Taming Blade (Kings Reapers MC Book 5), Nicola Jane [books for 7th graders TXT] 📗

and there are bruises appearing over his face. Viktor wraps some thick silver tape around my wrists. “Outside, there are guard dogs roaming freely. If you step out of this barn, they will ravage you to death.” He sits me on a hay bale. “I’ll have someone come and sort the money transfer soon.”

I wait for them to leave before pushing to my feet and rushing over to Blade. He smiles and the split in his cheek opens and spills more blood down his face. “Oh shit,” I cry. “You’re gonna bleed out.”

Blade smirks. “It’s flesh wounds. I’ll be fine.”

“What are we gonna do?”

He looks around the barn. “I’ll think of something.”

Chapter Twenty

BLADE

The beatings dished out by Viktor’s henchmen get worse throughout the night. Every hour, they come and beat the crap outta me. It’s an unfair fight with me shackled to a steel beam, but when I helpfully point that out, they just get more mad. Tillie cries throughout each beating. That’s more painful to listen to than the fists hitting my flesh. I watch through swollen eyes as she curls up tight on the hay bale, trying to keep warm. It must be almost dawn but neither of us have slept a wink.

“Maybe I should at least try and run,” she whispers, her voice croaky from the crying.

“Nah, Sunshine. It’s all good. The Kings will be here with a plan.”

“You’ll end up dead before they get here,” she hisses. “How will they know where we are?”

“They’ll know. It’s what we do, find people.”

“And you don’t think they could have found this maniac before he took us?” she snaps. “Seems a little late now.” I filled her in on what Blu had found out and the reasons I was trying to keep her safe. It gave us something to talk about in between beatings. “Is the big plan to just let them beat you to death?”

I laugh and pain rips through my ribs, causing me to cough, I spit blood out onto the floor, groaning. “I just want to let them think they’re winning,” I say. “I fight best when I’m in pain.”

The barn door opens, and Viktor waltzes in looking freshly showered and relaxed. Behind him, two henchmen dragging another man in with a bag over his head. He’s fighting and yelling. Tillie sits up when Viktor stops beside her. “Excuse the intrusion. We had a busy night gathering villains,” he says with a smile.

The two henchmen stop behind Viktor, their prisoner cursing. Viktor rolls his eyes impatiently, turns to the man, and sticks a knife into his chest. Tillie gasps aloud, covering her mouth with her hands. The wound isn’t enough to kill him, but he stops his yelling. “Better,” says Viktor, wiping the knife on a handkerchief and placing it back in his pocket. “Would you like to meet the man who gave you up, Matilda?” he asks. She shakes her head, scooting back along the hay. “He was quick to give your name. Disgusting really, giving up a defenceless woman like that.” Viktor nods to one of the men and he removes the bag from the prisoner's head.

Acid blinks a few times, letting his eyes adjust to the light. He spots Tillie and grins. “The trouble these days is no one lives by any kind of code,” says Viktor.

“And you do?” snaps Tillie.

Viktor smiles, wagging a finger at her. “I like you, Matilda. You’re going to be fun.” She needs to stop provoking him—he enjoys it.

“You wait ‘til you see what I can fucking do,” she hisses.

Excitement lights his eyes and it’s clearer now more than ever that he’s a lunatic. “She likes a fight,” he says, rubbing his hands together and grinning at his henchmen. “Finish the job,” he adds, nodding towards Acid.

Acid begins to fight again. “I gave you the girl! What the hell is wrong with you?” he yells right before his throat is slit. He gasps and blood trickles from the thin slit. I watch the life slowly drain from his eyes as he gurgles. Blood projects from his mouth and the two men drop him. As his knees hit the floor, he reaches for his throat, but it’s too late. He tries to hold the slash closed anyway. Tillie buries her face against her knees, and when his body finally hits the ground, she flinches at the sound.

“My babies are hungry.” Viktor smiles, leaning into the pen as the pigs waddle around with excitement. They must smell the blood and know feeding time is here. The two men drag Acid’s body to the pen and toss him over the side like a slab of beef. The pigs waste no time tucking in. “My accountant is on his way to transfer the money,” says Viktor, then his eyes fall to me. “My men said you were upset,” he says.

“I can’t complain. At least there’s a roof over our heads,” I say, and he laughs. “I’d prefer fair fight, but I heard your men were pussies, so I get they’re worried about me.”

Viktor laughs harder, but his henchmen don’t look pleased. “You think you can take on my men?” I nod in response. “Even with broken ribs?” he adds. I nod again, and he shrugs. “It could be entertaining,” he says. “Let me think about it. Maybe we could make it interesting and add a little bet in there.”

“I win and kill you?” I suggest.

“Or you lose and I fuck your piece of ass right in front of your face,” says Viktor, and I smile. He wants a reaction from me. “That’s settled then. I fuck her and you get a beating. I can’t wait.” He strolls towards the exit and Tillie glares at me.

“Relax,” I whisper. “I’ll win.”

“You’ve lost your mind. Everyone’s lost their goddamn mind.”

“My mum wasn’t always bad,” I say. It’s been hours since we saw anyone and the beatings have stopped for now. I’m filling the silence with my rambling. “I have