Lifeline

A growl builds in my chest as I spin to face Rama. “No one fucking touches her.”

The threat of JJ landing in one of those fuckers hands is enough to clear my mind.

Rama watches me closely after my strong reaction, then he waves a hand in JJ’s direction before he takes a seat on a leather single-seater. “Then she’s all yours.”

Looking for a way out, I ask, “Why the fuck are you making yourself comfortable?”

Rama’s lips curve up as he leans back against the leather. “I need to see if you can actually fuck a woman, or you’ll be of no use to me when it comes to training girls.”

Another sickening wave crashes over me, and for the life of me, I can’t hide my emotions flaying my soul bare.

He looks at JJ, and I have to fist my hands so I don’t pummel him to death. There’s no emotion on his face as he says, “She’s drugged. It will be an easy fuck.”

When I still don’t move, Rama leans a little forward and pulls his gun out. Resting the hand holding the weapon on his thigh, he nods toward JJ. “I’m not getting any younger. Either you fuck her, or I kill you and keep her for myself.”

Knowing he’s not joking, my eyes turn to JJ. Her head’s tilted back, her eyes on me. She might be drugged, but it looks as if she understands what’s happening.

Christ.

Fuck.

“Now!” Rama barks.

I have a choice between taking the one thing I want most in the world and certain death.

Never thought it would be so hard.

Forcing my feet to move, my insides start to burn as if I swallowed flaming coals.

Fuck, JJ.

Shit.

Stopping in front of her, I take in the glassy look in her eyes, her dry lips, and the pale sheen over her skin. Her breaths are shallow with fear.

Either I do this, or I die. I won’t be able to protect her if I’m dead.

FuckFuckFuck.

Lifting a hand to JJ’s face, I cup her cheek. She’s fucking cold.

My eyes dart to her wrists, taking in the cuffs.

“I was told you like this girl,” Rama says, annoyance tightening his voice. “Do you prefer cock?”

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, my lungs filling with JJ’s scent.

I’m sorry.

Fuck, I’m so sorry.

“Can you fucking shut up? It’s hard to get in the mood with your constant talking.”

All I get in return is a deadly chuckle from Rama.

Christ. I’m so sorry, JJ.

Opening my eyes, I lower them and take in the fucking incredible sight of JJ’s naked body. She’s even more perfect than I imagined.

And that’s all it takes for me to get hard.

JJ

When I came to, enough to make sense of my surroundings, I found myself cuffed to the wall and stripped of my clothes. The past couple of hours are a blur, and whatever they gave me makes it hard to focus.

I’m trembling with fear because I know this will not end well for me. I don’t know for sure, but my guess is the Bregu syndicate took me, and that means O’Brien’s cover has been blown.

My fear is quickly replaced by an excruciating heartache ripping through me with the force of a hurricane.

No.

Anything but that.

Calm down. You don’t know for sure.

The door opens, and my body instinctively jerks. Then I see O’Brien, and dizzying relief washes through me, mixing with whatever drug they gave me and forming a potent cocktail.

I keep my eyes on O’Brien, not understanding a word they’re saying. When he’s clearly upset, my heartbeat speeds up, clearing more of the drug from my system. I start to feel the cold air around me.

I glance at the other man and recognize him. Rama.

Shit.

My head clears a little more, and when O’Brien walks toward me, the thundering in my chest increases dramatically.

It doesn’t take much to figure out what’s happening. I’m O’Brien’s final test.

Thank God it’s me and not another girl.

My lips part, and the words ‘it’s okay’ perch on the tip of my tongue, but then Rama snaps something in Albanian, making me swallow the words.

I have no idea how much Rama knows or why I was brought here. Until O’Brien makes a move, I’ll just follow his lead.

His eyes only meet mine for a split second, and all I see is raw agony before he glances at my bound wrists.

Rama says something that has O’Brien closing his eyes and snapping angrily at him.

The tension hanging thickly in the air makes my breathing speed up, then a broken scream echoes from somewhere, slamming into my heart.

Oh, God. Other girls are being raped.

O’Brien clenches his jaw as he takes a step closer to me. My attention’s torn between him, Rama, who’s watching us, and more desperate cries sounding up.

It takes everything in me to keep quiet and not tell O’Brien I’m okay with this.