Page 89 of Intense (Beneath The Blaze #3)

STEPHANIE

A s I open my eyes, the room is hazy. Red carpets. Cream walls. I don’t think I’ve left the gala.

My body aches everywhere. Panic rips through me as I try to move my wrists, but they’re bound tight to the chair. The rope cuts into my skin like it’s alive, digging deeper every time I shift.

I try to scream, but it comes out muffled, suffocating me.

A deep man’s voice booms from somewhere beside me, but the ringing in my ears makes it hard to make out the words.

Shit.

Finn. I need to get to him.

I turn my head slowly, and there he is. My attacker. The disfigured man from earlier, except now he’s dressed down in sweats, a navy T-shirt, and a black baseball cap shadowing the ruin of his face.

That smile he wears makes my stomach turn.

With each step closer, I thrash against my restraints.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispers, leaning in until the stench of his breath coats my skin.

I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting the urge to gag.

“Yet. Can you behave for me? Be quiet. It will all be over soon.”

Bile rises in my throat as his finger trails lazily down my neck. I can’t fight back. I can’t even speak. This—this helplessness—is my worst nightmare.

But I won’t cry. I won’t let him win. Finn will find me. Someone will. They have to. This can’t be how it ends.

“You should’ve picked a better husband,” he murmurs, tapping the diamond on my finger.

I bite down hard on the gag.

“Aw. You really do love him, don’t you? Do you even know who he is? He’s got fewer screws up here than me.” He taps the side of his head, eyes gleaming with madness.

I shake mine violently. Rage surges hotter than fear.

He checks his watch, muttering, then looks back at me with that grin that makes my skin crawl.

“That’s if he’s still even alive.”

The words slam into me like a bullet. My chest caves. I need to get to him. I need him. He’s all I want in this life.

I try to shout, but the gag swallows my voice.

“I’m not letting you go. Not yet.” He starts pacing, restless energy snapping off him. “I just need my brother to get here.”

His eyes turn to slits; he’s shifting so fast into anger.

“But, he’s always so fucking late,” he hisses.

This isn’t just about me. This is about Finn. His family. The war that never ends.

I yank against the restraints until I feel the burn of skin splitting, until blood slicks down my wrists. Pain be damned. I’ll tear myself to shreds if that’s what it takes.

Because if Finn’s heart stops beating… so will mine.

I wait until he leans close again, his scarred face inches from mine, and then I snap my head forward with every ounce of strength I have.

Bone cracks against bone.

He reels back with a snarl, clutching his face. I can’t do much more damage than what’s already been done to him. It looks like he fought a bear.

For a fleeting second, victory surges through me.

But it’s gone in an instant.

His hand whips across my cheek, the impact so sharp it rattles my skull. My vision explodes with stars, the world tilting and dimming.

The last thing I hear before the blackness drags me under is his laughter.

And all I want is for my husband to burst through the doors and save me.