Squatting down, Dante hovers his hand over my bra like he’s contemplating touching my boobs. But he doesn’t. Heat radiates from his palm, sending a strange glow illuminating from his hand. “She’s a pretty broken soul, but pure. Too pure. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was assigned a savior, but she’s not blessed. Only a pathetic mess probably too boring to do anything fun or naughty. Useless to us. We should just let her die.”
“Die?” I open and close my mouth, trying to process his comment. What does he even mean? “No. Please, help me,” I whisper, tasting the tangy metallic grossness of my blood on my lips. “Please.”
Dante doesn’t react to my words, training his gaze on Kase.
“We should move her. It could take a couple hours for her to drop dead,” Kase says, nudging my ribcage with his boot. He ignores my pleas, despite keeping his eyes on mine. “The fucker could’ve at least put her out of her misery.”
A whimper escapes my mouth. Who the fuck are these monsters?
“There’s a dumpster around the corner. Drop her inside, and I’ll go make sure everyone else in the complex minds their damn business.” Dante swipes his finger over my cheek, rubbing his finger over my blood, sweat, and tears. He pops it in his mouth and sucks on it. “Throw some of the trash on her. She’s disgusting enough that she’ll fit right in.”
“No,” I whisper, their conversation igniting full-blown panic in my chest. I thought these men were here to help me, not finish what Joel started. “Please. I don’t want to die.”
Two hot arms sink beneath me, and I gasp as pain shocks me to my soul. Kase lifts me up and dangles me in his arms a foot away. Every inch of me screams in anguish. Sobbing, I cry out, my voice finally echoing through the cool night with my desperation. What have I done so badly in my life to deserve this? Who are these monstrous men, and why are they doing this?
“God, please. Help me. Save me.” I sputter and hiccup, my panic giving me the strength to fight as best as I can, even if I can’t move a muscle. “Please, Lord. I can’t die like this.”
Kase stiffens, his eyes blasting with red light. His nostrils flare and hot fingers sear my lips as Dante slaps his hand across my mouth from behind. Heat radiates from their bodies like they sandwich me between two furnaces, but it doesn’t burn me. It helps ease the cold ice shivering through my body. Now that they’re so close, I can smell the warm fragrances of burning pine needles, leather, the woodiness of vetiver, and something sweetly gourmand like vanilla. I can’t distinguish and separate the array of scents between them, but they’re seductively intoxicating to my senses.
“What the fuck? Are you praying?” Dante asks, his hot breath tickling the hair around my ear. “That’s not going to change anything.”
It’s my turn to ignore them. “God, please. Give me the strength. I need your protection,” I mumble against Dante’s hand. Whoever—whatever—they are, obviously don’t like me begging God for help. It makes me want to rebel and yell louder, fighting with my voice instead of my broken body.
“Fuck. Make her stop.” Kase shakes me with a growl. His hands pinch my skin, but instead of hurting me, it distracts me from my aching chest. “You’re just pissing us off, broken soul. Keep that up, and I’ll shove something in your mouth to shut you up. You won’t like what I choose.”
“Please, God. I’ll do anything. Don’t let it end like this,” I say, continuing to pray. Because fuck these psycho assholes. I might not have a strong relationship with the Almighty, but I have faith, and right now, it’s all I have left.
Kase’s face sharpens with anger, and the heat of his body intensifies. Red light flickers in his gaze, casting an eerie glow over his features. He looks evil, demonic. Scarier than Joel ever could look. I tremble uncontrollably, terror snaking around my body, watching as his features shift. I’ve never seen anything like it. It prods at my human rationale. This can’t be possible. The guy can’t be changing in front of me with the tips of three horns breaking through the skin on his forehead.
“Oh, fuck,” I squeak, my body obeying my command to fight. My adrenaline suppresses the pain, leaving me breathless, but a new, more intense agony bursts through me right to my core. I thrash and buck my body. “Help! Please, help me!”
“Shit. She’s fucking determined, isn’t she?” Dante drags me away from Kase and hugs me to him, pressing his chiseled chest to my back. His skin warms me even more, sending beads of sweat dripping from my hairline. His smoky, sweet scent engulfs me, and he tightens his grip on me, waiting until I lose some of my fight.
It doesn’t take long.
Fatigue and exhaustion leave me bleary-eyed and slack in his arms. The spark of hope I cling to snuffs out with the rest of my will to fight.
“That’s a good girl,” Dante murmurs, loosening his fingers in my hair. “Don’t fight the inevitable.”
Inevitable? Like his comment gives me a second wind, I thrash again, breaking from his hold. He drops me, and I land on my knees and fall over from unbearable agony. I crawl forward, each burst of pain reminding me that I’m still alive. I still have a chance. There is no fucking way I’m letting them do this for Joel. If I die, he deserves to rot in prison.
“Please, God. Help me,” I whisper, summoning energy from my adrenaline rush. “Give me the strength. I’ll do anything.”
“That’s enough fucking praying. The Higher Power doesn’t barter with mortals.” Footsteps clomp toward me as Dante closes the space. Swearing under his breath, he steps in front of me and blocks my path.
I swing my arm out, socking him in the shin but it does nothing to stop him. Snatching me from the ground, he carries me toward the end of the building, purposefully swinging me back and forth. A smile crosses his face and he hums under his breath, enjoying playing around with me like I’m just weak, defenseless prey to his vicious predatory side. Even his scent messes with my fear instincts, and I can’t stop thinking about the warm fragrances engulfing me or the strength of this monstrous man’s arms. His diamond-shaped pupils hypnotize me until he breaks his gaze and looks past me.
“That’s a good, pretty soul. Just relax. It’ll be over soon,” he murmurs, his alluring voice like a soft melody in my ears.
But then two fangs peek from beneath his full top lip like a snake’s, shocking me out of my hazy mind. Panic explodes through my essence, and I can’t stop envisioning how awful it’ll be to die alone in a dumpster. How Joel probably packs his bags right now, getting ready to leave. This is so messed up. How is it that men like him get away with horrible acts such as this? I don’t understand.
This is it. I know it. I feel it deep in my soul.
“Please, you don’t have to do this,” I beg, my body more desperate than ever to survive. If praying to God doesn’t work, then I’ll resort to begging and bartering with this beastly psycho. He’s obviously annoyed that he has to clean up Joel’s mess. Maybe I can use it to my advantage. “I’ll do anything. I don’t want to die. Please. I know you’re not human. There has to be something you can do. I can’t die in a dumpster. Fucking Joel can’t get away with this. Please.”