Page 57 of Guarding The Phoenix: Vol. 2

It didn’t matter that I’d survived atrocities at my husband’s hands. I doubted this ended well or without further assaults on my body. I wanted to vomit.

I wanted to say I wouldn’t cave and submit, but there was only so much pain I could physically endure.

He shoved me onto the bed. I scrambled away. I wouldn’t cave without a fight. My stomach tied itself in knots. I made it to the other side of the bed. But he followed me. A ravenous predator after its prey. He backed me up against the wall. I trembled, waiting for the strike. I turned my head against the wall and shut my eyes. I didn’t want to see it coming. It made it worse somehow.

Luka leaned in and murmured in my ear. “You belong to me now. You have until we retrieve the diamonds before I collect. And I have plans for you, Kylie. Best know I like it rough and expect my women on their back with their thighs spread.”

It took every ounce of strength I possessed not to vomit. It was as bad as I feared. He would use me whether I consented or not. I swallowed the lump of fear in my throat. “Why me? You have the location of the diamonds with the map. Why do you need me?”

“Because I always get what I want. Just like when that husband of yours refused to let me have you, he learned the hard way that I always get what I want. And I have plans for you sweet Kylie. Best you accept it.” He dragged his nose along my neck and my skin crawled. “Take a shower, you smell like a slut. And before you think about defying my edict, you should know if I return to the room and you haven’t showered, I will ensure that you do, by force. I cannot guarantee after stripping and bathing you, I won’t decide your time’s up and take what I want. I’m hard just thinking about it. There’s no one who will stop me or come to your rescue on this ship. Your only salvation is accepting your fate and surrendering.”

He picked up a strand of hair. “After the extra lengths you’ve made me go to, to retrieve you and my diamonds, you don’t want to push your luck. Granted, you could always surprise me and welcome me to the room with your thighs spread.”

I swallowed bile clamoring up the back of my throat.

He chuckled. Released my hair. Then cruelly gripped my head and snarled. “Don’t fucking think to test me, you will not like what happens if you do.”

Luka pressed his hips against me, digging into my stomach, allowing me to feel what he threatened. My soul shriveled.

He backed off. But it was the soulless look in his eyes that would follow me into my nightmares. They were the eyes of a cold-hearted killer who with a snap of his fingers could order my death.

The moment he vacated the room, I gave in to the fear. I raced into the bathroom and hugged the toilet as my stomach emptied.

***

Gideon

A hand on my shoulder shook me awake. Axel’s bloody, soot-stained face stared down. “Thank fuck, you’re alive. Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. And then wished I hadn’t. My ears rang and head felt like it had taken one too many hits, but I would live. “Nothing I can’t handle. Chase? Mateo?”

“We’re here.”

“And still fucking kicking,” Chase stated with a groan.

I pulled myself up into a sitting position while my head pounded. The house blazed behind me. And the yacht had sunk into the water with smoke and flames billowing from the part still above water. The explosion caught the deck on fire. It teetered on the edge of collapsing into the bay. Smoke filled the air around us.

I wiped my hand over my face. “Fuck. How the hell did he find us?”

“We’re not sure.”

“I am. It’s the only thing that makes sense.” I spat dirt and blood out on the ground. Then struggled to my feet. Every inch of my body ached. I looked at my men who all wore similar expressions, a mix of pain and fury. We lost this battle.

“Care to enlighten the rest of us?” Axel simmered, his fists clenching and unclenching, like he was aching for someone to hit. Blood leaked from a cut above his left eye. He looked like he had gone a few rounds with the heavyweight champion and won.

“Santos bought someone inside the CIA.” It’s the only thing that made sense. We found the trackers. We got rid of her phone and replaced it with one from the CIA. There was no other way he couldn’t have known where we were headed. I’d let the director know. Mateo had his tech guys who had an idea of where we were headed.

“Unless, she was working with them, you mean,” Mateo said with a disgusted shake of his head.

“Don’t you even fucking go there. You saw the goddamn videos of her getting the shit kicked out of her. No woman enjoys getting beat down that way. None,” Axel yelled in his face.

“Enough,” I shouted, holding my head and glowered. “You know for damn sure that Kylie had nothing to do with this. We’ve got someone in the agency who’s compromised. Someone on Luka Santos payroll.”

“Any idea who?”

“A few. But if we’re going to rescue our girl, nab that son of a bitch, and uncover who the fuck is behind this bullshit.” I waved my arm around at the destruction. “Then fighting each other needs to stop immediately. We have shit to accomplish and a short time in which to do it. The first being getting out of here and letting everyone believe we didn’t survive until the right time.”

“How are we planning on doing that? We’re in fucking Alaska without any transportation?” Axel snorted.

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