Chapter 70
“I had an excellent teacher.” Marcus swung a second time, grazing over the same spot. “If there’s one thing Gideon knows, it’s how to inflict pain.”
Jesse held his breath as the whip hit the same spot a third time, then a fourth time. It cracked the skin on the fifth time, and thin lines of blood slithered down his bruising skin. Marcus watched the blood with heavy eyes, then chose a new spot, just above the bleeding welt.
“This isn’t going to make up for whatever he did to you,” Jesse said through gritted teeth, though he knew it was pointless. Speaking at all was a pointless exercise that wasted what little strength he had. But he couldn’t help himself.
The next blow was twice as hard as the worst of its predecessors, driving the air from Jesse’s lungs.