Superhero status unlocked.

They had been riding for what felt like ever. The sun had started to set, plunging what was already a cold day into near freezing temperatures.

While Hock had deigned to throw a cloak around her shoulders so she couldn’t actually freeze, she wasn’t sure she’d arrive wherever they were going the same way as when they left the castle. Kelly was positive she was going to have permanent problems with her hips. Who was used to have their legs spread this wide for so long? Everything was numb, including her ass. What wasn’t would never be warm again.

By the time they reached their destination, Kelly had mentally checked out.

Hock untied her hands and then alighted from the horse. When it was obvious she was too out of it to unseat herself, he lifted her from the horse and threw her over his shoulder.

No one was about, or if they were they turned a blind eye to the woman being carried in like a sack of potatoes.

Kelly just floated in whatever spaced out place she’d fallen into until she was unceremoniously tossed onto a mattress. Feathers floated up by her face as she bounced. It jolted her so bad she grew dizzy. He didn’t give her time to recover, seizing her hands and chaining them to the top of the bed. The cloak was pulled beneath her leaving her naked and shivering.

The way he stared down at her, as though he was contemplating the best ways to dissect her, made her angry. She leveled him with narrow eyed gaze.

“Can you at least start a fire before you rape me?”

He sneered, a blush appearing on his cheeks. “Who said anything about rape? Every woman I’ve ever touched loved what I did to them. Begged me to do it.”

Kelly rolled her eyes. Next he’d tell her about his big dick and talented fingers. “I’m not everyone woman and I’m fucking freezing.”

The slap across her face stunned her. Kelly had never been slapped before in her life. This odious man.

She shook it off quickly, livid that he’d hit her.

“Bastard. Hitting a woman is how you get off? You don’t know the first thing about pleasing anyone because you’re too obsessed with your tiny dick.”

He reached down to grab her throat and she felt her first inkling of fear. The way his face changed, his eyes dark and his teeth clenched, made her think again of vampires.

“You’ve got such vile mouth for such a pretty girl. I fear I’ll have to show you what trouble that mouth can get you in.”

A squeak left her as she was flipped to her stomach. The beating began immediately.

She wasn’t sure what he used, but he peppered her ass with something that stung. Writhing in the bed, the blows coming too fast to adjust to, she was reduced to begging. He ignored her pleas, switching to his hand on her thighs, then a whip on her back.

It felt like he was flaying her, the skin of her back breaking open under his heavy strikes.

“Stop! Please stop.”

The strap came down hard. “I will stop when I’m ready and not a moment before.”

Excitement laced his voice. He enjoyed this, enjoyed torturing Kelly.

She tried to fight, but her flailing and crying did little to stop him. Finally, she broke, going limp on the bed as tears leaked out onto the duvet. That was apparently what he’d been waiting for because the blows stopped.

Kelly lay still, pain radiating through her back and down to her knees. She struggled to just breath through it.

“That’s a good girl.” The bed dipped beside her. “So very obedient.”

He parted her thighs with his knees, pushing them wide before drawing her hips up and back. Kelly blinked back tears, in too much pain to fight what she knew came next.

Wetness landed on the crack of her ass before it trickles down over her asshole and then her cunt.

“I’ll teach how to always be ready after I bleed you. You’ll learn to love the strap.”

Manic joy filled each word. No one would she survive such abuse let alone come to love it. Kelly knew that without a doubt.

She braced herself as she felt his cock rubbing between her labia. Her breath was caught in her chest and she squeezed her eyes shut.

–

Crash course in saving the day. Step one was obviously knowing how to dress a horse.

Jay wasn’t sure how he managed the horse, but his character knowledge kicked in to help him navigate.

Since he was riding solo, he figured he could make up the distance fairly quickly. Darkness settled an hour or two before he reached the Winston House.

No one was walking the grounds when he approached the large house. He led his horse into the stable, tying the stallion, but not removing its saddle.

It probably would’ve been smarter to leave the horse out in case he needed to make a fast getaway, but it was bitter cold out. A little hay and a rest while he dealt with captain bad guy was well in order.

Even though there wasn’t anyone around, Jay still snuck around the stable and into the connecting corridor.

The quiet was complete and Jay wondered if Patrice had led him wrong. She’d earn herself a spanking when he got back.

Spanking? What the hell was he talking about? This book was doing a number on his head.

As he crept along, through the kitchen and out to the open foyer, Jay thought he heard a soft cry from somewhere. He stopped, straining his ears to figure out where the sound was coming from.

The crying stopped, but he heard the low tones of a man’s voice coming from up the stairs. Taking the steps two at a time, Jay raced up to rescue Kelly.

Quiet descended again before he made it to the top landing, leaving him unsure where to head next.

Five doors lined the long hallway. He could wait until a noise came or he could just open every damn door until he hit pay dirt.

He felt a bit like a superhero as he burst through the first door. It was dark and quiet. He quickly closed it and crossed the hall to the second door. Busting in, he was deflated when that room too was empty.

That superhero feeling was less evident by the time he reached the fourth door. Actually, he was pissed because who the hell needed this many bedrooms in a house where no one was around. He was suddenly grateful for his loft apartment for the management alone.

Finally, he reached the last door. He drummed up his Save The Day energy. This was it. He was going to save his woman from the bad guy. There was a moments worry that maybe they weren’t in there as he grasped the handle. He drew in a breath and then put his shoulder into bursting into the door.

“Unhand her, you shitbag.”

He needed to work on his big entry for future rescues.

Kelly groaned and he zeroed in on her. Hock was positioned between her thighs, his hands gripping her hips and his cock poised to penetrate. Worst, she looked terrible.

Jay was horrified. Her back was in bloody ribbons and her butt and thighs were already a bruised mess. The utterly defeated look in her glazed eyes did a number on his insides. Rage bubbled up and Jay wanted to destroy him.

“So you did come. I figured my sister wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth, or her thighs, closed.”

The look of triumph, as though he’d been waiting for Jay, made him sick.

“You’re a fucking sadist who doesn’t respect the desires of your woman.”

“And how do you know they don’t like it? Your woman hasn’t put up much resistance to what I want. She’s been begging for it.”

Kelly squeaked and tried to moved forward, but Hock held her still.

“Telling me how much she wants this. How much she needs me. How much she’d like me to hurt her.”

Fuck. Here was the classic bad guy rant. Jay didn’t have time for it.

“Yeah, yeah. Gagging for it while you bleed them.”

Jay launched himself forward, ready to tackle this bastard to the floor. His heroic take down was halted by the gun pointed at him.

“It would give me great pleasure to put an end to your useless life so please take another step.”

Jay skid to a stop within a foot or less from the bed. He was close enough to see down the barrel, close enough to see his cock just barely in Kelly’s cunt. The threat of more destruction was too close for comfort.

“I’ve dreamed of this moment. When I knew my sister was being forced to marry you, I planned how I’d end your life and take everything that belonged to me. Your money, your mistress, and your wife.”

His wife? Dude had the hots for his sister? Ew. Jay was doubly glad he’d not been alive during this particular time period.

Hock’s Face was clouded with anger. “You don’t deserve any of it. You’re scum.”

“Who peed in your Cheerios?”

The sound of the gun cocking halted anything else snarky he wanted to say. Jay lifted his hands in surrender.

“Chill out, dude. It doesn’t have to be this way. I’ve been nothing but generous to you.”

“It has to be exactly this way. I’m doing the world a favor by taking you out of it.”

The gun discharged just as he finished his threat.

A couple of things happened at once. Kelly reared up, butting Hock in the face with her head, knocking his gun just off. Jay jumped toward him to grab the gun, the bullet just grazing his arm instead of punching through his chest.

Jay tumbled to the ground with his arms round Hock. They tussled by the bed before Jay was able to disarm him, punching him in the temple to knock them out.

Superhero rescue: flawless.

“Are you okay?”

Kelly’s weak words drew him from his mental victory lap. The throb in his arm made him look to see blood seeping down, turning his white shirt bright red.

He hoisted himself up and sat bedside her on the bed. She looked slightly better, but still very fragile. He lay beside her and pulled her close with his good arm.

“God, Kelly. I’m glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would’ve done…”

She rested her head on his shoulder and burst into tears.

“I hate this book.”

Funny, he’d started to have the exact opposite response. He wanted to read more.

“How are we going to get out of here?”

“Maybe if we ask nicely?” He grabbed the duvet and wrapped it around her. “Something like, ‘please, gypsy, we’d like to read something else’?”

He didn’t get a response from Kelly. He glanced over to see that she had passed out. Checking her breathing, he laid back.

“Come on, gypsy. Please, can we read something else?” He whispered the words, hoping desperately they worked.

Things grew hazy around them and he realized maybe he’d figured out the secret. He silently cheered himself as they winked out of existence.

Superhero status unlocked.