Page 124 of Princess of Vengeance

“This one,” Malcolm says, pointing at Nico’s cage.

Fuck.

“No,” I whisper before I can stop myself.

Elliot smirks at me as he unlocks Nico’s cell. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’ll get your turn.”

Two of Malcolm’s guards step up and grab Nico by the arms to start dragging him out of the cage. He struggles against them, landing a solid punch to one guard’s jaw before the other slams the butt of his gun into Nico’s stomach, making him double over, gasping for breath.

“Bring him here,” Malcolm orders, gesturing to the center of the room where the concrete is still stained with Rafael’s blood.

Nico looks over and gives me the smallest nod, silently telling me he’ll be okay even though we both know that’s a lie.

They start by punching and kicking him, the sound of their blows making me flinch every time. Nico barely makes a sound, occasionally grunting or sucking in a gulp of air. He doesn’t give them the satisfaction of hearing him cry out, though, and all I can do is keep praying that he’s able to withstand whatever they have in store for him.

But then they bring out other tools—things I try not to look at too closely because it makes me sick to think about what they’re doing to him.

I always thought Malcolm was the worst member of the Dark Lotus Syndicate, the most vicious and heartless. But watching Elliot now, I realize I was wrong. He’s every bit as brutal as Malcolm, maybe even more so because he seems to genuinely enjoy it. The way he smiles when he makes Nico groan in pain, the almost tender way he selects each new instrument of torture—it’s fucking sickening.

I should never have imagined I had a chance to convert Elliot to my side. He and Malcolm are cut from the same brutal, monstrous cloth. The realization makes me feel like an idiot. My naive hope that Elliot might turn against Malcolm because of what happened to his mother was just that—naive. He doesn’t care about his mother. or anyone else. He only cares about raw power. And right now, he has it.

My entire body is so tense that my muscles are starting to ache. I can barely breathe as I watch them take out their anger and frustration on Nico. They’ve stripped him to the waist, and his chest and back are covered in cuts and bruises.

Elliot circles him with a cattle prod in his hand, tapping it against his palm in what can only be described as sadistic anticipation.

“You know what this is?” he asks, holding the prod in front of Nico’s face. Without waiting for an answer, he presses it against Nico’s side.

Electricity crackles through the air. Nico’s body goes rigid as every muscle tenses at once. His jaw clenches so tight I can see the muscles standing out in his neck, but he doesn’t scream. He won’t give them the satisfaction.

“That’s it,” Elliot says in a soft, almost gentle voice. “Fight it all you want. It only makes it sweeter when you finally break.”

Malcolm stands a few feet away, watching. He hasn’t said much, seemingly content to let Elliot do most of the dirty work.

“I wonder what your pretty wife thinks about all this,” Elliot says to Nico, glancing over at me. “She’s the reason you’re here, after all. Her little rebellion is what’s going to get you all killed.”

Nico spits blood onto the floor. “Fuck you.”

Elliot laughs and hits him with the prod again, this time holding it against his stomach for several long seconds. Nico’s body convulses as his muscles spasm uncontrollably. His face contorts in agony, but still, he doesn’t scream.

I can see it in his eyes though. The pain and the fear that he won’t be able to hold out much longer. That they’ll break him in front of me.

I grip the bars of my cage harder, holding his gaze whenever he looks my way. I try to pour every ounce of strength I have into that connection, silently telling him that I’m here, that I see him, that I’m not looking away no matter how hard it gets.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper when Elliot turns his back for a moment. I don’t know if Nico can hear me, but I need to say it. Need him to know that I never wanted this for him, for any of them.

His eyes find mine across the room, and despite everything, there’s a flicker of something in them that isn’t pain or fear. Something warmer.

Love.

“Worth it,” he mouths back, the words barely audible but unmistakable.

My chest tightens. Even now, even here, in the middle of this nightmare, he’s thinking of me. Telling me that whatever happens, whatever they do to him, it was worth it. I was worth it.

I don’t deserve this man. I don’t deserve any of them. But dammit, I’m going to get them out of here if it’s the last thing I do.

Elliot notices our silent exchange and his face darkens. “How sweet,” he sneers. “You still love each other, even in the face ofdeath.” He tosses the cattle prod from one hand to the other, then suddenly cranks it to a higher setting. The device hums with increased power, and the sound makes my stomach clench. “Let’s see how much he really loves you when he can’t even remember your name.”

“Stop,” I call out. “Just stop. You’ve made your point.”

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