“She who walks the floors of Hell
finds the key to the gates of her own Heaven,
buried there like a seed.”
—Segovia Amil
I squeeze my eyes shut when Raife disappears, seizing up as the groping continues. Hands paw at every part of me, tugging my hair, pulling at my bra, teeth skimming skin and tongues tracing curves. I yank my sweaty wrists against the ties, breathing in, out. I can’t stand the helplessness, not knowing what’s to come.
Keeping my eyes closed, I think of the scalpel, how close it is to my grasp. I remember the touch of the tiny blade teasing my finger and long for the silence that swept over me when I held it in the basement.
I want Adam.
I want me. Not this girl restrained to the bed with anxiety clutching her lungs.
Deep voices travel to my ears, and I vaguely listen to Raife when he asks, “What are you waiting for, brother?”
A low grunt rumbles through Griff’s throat.
“I’ve brought her to you on a silver platter. Your very own Katerina. Don’t you remember when she cut into you while you still breathed? Don’t you remember what she did to you?”
I suck in a breath, my heart pounding faster in my chest while his words blare in my ears. Cold chills grip my mind, and I squeeze my eyes tighter.
The bed creaks, and I picture Griff standing. A light sweat breaks out along my body.
I can’t do this.
I can’t do this.
“Don’t be shy,” Raife murmurs to his brother. “There’s no one to stop you this time.”
One by one, the hands touching me fade as the girls move away.
“Leave,” Raife barks.
A succession of Yes, Masters echoes through the room, then the door opens and closes. A shadow looms over me through closed eyes. My heart pounds against my ribcage, my hands curling into fists.
I cringe at the sound of a zipper sliding down then clothes falling to the floor. I know it’s Griff without looking. The bed tilts as he crawls toward me, then thick thighs are locked around my waist.
“Look at me, little bitch.”
With a quivering breath, I open my eyes, immediately wishing I could close them again.
Red splotches climb up his throat and color his cheeks. His beady eyes are endless black holes, the way I’ve seen them once before. Only this time, Adam isn’t here to save me.
He’s naked, fisting his cock as he stares at me, and bile rises in my chest. White marks pull my gaze to his stomach, where scars upon scars line his torso.
“I’m going to fuck you, Katerina,” he rasps, “and it will hurt so much worse than the way you fucked me.”
Katerina.
Katerina.
Katerina.
Why do they keep saying that name? My head hurts, and I just want them to stop. Stop talking, stop looking at me, touching me—just stop.
A shiver makes my teeth chatter as Griff reaches for the scalpel. I shake my head, try to back away, but the ties around my ankles keep me in place. Adam’s warning resurfaces in my head. Be careful where you step, little mouse. There are some holes too deep to dig your way out of.
“Wh-where’s Adam?” I stammer, wishing he wasn’t so right. “I want to see him.”
Raife’s cold voice makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “Are you really so loyal to someone who can’t stand you?”
I swallow hard at his words, wishing they didn’t hit so close to home. I know it’s not true—not when Adam looks at me, touches me, the way he does. But no one has been able to stand me for long, not even my sister. I can’t stop his words from digging into my chest.
Walking on his knees, Griff slowly approaches my face. He continues to fist his cock with his left hand, and when he tries slapping my lips with it, I snap my head to the side. He releases his length to clutch my jaw, keeping me still. A growl finds its way to my throat, but it gets stuck when he sits on my chest and forces my jaw wide open. I watch with wide eyes as he brings his right hand behind him, then a sharp blade presses lightly into my stomach. He rubs himself against my chest as he devours my expression.
It cuts skin, and pain slices through me, my stomach burning against the blade. The same moment a scream leaves my mouth, he jams his cock down my throat.