I guess I should be grateful that the chain attached to my ankle is long enough for me to walk around the room.

Oh well… My torture means I’m takinghisprecious time, and he can’t use his evil on another little girl.

I can take whatever he dishes out, but I can’t believe Ted got the better of me. All my research showed he’d be easily overpowered.

Lesson learned for next time,ifthere’s a next time.

“Maybe this will loosen those lips,” Ted cackles as he approaches me with an iron poker that’s bright red at the tip.

A shiver runs down my spine, and I know I should keep quiet, but my mouth doesn’t get the memo. “Sorry, you’re not my type.”

An evil smile stretches across his face as he lays the hot iron against the flesh of my thigh. A blood-curdling scream erupts from my throat before I can stop it. He slowly pulls it back with a gleeful expression. A wave of nausea rolls in my stomach as the stench of burnt flesh hits my nostrils. My body is already weak, and this makes it worse, so I have to fight to stay awake.

“You’re not looking so hot there, girl,” he jeers.

I breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth to hold back the vomit creeping up my throat.

“Probably not, but I bet I could still get a datewillinglyand with someone my ownage.” I wink. “Can’t say the same for you. Age of consent is eighteen in Arizona, and we both know yourlittle sausage only works on little girls. What do you do, Ted, drug them?”

He rushes forward with the poker, attacking my other thigh. “Fucking cunt!”

“MOTHER FUCKER!” I scream.

Damn it, Jez! Quit provoking him. Who knows what else this sick bastard will do to you if I pass out?

I know Ted won’t rape me. He tried already, but the dickhead couldn’t get it up. I’m too old for him.

I should’ve fucking told Demon or my team I was headed to Phoenix.

I wouldn’t have had to tell them specifically where I was going, but at least they’d have somewhere to start looking. Pride got in my way, and I can stop the internal groan that one of the sins that the club battles will end up being my downfall.

Pride cometh before the fall.

Ted tosses the poker to the side with a huff and marches back out of the room. I take the reprieve and silently beg for my family to hurry. I’m not down and out yet and still have some fight left in me, but I won’t last much longer. A tear escapes, rolling down my cheek, but then Ted reappears.

I jut my chin and lock eyes with the monster in front of me as he brandishes his knife.

“That all you got, dickless?” I say, egging him on.

Shut up, Jez!

Ted’s eyes narrow into tiny slits, his face turning a deep shade of purple. “You’re gonna reg?—”

Bang!

A loud crash reverberates through the trailer. Ted’s head whips around at the sound of the intrusion, and I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face.

“Jez!” Mark—dammit, Demon—hollers.

They found me!

Feeling safe for the first time in days, I let myself slip into sweet oblivion.

“Fucking hell.”

The words rush out of me as I drop to my knees next to Jez. Demon is handling Ted McCormick, and I trust him to eliminate the bastard.

“I should’ve killed you years ago,” Demon snarls right before a gunshot echoes in the space.