Slade (The Protectors #6)(43)

“No.” Rod’s voice shook almost as bad as his body. “And I didn’t abuse Caroline.”

Jax grabbed Rod by the throat, getting in his face. “You’re not even fit to say her name.”

“Ah, Jax.” Sid tilted his head, watching Rod’s face change colors. “I was hoping to prolong his suffering for a while; it’s more entertaining that way.”

With one last squeeze, Jax shoved his neck away. “A woman should be honored, not beat on by little pricks like you.” Jax knelt down in front of Rod so the bastard could see the truth behind his words.

“So what did your tribe use to do?” Sid sat down on a weight bench next to Rod. “I’d really like to hear the story.”

Jax’s smile turned evil as his fist clenched tightly; his piercing black eyes never left Rod’s. “First, after the bastard was found, he was tied to a tree. The elders allowed all the women to inflict punishment, but not kill. When the women were finished, the woman who had been abused had her turn, and it wasn’t pretty. Indian women could be more ruthless than the men.”

“Go on.” Sid leaned closer as if really getting into the story, which was f*cking with Rod’s head.

“Once she was finished, the women would go back to their daily routines while the men took over.” Jax’s face took on a menacing look. “If it was rape, his cock was cut with expertise off his body. The shaman would sew him back up to make sure he would live so every day he could see his rotting raping cock hanging from the woman’s camp.”

“Holy shit. Can someone really live without their dick?” Sid leaned back, really thinking about that. “Then again, who the f*ck would want to?”

“If it’s done right, they can, and believe me, our shaman had it down to an art and even showed men in the tribe how it was done so the punishment would live on after he was gone.” Jax watched the sweat roll down Rod’s terrified face, a primal satisfaction filling his body.

“Let me guess.” Sid snapped his fingers and pointed at Jax. “You were one of those men the shaman taught.”

“I didn’t rape her. Is that what that bitch said? She’s f*cking lying.” Rod went to stand up, but was slammed back down.

“Shut the f*ck up and listen,” Jax warned, his eyes black as night.

“Yeah, I want to hear the rest, Rod.” Sid’s face indicated he was loving every f*cking minute of this.

“In my tribe, the punishment reflected the abuse,” Jax continued. “If a man hit a woman, his hands were removed. If he bit a woman, his teeth were removed, and not in a pleasant way. Everything was done so that the bastard would live with his punishment and disgrace, every day.”

“So what if they called her a bitch?” Sid asked, using his head to point at Rod.

“Then the nearest male would punch him in the mouth.” Jax did just that before pushing Rod all the way back on the weight’s bench. “This is your only warning. If you ever come near Caroline or her family again, I will hunt you down, and believe me, you don’t want me hunting you down because once I find you, and I will find you, I will relive my roots and deal out every punishment I’ve ever learned. It will be painful and you will be hideous, but you will live. You understand me, motherf*cker?”

Rod nodded, tears rolling out of the side of each eye. He tried to answer, but choked on the blood from his mouth. “Yes,” he finally muttered past his broken teeth and swelling lips.

Sid walked over with a bench lift bar loaded down with weights, setting it down across Rod’s chest. “I’m kind of impressed, Rod. If I was you, I’d be scared enough to piss myself.” Sid let go of the bar so all the weight kept Rod immobile, before he looked at Jax. “Hey, didn’t you guys scalp people also?”

“Yes.” Was all Jax said as he pulled out a butterfly knife, opening it with flare. “Our knives were a little bigger, but this would do.”

Sid nodded, and then looked down at Rod’s crotch as his red shorts became darker with piss. “And there it is,” Sid grinned. “Figured that would do it.”

Jax leaned over Rod. “Remember, you cannot hide from me.”

Rod nodded and squeezed his eyes shut, a low keening coming from his throat.

As Jax and Sid walked toward the exit, Sid grinned. “Now that was fun.”

Jax mumbled, still in his rage-mode.

“So what tribe were you with?” Sid glanced at him sideways.

“The one you didn’t want to f*ck with, white man.” Jax pushed his way out the door.

“Point taken.” Sid nodded with raised eyebrows, and then smiled. “I’m going to like you, Chief. Now let’s go home and I’ll fix you up some grub.”

“That’s cowboy slang, dumbass.” Jax turned his head away so Sid couldn’t see his half smile. This f*cker was nuts, but funny as hell.

Chapter 13

After hours of lying awake, Jill headed to the kitchen, grumpy and sexually frustrated. She had thought of many nasty, painful ways to torture Slade. After a cold shower, which didn’t help her one bit and proved the belief that cold showers helped a sexually frustrated individual was total bullshit, her ways of torture turned even more evil.

“Well, hello, sunshine.” Steve smiled at her from the table.