Page 3 of Hostile Saint

I winced because she had never done such a thing as tend to an injury the brothers caused. “She’ll look for me.” I suddenly wanted it all over with. “Please, just make it quick.”

Jake reached into the trunk and started pulling Lace from my grasp. “Was it ‘quick’ when you fucked her?”

Pulling on Lace’s hands, I ignored his taunt but yelled, “It was me who tricked you! Be mad at me!”

Not only had Lacey and I found each other again while our brothers were off to college, but we had fallen madly in love. Neither were permitted.

Damien, the ringleader of this sadistic quartet, hung a rope over his shoulder before reaching in to help separate us. “Oh, it is you who will pay, alright.”

Four older sets of hands overpowered mine and stole Lace from me.

As she was dragged from the trunk and pulled backward, I screamed, “Run! Run, Lace!” but it was no use. Lacey was already being restrained by my brothers.

No one had to yank me from the trunk. I willingly, and rapidly, crawled free to follow Lace. The brothers were quick to learn how to use me as their puppet. If they had control over Lace, they had control over me.

As Jake tied her wrists together, I stood there, obediently, panting, wanting to hold her. “Please, give her to me.”

He just kept smiling, relishing in my inner torture. “Don’t worry. You can have her again.” With her bound, his hand slipped along the rope until it found the opposite end. He carried it as he walked away from us. I didn’t even hear the trunk slam shut before he said, “As soon as you catch her.”

I just wanted Lacey.

As the brothers laughed while heading back to the car, I rushed to Lace and wrapped her up in my arms. “Are you okay?”

“W-What’s happening?”

“I don’t know.” Car doors shut, mercifully muffling the laughter that was grating my insides. “Maybe—” The engine starting had me finally understanding what was about to happen. My eyes raced to Lacey’s wrists, then along the thick rope, then to the trunk. My heart pounded. “Oh, Jesus, no.”

“Tate?” was all she had time to ask as my arms tightened around her.

I’m not sure what I thought I could do to compete with the power of a car, but I swear I tried. With every bit of strength I could muster, I groaned and held on, but as soon as the car went into Drive, Jarod hit the gas.

In slow motion, due to my mind unraveling, I watched the rope begin to move…

There were no seconds left now. The end was here, and my brother was correct.

I was going to suffer as I had never before.

In slow motion, the rope went taut. My arms strained, then bent and gave… forcefully.

Lace’s eyes, they stared at me… as she was ripped away.

I roared, “Nooooooooo…” but no one in the car cared about my agony. In fact, they desired it.

The car kept driving.

I chased.

Her little defenseless body bounced and scraped over the ground as she was ruthlessly dragged behind the racing car. Running, rocks stabbed into the flesh of my bare feet, but I didn’t slow down. The brothers had said I could have her… if I caught her.

All the years of abuse should have taught me the truth—that they would never let me catch her—but my mind was splintering. The horror of watching her being dragged was simply too much. Most of her past torture by the brothers, like my own, had been with us separated. Lace and I always had to witness the aftermath each other suffered, but not the act.

Not until tonight.

That is why she had rushed from the closet when hearing my screams…

Snot and tears dripped from my face as I screamed and ran as fast as I could. “Laceeeeeey!” It sounded like my vocal cords were being shredded, just like my heart.

Finally, there was an inhumane grunt when her head slammed against a larger rock in the road. Lacey’s body going limp told me she had been knocked unconscious. It was the only solace the angels could offer, I suppose. I took it as just that. A blessing. At least Lace was now free of pain.