Page 153 of Her Blood Revenge

‘Twenty-three,’ he sings.

A flashback of Neve’s death strikes. Of Shaw slicing me up.

He slaps me to bring me back to him and bellows out a deep laugh.

There’s nothing he wants from me except my suffering. His torture comes with no demands for information. No orders. Just the joy of watching me suffer and the knowledge that eventually, the guys will find out what he’s put me through.

So I try not to scream. I refuse to look him in the eye.

‘Neve said I can’t hurt you too much,’ he tells me breathlessly as he looks at the blood on the tip of his blade. ‘Not in any way that damages you permanently. Youneed to be in one piece long enough to do what she needs you to do.’

Cut.

‘But considering you heal so quickly now, that leaves the door wide open for opportunities.’

Cut.

‘You look very pretty tied up, you know.’

Cut.

‘You’ll look even prettier with your intestines wrapped around your neck!’ I spit. ‘And as you lie dying, I’ll piss on you just as I pissed on your daddy!’

Cut.

I grunt as he slices my thigh, and I blink away the flashes of Shaw doing this to me.

‘Did he tell you?’ he asks. ‘That Dorian is dead?’

I refuse to answer. I don’t believe him. The Shadow Master isn’t dead and he will come for me. They all will. And Cole will pay.

Cole leans over my face, so I have no choice but to look at him.

‘You killed him, Ashe. You killed those witches.’ He grabs my face with his bloody hand so I can’t look away. ‘Do you think they will still love you after you murdered their friend?’

‘You’re going to die, Cole.’

‘After you, my love.’

He grabs a handful of salt and presses it into the wound.

I scream. My fuck do I scream!

I lunge and sink my teeth into his cheek, biting deep and getting a mouthful of blood. He roars with pain and stumbles back, clutching the gaping wound on his face. AndI spit out his cheek before I swallow the mouthful of blood I claimed.

I can’t access my blood magic, but it gives me some strength to withstand this torture.

‘Your methods of torture are as bad as your skills in the bedroom,’ I laugh. ‘Boring. Predictable. Unimaginative and inadequate. And when they get here, I’ll ask Archie to tear off your little dick, just as he did with your hand.’

He roars as he storms towards me, the dagger held high as if he’s about to stab me in the heart.

I know Shaw told me not to make him angry. But he’s hurting me beyond measure, and all I want is to hurt him just as much.

‘Do it, you fucking coward!’ I scream. ‘Kill me!’

‘You won’t get off that easy, my love,’ he snarls.

He takes the dagger and rests the handle between my spread legs. My eyes widen as I see that sadistic look in his eyes.

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