Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
It took a moment for the reality of what was happening to fully sink in. That moment’s hesitation cost me. Before I could bring my weapon to bear on Dutch, I was disarmed and restrained by the remaining four men. I felt Rose’s grip being ripped from me, but she didn’t cry out or make any other sound. There was a scuffle and the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Probably one of the bastards hitting her.
Rage filled me. I roared my protest, fighting with all I had. Two more men came to assist the four already on me. I managed to get turned around where I could see Rose. She staggered after the blow, looking dazed. She shook her head and looked around her until she saw me. Our gazes met and clung to each other.
“Bind him and strip her.” Dutch barked out the command. Again, Rose fought. I did too, but the four men had me secured while the other two helped with Rose. When they finished, her clothes had been ripped from her body, and two of the men held her by her upper arms. Rose didn’t say a word through the whole thing. It felt like zip ties at my wrists, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Kneel, Atlas.” Dutch grinned, like he had the upper hand and he knew it. I knew what was about to happen, and there was no way I survived it.
Instead of kneeling, I spat in Dutch’s direction. “When this is over, you’re gonna die. It won’t be quick.”
“You’re assuming you’ll still be living. No one leaves this club. You live and die here. You don’t want to be Sergeant at Arms? I have no other use for you.” When the four men tried to shove me to my knees, I fought. I landed kicks to one of them, but another man managed to punt me behind the knees, and I went down hard. My gaze went back to Rose. She looked terrified, but had her lips firmly closed. Her chin quivered, but her eyes stayed on me as she watched them kick me once I was down.
“That’s for the kick you landed,” one of them bit out.
Once they had me on my knees, they looped something around my arms and secured me to the floor with my hands behind my back. I tested the tie but there was no give. I was well and truly caught. Thankfully, no one had thought to search me. If they had, someone might have taken the phone in my back pocket. I was surprised they hadn’t noticed it when they secured my hands to the floor.
Dutch nodded to the men holding Rose. They dragged her over to the table and bent her over it, securing her wrists and ankles to the rings. She struggled but was no match for the size and strength of the two men manhandling her. When they were done, she lay with her upper body on the table, her toes barely touching the floor. Her legs were spread, giving anyone in the room access to her if they wanted it. And it was likely that was coming if Alexi and Sting didn’t get here quickly.
Her wrists were secured with her arms down toward the floor, stretched tightly so there was no give to the leather straps that secured her. They also put a leather strap over her back, just below her shoulders and secured so tightly it dented her skin. One man held her head still, turning it so she faced me. Then they fastened a strap through smaller loops in the side of the table, the strap wrapping over her head so the side of her face lay on the surface. She was held immobile. Theirs to do with as they wished. And there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
Continuing to struggle, trying to find just that little bit of give to the restraints holding me, I hoped with all my heart Giovanni was listening through the connection he had with my phone. They’d unleash hell once they figured out we needed help.
“You’re a fuckin’ dead man, Dutch.”
He grinned. “It’s not me who’s bound and on his knees, Atlas. You act so high and mighty. Like you’re king of all you survey.” He sneered at me. “Let me tell you what’s going to happen.” He circled the table where Rose lay. Rose’s gaze clung to mine. There was fear there, but also a steely determination. It was a good thing too, because she’d need every ounce she possessed to make it through this. “I’m gonna brand your woman. Like we would have done if you’d accepted my offer of being an officer in Soul Reapers. It will say ‘Property of Atlas’.” To prove to me this was going to happen, he took the branding iron from where one of his goons had set it up to heat when they’d first brought it to the room.