Page 26 of Cruel Vows (Cruel Command #1)

26

SEAN

Ellie’s scream is all I hear as Jace throws open the door to my cell and steps inside, his hands twitching at his sides and a cruel smile curving his thin lips.

Struggling to my feet, I dip down, thrusting my shoulder into his stomach and sending both of us to the ground.

In one swift movement, I roll us, getting on top of him, my hands wrapping around his thick neck. “You didn’t really think you were going to come get me, did you?”

The veins bulge, his skin becoming a deep purple-red tone as I squeeze his throat. The bastard is going to die and as soon as he does, I’m getting Ellie and getting the hell out of here.

Jace claws at my hand before lurching up and slamming his head into my nose.

There’s a sickening crunch before blood starts pouring down my face.

I groan, stars dancing across my vision. “Fucking bastard.”

For just a second, I let go and he shoves me off him. My back collides with the ground, head smacking against the cement. I get to my feet.

Jace hurries for the door but I’m faster.

My arms loop around his waist, the momentum sending us colliding into the ground. He rolls over and pins me to the ground, fist slamming into the side of my face.

The sharp metallic taste of blood fills my mouth, and I use the opportunity to spit the blood in his face before he has a chance to get his hands around my neck.

I tighten my grip, knuckles going white as my fingers press into the sides of his throat. He gags and tries to tear my hands away again.

Noah sighs as he walks into the cell, dragging Ellie by her hair behind him. “I thought the two of you would’ve learned to behave by now. Let go of Jace immediately, or Ellie is going to meet the rough side of the wall over there.”

Tears roll down Ellie’s face as she grabs Noah’s wrist, trying to get free.

I let go of Jace and stand. “You’re a dead man.”

“Promises, promises.” Noah lets go of Ellie, tossing her forward.

Her hands shoot out to catch herself as she falls, but she winces as she does. I’m sure the combination of the cement floor and the imperfections within it jolted her wrists and scratched up her palms.

Jace gets to his feet, wiping the blood from his face. He smirks and swings, fist cracking into the side of my ribs before I can move out of the way.

I wheeze for a moment, glancing at Ellie as she almost snarls with rage. Her eyes meet mine and I give a small shake of my head.

The last thing she needs to do is get in the middle of this.

Ellie scowls at me, the look in her eyes promising that I’m not going to hear the end of this when we get out of here.

As long as she’s alive to give me hell after this, I’ll be happy.

Noah crosses his arms, shaking his head like he’s the teacher and we’re nothing more than children in the schoolyard who won’t stop bothering each other.

His lips curl at the corners. “Jace, tie the little escape artist up. We don’t want her taking off a second time. And then bring in our other guest.”

My eyebrows pull together as I stand up straight, rolling my shoulders back even though the pain radiating through my ribs hurts like a bitch.

I grind my teeth together, torn between trying to kill Noah and Jace right now or waiting for a better moment.

Attacking them now means risking other men I don’t know about flooding the room. We could be overwhelmed in seconds, and with Ellie looking worse for wear, I don’t know if she’s going to be able to fight.

Noah takes a step toward Ellie as Jace finishes tying her up.

I move into his path. “Don’t you think about putting a hand on her.”

“I’ve thought about it.” Noah looks past me to Jace. “We’re going to move them into the other room. I don’t want the blood to stain the cement.”

Before I can attack him, Jace’s arm is banded around my neck and another man enters the cell with rope.

I thrash against the hold, even as the men work to tie me back up. “You’re going to die.”

Noah sighs, leaning closer. “If that’s supposed to scare me, you’re going to have to try harder. Your father mastered the art of making his enemies fear him. You should take a page from his book.”

Jace hauls Ellie to her feet, and we’re led out of my cell and down the hall to the other door.

The door swings open to a white room, the floor a sleek epoxy over the cement with a large drain in the middle. Counters line one side of the wall, various tools and knives hanging on a pegboard above it.

The sink is large, and there’s another large tub beside that.

Ellie’s sharp intake of breath is all I need to know that she’s terrified. I’m going to do everything I can to save her, but there’s no other way out of this room. There’s only a single door, unless there’s another one hidden somewhere behind the thick plastic draped over the walls.

Noah nods to three metal chairs in the middle of the room, sitting a few feet in front of the grate. “Put them there and tie them up, then bring in our other guest.”

The second Jace lets go of me, I surge forward, and though my hands are tied behind my back, I slam my foot into Noah’s shin.

Groaning, Noah nearly loses his balance, catching himself at the last moment while Jace tackles me to the ground. My head bounces off the floor, more stars dancing across my vision.

Blood pools in my mouth from my teeth sinking into my bottom lip.

Noah slams his foot into my bicep. “You stupid fucker. I’m going to have fun killing you.”

Jace hauls me to my feet with the other man, dragging me to the chair and shoving me down onto it.

Ellie looks at me like I have three heads as they tie me to the chair. The ropes bite into my skin, the roughness scratching my skin until warm blood starts to seep out.

The door to the room opens again and for a moment, I don’t know who the men are dragging in.

The person is slumped in their arms, head hung and what little of their face is visible is covered in bruises and blood.

Ellie’s sharp gasp breaks through the silence. “Aiden?”

The person groans and lifts his head, staring back at us through swollen eyes.

It’s Aiden, though he barely looks like himself. With the cuts and eggplant-colored bruises on his skin, he looks more like someone who’s spent the better part of the last week being beat.

Even though he hasn’t. I spoke to him only a couple days ago.

Noah smirks and moves closer to Ellie. “You and Aiden could have matching bruises. I think you deserve it for your escape attempt, don’t you?”

Without waiting for her answer, he slams his fist into the side of her face.

Ellie screams, her head snapping to the side. The skin on her high cheekbone splits, blood trickling down to her jaw, mixing with tears as they make their way down.

I roar, trying to get free but the restraints are too tight. “You keep your fucking hands off her, you hear me?”

Noah laughs and shakes his head, stooping down to look me in the eyes. “I’m just getting started. Jace.”

Aiden is dragged over to the third chair and tied to it, but with how horrible he looks, I doubt that he will be going anywhere.

Jace saunters over to the counter along the side of the room, taking his time looking at the knives on the wall before yanking a small one with a curved blade down. He selects a taser and slides it into his back pocket.

Watching him has my heart tearing through my chest, urging me to get in front of Ellie and defend her with everything I have.

They’ve tied me too tight to the chair, though. Each time I rock to the side, the chair shifts but it doesn’t move enough to even consider tipping over and allowing me to find some way to wriggle free.

We’re fucked.

Aiden grunts and shifts away from Jace as he draws closer with the knife. “Don’t.”

Noah leans against the counter, watching the show with an amused glint in his eyes as Jace takes Aiden by the hand.

Jace applies pressure to the back of Aiden’s hand before slamming it down on the arm of the metal chair. He holds his hand steady before slipping the knife against the edge of one of Aiden’s fingernails.

Aiden grinds his teeth together, the muscle in his jaw flexing as he tries not to scream while the fingernail is slowly cut away from his hand.

Ellie holds back tears, her eyes glistening as she glares daggers at Noah. “Stop this. You don’t have to do this.”

His head tilts to the side as he studies her. “You would think that after growing up in the mafia, you would understand how this works.”

“You don’t have to kill anyone.” Ellie’s tone is firm, ringing out above the sound of her brother’s groans as another fingernail is removed from his hand.

Jace laughs and takes out the taser, turning it on and pressing the button to deliver the shock. He presses it into Aiden’s side, his smile widening when Aiden groans and flails to the side, though the ropes hold him in place.

Noah pushes off the counter and comes to a stop in front of me. “I’m going to give you a choice. Either I kill your wife or you join me and fight against the Lyndes.”

Ellie scoffs and shakes her head. “That’s not going to happen.”

He turns to her and presses a finger over her lips. “Hush, Ellie, the adults are talking.”

I glare at him, thinking of all the ways I’m going to take my time torturing him before I kill him.

The finger he has pressed to her lips is going to be stripped to the bone.

And then I’m going to take my time carving my initials into every inch of his body. He’s going to wear a mark similar to the one he put on her. He’s going to know what it is to have to wear someone else’s brand before he dies.

Noah pulls a knife from his pocket and flips it open, moving to stand behind Ellie. “If you didn’t try to escape, I wouldn’t have to hurt you right now.”

I try to lunge against the ropes again. “Whatever you think you’re going to do to her, do to me instead.”

“Not going to happen.” Noah cuts away the back of her shirt and a deep pit opens in the bottom of my stomach.

Bile rises in my throat as the tip of the knife presses against her skin.

Ellie inhales a sharp breath, a determined set to her jaw.

I press my lips together, knowing that anything I could say now would make things worse for her.

In all the years I’ve been alive, I’ve never felt more helpless.

A small whimper fills the room as the tip of the knife sinks into her skin, drawing down the first stroke to form the N.

I clear my throat, drawing her attention to me. “Just keep looking at me, okay? We’re going to get through this and I’m never going to let it happen to you again.”

Noah laughs and finishes carving his initials over the ones that had just barely healed. “You can think that all you want, but the three of you aren’t getting out of here together.”

Aiden grumbles something unintelligible, his eyes rolling back as his head slumps.

Jace grins at Noah. “Looks like they’re not able to handle the pain.”

I press against the ropes again and they bite deeper into my skin. “You’re pathetic. Why don’t you pick on someone your own size instead of the unconscious man and a woman?”

Noah sneers at me. “Because I don’t want to.”

With each word, he adds a letter to the name on her back. Rinaldo is half-spelled, and Ellie looks like she is on the verge of passing out along with Aiden.

The door to the room opens and a stream of men come in, taking the weapons that hang on the wall and leaving with them.

Once all the weapons are pulled from the room, Noah nods to Jace.

Jace takes the knife and cuts the rope from Aiden and Ellie.

Aiden’s body tips forward and Ellie flies out of her chair to catch him before his head bounces off the ground. She cradles him close and helps him lower to the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Noah heads for the door, Jace trailing behind him. “Don’t bother trying to escape. Your time is coming, Sean, and by the next time I see you, you better be ready to cooperate.”

Another man steps into the room before the door closes, slamming shut, the heavy thud of a lock twisting in place like a lead weight dragging me to the bottom of the ocean.

I take a deep breath and look over at Ellie. “Can you untie me?”

She nods, her bottom lip quivering as she gets to her feet.

Each step she takes is met with a limp, and there’s something about the way she holds herself that makes me think Noah did more to her before he brought her back to me.

Ellie’s fingers shake as she works at the knot, tugging it loose and letting the rope fall to the ground.

The moment I’m free, I pull her into a tight hug.

She loops her arms around my waist, holding on as her tears soak my shirt. “We have to figure out how to get out of here. I don’t think Aiden is going to survive another beating.”

I glance over the top of her head at Aiden, knowing that she’s right.

Though I don’t know how long Noah had Aiden for, he seems to have done quite the number on Aiden in that time.

With a staggering breath, Ellie pulls away from me and kneels down on the ground beside Aiden, smoothing his hair away from his face to get a better look at the damage.

“We’re going to get through this,” I say as I crouch down beside her, wishing that I could take away her pain. “He’s going to pay for every mark he’s put on both of you.”

Ellie nods, her jaw tight. “I know.”

I don’t know when I’m going to have the chance to kill Noah, but I do know he’s going to die at my hands.

Although, that might be harder to do if he starts to beat me down next.

Ellie’s shoulders slump forward as she looks around. There are a few rags that have been left near the sink, but none of the medical supplies she would need to patch Aiden up.

She gets to her feet and grabs the rags anyway, wetting them while I stay beside him.

The door to the room creaks open and Jace steps in, crossing the room to me with two other men flanking him. Jace heads straight past me to Ellie, taking her by the hair and slamming her against the wall.

Her eyes roll to the back of her head, her body crumpling on the ground as I charge him.

The other two are ready, restraining me before I have a chance to lay a finger on Jace.

I’m dragged from the room, blood boiling as Jace follows. “You’re all going to fucking die for this.”

These bastards could kill her without a second thought.

My heart jumps into my throat, choking me as blood trickles down the side of her face.

Please let her survive this.