in the distance. A beautiful mountain scene right off the front porch. I parked my bike and we slid off, her hand gripping mine as tightly as she could.
“Come on. You’re falling behind!”
Then her hand slipped out of my grasp.
“Fuck,” I choked out.
Benji’s laughter filled my ear instead of hers. And I wanted to gouge his eyes out.
“Hit him again.”
A sharp pain worked its way up my abs as my head fell back.
“One more time, just to make sure we drive the point home.”
I coughed up blood as a boot connected with my stomach. My head fell forward, my body practically dangling from the chair. I looked down at the floor and it wasn’t the lush wildflowers I had been lost in with Dani. It was the cold, hard, concrete floor of my father’s warehouse.
With Benji hovering over me like a tyrant.
“You really are something, you know that?”
I spat blood on his boots before he wrenched my head back.
“You really are a son of a bitch. Just like your father.”
I growled. “You’ll never be who you think you are. From the moment we’re born, we have a place in life. And you refuse to accept yours.”
He grinned. “Trust me, I learned from the best.”
Benji stood back as my head fell off to the side.
“Why don’t we try a little more foreplay this time?”
The man dressed in black crammed his steel toe boot into my groin and my eyes rolled back. The pain was unbearable. I could barely see out of my eyes. Blood dripped from places it never should. I couldn’t feel my hands. The skin from around my ankles had been ripped away because of how hard I’d struggled against those bonds. And the more maniacal Benji became, the more I feared for my brother. For my boys.
For Dani.
I mean, if my cousin and my own fucking father were willing to come after me like this, what would they do to everyone else? It made me sick to think about. It made my head spin with anger. I gritted my teeth as another punch landed against my jawline. Hoping and praying the man didn’t break my fucking jaw in the process. And as my head jerked to the side, I watched blood and spit fly from the tip of my tongue.
“Stop,” Benji declared.
“Come on, Max. You’re such a slowpoke!”
I chuckled. “I’m going to get you, gorgeous.”
She squealed. “No! No tickling! That’s not fair!”
“It’s completely fair when you’re taunting me with your body like this.”
We fell to the bed as my hands danced over her body. Over her skin. Along the perfection that was her. I saw her tattoo aching to be kissed. I gripped her waist and let my lips fall against the beautiful colors. My Dani. My beautiful, strong, intelligent Dani. Delicate to the touch, but tough to her core.
“My Bambi,” I murmured.
“I wonder how Dani will take her punishment.”
Benji’s voice ripped me from my happy place and my blood ran cold.
“What the fuck did you say?” I asked.