Page 6 of Tragic Empire

What is his obsession with our relationship? Step-sibling relationships aren’t exactly the pinnacle of taboo. Especially since Cole and I weren’t raised together. We’ve only known each other for three years!

“No, no, no,” I scream, feeling Cole ripped away from my side.

My hands are bound impossibly tight behind my back, and my shoulders scream in protest as I try to wiggle free. Though hardly given room to move outside of how they are manhandling him, Cole still manages to knee one of the men right between the legs. He goes down hard with a howl, but the hit isn’t worth it.

The bald man in charge punches Cole so hard that a crack echoes through the room, and a yelped scream bursts from my lips.

“Fucking brat,” he spits, shoving Cole into a chair that matches Killian’s. “These spoiled rich kids never know when to quit, do they?”

“Whatever point you’re trying to make here, you can make it with me and me alone,” Killian growls. “Let them go, you don’t need them.”

“Ohhhh, how noble,” our kidnapper coos. “Big brother willing to take the hit to keep you both safe.”

“I’m the heir,” Killian spits. “If you want to hurt The Kings, you do it through me. Cole doesn’t need to die, and Ana is innocent.”

“She’s about as innocent as a hooker on the side of the road,” the man snorts. “And you’re wrong about your brother, he definitely needs to die. He’s half the reason we’re here, the little troublemaker.”

Cole grunts as the goons tie him down. “Fuck you.”

“Luckily for the girl, she doesn’t die tonight. We’re just going to give her a nice little show, and we’ll send her on her way. That is, if you cease pissing me the fuck off!”

They aren’t going to kill me?

“W-what? Why?” The question spills out of me before I can stop it.

“That’s privileged information, little girl,” he coos, waving at me in a creepy flirtatious manner.

“Now,” he continues, clapping his hands together in one sharp motion. “Shall we begin?”

In the blink of an eye, his body snaps forward, sending a heavy punch straight across Cole’s jaw. His head flies to the side, and the sound of the hit connecting makes me scream in protest. Cole hardly grunts, taking the strike and righting himself. He glares up at the man, spitting a glob of blood at his feet.

“You hit like a pussy,” he taunts, grinning a vicious crimson smile.

“Cole,” Killian warns, his voice deep and commanding.

Large, scarred fingers grip Cole’s chin and hold him tight. “You should listen to your big brother, you cocky fuck. This night can get much, much harder for you. I don’t typically have a taste for torture, but I’d make an exception for you.”

Cole arches a brow, unaffected by the threat. “Are you flirting with me? Sorry, you’re not my type.”

Please stop, I want to plead.

There would be no use, though. Cole refuses to die on someone else’s terms. If they want him to do something, he’ll do the opposite. He’ll disobey every order out of spite; it doesn’t matter what they threaten to do to him.

“I should cut your tongue out,” our captor snaps. “But you know what I’m going to do instead? I’m going to take something else from you. Something much more important than the slippery organ in your mouth.”

Savage eyes zero in on me, and I swallow hard, throat constricting at the threatening gaze. The vile man takes one step in my direction, causing both Killian and Cole to thrash in their seats.

“Don’t fucking touch her!” Cole snarls.

A callous laugh erupts from the man and he tips his head back, relishing in the reaction from both men.

“Touchy, touchy… didn’t I tell you? She’s not dying tonight.” He spins, tearing his stare from me. “Our next guest, though? Oh, he’s already at death’s door as we speak!”

This is a horrible dream. It has to be. Everything is happening too quickly to process. It’s wrong. Nothing happening in front of me is computing properly. It’s illogical, and I refuse to believe it.

Still, I don’t wake up.

This nightmare isn’t coming to an end. I’m not going to wake up in my bed, panting from lingering terror. Any chance of clinging to hope is slowly diminishing with every passing moment.