Unshackle (Deliver 7)

“The girl.” His hand paused on her calf, his gaze locked on hers. “They butchered her to teach you a lesson.”

“Yeah. Lovely friends you have. I guess birds of a feather really do flock together.”

He yanked hard on her foot and hauled her along the bottom of the tub. The sudden motion pulled her head beneath the water. Panic rose, and her legs cartwheeled as the memory of his hand over the blonde’s mouth flooded her brain.

She flailed, shot up, and gulped for air. “Fuck you!”

“I’ll be the one doing the fucking. Hold still.” He resumed his lathering before she’d even caught her breath.

“I can wash myself.”

“No. Explain your relationship with Vera Gomez.”

Homicidal rage spiked through her, quivering her muscles. “We have no relationship.”

“If your face wasn’t broken, I’d see a vein bulging in your forehead just at the mention of her name.”

There was so much she wanted to say, but she couldn’t. If she thought today’s punishment was unbearable, it was nothing compared to what they would do if she told her secrets.

But if she didn’t give him something, he would just keep pushing. Keep hurting her.

“I’ve been here as long as that bitch.” She tilted her head back to locate the cameras and found none. Then she spotted a hole in the ceiling. “What—?”

“I’m a very private man, and I don’t appreciate anyone recording my personal activities.”

So he tore out the only camera? What about the other rooms? The cartel would never allow that.

He followed her gaze to the doorway and shook his head. “This is the only room that isn’t monitored.”

“They can’t hear us in here?

“Only when you scream,” Golden Eyes said without emotion.

“You and Vera came here…” John inched the chair toward her head and washed her hair. “When?”

“Nine-hundred and fifty-eight days ago.”

Almost three years. It felt like three decades.

“You arrived together?” he asked.

How much could she tell him? Maybe the cartel wasn’t listening right now, but could she really take that chance?

“Not together. The compound had just been built.” She closed her eyes and wiped at the stream of bubbles running from his hands. “She hated me from the beginning.”

“Why?”

So many reasons, and none that she could disclose. So she settled on another truth. “Why does La Rocha abduct, rape, and sell girls? They’re evil. She is pure fucking evil.”

He seemed so perplexed by this with his brows all knitted and his lips clamped together. Of course, he didn’t get it. He associated with the Mexican cartel. Hell, he was a goddamn slave buyer.

Except… He didn’t fit the mold. Not exactly. Something was weirdly off about him.

He finished shampooing and moved on to conditioner. “Was she ever a captive here?”

“Are you kidding? This place is her brainchild. Her pride and joy. She built it from the ground up.” She squinted at him. “Why are you so interested in her?”

“She’s fucking gorgeous.” He licked the corner of his mouth and put his face in hers. “You’re jealous.”

Yeah, right. Beautiful women grew on trees around here, and she never wanted to be one of them. Which was why she welcomed every fight, hoping the beatings would make her less desirable.

He fell quiet as he rinsed her hair, seemingly lost in thought.

Then he finished the rest of her. Somehow, he managed the intimate task without making it sexual. His gaze touched her nudity without being creepy. His hands glided over her breasts and between her legs without trying to violate her.

He couldn’t have made it more obvious that something strange was going on.

Maybe it was her appearance? She didn’t need a mirror to imagine how grotesque she looked. Good. If a puffy face killed his boner, she might consider punching herself to maintain the swelling all week.

But if her looks turned him off, why had he chosen her?

“How many times have you been pimped out to the guests?” He pulled the drain and let the water out.

“You’re the first.”

He winged up an auburn eyebrow, an expression that made him look younger. Almost playful.

“You’re not special.” She slid her knees to her chest, shivering in the draining water. “If I hadn’t won so many fights for the cartel, they would’ve killed me a long time ago. I’m a flight risk who’s outlived her value, and you said you wouldn’t pay for broken goods.” She laughed hollowly. “You’ve been duped, Johnny Boy.”

“You’re not only wrong. You’re scared.” He bent in and wrapped a hand around her throat, holding her gaze. “Scared shitless, because you know that when your bruises fade, I’m going to like what I see. When I taste you, I’m going to savor that, too. What you may not know, but will soon discover, is that when I’m inside you, you’ll come on such a violent tailspin of pleasure that my cock will be the only one that ever matters. Then, now, and forever.”