Page 174 of Hymns of the Broken

Blake leans over me, mask inches from my face, voice a growl that vibrates straight through my bones.

“That’s it, Sawyer. Let them watch. Let the entire world see who makes you fall apart. You’re so fucking beautiful like this—ruined for anyone but me.”

I sob, shaking, fighting the wave building inside me with everything I have left. But I’m chained, trapped, and the shame crashes over me as my body clenches, trembling—

No, no, please—

But it happens. My body betrays me. I cum with a cry I can’t swallow, tears spilling over my cheeks, every nerve burning with humiliation.

Blake groans, pressing closer, his voice filthy and triumphant. “That’s right, cry for me. Scream for me.Thisis all you’re good for. Look how pretty you are whenyou’re broken. I could make you cum all day, chained and begging, just for me.”

I hate him. I hate myself. I hate the weakness in my legs; the sobs racking my chest, the aftershocks still shaking my body. And worst of all, I hate that my body responded at all—that this monster could pull reactions from me that were never his to take.

He releases my jaw with a laugh, lingering to watch my tears. “You always belonged to me, Sawyer. Always.”

I turn myface away, choking on my misery, wishing I could disappear, wishing I could take back every second. The shame settles over me like a blanket, heavy and suffocating.

But underneath the despair, something else flickers—a tiny, stubborn spark that refuses to die, even here, even now.

I can’t help but think of Jasper and Riot, all the comfort and safety I felt every time I was with them. What will they think of me when they find out about this?

But I already know.They’llsee me differently. They won’t want me anymore, just like everybody else.

Chapter 28

JASPER

It’s been four days since we last saw Sawyer. Four days since the world stopped spinning, and every minute turned to hell. None of us sleeps—not for more than a few minutes at a time. We drift in and out, haunted by nightmares worse than reality, and every time I close my eyes, I see her. Reaching. Begging. Gone.

We move through the house like ghosts, silent and heavy. Riot hasn’t said more than a few words to anyone. Dex paces, Jace snaps at anything that moves, andAsh sits in corners looking hollowed out. Even Macee is just a shadow, holding Sawyer’s hoodie to her chest, rocking in the armchair like she’s willing her back home. Silas’s eyes stay on me, worrying.

The house is so quiet that when Micah yells, it’s like a bomb went off.

“Guys! You need to see this!”

We all bolt for the living room, stumbling over blankets, knocking into each other. Riot’s right beside me, eyes wild. I can feel the fear rolling off everyone—thick, choking, almost impossible to breathe through.

Micah stands over his laptop, face pale. He’s sweating. “I just got an email. No sender. No subject line—except…” He swallows, voice barely above a whisper. “‘Are you sure she’s yours?’I haven’t watched it. I’m trying to trace it, but it’s going to take time.”

I meet Riot’s eyes. My stomach turns. My hands shake. I don’t want to see it. I can’t—

But I have to.

Weall do.

The room is still, every single person waiting for one of us to speak, to do the thing we all dread. Riot sits on the arm of the couch, head in his hands, knuckles white. “Okay, Jasper,” he says, voice shaking. “Let’s get it over with. I can’t take this waiting anymore.”

I sit next to him. The others hover behind, but the air is so heavy it feels like we’re all underwater.

I nod once at Micah.

He hits play.

The screen lights up. At first, it’s just static, then blurry movement. The angle is wrong—too close, too shaky, and I realize with a jolt it’s a camera propped up at the foot of a bed. A bed I don’t recognize. Chains glint in the half-light, cuffs tight around wrists and ankles. Sawyer.

My breath leaves my body. Riot makes a broken sound, so quiet that only I can hear it. The room around us drops away. There’s only her—stripped, chained, shaking with fear. And then he steps into the frame, mask shining silver and black, every movement deliberate, slow, hungry.

He stands over her, the rage in his body unmistakable.