“Bennett, I…” she trailed, looking down at Alice.
“Please don’t do this,” Alice begged. “I don’t want to die.”
I started humming Jeopardy music, watching as panic flashed in Aurora’s eyes. She put her face in her hands and let out a frustrated groan as I continued to hum. Alice screamed and jerked against the leather straps that bound her to the table, which did nothing but cause more agony for Aurora.
“If it helps, she’s going to die no matter what option you choose,” I finally said. “The only difference is do you want to also suffer for a woman you don’t even know?”
“You’re asking me to kill someone!” she screamed.
“Yeah…that’s what I said,” I said. “I told you life could be easy for you here, Aurora. All you have to do is do what you’re told. Your choice. Ten second to decide. 10.”
She looked to Alice again, tears forming in her own eyes.
“9.”
“Bennett, please don’t make me do this. Please,” she begged.
“I’m not making you do anything. You have to decide. 8.”
“Oh my God,” Aurora wailed, putting her face in her hands.
“7.”
“Please don’t do this! I promise I won’t try to run again! I’ll be good! I promise,” Alice exclaimed to me.
“Too late for that, Alice. 6.”
Aurora only stood there and shook her head, looking at me in disgust, disbelief, and grief. It was a rather interesting combination of emotions to witness as she stood there deciding whether she’d put her own wellbeing before someone else’s.
“5.”
“Bennett.”
“4.”
“I can’t.”
“3.”
“Please.”
I grabbed Aurora’s arm. “2. And remember, even if I rape you for not doing this, she still dies. You want to be violated for no reason?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Then make the common sense choice,” I said. “1.”
“Okay,” she exclaimed. “Okay.”
“Good girl,” I said, holding my gun out to her.
A slow grin pulled at my lips as she took my gun into her trembling hands. She looked so much like her mother, even more so as she held my gun and pointed it toward Alice.
“You know, your mother looked just like that before she shot your father,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. “You are your mother’s twin.”
“Don’t say that,” Aurora snapped, her voice shaking with nerves.
“It’s true. Same posture, same fear quaking you, same way your hands tremble at the thought of holding someone else’s life in your hands.”
“Don’t.”
I moved over to stand behind her. “How does it feel, Aurora? To know that you’re standing in between life and death for someone?” I whispered in her ear. “Doesn’t it make you feel powerful?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Just imagine those beautiful blue eyes being empty of life in a few moments. You’re in control of that. It should make you feel powerful, invincible.”
“Only sick fucks would feel powerful in this situation,” she threw back.
I chuckled. “Oh honey. When you’re with me long enough, we’ll see how you evolve from the delicate wallflower to the wife of the devil.”
“I’d never marry someone like you,” she spat.
“You wouldn’t have much of a choice,” I reminded her. “Now kill her. I don’t have all day.”
“No! Please!” Alice cried. “I won’t do it again! I’ll follow the rules! I’ll—”
A gunshot rang out and all was silent. Aurora’s breaths came out in short pants until she practically gulped down air as she hyperventilated. Alice lay still on the table, a single gunshot wound on the side of her head, her beautiful blue eyes wide open but staring at nothing.
“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” I asked with a smirk as I took my gun from Aurora.
She slowly took a couple of steps away from the table, her eyes wide as reality hit her. And when she released a bloodcurdling scream in despair, I moved over to her and placed a kiss on her cheek before leaning in to whisper in her ear.
“Welcome to Hell.”
Thanks so much for reading Rules of Bennett!
I hope you enjoyed it!
Check out the blurb for the first novel of the Rules of Bennett trilogy, You Will Bow, and pre-order below!
??
After years of hiding, I thought I’d escaped him; but you can’t hide when you belong to the devil.
Taking away everything that I loved, he thought I’d be his perfect, broken little doll.
Little does he know, I’m not one to bend so easily.
Following his three rules is the key to my salvation, but all rules are meant to be broken—even if breaking them would lead to my death.
When a business meeting takes a tragically unexpected turn, Bennett’s armor finally cracks, revealing his weakness.
He may think he’s the devil, but the devil can be destroyed too.
With vengeance in my heart, I’ll make him pay for what he’s done.
In the end only one of us will bow.
And I bow to no man.
??Coming August 26, 2019??
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Rules of Bennett Page 7