Chapter 50
EMRIS
I down beer after beer, and I can still feel too much. Hear too much. Fucking see too much. Peter and Troy are laughing together on the other side of the room, but I don’t have the energy to turn around and give them more attention.
“Emris! I got you a surprise!” Peter shouts, but still, I don’t turn—not until I hear her voice.
Brielle’s screams fill the room, and I shoot up, the stool under me crashing to the ground.
Peter has Brielle in his grasp, pressed to his chest. Her arms behind her back, his through them, securing her.
His other hand is in her wet, knotted hair as he yanks it back as hard as he can.
She has tears streaming down her face, but she doesn’t seem right.
She’s high. Cuts and bruises litter her frail body, and a rage I didn’t know I could feel fills my whole body.
I clear the distance between us, and Peter tosses her to Troy, who’s standing next to him barely managing to catch her weak body.
“Emris,” she sobs, and I’m not sure if she sees me or if she’s just calling out, begging for me to save her. Either way, I won’t sit by and let them hurt her.
“Your little girlfriend shot and killed my guard.”
My chest swells with pride. She tried to get out of here, which means she’s somewhere in there. Even if she’s buried deep down, she’s still there.
“Now she has to pay the price.” Troy tightens his arms around her center and puts his face between her shoulder and neck, inhaling her scent, all while keeping his eyes on mine. I take another step closer, but Peter puts his hand up.
“I can only imagine what it would feel like to sink myself deep inside her. To feel how wet she’d get for me,” Peter begins, and I don’t even think as my fist connects with his face.
He manages to catch himself from falling, but my attack sends everyone into fight mode.
Two guards grab my arm, but I manage to shake them off, knocking one out in the process.
I charge forward, wanting to choke Peter out until he’s no longer breathing, but I don’t get that chance again. I’m not fast enough. Two more guards manage to get me in a hold I can’t break out of.
Peter wipes the blood from his busted lip, a small chuckle leaving his mouth as he steps closer.
“That was the wrong move to make, son. See, I was going to let you have one last night with her as a reward for your good behavior this week, but now—” He steps until he’s right in my face. “Now, you get to watch.”
“Don’t you dare fucking touch her!” I yell, gaining the attention of every single person in the room. “I’ll kill every last one of you if you fucking touch her.” My chest heaves with rage. Brielle’s head falls to the side, resting on Troy’s shoulder, her eyes rolling into the back of her head.
I watch as Troy runs his fingers along Brielle’s naked body, and that rage breaks free.
I manage to get out of the hold the guards have on me by some miracle, and my fist hits one square in the face.
He falls to the ground, out cold. The other guard rushes me, but I bring my elbow up and hit him before kicking him in the stomach.
He drops next, and I rush toward Brielle.
Fear takes over Troy’s face, but he doesn’t let her go. Instead, he reaches into his pocket at the last second and brings a knife to her throat.
“You take one step closer and I’ll slit her throat and fuck her dying body while you watch.” Troy’s gaze burns into me.
Brielle’s eyes keep fluttering open and closed as she tries to fight the effects of the drugs.
Another guy walks through the door, something in his hand I don’t want to believe it is.
No—Peter wouldn’t.
Troy—
FUCK!
There’s smoke coming off the metal brand in the man’s hand. The letter P, followed by some numbers. It must be the auction date. It’s bright fucking red and ready.
“I told you. We don’t misbehave,” he says to no one in particular as he reaches for the metal brand. Once it’s in his hand, he mumbles something to the man before nodding, and the man steps back, grabbing handcuffs. His eyes meet mine, and a slow smirk curves his lips as he steps around me.
I fight off the guards holding me, but it does nothing. Three men hold me still as a guard snaps handcuffs around my wrists behind my back.
I yell, twisting against their grip, and then I see Jasper running back into the room, terror plastered on his face as he holds the blonde back, who looks like she’s ready to fight Peter herself.
When he steps forward to intervene, I send him a look, silently begging him to stop. Jasper doesn’t need this. The girl he was with is standing behind him, her eyes trained on Brielle as they fill with tears, but he keeps her held back.
Peter steps up to Brielle, who’s a tad more self-aware but still not fully there. She looks up at Peter with fear in her eyes as he examines the brand.
“This is going to look perfect on you,” he says, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
Brielle manages to fight against Troy’s hold, but he digs the knife against her throat until it cuts into her skin. A single drop of blood runs down her neck, and I can’t look away.
He made her bleed.
“Please don’t,” she begs, but Peter doesn’t listen.
“STOP!” I yell, doing everything I can to get his attention on me instead of her.
“Don’t! Don’t do it. Brand me! Not her.” I can’t help but beg. “Please!” I add in hopes Peter will feel his already insane ego grow as I beg him to stop.
“You had your chance, Emris. She had hers as well. You both ruined that.” He turns back to Brielle, but I keep fighting, never once stopping, not even when the guards hit me.
Peter presses the hot brand to Brielle’s side, just under her breast, a mark that will forever be on her body, reminding her of this shit.
“No!” Brielle screams, and my heart breaks wide open as I yell her name when she sobs against Troy’s body. The pain in her voice makes my own tears fall from my eyes.
I couldn’t save her.
The amount of pain she’s endured... It's all because of me.
I roar, my voice louder than anything else, but it’s not enough to feed the monster inside of me begging to kill everyone here.
“Emris,” she cries, slumping as if the pain is too much.
“Baby. I’m here.” The guards drop me, and I fall to my knees before managing to get up. My hands might be tied behind me, but I don’t care. I need her to see me, to know I’m here.
But when I get closer, Troy pulls her back.
“She’ll be fine, son,” Peter says as his hand goes to my shoulder. I shake him off, and he laughs.
“It’s almost time for the auction. Be sure to get ready soon.” And with that, he whistles as he strides out of the room at the same time Susie comes in and gathers the women and ushers them out, only to return and grab Brielle.
Brielle doesn’t put up a fight—she’s barely able to stand. A guard helps get her out of here, and I stay there, trying to think of what the hell to do, but for once in my damn life, I have no idea.
I don’t know what to do.
How to save us.