Chapter 4

Maya

My gaze darted toward Maximus, and his jet-black eyes still bore that same cold and sinister emotion.

"Max, pass me the cigarette," Leonardo said in a chillingly calm tone as he extended his hand to Maximus, who handed over the burning cigarette before accelerating the car to its limit.

Were they planning to...?

No, no, no! This would hurt too much...

"Listen, Leo, I—"

"Shut the fuck up!" His shout made me flinch, and I pressed myself further into the corner. "Just seal your fucking mouth, you damned daughter of a hoe!"

This wasn’t going to end well for me, not at all.

"How dare you speak about my mother, huh?" He moved the cigarette closer to the skin on my stomach, and I could already feel the heat, his grip on my jaw tightening further. "Who the hell gave you the right to mention her?"

"Look, Leo, I didn’t want to—"

"Your fucking mother. She was the one who came into the picture and ruined everything—she’s the reason she's dead! And you, being her daughter, dare to talk about her? You shouldn’t have done it, Maya... you’ve just made a grave mistake." He tsked and shook his head, moving the cigarette even closer. At this point, I could feel the slight burn, but I did my best to inch away, moving as much as I could.

"Please, let me go. I'm sorry," I sobbed.

"Sorry won’t make up for the mistake you’ve made, Maya. And believe me, this is the absolute least of what we actually want to do to you," Maximus's voice echoed, followed by Leonardo’s cold laughter.

"You’re right. She deserves much worse..." Then he pressed the burning cigarette against my skin, causing a scream to tear from my mouth. I squirmed, trying to get away from him, but he only pressed me harder against the door, his body fully pinning mine as he moved the cigarette to a different spot.

"Please, let me go..." I sobbed, tears rolling down my cheeks. Indeed, they’d crossed the line countless times, but today... this was the worst. This was the absolute fucking worst they had put me through.

"I’m afraid there’s no way out for you, Pigeon," Maximus said, taking the cigar from Leo. He took a long drag, releasing the smoke into the air, then handed it back before pressing it against another spot on my skin, savoring it like they were both enjoying the taste of the cigar and my... skin and blood.

Something about it made me feel even more terrified of them. They were like walking monsters, and now was just one of those times.

"I beg you guys, please..." I sobbed, using all my strength to escape Leo’s grip, but to no avail. I was trapped.

Then he pressed the cigar into my skin again. The pain intensified as he held it there longer, and I struggled, trying to escape his bruising hold, but he was so much stronger than me.

"It hurts, Leo. Please don’t..."

"Good. It’s supposed to hurt, Maya. That’s exactly what we want," Maximus spoke, his voice low as he looked at me with his cold eyes. "Cry all you want. It’s so fucking delightful to hear."

"Fucking right," Leonardo let out a satisfied sigh, pulling my top further upwards as he pressed the cigarette into my ribs. The fragile skin there almost simmered as it burned into my flesh.

I screamed, sweat covering my forehead, beads trailing down my face. I felt like I’d faint at any moment—this was too painful—so fucking painful.

They continued, swapping the cigarette, clearly enjoying the way it tasted after being pressed into my skin and leaving burns all over.

I sobbed, I cried, I begged—but nothing affected them, just like it never had. They wanted to torture me, and I knew they would keep doing it for as long as they wished.

"What do you two get by torturing me like this?" My voice was barely a whisper.

Leonardo smiled—a sinister one.

He leaned closer, his breath hot against my skin, and pressed the cigar just below my breast. My scream died down into a pained whimper.

"Peace," he whispered, his lips brushing against my earlobe. "It’s peace we find in hurting you... unlike anything else in this world."

God, he was terrifying—too terrifying.

"And for that peace, Maya..." Maximus’s voice cut through, cold and unwavering. "We could destroy you until there’s nothing left, and still, we’d think that wasn’t enough."

I shut my eyes tight, trying to block them out. Why was it that their voices—their venomous hatred—only deepened my suffering?

"You’ll never understand how much we hate you. Just seeing you... watching you breathe... it’s goddamn frustrating. Every moment, we wish you were dead."

Both brothers had their own ways of tormenting me—Maximus could crush you mentally, while Leonardo? He relished in physical destruction. God, he made sure you felt every bit of it.

"I wish I could just kill you outright," Leonardo murmured, his gaze lingering on the burns beneath my shirt. He pressed the cigarette lower, and the way his eyes drifted toward my chest made my blood freeze. I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to rip the fabric and burn me there too.

"But alas! Killing you now isn’t an option."

His fingers traced the fresh wounds, sending a sharp pain tearing through me, and a hiss escaped my lips. His hand moved to my bra, ready to unhook it.

"Leo, please..." I tried to inch away, my voice trembling.

He shot me a glare, his eyes dark with intent. Just before he could unhook my bra, Maximus let out a dissatisfied groan and abruptly pulled the car to a halt. We had arrived at the college. Finally!

Leonardo’s gaze flickered toward the campus, where students milled about. They wouldn’t risk it—not here. Violations could cost them everything.

"Couldn’t you just drive slower?" Leonardo groaned in frustration.

"I probably should have," Maximus muttered, slamming his hand against the steering wheel. "Fuck this."

Leonardo climbed off me, and I hurriedly fixed my top, covering the fresh burns.

"Do not breathe a word to anyone, Pigeon. You know the consequences, don’t you?"

I froze at Maximus’s words, nodding as I wiped away my tears.

"So, Puppet, next time you dare open that smart mouth of yours, think twice," Leonardo growled, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at him, his words a low threat. "Next time, it could be worse than mere cigarettes, couldn’t it?"

Without another word, I pulled away, opened the door, and stepped out of the car. My heart was racing, and just as I thought I had escaped the worst of it, I felt their eyes still watching me, knowing that this was far from over.