Burned Deep (Burned 1)

I screamed again. It didn’t matter that no one could hear me. I yelled out for Dane, Amano, anyone. I wailed loudly, even if not coherently.

His hands shifted, shoving under my skirt. He jerked down my panties to mid-thigh, then knelt behind me. I thrashed against my bindings, but he clasped my calves and held them as steady as he could, so I couldn’t kick him.

“Let’s see how hard I can make you come when I eat your pussy.”

“No!” I hollered once more. “Stop touching me! Please, God, stop touching me!”

Vale had been at the bar. He’d known that, in addition to the reptiles, I didn’t want anyone but Dane to touch me.

This was torture. I wasn’t even sure he wanted to rape me. I didn’t believe that had been his intent all along. He was doing this to torment me—Dane, too. And dear God, once Dane saw me—if he ever saw me again …

I sobbed a little harder, struggled more against my restraints. This would kill Dane. What would the retaliation for this be?

“Let me go now,” I said. “Don’t go any further. This is too much. Dane won’t let up. This will only make it worse for your family and the others.”

“We can handle Dane,” Vale assured me. “And if knowing what I’ve done to you cripples him … that’s even better.”

“Stop touching me!” I yelled again.

His hands hadn’t moved from the backs of my thighs, but I knew it was only a matter of seconds until—

A resounding thwack echoed all around me, followed by the jolting of my body as Vale’s hands tore from my legs and he let out a furious and agonized roar.

My eyes flew open. I saw him sprawled on the floor inside the dining room. Dane stood over him, a board in his hand.

Amano’s arm was around my waist in the next instant. With his free hand he retrieved a knife from his pocket, flicked it open, and slashed through the tie binding me. I collapsed against him.

A startled and clearly injured Vale attempted to roll onto his side and either stand or crawl away. Dane didn’t give him the chance.

Through my crimson-tainted vision, I saw Dane kick my assailant in the gut, so that he flopped onto his back again with a low grunt. Then Dane was on him, his fists pounding and making contact no matter how desperately Vale tried to deflect the blows. I heard the cracking of bones. Blood splattered everywhere. For several moments, I was riveted, unable to think, process, accept what my gaze remained locked on. I didn’t even think about the gun Vale had. Clearly, it didn’t matter that he was armed—he couldn’t get to it with Dane’s vicious attack.

I barely even noticed Amano maneuvering me just so in order to yank up my panties while still holding on to me so I didn’t drop like a ton of bricks at his feet.

Dane continued to punch, and the bones snapping became gruesome to listen to. Finally, it registered in my mind the length he was willing to go.

He’d kill for me.

And I almost let him.

“Dane,” I squeaked out. “Enough.”

He kept at it. Vale’s legs vibrated, then stilled. His entire body went limp.

“Dane!” I mustered the strength to shout. “Stop! You’ll kill him!”

Dane could have been a professional boxer. And he unleashed a violent rage that horrified me. Mostly because, in that dark part of me, I knew he deserved this revenge. I wanted him to get it. I wanted Vale to pay for what he’d done to the hotel—and, especially, what he’d done to me.

So much so that I could have retracted my protest. Let Dane finish what he started.

But then my mother’s words taunted me.

I don’t know what sort of people you associate with—I’m not even really sure who you are.

I wasn’t so sure, either.

“Dane,” I called out again. “Just stop. It’s over!”

Wrenching myself free of Amano’s loose embrace, I hurled myself forward, tackling Dane, shoving him off Vale. I lay sprawled across Dane, breathing heavily.