Lifeline

My God. No wonder it hurt like a bitch when he first entered me yesterday.

“You better like what you see,” he mutters darkly.

I quickly turn my face away, my sight instantly focusing on the cross I was tied to, then I figure what the hell and say, “You’re really attractive.”

His fingers grip my jaw, and I’m forced to make eye contact with him. “Do you like what you see?”

My tongue darts out, wetting my lips. “Yes.”

The corner of his mouth curves in a devastatingly hot smirk. “Good.”

God help me. I’m never going to be able to look him in the eye once this is all over.

The realization that our partnership might not survive this hits me hard, and I yank my chin free from his hold.

When he reaches for the suit pants, I walk to the leather couch and sit down on the edge. My gaze locks on the cross, and instantly flashes of O’Brien thrusting into me bombard me. It’s followed by the harrowing look on his face, clearing whatever lust was starting to trickle into my veins.

When he’s dressed, he stalks over to me, grabs hold of my hand, and pulls me out of the cabin.

We’re stopped by Berisha, who’s coming down the corridor. “Girls stay in the cabins. Zef only wants the men out on the deck.”

O’Brien’s fingers tighten around mine, and for a moment, it looks like he’s going to argue, but then he turns to me, muttering. “Go back inside.”

I have to pull my hand from his tight grip, and my eyes linger on him before I step back into the cabin, shutting the door behind me.

Turning around, I glance over the room, and my eyes fall on the clothes still lying on the bathroom floor. Needing something to do, I go pick them up, and folding the shirt and jeans in a neat bundle, I place them on the counter. While I’m in the bathroom, I drink some water, wondering if we’ll even get anything to eat today, but then thinking I won’t be able to stomach any food.

Now that I’m alone, and O’Brien’s not here to dominate my thoughts, they start to run rampant, the image of the dead girl the first to haunt me.

Shame and guilt chase me from the bathroom, but unable to leave the cabin, I start to pace up and down the small space.

The door swings open, and expecting to see O’Brien shock stuns me when two men come in.

No.

Panic floods my veins like poison ivy, my skin crawling, and my heart stuttering, and before I can try to come up with a plan, I’m grabbed and forcefully taken to the cross.

“No!” I shout, my survival instinct kicking into overdrive. I begin to kick and desperately try to free my arms, but without much effort, I’m cuffed against the cross.

Just as quickly as they came, the two men leave, my mind reeling and trying to catch up with what’s happening.

Harrowing thoughts start to surface, and I can only think of one reason I’m tied to the cross again, and it has nothing to do with O’Brien fucking me.

God. No.

Calm down, JJ. You need to shut down.

I hear voices, and closing my eyes, I calm my breaths and try to force my mind to go blank.

When the door opens, shutting down is no longer an option as my eyes fly open and my heart starts to hammer against my ribs.

Zef Rama comes into the cabin, a smug smirk on his face. Yesterday I didn’t take much in of him, but now I see his dead eyes, his sharp features, giving me the impression of a vulture ready to pick my bones clean.

He glances from me to the door as O’Brien follows him inside, then he chuckles, “Time to test your loyalty, Laze.”

My eyes lock on O’Brien, and God, even though I wish he could save me, I know there’s nothing he can do.

Keeping my eyes on the man I love, I try to brace myself for what’s coming. I try to convince myself it will be him touching me.

Chapter 20

O'Brien

Seeing JJ strapped to the cross again, my heart all but stops.

Rama lets out a taunting chuckle. “Time to test your loyalty, Laze.”

Christ, no, no, no, no.

In slow motion, my eyes swing to him, his gaze sharp and watching me for my reaction.

I feel men behind me and know none of them will hesitate to kill me if I try to fight Rama.

Then it sinks in. He’s going to rape JJ, and he expects me to stand and watch. For the second time since I boarded this yacht, my stomach bottoms out, but this time it keeps falling into the deepest pits of hell.

I promised I’d protect her.

Shit.

Just keep her alive.

Rama steps closer to JJ, his eyes roving over her, then he glances at me. “Do you have a problem with me sampling your woman?”