.
“Hai-dyn?” I whisper. God, I hope he’s not doing what I think he’s doing. Please…no.
His eyes meet mine, and he places it back in his pocket. “Sorry, Ash,” he says, not sounding a bit remorseful.
My heart hammers in my chest as I look back through the glass and see Saint pull his phone from his pocket. A lump lodges in my throat, making it impossible to swallow. His bright-green eyes snap up and look directly at me, and my stomach sinks.
He starts walking toward the door, and I run to the one in the room I’m in. It’s already open. I was too busy watching what was happening to the woman to even hear Haidyn open it and join me. I hit the hallway and run to the stairwell.
I make it up to the first floor and rush outside into the dark night. I’m shaking, my side’s burning, and I’m trying to catch my breath. It’s like one of those bad dreams where you know something evil is chasing you, but you can’t get away fast enough. I almost trip over a loose branch on the ground, and my hair is stuck to my tear-streaked face as I shove limbs out of my way.
I jump over a branch, but I’m hit from behind as I land. I scream as I’m shoved to the uneven ground. Rocks dig into my chest and stomach. I’m yanked and tossed onto my back, and a hand covers my mouth. I slap at whoever is on top of me. I can’t see anything because my hair covers more than half my face, stuck to my tears. I can’t breathe with his hand over my mouth, so I try to free it by digging my nails into his skin, but it does no good.
My hands are ripped from the man and pulled above my head, pinned to the ground. I kick my legs and arch my back, but it’s useless. Someone is on top of me, and they’re too heavy.
The hand is removed from my mouth only to be replaced by some kind of cloth shoved into it, filling my cheeks. I cry into it, my body shaking.
“Shhh,” a voice says softly. My hair is pushed from my face, and hands grab my wet cheeks. “You’re okay, sweetheart. You’re okay.”
Saint is on top of me. I arch my neck to see Haidyn kneeling above my head, pinning my arms down.
A sob wracks my body.
“You’re okay.” He repeats, and I shake my head. “I’m not going to hurt you, Ash, but you’ve got to be quiet.” He looks over his shoulder before his eyes come back to mine. “Can you do that?”
I nod quickly, taking a deep breath through my nose.
He reaches into my mouth and removes the cloth, and I sob. “Shh.” He covers my mouth once more. “Deep breaths, sweetheart. Come on, calm your breathing for me.”
I take a deep breath and blink the fresh tears from my eyes.