Page 125 of Silk and Sirens

Renley simply grinned, that familiar, sickening smile spreading across his face. His hand released my jaw, but his fingers continued their invasive exploration between my legs, stroking and prodding with deliberate, mocking slowness. I swallowed the bile burning up my throat, forcing myself to remain perfectly still, detached, refusing to give him the reaction he wanted.

I didn’t know how long he tried to get me to react, but it felt like a lifetime before the car slowed to a stop outside my house.

“Get out.”

I was tugged out of the car, shoved forward until my palms slapped against my front door.

“Open it.”

I was proud my hands didn’t shake as I took out my keys, taking my time to unlock the door. But Renley ran out of patience, shoving me through hard enough that I stumbled, catching myself on the wall as he and the three other men moved inside my home.

My heart raced, one of the men yanking me harshly. I was pressed against his chest, one hand groping my breast while the other bunched the hem of my dress.

“Don’t,” I warned, only for Renley to laugh. “Selene will kill you. You know you’re not allowed to touch me.”

“That was before,” he laughed, moving to stand in front of me. “Now I have permission to make this hurt.”

Pulling out a knife, he pressed the flat of the cold blade against my jaw. Slowly, deliberately, he dragged it down the front of my throat and across my collarbone, the sharp edge teasing my skin without breaking it.

The man behind me yanked my dress all the way up to my waist, his rough hand groping my breast hard enough for me to wince. The other two watched with hungry, predatory eyes, one slowly undoing his belt while the other was already stroking his exposed cock.

I flinched when the knife nicked me, only to slip beneath a strap and slice the fabric. My dress sagged on one side, and the guy behind took full advantage, shoving his hand beneath the torn material to knead my flesh with painful force.

I stood frozen.

Unable to move.

“Do you remember this?” Renley whispered, slicing the other strap. “Because I do.” The dress slid down to pool at my waist.

My breathing came too fast, my head spinning with dizziness. My past threatening my present.

Look at her crying.

“I remember how you fought,” he continued, voice thick with sick pleasure. “How you begged and cried until we stuffed that pretty little mouth full.”

The knife moved lower, and the loud, obscene sound of fabric tearing filled the room as he sliced the rest of my dress open.

Let’s see how much she can take.

Cold air hit my bare skin, raising goosebumps as four sets of eyes devoured me.

Renley’s mismatched gaze raked over my body with dark hunger. “Still so fucking perfect,” he murmured, pressing the knife flat against my stomach. “Even after all these years of being Selene’s whore.”

Let’s make her bleed.

My gaze snapped to Renley’s, my anger surging through the nightmares that still haunted me. “Not her whore.”

I shoved my entire weight to the side, the move so sudden the guy behind loosened his grip. I ducked as Renley went to grab me, hitting out with all my strength. My fist managed to knock his nose, but as I went to turn around his arms encircled my waist, lifting me up until my legs were kicking in the air.

“Fucking bitch!” he sneered when I elbowed his head, and he threw me to the ground, hard.

My side took the brunt of it, knocking the air from my lungs. I began to cough, choking as I struggled to take in a breath. I tried crawling away, having managed to roll onto my front, but someone caught my hair, yanking it back until my back arched.

Twisting, I kicked out, screaming, fighting, and hitting with everything in me. I knew four men against one wouldn’t end well, but I wasn’t going to just take it.

I wasn’t fifteen anymore.

I was going to make them hurt. Make them fucking regret coming for me.