Her ribs ached.
Her wrists bled.
She hung upside down, ropes biting into her skin, arms numb, eyes swollen. Her breaths came ragged now. Not just from pain.
Something else churned in her gut.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
The world was a dizzy, blood rushed haze of green and brown, punctuated by the leering faces of the rogues as they circled her like vultures around wounded prey.
Dreck grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"Look at that," he sneered. "Still got some fight in her. Ain't that cute?"
Autumn spat in his face.
The rogue holding her legs barked out a laugh as Dreck wiped the spit off with a slow,menacing swipe of his thumb. Then he backhanded her so hard her teeth clacked together, the metallic tang of blood flooding her mouth.
"Bitch," he growled.
Autumn grinned, blood staining her lips. "That all you got, fuckface?"
Dreck's nostrils flared. He nodded to the others. "Hold her still."
