The Pleasure of the Pain

One- NICK

"NICK!"

I surfaced with the sound of a scream. Darkness stole the edges of my vision. I blinked and tried to understand what had happened as agony roared through my side.

"What did you do to him?"

"Ryth?" I stared into the murky warehouse, finding her. She was bucking and kicking, her arms gripped by two assholes as they dragged her inside. In an instant, it all came rushing back to me. Dad's car outside her school.

The attack...the knife. I let out a moan and looked down. Fuck. My pulse sped at the sight. Blood... so much blood. My shirt stuck to my side, wet and crimson. The metallic scent filled me like a rag shoved down the back of my throat. I forced myself to look away, to the only thing that mattered to me in this moment.

Ryth. Voices murmured as I shoved up from the ground.

"No, you don't." The asshole from the van stood over me and pushed me back down, the taser in his hand. I winced at the sight. Cold, savage anger roared through me as I met his gaze.

"Can't have you messing up our plans." Elle Castlemaine's voice drew my focus as she stared at her daughter. No...not Castlemaine, not anymore. Banks, right? A goddamn Banks. I shoved up from the ground again as those words echoed.

"Take her..." The bitch motioned to the two other guys who'd abducted me.

"Take her to the Order...keep her away from the truth."

"No!" I roared as the warehouse swayed.

Ryth's eyes widened as her mother's words hit her. She stumbled backwards as those bastards closed in, grabbing her arms again.

"Nick!" she screamed my name, thrashing and fighting their holds.

"NICK!" I braced my hand to my side and surged.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" But the asshole with the taser grabbed me, shoving that thing at my face, sending bright sparks dancing across the probes.

Adrenaline drove me forward as they dragged her back. She wrestled and shoved, fighting like a damn wildcat, giving it all she had. I spun, gripped my fist with my other hand against my chest, and drove my elbow outward and up, slamming the piece of shit in the face. He stumbled sideways, dropping the weapon. It landed against the concrete with a thud.

It was all I needed. Pain cut through me as I turned and lunged, radiating through my stomach like something stabbed me all over again. Still, Ryth's screams cut deeper than the pain ever could. I leaped, but they moved too fast, lifting her feet from the ground as they carried her out. Her skirt rode high, exposing her bare thighs.

Those assholes looked... They fucking looked. Creamy thighs, black lace panties. Panties she wore for me. For...me... I lunged again as my father yelled out.

"Nick, NO!" I made it halfway across the warehouse, driving myself toward the sunlight, screaming out her name until I didn't just smell the blood...I tasted it.

"The fuck you do!" The bark came behind me. An arm wrapped around my throat as someone yanked me backward. Heavy steps invaded.

"Stop fighting, Nick!" dad roared.

"You're making this worse than it is. Jesus Christ, you're fucking hurt. Get him to a goddamn hospital, for Christ's sake!"

Get me to a hospital? While they hauled Ryth away...his own stepdaughter...HER OWN FUCKING BLOOD!

I twisted, ignoring the roaring agony that ripped through my side and caught dad striding toward me.

"Stop this... you can stop this!" Arms restrained behind my back, I slammed into him.