The Mobster's Whore

I woke up suddenly, completely.

Ripped from unconsciousness by the unmistakable sound of her pained scream, forced to open my eyes before they've adjusted to the bright light shining above me. Still, I looked around in fear, hoping the sound I'd heard was just part of the terrifying nightmare I'd been having. But the second my eyes locked on hers across the room, tied to a rickety wooden chair, gagged and crying, the fear I felt escalated to a deep, cloying terror. I made to approach her, but found that my feet couldn't move and my arms were tied above me. I yanked, rattling the chains and grunting with frustration. I tried to speak, to reassure her that we were going to be alright, but my mouth was taped shut and my voice was just a muffled growl.

We couldn't talk to each other.

I couldn't reassure her.

And she couldn't warn me of the threat in the room, of the man standing behind me with one of the whips I'd brought down here myself. But I would find out soon enough. A second after her eyes widened, her body almost lifting all the way up from the old chair, I heard the sharp whistle of the whip as it sailed through the air. I had no time to brace myself, and as the tip bit painfully into the flesh on my back, I roared in agony.

The assault continues, lash after lash tearing both my shirt and my skin until they're a bloodied mess. I keep my eyes open, staring at Avery with every vicious strike. Watching her weep and plead, watching her struggle to free herself from her bounds. I was grateful, at least, that I was the one enduring the punishment. I could handle this brutality, but I would die if I had to watch her suffer this. I wrapped my hands around the chain, kept myself upright for as long as I could while I was whipped. The salt of my sweat stung my back, almost as much as the whip itself. My body jerked with every lash, my throat sounding with a muffled groan, my hands clenching around the chains that held me up.

It's her that keeps my knees from wobbling. Her that keeps me from falling into unconsciousness. Or rather, the fear of what would happen to her if I passed out again. So I held on, even as the blood mixed with the sweat on my back and flowed down to the waistband of my slacks in crooked little trails. When the whipping stopped, I heard my own breathing above everything else. Short, ragged breaths. Then I heard Avery's weeping, the steadying breaths of the man behind me.

I already knew who it was before he spoke, but his voice confirmed my deepest fears. "You have no idea how much I am enjoying myself."

Avery choked on a sob, scooting her chair forward in a vain attempt to get to me. Her eyes were rimmed red from her tears, her skin shining with the sheen of sweat. What had he done to her? Had he hit her? Had he done anything to harm her-

"I am impressed that you managed to do what nobody else could," Edward admitted, his footsteps loud as he began to circle me. "You not only took my wife from me, but you also managed to make her love you. Then, as if that wasn't enough, you took my money, you took my empire and you destroyed my credibility. Essentially, you have taken everything from me, Aldine."

He came to a stop in front of me. His hair was longer at the top, unkempt, his face unwashed and sweaty. His clothes were nothing like the expensive suit he'd worn when I showed him what he now called Phelim Tower, his shoes as cheap as the watch on his wrist. He looked like a man burdened by the world, like a man of his circumstances. It brought me a small amount of joy, to see him suffering after everything he had done to Avery.

I couldn't help but smirk.

His expression darkened with fury and he struck out with a grunt, landing a solid right hook to my jaw. My head spun, whipped sideways from the force of his assault. I heard Avery scream behind him, the scrape of her chair as she inched forward once again.

"You shouldn't laugh, Aldine. Men who have lost everything, are afraid of nothing." He grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look at him. "And since you've taken everything of mine, I will have to return the favour, won't I?"

My gaze automatically flicked over his shoulder to Avery, and my heart began to beat at a frantic pace. He stepped back with an evil grin, enjoying the way my eyes widened with fear. He kept his gaze locked on me as he backed towards her, enjoying every attempt I made to escape my binding. I yanked at the chains, trying to slip a hand from the cuffs or at least get one of my feet free. The metal rattled, the sound nearly as loud as the clock of his shoes on the concrete.

Edward placed both hands on Avery's shoulders, kneading them almost lovingly as they both watched me. Him, with a sadistic glee, and her with a rising sense of trepidation. His hands stilled and he leaned in close to whisper something in her ear. I saw her shiver from disgust, her head whipping sideways to avoid the breath from his mouth. But Hudson would have none of that defiance. He dug his fingers into her hair and yanked her head back into place, tilting it back some degrees so the slender column of her neck was bare for me to see.

"Beautiful, isn't she? She has always been so beautiful," he sighed, placing his chin on her shoulder. I watched, unable to stop him, as his lips neared her throat. He kissed her there, ignoring the way she struggled in his grasp. "I used to watch her, back in Miami, as she got ready. Sometimes I'd bring one of the maids in my closet and have her suck my dick while she brushed her hair, put on her make-up. I would pretend it was my wife, lovingly taking my cock into her mouth just as ordered," he said, hand trailing over to her neck. He wrapped his paw around her throat, and sneered at me. "I had such fantasies, of all the things she would do for me. I always knew she was capable of passion, of that fire I saw so often when I beat her. But she didn't once come alive like that for me.

Avery's eyes widened as Edward's grasp suddenly tightened around her neck. He held firm as she bucked and struggled, his grin widening at the rage on my face. He ripped off the duct tape with the other hand, so I could hear her choke. He began to chuckle as she bucked off the chair, her feet battling the thick hemp rope that bound her to the chair. Her mouth flew open, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets as she fought for her right to breathe.

Edward let go abruptly, dropping her back into the chair with an amused chuckle. He clapped his hands together, then grabbed the back of her head in the large palm of his hand. I had given up my battle with the restraints when he let her go, but I began the fight anew when he removed a long dagger from his pocket, flicking it open.

"I'm not going to kill her, Aldine. She's too valuable to die today. She needs to give me back my money, to get me my throne, to be my wife. I won't kill her, but I will have to beat the fight out of her, to make her submissive to me." He placed the tip of the blade on her throat, teasing at the possibility of cutting her open. "And I will make you watch every second of it. You will be forced to stand there and watch while I fuck her, while I beat her, and she will do everything in her power to please me because she will want to keep you alive. Because you make her weak. She makes you weak."

He laughed again.

I glanced at the love of my life, blinked twice to get her attention. She blinked in return, silently communicating her understanding. I rattled my left arm, bringing her attention to the cuff around my wrist. Since these weren't made to imprison, they had been built with a safety in case the person bound had to get out of them. In my panic, I had been too slow to consider it.

But the idea of her bending to his will, allowing him to paw at and grope her just to keep me alive had brought some much-needed clarity.

I waited a second, then blinked again at her. She met my gaze, blinking twice. I paused, uncertain what she was trying to tell me. But by then, Edward's amusement had faded and his attention was back on me again.

"Then you should know, every time you put your hands on me or slide your cock inside me, I'll be imagining him."

She tore her gaze off mine to glare up at her husband, her brown eyes as hateful as I've ever seen them. "The very idea of you touching me makes me absolutely sick. I would much rather Dominic die than have to watch you defile me that way. I would rather die than have to bear your touch. You disgust me, Edward."

She then spat up at his face, her eyes flashing with a distinct satisfaction. Which disappeared a second later as he struck her across the face, knocking her and the chair onto their side. He stalked around to stand between us, his fists clenched as he fought back his fury. As soon as she lifted her head, he stepped forward and kicked her hard in the ribs. Avery cried out, her screams echoing painfully through the room.

I freed my left hand at the same time I heard the sound of her bone snapping. I paused my ministrations when the basement door flew open, holding onto the cuff to maintain the illusion that I was still tied up. One of Edward's men hurried down the stairs to whisper something in his boss's ear, his weapon drawn at his side. Hudson grunted, and kicked at Avery one last time before he turned to leave the room.

"Stay here with them. I don't want them getting any fucking ideas. And put a gag on that bitch," he ordered. I kept my gaze on her, trying to temper that rage that cloyed at my insides. But it was impossible to do when she lay there bloodied and struggling to breathe. The guard adjusted her chair back onto its feet, casting a glance at his boss at the sight of her face. But Edward was already gone, the door slamming shut behind him.

The guard looked over at me, smirking when he realised I was bound and could do nothing to stop him from hurting her. He turned his attention back to her, squatted so their gazes were levelled, and pushed the hair almost violently off her face. That he was even touching her fuelled my anger further, making it almost difficult to free myself quietly.

"Wake up, you little bitch."

He slapped her across the face, and I hurriedly broke through the other three as he grabbed a fistful of her hair. She grunted, then headbutted him in the nose with all her might. His head reared back from the force, blood splattering on both of them as he fell on his ass. She scooted forward on the chair and tried to kick him, not even daring to glance at me in case he figured out the plan.

The guard slowly rose to his feet, hand clutching at his nose to slow the bleeding. He doesn't hear the rattle of chains as I set the ankle cuffs on the floor, but he does turn when he hears me growl. My fist caught him square in the jaw, shattering the bone. I brought the arm back, bashing the other side of his face with the width of my elbow. He stumbled back, letting go of the gun he held. I kicked him in the balls, brought the heel of my hand into his nose as hard as I could. Thank fuck for all the street brawls I'd been forced into on my way to the top. I hadn't had to fight in years, but at least I still knew how to beat the shit out of a motherfucker when I had to.

I cast a worried glance at Avery, who was trying her best to untie the rope around her wrists. I rounded on the guard, who was swaying on his feet, but was still standing. I thought of the way he'd touched her, what he'd called her as he slapped her across the face. The insane possessiveness I felt towards her, my obsession I had with her, blinded me entirely and I saw red.

With a furious roar, I wrapped both hands around his neck and slammed him into the wall. I brought my knees into his belly, until he doubled over from the pain. I might have been talking or growling, because my throat was hoarse with whatever guttural sound I was making. I bashed his head into the wall, almost grinning at the wet squishy sound it made.

So I did it again.

And again.

And again.

I slammed the back of his head into the concrete until his arms hung limp at his sides, until I was the one holding up his weight. I didn't stop until his eyes glazed over, until my fingers were slick with his blood and brains. Then I let him go, watched his body crumple to the floor, leaving a messy trail of blood on the stone. Satisfied that he was dead, I turned my attention to Avery. She was watching me with huge eyes, her mouth hanging open.

I ignored the way she looked at me, knelt behind her to unfasten the rope with steady fingers. Once her hands were free, I went to work on the rope around her ankles, then held out my hands to help her up.

She does so without hesitation, wincing and wrapping her arm around her waist. I caught her as her knees wobbled, her moan of pain breaking my heart into pieces. Her hand grabbed for my shirt, her nails scraping over the open wounds. My back arched and I inhaled sharply, nodding when she whispered a soft apology at me.

I looked down to find her watching me, her gaze searching my face. I finally met it, searching her features for any fear or horror at my actions. But all she does is wrap her slender arms around my neck and sigh with relief before hugging me close. Releasing a breath I didn't realise I was even holding, I took her into my arms and held her close. We both winced when the embrace grew too tight, letting each other go reluctantly.

Avery gently pried the tape off my mouth, her fingers caressing my jawline as she sought to soothe the burn. I took her hands in mine, kissed the backs as delicately as I could.

"Are you alright?" I whispered, cupping the back of her neck. I kissed her cheek, where Edward had struck her and again her forehead. She melted into the safety of my arms and sighed at the steady beat of my heart at her ear. "I'll be fine. We have bigger problems upstairs, though."

I looked up just as we heard the scuff of a boot against the wooden floor of the kitchen, then locked gazes again.

"How many men did he bring?"

"Twelve, as far as I know. They've been busy rounding up your guys, I think, because they left after securing you. We have no weapons, except for this one-" she broke off, pointing at the gun in question. "So we're basically screwed."

After picking up the guard's gun, I guided her over to the stairs, knocking the toe of my boots against each slab of wood to find the one I was looking for. "Put your ear to the door, tell me what you hear."

She quietly hurried up the stairs while I pried the wood free, reaching in to get the guns I'd placed there when we began our offence against Hudson. I checked for bullets, then loaded them up before gathering the ammo for both weapons.

"What's going on?"

"Some kind of disagreement. It seems they're uncertain how to proceed. They will probably come down here to check up on-"

Gunshots.

Loud and very, very close. I reached for her, moving away from the door in case one of them had the bright idea of peppering the wood with bullets. I handed her the gun after placing her by the stairs, as well as two full cartridges of bullets.

"You know how to use these, right?"

"Does the pope shit in the woods?"

I smiled as she turned off the safety, her expression determined. "If we get out of this, I am going to give you whatever your heart desires."

She swallowed, as though she already had something in mind, but was a little reluctant to tell me. Maybe she was scared that I would deny her. So I tilted her chin up with my index finger, and used the thumb to hold her in place. "Tell me what you want, pet."

She blinked, then released a breath. "I've always wanted kids. But after I married Edward, I had my doctor insert an IUD so he wouldn't get me pregnant. I couldn't stand the idea of bringing children into that household. But with you... Would you want them? Kids, I mean?"

My heart swelled at the idea of her carrying my babies, her belly growing large and round. I imagined Sunday afternoons spent in the garden, watching our children run around on a green lawn while their mother lay her head in my lap. And I wanted that, more than anything else in the world, I wanted to have a family with her.

Her eyes widened with every second of silence, and I leaned in to kiss her soundly, passionately. "I love you too. And nothing in the world would make me happier than building a life with you."

"You promise?"

"I promise. That's what we'll do once we get through this, " I vowed, hugging her close. I ignored the pain that shot through me when her hand touched one of my open wounds, then kissed her forehead. "Don't get killed. Or I'll have to endure this pointless existence without you."

She chuckled, cocking the gun. "I don't think the world could handle you that cranky."

The door flew open at that exact second, and I pushed her to safety before aiming my gun at the man in the doorway. I pulled the trigger, his brains exploding all over the guy behind him. I continued to fire, catching him and his friend between the eyes. Avery crouched low, so she was beside the stairs. She covered me while I ran to safety behind the table, kicking it to the ground so it offered a bit of cover.

I heard her gun fire, each bullet catching a man. Some tumbled down the stairs while others crumbled along the wall. Either way, it made coming into the basement a death sentence, and many of them met their end at the top of those stairs. As we fired, the sound of bullets rang out from another area in the house.

"That has to be your guys, right?"

"I fucking hope so. If it's the feds..."

Avery ducked as someone fired at her, and I aimed my gun, the bullet tearing through his neck like a heated knife through butter. "Where are Hunter and Luis?"

"Jesus Christ! We leave you two alone for one goddamn minute and you throw a party?"

Hunter appeared in the doorway, rifle in hand. His gaze searched the room, locked on the corpses slumped against the wall. "That's your handy work, Aldine?"

He reached across the bodies for Avery's hand, helping her over the mass of bodies on the stairs. He caught her as she fell to her knees, her cry of pain alarming him. He glanced at her, his hand cupping her small face almost kindly. "I assume that prick Hudson did this?"

"Speaking of..." I took one of the rifles from the dead bodies and reloaded it, then cast a glance at Hunter. "Where is he?"

Luis and a few of the others walked into the room, guns aimed and ready. They lowered them when they saw us, and Luis breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Avery. "Are you alright?"

He knelt before her, he and Hunter sharing a look.

"Where the fuck is Hudson?"

My roar brought every eye in the room on me. Hunter scratched at the stubble on his chin and tilted his head back, avoiding my gaze. Luis is the one to answer me, his tone steady. "He and a few of his men disappeared into the woods a few minutes ago. We think they might be on their way out of here."

I nodded. "Stay here with Avery. Get her to safety. I'll go after Hudson."

I made it out the door, pulling open the door of Hunter's armoured SUV. I started the engine, slamming the door shut. Before I could take off, a small hand pounded against the window. I didn't need to look to know Avery was on the other side of the glass, her brows knitted together. She opened the door when I didn't budge and cursed at me in a myriad of languages.

"I'm going with you."

"Like hell you are. Get back inside."

"No! You would deny me the opportunity to get revenge after all the pain I've been through? After all these years of abuse and torment, would you refuse me the chance to get even?"

I could not.

I nodded towards the passenger seat, opening the door for her as she slid inside with a duffel bag of weapons. She slammed it shut, and I floored it out of there, leaving a cloud of dust behind us. I drove down the dirt path, headed towards the other side of the house, where the bomb or RPG had gone off.