Chapter 1

R EESE

I hear the crack of his palm across my face before I feel the pain of the blow. Could have been worse. It could have been a punch. Those fuckers hurt, especially coming from a dude almost three times my size.

The fat one grabs me by the hair, dragging me before he shoves me onto the stain-covered couch and sneers. “You have a big fuckin’ mouth for a dumb bitch.” His hands move to the zipper of his pants, and I close my eyes.

Of all the shit I’ve experienced, the one thing I thought I’d escape is rape. But God, or whoever the fuck is watching out for me, shat the bed on this, too.

“Don’t bother with the lube, cos based on the size of that thing, I’ll barely feel it,” I say in disgust.

That does it. The guy glares at me, one fist raised in the air. Seeing him charging at me with his pants falling down his legs is hilarious. “You little bitch… I’m gonna teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.”

“With your fists, right? Cos that cock looks pretty forgettable.”

Another sneer escapes his lips as he tugs at my hair, pulling so hard it feels like my scalp is on fire.

“I might be into some kinky shit, but take a lesson, buddy, because you aren’t doing it right.”

“I’m gonna make sure you choke to death on my cock.”

I press my lips together, preparing myself to fucking die before I let the fucker put his dirty dick in my mouth.

“I’ve got other methods to pry your mouth open. Boys!”

The two guys sitting on the sidelines get up, finally ready to join the game. The younger one glances at me before looking away, almost as if he’s trying to say sorry. Not sorry enough to do something about my impending rape, though.

The other one—the tall, skinny one with zits covering his entire face—looks more callous. His eyes have an evil glint as his lips form a smile. “Maybe we should stuff all her holes and give her a real good time.”

“The fuck you will,” a deep voice blares into the room.

I smile as the color in the fat one’s face drains until he’s as pale as a ghost. He glares at me, schooling his expression before anyone else witnesses the fear lingering in his eyes. That’s the thing with wannabe predators like this guy. He can’t stand the test against someone who exudes real power.

My father is like this piece of shit—a weak, callous man-child who preys on the vulnerable just so he can feel like he has some control in his pathetic life. I should know. I was his second favorite victim. My mother was his first.

“This isn’t any concern of yours, Enzo. The deal was that we’d hand her to you unharmed. You see any cuts on her pretty little body?” His lizard tongue slashes out as he licks his bottom lip.

The man called Enzo is huge—linebacker huge—all muscle and his face looks like a good ol’ schoolboy, clean cut and chiseled. The kind of man most women would chase after and most men would fear. His three-piece suit looks like something hot off a French catwalk. It doesn’t make sense to find a man who looks like him in a dive like this, but oddly, he could blend in anywhere.

His posture is casual, as if he doesn’t have a care in the world, but his dark eyes are like black pools ready to unleash all kinds of hell. If it were possible to stare into the eyes of the devil, this man would fit the bill—dark, sinister, and devoid of emotion.

His massive hand fidgets with a silver Zippo. The flame flickers on and off, a switch controlled only by him. “Look at me, Luc.”

Guess the fat one’s name is Luc. He stiffens, and his pale blue eyes widen. His hand drops from his tiny pecker, and he stumbles, trying to pull up his pants pooled at his feet.

Enzo pushes off the wall. For such a massive man, he moves with fluid beauty, like a gazelle, and his measured movements are captivating. I’m caught in some sort of trance and can’t look away.

“Don’t bother lifting your pants,” he orders.

Luc smiles, and my heart drops. Fuck. He’s going to join him. I am about to get gang-raped. I might have some fucked-up sexual desires, but this one isn’t on the list.

Enzo pins me with his stare. His lips curve into a vicious smile. One meant to frighten, not reassure. He bends, his knuckles caressing the same spot Luc hit, the soft touch juxtaposed with the anger in his eyes. “You can get off that dirty couch.”

He doesn’t have to tell me twice. My ass gets up so fast that I’m light-headed. He grabs Luc by the neck and lifts him; I watch as his legs dangle in the air, and his face goes red from Enzo cutting off his airway. “When I say she is to be unharmed, that means not one inch of her body can be touched by your dirty fuckin’ hands. Every single part of her belongs to me. You thought you could sample my property and walk away without some form of punishment? How stupid are you, Luc?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think,” Luc squeaks. The Zippo flicks on and off in Enzo’s hand, and Luc’s eyes widen. “What are you gonna do, Enzo?”

Enzo grins, displaying straight, pearly white teeth. “You’ve heard the stories, haven’t you?”

Luc shakes his head, and the movement makes him look like a defective bobblehead.

Enzo brings the Zippo to Luc’s dick, and the stench of burned hair fills the air. “You know what I’m capable of?” Luc’s eyes are full of fear. “You put your hands on her.”

“No, please. I didn’t touch her. I was just messing with her,” Luc begs.

Enzo laughs. The sound is manic. “Is that why she has a mark on her face? Because you didn’t touch her?'“

Luc shakes his head, eyes going wide. When he speaks, his voice is shaky. “It was just a little tap.”

Enzo hauls Luc over to me, pushing his face so close to mine that I wince. “That little red mark you left on her face. Does that look like messing around? You marked her, Luc, and now I’m gonna mark you.”

“Please, Enzo. I’m sorry. I made a mistake. Let me make it up to you.”

Enzo shakes his head. “I don’t do second chances, Luc. You know that.”

A blond guy who looks like Charlie Hunnam in beast mode with a giddy smile and large silver chains around his neck moves beside Enzo and pours a clear liquid on Luc’s dick. Lighter fluid.

Bile rises in the back of my throat, mixing with morbid satisfaction that the fucker is about to get what he deserves.

Enzo leans in close to Luc. “You tried to take something precious from me, and now I’m going to take something precious from you.”

The flame from the Zippo moves along Luc’s dick, and his screams reverberate around the room.

Stumbling back, I try to compose myself. I run my hands down my body as if smoothing out invisible wrinkles. “Well, thanks for the help.”

As I reach the door, a firm grip grabs my wrist. “Not so fast, princess.”

I try to shake free of his hold, but his hand tightens, and I wince in pain. “It’s sweet that you want to make sure I find my way home, but I’m good.”

Amusement flashes momentarily in Enzo’s eyes before it’s wiped clean and replaced with icy determination. Something tells me that “icy” is this man’s middle name.

“I’m not your savior, princess. I’m the monster lurking in the dark,” he growls.

My eyes widen in horror. “It’s you,” I gasp.

“Hello, Principessa .”