against the soles of my feet a welcome distraction as we approach a man standing beside a compact car, another vehicle parked directly behind it.
“You Luca?” the guy asks, his Greek accent heavy.
“Yeah. Are these our cars?” Luca doesn’t leave my side, remaining mere inches away as the man lobs two sets of keys his way.
“Yes. Park them back here when you’re done and drop the keys into the locked box over there.” He points to a mailbox-type metal locker a few feet along the footpath, then returns his attention to our group. Specifically me, a grin appearing the longer his eyes linger. “I hope you enjoy your stay in Naxos.”
He’s recognized me. Who I am. What I am.
How could he not when I’ve been branded for years?
“She’s a sexy little thing, isn’t she?” Luca treats me exactly how he vowed not to moments earlier. “Feisty, too.”
His descent into slimy arrogance is so flawless I shiver. The cocky tilt to his lips doesn’t help.
“Luther’s pretty Penny,” the stranger drawls. “She’s the stuff of folklore. Men around here would sell their wives just for a taste.”
“Luther’s not here,” I grate through a fake smile. “Why not take the opportunity to indulge in your fantasies?”
The guy laughs. “There’s that spite I’ve heard so much about. You trying to lure me to my death, whore?”
Whore.
The description shouldn’t faze me after the years of repetition. I should be immune. Yet the degradation coats me in a layer of grime thicker than anything I’ve experienced now that I’m in the presence of saviors instead of monsters.
“One can only hope,” I snarl.
The man continues to chuckle. “Maybe I will.” He steps closer, his eyes raking a trail over my billowing T-shirt. “Maybe I’ll teach you to keep that smart mouth closed.”
“Please do.” Luca steps closer to me. “Everyone keeps making it clear that I can’t put hands on her, but they never said anything about scrawny assholes who don’t know their place.”
Again, he says it so smoothly. With calm and poise and a shocking amount of level-headed arrogance. And again, I shudder, this time in pleasure.
The man doesn’t quit his laughter as he beams a bright smile. “I’m only playing.” He backtracks, moving from the sidewalk to the desolate street. “I will leave you to enjoy your night.”
He continues to a nearby car, his taunting gaze still on mine as he climbs inside and drives away.
All the while, my protectors remain quiet around me, the silence growing thick.
Sebastian scrubs a hand over his face, probably trying to wipe away the shame I’ve placed upon our family. Hunter is tense, his clenched fist clutching the duffel at his side. Then there’s Luca, the man whose fierce attention burns the side of my face. He’s staring at me. Judging me. He’s seeing all the things I’ve done in an effort to keep air in my lungs. He’s picturing the depravity. The sickening reality.
“He’ll be dead by the end of the week,” he murmurs. “I swear it on my life.”
His vow catches me off guard. I thought I’d receive a reprimand for my spite. Or a warning not to draw additional attention. Instead, he gifts me with the promise of murder.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here.” Hunter dumps his duffel on the sidewalk, opens the zipper and pulls out the communication devices stashed inside, passing one to Luca and another to Sebastian. “Put them on in the car. We’ve got too many eyes on us here.”
He refastens the bag and stands, handing over the heavy weight to my brother. “We’ll give you a ten-minute head start. Let us know if you need more time.”
Sebastian nods, then turns to me, a duffel weighed at each of his thighs, his gaze solemn. I don’t want to read into his silence. I can already hear his thoughts.
He wants to say goodbye. Maybe even good luck.
I glance away, my nose tingling at the thought of the danger he’s about to place himself in. The danger I’m placing him in because I refuse to leave this nightmare without my sisters.
“Look after her.” He lugs the duffels to the closest car to place them on the passenger seat. “I’m holding you both responsible.” He slams the door shut, then rounds the hood, not saying another word before he slumps into the vehicle and takes off.
I squeeze my eyes shut, unable to watch him drive away.
Ten minutes is going to be the only thing separating us. Six hundred measly seconds, while each heartbeat creates a