Dare Series Collection - Shantel Tessier Page 0,178

his arms. Deke pulls the man’s back to his front. One arm wraps around his waist, the other goes to clamp his nose, planning on suffocating him. He fights him, shaking his head.

“No.” I stop him. “That would be too easy.”

Deke chuckles and leans down to whisper in the guy’s ear. “I don’t know what you did to piss him off, but thanks.”

I start digging through his pockets. I smile when I come to a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. I remove one and let the rest fall to the tarp-covered floor.

“You know, smoking will kill you,” I say, placing it between my lips.

I take the Zippo lighter, flip it open, and light the end of the cigarette, then take a long drag. Fuck, it’s been almost a year since I’ve had one. I forgot how potent nicotine can be. I’m surprised I don’t miss it. “I used to smoke when I drank.” He starts rambling nonsense behind his gag. Blood runs down his busted nose from where I hit it with the hotel door. “Then Deke here dared me to smoke an entire pack one night.” I smile at that memory. “Well, let’s just say I never touched them after that.”

I frown when I take another drag. “It’s not the same anymore.” Nodding to Deke, I order, “Hold his head back.”

Deke grips his chin with his free hand, yanking his head back, and he laughs when Phillip struggles. The guy still has his hands tied behind his back and his ankles bound together. He’s not going anywhere.

Stepping up to him, I glare down at the man who is about to die. “You touched what’s mine. Know what I do to men who fuck with my toy?” His brown eyes widen as tears run down his face and over the tape that covers his mouth.

“You’re about to learn,” Deke singsongs with a wicked smile on his face.

“I fuck them up twice as hard.” I press the lit cigarette to his neck, right over his racing pulse, and hold it there.

He struggles in Deke’s grasp and screams out behind the tape, but Deke’s hold doesn’t loosen. I remove the cigarette and let it fall to my feet. “Let him go,” I growl, taking a step back from them.

He drops to his knees on the tarp, head bowed, and his shoulders shake from his sobs.

“Fucking pathetic.” Deke spits on him.

I reach up and remove my shirt, tossing it to the floor. I hunch down and grip his chin, making him look up at me. “I’ve always been the kind of guy who prefers the fight and likes the sting from a punch. But you’re gonna be the exception.” Then I swing and hit him on the side of the face. His head snaps to the left, and his body falls flat to the tarp.

“Turn him over,” I order.

Deke grabs his hip and rolls him over onto his back, his tied wrists now underneath his weight. I walk over to my black bag and unzip it. Pulling out the knife, I hold it up to inspect it. It’s the same one I used to cut Austin’s forearm when I tried to blackmail her. He thrashes on the tarp, his wide eyes looking up at me. “Sit on him.”

Deke drops to straddle his chest, facing his legs. I bend down and undo the belt and zipper of his pants, then yank them down his shaking legs as he mumbles against his gag. He wears a pair of white boxer briefs, and it gives me an idea. There’s no telling how many times he jacked off to the thought of Austin.

I remember what she once told me. “I walked into my bedroom one day and found Phillip going through my photos in my phone. Photos that I had taken of myself and sent to Martin. After that, I knew I needed to put a lock on it that he wouldn’t be able to guess. Retina scanner was the best bet.”

Yeah, the bastard had definitely jacked off to her. I sit on his legs to keep them from moving. He struggles underneath our weight, but it’s useless. “Does this turn you on?” I ask. Blood pours from the wound, and he screams out into the duct tape.

One time, Maddox dared Shane to swim in the ocean late at night. He cut himself on something, and we had to take him to Shelby. I remember her cussing at how stupid we were and how close the