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CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

SYDNEY

T he cold steel of the blade Roman laid along my side burns my skin, reminding me of what’s at stake. My arms ache from being tied above my head, which throbs equally thanks to the hit from JC. While I’m scared and Roman’s words struck a chord, I know he didn’t mean them. And I’m so thankful it’s Roman hovering over me and not JC.

I can’t imagine how much this is torturing Roman and Pa, but I refuse to be a victim. Besides, if I hadn’t given away our position, we might not be in this position at all.

I see the indecision on Roman’s face as he looks at me. Wanting to reassure him, I jut my chin out and pray he understands.

“What are waiting for, Roman?” JC asks, tilting his head. “What’s the matter, got a little performance anxiety? Maybe we need to get Blake up here to help you out.”

“The fuck we do,” Roman spits back at him. He slips his boxers down, freeing his dick, which despite the situation is surprisingly semi-hard. I try not to think about the reason why, certain he can’t be turned on by our situation. My thoughts fracture as he takes himself in his hand, beginning a slow, leisurely stroking of his length. I keep my eyes on his, intermittently dropping my gaze down to watch as he strokes himself to full mast. Suddenly, I become aware of a stirring between my legs, and I realise it’s not the situation but him that is turning me on, which must be the same for Roman.

He positions himself between my legs. He’s angry. His face is scrunched in pain at the idea of what he’s about to do. He drops over the top of me, and I quickly whisper, “It’s okay, Ro.” I’ve never called him Ro before, and he can’t hide his surprise. But I want him to know I don’t blame him, that I love him, because I was telling the truth when I mouthed it to him earlier, and that I’m okay. We have to do this to save us and the poor family JC has tortured for god knows how long. My heart breaks for Hannah and what she’s suffered. She can’t be more than 15-16 and now her life is ruined.

Roman’s nostrils flare, eyes boring into me, speaking deep in my soul. “I’m sorry, Sydney,” he says roughly as his cock presses against my entrance. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he repeats, over and over, pushing in further.

“Well, this is all very drab and not at all exciting. I say we liven it up a little.” He claps his hands and gets to his feet. He walks around the bed, heading for Hannah, and my breath stills.

No, no, no.

Roman freezes above me, and we watch as JC undoes his jeans, slipping them off to reveal his bare arse.

“I’m not seeing much pain or fear or anguish over this little fake fucking thing you two have going on over here. And why should you have all the fun? So, let’s have a race.” Hannah begins to sob along with her parents. “If you finish first, Roman, then, once I’m done, of course, I’ll let precious little Hannah and her family go. I fucked the mum too, but loose pussy does nothing for me, so not a great loss. But, and here’s where it gets interesting, so pay attention if I finish first, you all die and Sydney and I are going to live happily ever after.”

I can’t help the gag that forces its way up my throat. Hannah screams as JC grips his dick and walks toward her head.

“Suck,” he orders, and she turns her head away. “I. Said. Suck,” he grits out as he grabs her face and turning her back to face him. Tears stream down her face as he squeezes her cheeks, forcing her mouth open. Kneeling on the edge of the bed, his small, vile dick an inch from her lips, he says, “Suck it, Hannah, or I’ll make mummy pay.”

Her parents are screaming at her, at JC, and I turn away as she opens her mouth.

“And go, Roman. Race to the finish,” JC calls.

“Oh god, Roman. We need to do something. Now,” I whisper, burying my face in his arm as JC praises Hannah, and muffled whimpers join a chorus of sobbing.

I look at my tied hands. “Cut the ties,” I tell him urgently.

“What?” he hisses, already shaking his head.

“Do it, while he’s distracted.”

Roman looks over to see JC fucking Hannah’s mouth as she gags and sobs, but he’s not in the least deterred. With one last look at me, I nod. He grabs the blade at my side and begins cutting the rope holding my wrists.

“How you doing over there, Roman? Are you close? ’Cause as soon as I sink into Hannah’s tight little cunt, I’m going to fucking explode.” He groans and is about to look this way.

“Wait,” I whisper, and Roman stops cutting and pistons his hips and groaning like he’s fucking me, which would be impossible given he’s no longer hard, but JC doesn’t need to know that.

My eyes find Blake’s, and he looks devastated he can’t do anything. He mouths, “Keep going,” and I offer him a small smile, then check JC is still distracted.

Roman has already begun cutting at my bound wrist again, and I arch my head to see the threads of the rope fraying, but not fast enough. He doubles his efforts, and a second later the rope snaps as I tug on it.

My heart leaps. We’re so close, but there’s no way Roman can cut the ties the other side without JC seeing.

Blake begins rattling his chains and calling out to JC, and Amos quickly follows.

“Now who’s got performance anxiety, or maybe you can’t get it up at all.” Blake keeps going, goading JC until eventually he stops, stepping away from Hannah and scowling at Blake.

“You fucking jealous, Blake? You feeling left out? Guess that’s what happens in a threesome. There’s always one sad fucker on the outer circle.”

“You’d fucking know, JC,” Blake fires back as JC closes in on him. He doesn’t miss a beat as he lands a bone-crunching punch to Blake’s jaw. I bite my lip so hard trying to contain a scream that I draw blood

Blake laughs as he turns back to JC. “Talking about small dicks, I’ve seen bigger on a dog. No woman would willingly fuck you!”

JC roars as he lands another hit to Blake’s face, and I have to close my eyes, wincing at the sound of flesh meeting flesh.

“Fuck, Ro, hurry up.” My other wrist springs free. Roman shuffles down to cut the rope at my ankle but quickly realises his chains won’t reach.

“Oh shit!” I mutter, sitting up a little and taking the knife from him. “Let me do it,” I tell him while he tries to position himself so JC won’t see if he looks over here.

I hack at the rope binding my ankle, and I swear I see smoke at one point from the rapid sawing. I can hear fighting to the side, and Blake’s waning taunts are suddenly bolstered by Pa’s voice.

I tune out and focus solely on cutting this damn rope.

I’m just starting on the other ankle, and the final tie holding me hostage, when I hear JC holler at us.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” His bare feet slap against the concrete as he stomps toward us, and I slice faster. My heart racing along with the blade as it tears at the final thread. The flimsy mattress shifts as Roman rises to his feet, blocking JC.

A quick glance at Blake, who is slumped against the wall with his eyes closed and blood pouring from…I don’t even know where spurs me on.

“I’m finished, so you can let the girl and her parents go now.”

“Bullshit!” JC curses, walking away from Roman to come round the bed. As he nears the end of the bed, the rope snaps, and I rise to my knees, holding the knife up and pointed it at him.

“Come near me, and I stab you.” My voice shakes with fear and adrenaline.

JC laughs, and the sound grates on me. “Oh, Summer, it’s sweet you think you’d be capable.” He stalks closer, and my hand shakes as I hold the knife out. “Give me the knife,” he snarls.

I don’t. He’ll have to fight me for it. Because he’s not hurting anyone else.

“Give me the fucking knife!” he bellows, his face turning a deep shade of red, and his jaw tics as he grinds his teeth.

I can feel Roman beside me as he tugs against his restraints, growling and snarling like a rabid dog. If I didn’t know him, didn’t love him, then I’d be terrified by him.

JC jerks forward, trying to snatch the knife from me, but I swipe my arm in an arc. He hisses, pulling away, as it slices his forearm, leaving a long slash in his skin. Blood spills from it, dripping to the ground, but I don’t dare look away.

I wasn’t lying when I told Roman and Blake that Pa taught me self-defence. And now I know why. All the years of preaching, all the moments I felt the suffocating disappointment from him and God, all my mistakes, they led me here, to this moment. My life and those of people I love, innocent lives of a family who will forever be tainted by this, hang in the balance.

“Eye for eye.”

“Life for life.”

The principal of reciprocal justice. Until this moment I didn’t understand how God could condone such an act of revenge.

“Fuck!” JC hisses as he turns his arm to inspect the wound I just inflicted on him.

“I warned you. Come near me again and I’ll fucking kill you.” I spit the words at him, full of venom and promise. “Key. For the chains, give it to me,” I demand.

His lip curls up, and his nostrils flare. He reaches for the chain hanging around his neck and slowly slips it over his head. Holding it up, just out of my reach, he says, “Here you go, sweet Summer. Come and fucking get it.”

Roman has stopped, and his upper body is turned in our direction. “Sydney,” he whispers, warning in his tone. I know it’s a trap, and as soon as I reach for the necklace with the key, JC is going to make a move for the knife. But I don’t have a choice.

I lean further forward, closing the distance between the knife and JC’s face, and reach for the necklace. There’s movement in the corner of my eye, but I don’t dare acknowledge it, keeping JC’s gaze, as I place my hand palm up under the key. Slowly raising my hand, I feel the key brush against my palm, and I begin to close my hand around it. I think I’m safe, that I’ve done it.

I was wrong.

I squeeze the key and withdraw my hand, but instead I’m yanked forward. I let out a cry as I lose my balance and my hand holding the knife is twisted sharply. Managing to keep a grip of the knife, I fall forward as Roman yells behind me. The knife skims across JC’s face as my arm is thrust upwards a second before he’s body jolts forward.

“Arrgh! Fuck…you!” he cries, and I catch a glimpse of Hannah’s mother behind him as she raises her arm. Light glints off metal a second before JC’s body jerks again, and he releases me to spin around. I crash to the fall, managing to protect my face.

“Fucking cunt. I’m going to kill you, you bitch!” he screams, punching her in the face. She stumbles backward, something clattering to the floor, and I see it’s a knife, which she must have gotten from the guy’s clothing.

He dives at Hannah’s mother, landing on top of her with a thump, and immediately begins punching her, face, her torso, anywhere he can land his fists.

“Sydney! Sydney!” Roman’s shouts pull me away from the horror in front of me. I turn my head to see him waving a hand. “Give me the key. The key, Sydney.”

I push to my feet, ignoring the pain that flashes through my body, and hand the necklace with the key to Roman.

“Hey, hey, you okay?” he asks, but I’m not listening to him, and before he can stop me, I’m turning around.

I walk toward JC as he continues to rain blow after blow on Hannah’s mum’s limp body. My hand tightens around the handle of the knife I’m still holding, and I raise it up, then slam it down. The blade sinks into skin and muscle, and I don’t think about the blood splattering across my face as I withdrew it and bring it down again and ag?—

Arms wrap around my waist, dragging me away as another peels the knife from my fingers. I scream. I scream so loud and so long. My voice cracks, cutting off as sobs wrack my chest. I have no comprehension of anything other than Roman’s soothing voice in my ear.

“I’ve got you. You’re safe. It’s okay, Sydney. Shh.”

I don’t know how long we sit there, but eventually other sounds and emotions break through. Hysterical crying, shouting, hurried feet shuffling on the ground, and a blanket of bone-deep sadness and sorrow.

My eyes are fixed ahead as flashes of colour and movement flick in and out, and in my peripheral, lights flash red and blue.

Something soft is laid over me as hushed voices filter in slowly.

“I’ll come back in a moment, okay?” a feminine voice says beside me.

“Thank you,” Roman says. “Sydney, can you hear me?”

I nod, feeling like my head isn’t attached to my body.

“Good girl. In a couple of minutes we are going to move to somewhere more comfortable, okay?”

I nod again, then my head drops back against Roman’s shoulder, and my eyes close.

I hoped for darkness, but all I see is JC as he beats Hannah’s mum, then blood, a shower of blood. Arms tighten around me, and I draw some comfort from them.

Comfort I don’t feel I deserve.

I killed someone.