Forbidden - Page 158

She hit.

She bucked and thrashed in my arms.

She screamed until her voice was hoarse and there were only gasping howls of air left.

Still, I never moved.

Because I finally saw.

I saw the devastation, the ruination…and the battle I’d never seen before.

And I hated myself more than ever.

THIRTY-NINE

Helene

Get her on the table.

No.

No!

NOO!

GET OFF ME. GET OFF ME. GETOFFMEGETOFFMEGETOFFME!

I jerked awake, slashing and kicking with all I had.

“Easy now.” The familiar hoarse voice filled my ears. “It’s me. It’s Riven. I got you, trouble. Hold on to me. I got you.”

I did, clawing him closer until his warmth was all I knew. I buried my head against his neck and drew in the heavy scent of sweat and pain, faintly laced with the cologne he wore. My throat burned, scalding with every savage rasp of my breath…and still I felt them.

Their hands all over my body.

Their thrusts between my thighs.

I closed my eyes. “I couldn’t fight them all…I tried, but I couldn’t fight them all.”

Silence followed, before a husky, “You survived and that’s all that matters. You hear me? You fucking survived.”

He softly gripped my chin and lifted my gaze to his. “If I could kill them all again, I would.”

Faded memories rose up.

His wide, shell-shocked stare. His lips curled in hatred.

Bang!

The echoes of his gunshots resounded.

He’d killed…for me. Still, it wasn’t enough, was it?

I held his stare and pulled away.

“Please.” He held on, desperately pulling me back to him. “Hate me. Hit me. Whatever you need to unleash that pain, just whatever you need to do…just do it to me.”

I shook my head as fresh tears sprang to my eyes.