Page 100 of Wrapped in Their Arms

Agony exploded inBurn’sspine—white-hot lightning shooting through every nerve.Hismuscles seized, locking his body into one long, shuddering convulsion.Hedropped like a stone, knees slamming to the floor as the pain drove the air from his lungs.

Gods—fuck—can’t breathe—can’t fuckingbreathe…

He heardNoellebehind him, her voice ragged with panic.

“Stop!Please, stop—you’re hurting him!”

Through the haze of torment,BurnsawBrightstill on his feet, gritting his teeth and leaning protectively overNoelle, his own body twitching from the pain.Hewas refusing to go down.

Bright, you stubborn fuck.Gods, don’t get yourself hurt trying to be the shield for us both…

And then, as suddenly as it began, the painstopped.

Burn collapsed forward onto his hands and knees, sucking in huge, greedy gulps of air.Hisskin was slick with sweat, his vision spotted at the edges.

His body screamed to lash out, to fight, tokill.Ragesurged through him like a tidal wave.Buthis limbs were slow to respond, his nerves still jangling like frayed wires.

He looked up to seeThunestanding over them, cheerful again—like nothing had happened.

“Now then, now then,” the middle head said in a syrupy tone.“Youmust excuse us—we just get upset when the little piggy-wigs don’t obey.”

Burn’s hands clenched into fists against the floor.

Fucking sadistic piece of shit.Laughingwhile we’re on the ground, twitching like puppets on a string.

“Now come along, piggy-wigs—time for play time,”Thunesaid with faux cheer, his three heads nodding out of sync.

Burn pushed himself up slowly, shakily, muscles trembling as he rose to his full height.Brightwas beside him in an instant, a steadying hand on his back.

“Play time?”Burngrowled.“Whatthe fuck?Afterthat?”

“Play time is fun for all the piggy-wigs,”Thunesaid with an oily grin.Hewaved the pain remote at them like it was a party invitation.“Unlessyou’d like some more pain time instead?”

Bright’s jaw tensed, andBurnfelt a fresh surge of fury boil up inside.

He was ready to tell the fucker to shove the remote up his triple ass whenNoellestepped forward quickly.

“No, no—we don’t want that!”she said, her voice tight with fear.“We’lldo play time.”

Burn’s stomach turned at the tremble in her voice.Clearlyshe was terrified, but she was doing this for them.Hisheart fisted in his chest.

“Good, that’s what we like to hear,”Thune’smiddle head said brightly.“Comeon then, boys and girls—let’s go.Allthe good little piggy-wigs follow me.”

Burn bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood.

One day,he promised himself as they followed the toweringTrolloxout of the room,one day you’re going to wish you’d killed us when you had the chance, you three-headed fuck.BecausewhenIget the remote away from you,I’llmake you beg for death.

He didn’t say the words out loud.Notyet.Butthe vow burned bright in his chest.

Play timeor not, the clock was ticking.

And when it ran out…there’d be hell to pay.

56

BRIGHT

They didn’t have a choice about doing “play time,”Brightthought.Notreally.