Chapter Thirty-Five

Larissa

I gasped when Nadine threw a cup of water in my face, shocking me back to what was happening. Oh, God, my back felt as if it was on fire. I couldn't stop my whimper of pain.

Just as quickly, I sucked it up and glared at Nadine. "You'll burn in Hell for this. Right alongside your brother."

Her smile was cruel. "And every time you look at your scars, you'll be reminded of us. That is if you live through it." Her forehead wrinkled in thought. "Although, no one ever has. I'm quite good at keeping women alive for long periods."

I warily watched Nadine as she went to a folding table she had brought with her. She picked up one device after another but put each one down until she picked up a knife. She tested the blade on her thumb, then jumped just a little, grinning at me as she licked off the drop of blood.

"My knife is sharp. I started my collection when our father was still alive. Every month, I would take money out of the household fund. He never noticed. He was too busy out whoring and drinking. Since I never spent money on fancy clothes or makeup, it was easy for me to do."

I stayed silent, hoping she would talk long enough for the brothers to find me. I tried not to make any sound to distract her, and I tried not to think about what she would do next.

She continued. "I realized I needed better tools after I kidnapped the first bitch that was sleeping with my brother. That one was quite messy. After I added to my collection, it became easier and easier to keep them alive longer." She smiled as if remembering back. "They weren't nearly as pretty when they had no skin. I think that was my favorite part. Skinning someone is kind of like removing the outer layer of an onion. You know, the really thin part." She looked up. "Skinning them alive was quite interesting. I have all the pictures on my phone and some videos, too. Sometimes, when Amon was driving me crazy, I would go to my room and just look at them. It always made me feel better."

That's when it hit me. "You were in love with Amon. You were jealous of all those women. You wanted him all to yourself, didn't you? Did you ever dream of fucking him?"

Something between a growl and a scream spewed out of her. She raised the knife and came at me. This is it, I thought to myself, but wouldn't it be better to die fast than be tortured to death? I closed my eyes and drew in a breath, but when nothing happened, I opened my eyes and stared into the face of pure evil.

"No, you'd like that, wouldn't you? A quick death, and it would be over. That's not going to happen." She slowly ran the blade over my arm from shoulder to elbow, leaving a streak of blood behind.

I screamed as I tried to wiggle away from her.

"You can't get away. None of them could."

Just as she raised the knife again, the barn doors crashed open. Caspian, Ezra, and Jude, along with their men, came running inside, weapons drawn.

"Drop the knife," Caspian yelled.

Nadine's face twisted in fury. "If you step any closer, I'll kill her right now!"

A shot rang out. Nadine gasped, dropping to her knees. She still held the knife. Again, she raised it toward me. Another shot rang out, and she arched her back, falling forward and dropping the knife.

I sucked back a sob. They found me. Tears ran down my cheeks.

"You're safe now," Jude said.

"I knew you would find me this time."

"The bitch whipped her again," Caspian said. "Four new lashes, but they're deep."

"I would've done more," Nadine laughed, then groaned. "Just kill me now because I'll come after her again."

"Like hell you will, bitch." Ezra pulled off his shirt, and Caspian and Jude eased me down. Ezra wrapped it loosely around me. "We've got you now, sweetheart."

I flinched when the material touched my open wounds.

"We have an ambulance on the way," one of the men said.

"Nadine?" I asked.

"She's not going to need an ambulance if I have anything to say about it," Caspian said.

"No, don't kill her. She wants to die so she can be with Amon. She has videos and pictures on her phone of the women she killed. She fucking skinned them alive. I want to see her in prison for the rest of her life."

"Are you sure?" Ezra asked.

"I'm sure. I want the bitch to suffer like she made everyone else around her suffer."

Caspian called for a second ambulance. There was no way he would let me ride in one with her. I was grateful for that.

The next few hours were a blur. The ambulance ride to the hospital was torturous, but we finally made it. Caspian rode with me, and the others came in their cars. By the time I was in a room with fluids running into my body, and thankfully, on my side, I was exhausted. It didn't help that they'd given me something for the pain that was making me drowsy.

The brothers came into my room and stood beside my bed. My heart swelled with love. "You saved my life."

"We weren't about to let you leave us again," Jude said.

"But how did you know where Nadine had taken me?"

"I put a tracker on your phone," Ezra said.

I frowned. "It fell out of my pocket, and she began stomping on it."

"It got us close enough," Jude explained.

"And we'll get you another phone," Ezra said.

"And what about Jason?"

"I checked on him while you were in the exam room. He'll be okay, but it'll be a few months before he can work again."

"I'm glad he didn't die. I like him." My eyes drifted closed just as my father came into the room.

"Is she okay?"

"She will be," Caspian said.

I raised my hand and he took it in his, squeezing it lightly. "I'm okay, Dad."

He looked around the room. "And the woman who did this?"

"She'll live, but she'll be going to prison for the rest of her life," Ezra said.

"There'll be an armed guard outside her room, so she won't be able to escape, but I doubt she could anyway. We'll make sure that one of us is always with Rissa," Jude said.

Their voices got farther and farther away as the pain medication took its toll, and I finally drifted off. I knew when I woke up, I wouldn't be alone. They would always be with me. My guys, and nothing would ever come between us again.