Page 142 of Creed

“And I told you, Perez checked and scanned them both with the device. They have nothing on them that would be blocking the signals.”

Salome huffs. “Back to your daughter and my promise. The Collectors, Mortie’s minions,” my head swims with all the details they inadvertently reveal, “can wait a bit longer. I’ve been dreaming of Sophie for almost a year. And if you renege on your promise, Ortez, I’ll cut your arms off and toss you overboard and watch as the sharks feast on you. Maybe I’ll fuck your daughter over the rail while I do.

“Now, you can stay while I have my fun, and you can join in with the other bitch, or you can fuck off,” Salome warns. “Either way, I’m fucking your daughter in the next two minutes.”

A hand roughly grabs my breast and twists viciously, and I cry out in pain and horror that Salome is about to rape me. When my eyes fly open, his pock-scarred face sneers above me, and he licks his lips. “Such a pretty little whore. No wonder Creed Santoro wanted to keep you all for himself.”

My father regards me like I’m his cash cow; that’s his only concern. “Salome, back off; you can fuck her once I’m out of the room. I want to talk to my daughter.”

Yep, father of the year, right here, folks.

He stomps across the small room and opens the door. “Perez, tell Morales to go fucking faster. We’re going to be late for the drop-off.” He slams the door, spinning back to me, and points at the chair. “Sit, Sophie.”

I consider defying him, but Severyn lies motionless on a table, and I don’t want them to hurt her. She’s already in the middle of this because of me, so I obey.

“You make me proud, Sophie,” my father says with a malicious smile as I sit in the chair. “You bring me a friend, as well as yourself. And one that Perez tells me has some notoriety. She'll catch a huge price for the death ring.”

A huge price… For the death ring, that has a qualifying maze, cage fights, and sex slaves.

Desperation lances through me, but I swallow back the horror and dread that wants to wash over me like a tidal wave. “Notoriety and fame mean importance; people will be looking for her,” I reason. “You’re taking a huge risk. Just let us go.”

He laughs. “We’re not worried about anyone finding her. We have technology to protect us.”

I hold on desperately again to Severyn’s words:My team will know where we are. They and Creed will come for us.

“Now, for you, dear daughter, you’re going to doanythingto survive and win. But it’s not just about surviving; you need toimpressthe Shadow Ringmasters. Because if you do survive your qualifying trial but don’t please them, instead of going into the Champion stream—which, trust me, you want—you’ll be a sex slave to entertain the patrons. You’ll be a common whore who’s fucked repeatedly at one death event. You’ll be so quickly used,” he leans in close, his dead, cold eyes holding mine, “that you’ll wish for death. So, I strongly encourage you to fight as if your life depends on it because, believe me, it fucking does.”

“How can you do this?” I hate that my voice has a slight tremor. “You’re my father.”

He laughs again, harsher even than before. “We share blood, but money is thicker than blood.”

Anger explodes within me at this piece of shit I share blood with. “Your blood money with the cartel wasn’t enough?”

“I’m tired of being under Garcia’s thumb. And if you become our Champion, we’ll be like kings, untouchable.”

That’s why they risked coming for me while entering their cartel’s rival’s territory.

My father continues talking, but the roar in my head is too loud. Panic. Pain.Ragefills me,and only the last of his words filter in.

“… a membership spot… the Shadow Ringmasters and Mortie love that I’m giving my flesh and blood to the ring.”

“With you, Sophie, though.” Salome turns my head, so my hateful glare lands on him, and he runs his tongue over his stained teeth. “I’m seriously considering requesting you be put directly into the sex stream rather than the fighters. Then, as your owner, I can fuck you whenever I’m at the event location, plus I’ll get a cut for every pussy you eat, every cock you suck, and every hole you’re fucked in.”

I rear back from him and his horrible words, but still manage to hiss, as I feel a potent hate pour from my soul into my words. “Fuck you.”

He flashes a lecherous grin and grips my chin painfully, digging into a cut from one of the branches from when Severyn and I hadrun. He fists his hand to hit me, but his punch doesn’t land as my father pushes him away, but my father isn’t saving me. Instead, he backhands me, whipping my head to the side. I see stars, but I refuse to cry out or let the tears in my eyes fall.

When my vision clears, I see Severyn is awake, a murderous look on her face as she watches my father and Salome, who have their backs to her. Her eyes meet mine and she mouths, ‘soon.’

I’m coming, angel, hold on.It’s like Creed whispered into my ear.

Suddenly, the boat dies, and the men above start to shout.

“Perez!” my father shouts. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Go and see what the hell is going on,” Salome orders, unbuckling his belt. “It’s about time little Sophie met my cock.”

I shouldn’t be surprised, but the bottom of my world falls out when my father storms out of the room. I scramble out of the chair, trying to get away from Salome, his eyes promising a fate worse than death.

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