Lethal Temptations (Tempted #5)(27)

“You don’t have to drown. You got legs that work, you stand the f*ck up and keep moving. But if you don’t get on your feet and you choose to drown in the poison, then you’re a f*cking *.”

Jimmy rose to his feet, spinning on his heel, and pointed a finger at the other man. “Get the phone ready; make sure the lighting is clear so when we shoot the video there is no mistaking what Jack Parrish will be seeing.”

The first douche bag un-cuffed me and pulled me up. On my feet, I stumbled, barely able to hold my head up…. but I wasn’t a *.

And motherf*cker, I’m not ready to drown.

“What are you doing?” I asked as he dragged me across the room to the slop sink. He turned the faucet on and I lost my f*cking shit, at least I think I did. I struggled to fight, pushing back against his pull but let’s be serious. I was no match for this son of a bitch, not with all the shit he injected into my bloodstream.

Still, I’m standing.

I won’t drown.

Not now.

Not by this prick.

He grabbed a fist full of my hair and shoved my face into the basin of the sink. The ice cold water rained down over my head, awakening me and numbing me to everything other than the freezing temperature of the water.

Finally, he turned the faucet off and released his hold on me. I lifted my head, pushing the hair back and away from my face, turning around to face Reina. The man behind pushed me, forcing me to shuffle my feet across the cement until I was standing in front of her.

I watched as Jimmy’s henchmen walked around me, making his way behind Reina and freed her hand. Jimmy knelt before her, cutting the zip ties from her ankles, before nodding to the man still standing behind Reina. He grabbed her hair, forcing her onto her feet and when her legs gave out he yanked harder on her hair.

“What the f*ck man? C’mon leave her alone,” I groaned as she shrieked in pain. “You’re only making shit worse for yourself by f*cking with her,” I added.

“Shut up,” Jimmy ordered, reaching down to his calf as he lifted his pants slightly, pulling the gun from his holster before lifting it to my head. “You don’t speak unless I tell you to,” he declared, glancing over his shoulder at the man pulling Reina’s hair. “Give me the phone,” he demanded, reaching over my shoulder to grab the iPhone. “Is it ready?”

I glanced at Reina, saw the fear in her and eyes and forced myself to ignore it and concentrate on focusing. I needed to get my head straight to figure out what this crazy son of bitch was planning.

“Yes,” the lackey replied.

Out of the corner of my eye, Jimmy dropped the gun he had aimed at my head and fiddled with his phone. I turned my eyes back to Reina’s.

“Stay with me,” I mouthed, as Jimmy’s second enforcer aimed his gun at me.

For f*ck’s sake.

The guy holding Reina by the hair, released her and cocked his gun.

“There is this old saying, maybe you’ve heard it,” Jimmy began, as he circled us with his arm outstretched recording himself as he did. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me,” he arched his eyebrows and smiled at the camera. “I’m no one’s fool,” he declared, looking away from the camera he turned to face me. “You told me she was a whore. You said you take chance a piece on her sweet cunt, right?” He questioned. “Answer the question! Look into the camera when you do.”

“Yes,” I lied through my teeth.

“But you haven’t sampled her have you?” He asked, turning around to Reina, trailing his fingertip along her collarbone. “But you’re going to now and do you know why, pretty girl? Do you know why he will rape you?”

Rape?

Fuck no.

I’m a lot of things, a man who committed a lot of sins, but I was no rapist.

Let him pull the trigger.

Fuck it all.

I would not touch her.

“Because you’re not a fool,” Reina replied.

“I’m not touching her you sick f*ck,” I shouted over her. “Shoot me up, do what you got to do but I won’t f*cking touch her.”

Jimmy laughed, ignoring me as he played back his video, scrutinizing it. Reina’s eyes found mine, pleading with me to make it stop, to put an end to this torture.

I had nothing.

Fucking helpless.

At the mercy of drugs.

At the mercy of a mobster.

I was not my own man.

I was not worthy of my cut or my patch.

Satan’s Knight?

No, I was Jimmy’s bitch.

“It will be okay,” I told her.

“Leather and Lace,” she breathed. “When we get out of here will you tell me what it means?”

I stared at her silently.

No, I wouldn’t.

Not for the obvious reasons, not because she was Jack’s daughter but because in that moment, with death looming over me, Leather and Lace became sacred. It was a dream, something foreign to a man who is only granted nightmares, and I wanted to hang onto the dream a little longer. I wanted to hang on to the idea I could change, maybe be a better man, and as much of a stretch as it was I wanted to hang on to the idea I could be better for her. I wanted to believe I could be the guy she needed, to give her what she deserved and repay her for all the ways she heals me. Even if it’s temporary.