I yanked out of his grip, climbing up onto the edge and squeezing my way inside. The moment I lowered into it, my heart slammed into my ribcage, the scent of death enveloping me.
No no no no.
My weight pressed down on bones and they crunched beneath me like twigs.
I clamped my teeth into my lip as I held back a scream.
“All the way, Barbie,” Saint purred, his eyes alight as he watched me.
I stared back at him, my jaw locked and my muscles bunching as I forced myself to lie down.
Breathe. Just breathe.
Saint was all I could see with the lid half covering the top and as he nodded his head, utter fear encased me. A grinding of stone on stone sounded as Kyan and Blake started pushing the lid back over and Saint observed me like a hawk. He wanted to see my fear. He wanted to feast on it and devour a piece of my soul along with it. But fuck that. Fuck him. Fuck all of them.
Don’t scream.
Don’t cry.
Don’t flinch.
When there was just a three inch gap left, I lifted my hand and flipped my middle finger at Saint, his lips parting in surprise before the coffin closed.
Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck.
My breathing became ragged.
There wasn’t enough air. There couldn’t be. How long did I have? How long would they leave me here?
Panic sank into my bones and I started drowning in it. As I began to hyperventilate, dust stuck in the back of my throat and I coughed heavily.
I’m going to choke.
I’m going to die.
I don’t want to die!
My entire body started shaking and I shut my eyes, hunting for that safe space inside me my dad had taught me to cultivate. It was deeper than ever, lost in a sea of darkness, but finally I reached it. I let my mind drift into the utter peace of that place where no one or nothing in the world could touch me.
I’m safe. I’m okay. I can handle this.
I fell into a pit of calm, willing my body to fall still, the shaking easing from my limbs. The air was becoming thinner, trying to force my body into panic mode again. But I wouldn’t let it. I would not be afraid.
Time ticked by and I held my hand over my mouth and nose as I fought to keep the dust out. I was inhaling death itself. I couldn’t take this much longer.
The lid eventually shoved open and the glare of an iPhone flashlight made me wince. I didn’t know how long I’d been down here, it could have been seconds, minutes or hours. My thoughts were too hazy to figure it out. Strong hands gripped me, tugging me out and planting me on my feet.
My breathing came heavily as I leaned forward, resting my hands on my knees as I tried to get the oxygen into my body that I needed.
“Fuck me, baby. That was badass,” Kyan laughed and I ignored him.
They may have killed for me, but these boys were as twisted as they’d first seemed. And I wasn’t going to stand for it. I was done being their pet. Done rolling over and taking their shit lying down. Being compliant hadn’t helped me get closer to them. So screw that. I was going to fight them with everything I had. I’d face whatever punishment they wanted to throw at me. And I would push myself to the ends of the earth to ensure they never saw me break.
A hand landed on my arm and I shrugged it off, standing upright with a snarl. I found them standing close to me, unsure which one had touched me.
I turned away from them, marching out of the crypt, rage seeping through my skin and bleeding from my pores.
Their footsteps hounded after me as I made it back to the lounge, striding towards the kitchen and feeling them hounding me like predators as my breaths evened out.
Sadistic, psychotic assholes!
My mouth was overly dry as I headed to the sink and poured myself a glass of water, drinking it down to dislodge the dust from my throat before turning around and finding them watching me expectantly.
My gaze worked over their faces as I measured and weighed them. Their cruelty knew no bounds, and yet in my most desperate moment of need they’d come to my aid. Now there was an undeniable connection between us which I couldn’t ignore. But blood wasn’t the price I wanted in penance for their crimes. My heart was blackened with anger and hate for what they’d put me through. And I was never going to forgive them. So there was only one choice I could make. I was going to make them suffer. Hurt the way I’d hurt. Break as I had broken. I didn’t want an eye for an eye. I wanted a shattered soul for a shattered soul. I wanted their hearts butchered in my hands in the same way they’d butchered mine.
“Things will go back to normal as of this moment,” Saint announced sharply, moving to perch against the dining table and examining his nails like he hadn’t just ordered me to be put in a fucking sarcophagus. Any warmth I’d imagined in his eyes when he’d seen me standing on the stairs had frozen over like frost in the night. He was evil through and through. No force on earth would ever change that. “You will return to your chores from the moment the clock strikes midday. As of tonight, you will rotate which of us you sleep with and will adhere to the rules of whichever Night Keeper possesses you that day. Understood?”
I released a derisive breath. “Actually no, that’s not fucking okay. I’m not
