Page 56 of Uncrowned

“You killed a woman and her unborn children. I asked myself, did you know this woman? Was she a horrible person? Did she not deserve to be a mother? But then I realized none of that mattered. Do you know why, Mr. Redmond?”

His lips parted. He didn’t appear afraid, more perplexed on how to deal with the small woman who fisted the flogger and stared him down.

“Why, Ms. Taylor?”

“Because you are not God. You are no one. Nothing. A weak man who thinks he has power when truly…” she paused, swinging the flogger at her side. “I do believe the power is currently mine.”

I tried not to smile as Redmond’s gaze shot to me.

“Face the wall.”

The shakiness was back and it moved from her voice to her hands as she paused while he obeyed. Tears were so close to spilling, but she held them in as he flattened his hands and lowered his head.

“A mother and her children.” Dark hair swayed through her hard shake. “A mother… and her children.” Leather strands hit against each other as she drew back. The force at which she swung was euphoric.

Whack!

The impact had Redmond tensing and pushing his fingers against the cement.

“A woman—” Whack!

“And babies—” Whack!

“How—” Whack!

“Could—” Whack!

“You—” Whack!

“How—” Whack!

Whack!

Whack!

A sob tore from Penelope.

“You like to hurt women?”

Whack!

Whack!

Whack!

Redmond let out a deep sound as blood beaded and trailed down his back in multiple spots. Welts were littering the space, running this way and that. The entire surface was raised up and turning purple in areas.

“I can’t believe—I can’t—No! I didn’t ask for this. I don’t⁠—”

Whack!

Penelope tried to catch her breath through the cries. I took the flogger from her grasp, pulling her into me, but she didn’t want my comfort. She pushed from my chest, wiping down her face as she put distance between us. I turned to Redmond through his heavy pants.

“You fucked up. You understand that?”

“I do.”

I reared back, sending the leather whistling through the unforgiving strike. Skin split, and Penelope’s cry behind me was muffled, as if she had her hands over her mouth.