Page 54 of Uprising

I can’t enjoy it. Even as this pleasure builds and builds. I shake my head as much as I can with his hand holding my throat. My tears are streaming. I know I’m going to come. I can feel that coil building tighter and tighter and I’m biting back the moans I so desperately need to let out.

“Come you slut.” Darius says as his spit lands on my face.

My back arches, my legs kick out, I fight so hard to keep myself from doing it but I’m toppling over, screaming, coming like it’s my salvation. Only I’m not thinking of Darius, I’m not acknowledging that it’s him doing this to me.

“Roman.” I scream his name. I know I do.

And I see his face too as if it’s imprinted on my mind, tied so intrinsically to my pleasure that I cannot achieve it without him.

But as I come down, as I blink, meeting those furious blue eyes, I see his fist curling tight before it makes impact and then there’s nothing but darkness.

Roman

“Daddy.”

The scream tears through me.

It echoes in my head, echoes around the dark room.

I can see her in his arms. I can see the way he has a hand wrapped around my daughter’s throat.

“Daddy.” She cries harder.

I’m try to raise my hand. I try to move but it’s like my body is made of stone. Like my feet are stuck to the very floor.

“Your daddy doesn’t love.” Darius taunts.

Lara cries harder. I can see all those tears pouring down her reddened cheeks. She’s staring back at me with such a look of betrayal. “Why don’t you love me daddy?”

“I do.” I shout. “I love you so much.”

Darius smirks, tightening his grip around her waist. “Then why aren’t you stopping this Roman?”

“Lara.” I gasp.

I feel helpless. I feel pathetic. I feel like the complete failure I am right now.

I try to do something. I try to move but my body won’t respond. I’m just stood here.

Darius throws her to the floor. She lands in a heap. And then he’s crouching over her, curling up his fists and slamming them into her tiny body as she curls up so small trying to protect herself.

“Your daddy won’t save you.” He taunts. “No one is going to save you. No one even wants you.”

She whimpers harder and he raises his leg bringing it right down onto her stomach.

She’s too small to take such a beating. Her body is too young. He’s going to kill her if he continues this.

I try to shout that, I try to do something, but I’m paralysed.

“Daddy.” Lara screams again. “Daddy why won’t you save me? Why?”

* * *

We’reout past the perimeter of the city. It turns out there’s an entrance we can actually drive out of and that’s what we’ve done.

Me, Holden, Koen, and a bunch of his soldiers.

I get the feeling he doesn’t quite trust me yet.