She lets out a cry, the sound making every muscle in my body tense.
The next second, she’s hauled into the room. The man, whom I assume is Anton, is gripping her by her arm.
“So this is the kind of shit you like?” he roars in her face before shoving her into my body.
Nina’s face hits my stomach hard, and he holds her there as he yells, “You think he can do anything to save you? Huh?” The fucker shakes her hard before yanking her away from me, and just as my fingers grip the chains so I can use my legs to grab hold of the asshole, he moves out of my reach and begins to slap Nina fucking hard.
“Stop!” I shout, speaking Bulgarian for the first time and giving away that I know the language. My body lurches forward, making the shackles dig into my raw skin. “If you want to hit someone, come over here.”
Nina falls onto her side, and when he kicks her in her stomach, I’m almost yanked off my feet from trying to lunge forward so I can get to her.
The fucker points a finger at me. “You fucking shut up.” He crouches beside Nina and grabs a fistful of her hair, then yanks her face closer to his.
Blood trickles from her nose and lip, the sight making rage burn through me.
“You think you can flirt with another man and I won’t find out?”
She shakes her head, desperation tightening her features as she replies with a pleading tone, “I only did what my father told me to do.”
With his other hand, he grips her jaw so tightly that her lips are squashed together. “I’ll just have to remind you who you belong to.”
Nina’s eyes go wide as saucers, and the next instant, she yanks free and scrambles to her feet. Before she can take a step, the fucker grabs hold of her, and she’s yanked so hard that when she hits the floor, the thud echoes through the room.
“Motherfucker!” I shout as I fight against the shackles.
To my absolute horror, Anton straddles Nina and pins her hands above her head with one of his before he begins to undo the button of her pants.
Watching her squirm and strain against his hold, knowing I can’t do anything to help her, flays my fucking soul raw.
I know what he plans to do, and the thought alone makes my gut churn.
“She gets the fucking message,” I bark when he begins to yank her pants down.
He has to let go of her hands so he can get the jeans off her, and it has me shouting, “Fight, Nina! Knee the fucker in the balls. Scratch out his eyes.”
Listening, she goes for his face, her nails leaving red grooves over his cheeks.
The bastard backhands her so hard some of her blood flies through the air, and it leaves her too dazed to fight.
“You better hope Pavlov kills me,” I tell Anton, my voice filled with every ounce of anger and hatred I feel. “I’m going to fucking kill you.”
The piece of shit laughs as he pulls Nina’s jeans and underwear off, and when he shoves her legs open, he looks me dead in the eyes as he unbuckles his belt and pulls down his zipper.
My eyes dart back to Nina’s face, and her gaze latches onto mine for a moment. Out of my peripheral vision, I see Anton move, then Nina begs, “Don’t look!”
As her face crumbles and a sob escapes, I help her the only way I can. I close my eyes.
The dead-man-walking grunts, and the nauseating sound is followed by Nina’s harrowing cry.
I clench my jaw so fucking hard, my teeth grind. My muscles strain, the shackles chafe against my broken skin, and as I’m forced to listen to her broken cries and the sickening sounds filling the room, I suffer the worst torture I’ve ever had to endure.
And it’s nothing compared to what Nina is going through right now. Not even close.
I don’t mean to, but when another cry shudders from her, my eyes open. The sight makes my stomach lurch and shifts the very foundation my entire life has been built on.
Nina turns her head, and when her traumatized gaze meets mine, she whimpers, “Noooo.”
Instead of shutting my eyes, I keep hers captive, willing every ounce of my strength to her.