The Widow Maker (Dark Vows Duet 2)

The men seem delighted by my pain, laughing and cheering Nova on as she continues. I want to leave my body. I want to pretend this isn’t happening to me, that I haven’t been reduced to a show puppet for these evil men. But I know no matter how hard I try, the twisted memories of what happened tonight will haunt me forever, just like Juan’s death.

“Oh, relax,” Xander shouts at me when I keep sobbing. “I could do worse things to you. This is like a little vacation, isn’t it, Adelina? I bet you’re secretly loving it. Does Heath let you come?”

The guard from earlier removes the gag from my mouth, but now I’m too weak to say much. And I don’t want Xander to hear the fear and anger in my voice. It’ll only make him more pleased with himself when he realizes he’s got through to me.

The torture finally ends after my sixth orgasm. Nova is cuffed again and led away after Xander compliments her about being a good girl. She doesn’t look at anyone. She seems utterly resigned to her fate. But I’m not. I just need to play my cards right and plan my escape from here. I’m sure as fuck not going to be reduced to a toy for these cruel men. I’d rather die.

I’m untied and uncuffed from the cross, but my limbs are so sore I crumple into a ball on the floor the next moment, unable to hold myself up. Xander laughs at my shaky form, kicking me lightly with his expensive leather boot.

“Tired you out, did I?”

“Fuck you,” I manage, my voice shaky.

“You wish,” he replies smoothly. “But that’s a prize for you, Adelina, not a fucking punishment.”

I don’t reply, and I can tell that pisses him off even more. The guy gets off on people showing the pain he’s caused them. I’m determined not to become a victim of his.

Chapter 6

HEATH

Today is the day Xavier dies.

My hand grips the gun tightly, and my heart beats into overdrive as we get into position to attack. My men have already neutralized several of Xavier’s guards with a bullet straight between their eyes. Their bodies litter the outside of the Casa.

I can’t believe I used to live here. So much has changed since then. Since Xavier stole everything from me. Today, I’m going to make him pay.

I signal to Phoenix to keep moving. He follows my order. Several men enter the house before us. We’re working with information from one of our sicarios who told us the house has low security tonight. It’s our only chance of getting in.

It’s not like I want to kill Xavier’s men. But I’ll do everything it takes to ensure Rain’s return to where she belongs—into my arms.

I head up onto the first floor, where I know the bedrooms are located from my time spent at the Casa. A guard sees me but I work quickly, the silencer on my gun making sure no one hears his death.

I walk into bedroom after bedroom, all of them empty. Finally, I stand before the master bedroom of the Casa with my heart beating faster than ever.

If she’s in there with him... if he forced her to do things she didn’t want to do... I’m going to tear him apart limb by fucking limb.

I open the door. The room is expensively decorated, just the way I remember it, but slightly updated. It’s also empty.

“Fuck,” I curse under my breath.

Where the fuck is Xavier? Our informant told me he’d be home tonight, but he’s nowhere to be seen. It’s the middle of the night. The bastard should be sleeping.

“Looking for something?”

My breath catches in my throat as I whip around and find Xavier standing there with a victorious smile, clutching Phoenix in a death grip with a gun pointed to his forehead.

But when our eyes meet for the first time in years, surprise overtakes Xavier’s stony expression. He’s shocked to see me again, and I use the moment of his shock to lunge myself at him. But it’s too late. A shot is fired and Phoenix grunts, stumbling back with his shoulder spurting blood.

“Where is she?” I roar, my hand shaking as I point the gun to Xavier’s head. He lost his own gun after shooting Phoenix, and now he’s at my mercy. “Where the fuck is she?”

My uncle puts his hands up. I think of the sick satisfaction I’d feel if I could kill him now. Simply send a bullet through his head and watch his brains and blood splatter the wall behind him.

But I can’t do it. Not until he tells me where Rain is.

“What a pleasant surprise,” Xavier hisses. “I didn’t know you were still breathing. But I can see you’re still just as much of a pest as you used to be, Heath.”