The Puppet of His Will

"Boss, what do we do with this chick?" Blade asked. Asher Wolfe kept his head down, wrapping a bloodied strip of cloth around his palm. He glanced at the trembling woman curled up beside the wheel of the car, his expression remaining indifferent. "Keep it clean." His voice was smooth and low, yet carried a chilling undertone. "You got it, boss!" Blade replied, grabbing a foot-long iron rod as he walked toward the woman. It was a thick, ribbed steel bar that Lily Harris had picked up from a construction site, stored in the toolbox in front of the passenger seat. She had intended it for self-defense, never imagining it would end up in the hands of a criminal, now aimed to take her life. Stay alive, no matter what! Lily's body trembled violently, but a voice inside her head screamed at her to survive. Her parents were still alive—gentle, kind-hearted people who could never bear the thought of her dying so brutally. And then there was William Cross, he was waiting for her. She never should have driven alone on this road, never should have thought she was safe just because she was in her car. And she definitely should not have stopped when she saw a body lying in the middle of the road. She should have floored the gas and driven straight through! But now wasn't the time for regrets. She was facing death. "Please, don't kill me! You can take my car, my money—everything! I promise I won't go to the police. Just please, let me go!" she sobbed, crawling toward the man sitting on the side of the road, his cold eyes unyielding. "Sir, please, don't kill me! I stopped to help you—I saved you. Can't you just let me go? I won't tell anyone, I swear! Please!" This woman was clever. Asher couldn't help but glance at her, her face tear-streaked and twisted with fear. Her delicate features were drenched in tears, her eyes glistening with desperate hope. But her pleas did nothing to soften his cold heart. He simply looked away and continued bandaging his wounded hand, injured when he jumped off the truck and landed on a sharp stone, nearly slicing his palm in two. The woman continued to plead at his feet, her cries grating on his nerves. Annoyed, and unable to tie the bandage with one hand, Asher extended his hand to the scrawny man Seth beside him, while coldly addressing Blade, "What's taking so long?" Blade approached, yanking Lily up like a rag doll and dragging her toward the roadside bushes. Lily struggled desperately, but she didn't dare scream. In this desolate stretch of road, no one would hear her cries—shouting would only speed up her death. So she continued to beg, tears streaming as she pleaded for her life. "Blade, wait!" It was Seth tending to Asher's wound who spoke up, he hesitated, then cautiously suggested to Asher, "Boss, maybe we should keep her alive for now. A woman like her, what harm could she possibly do to us?" Asher's brow furrowed slightly, lips pressed into a thin line. Blade, however, sneered at his companion. "You getting soft or just thinking with your pants?" Seth chuckled, his gaze lingering shamelessly on Lily's chest, rising and falling with each struggle. "And what if I am? We haven't touched a woman in over a month. Don't tell me you're not tempted." Blade looked down at the woman in his grip, the moonlight highlighting her delicate features and curvaceous body. He couldn't deny he was tempted. They both glanced at Asher, waiting for his command. Asher Wolfe's cold, merciless gaze swept over Lily Harris, who was frozen in terror. His words were icy and indifferent: "We're on the run. If you want to mess around with a woman, wait until we're safe." Lily flinched involuntarily, fighting to stay conscious. She desperately fixed her pleading eyes on the man who looked like Seth, hoping for one last chance to survive. "Sir, please, as long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything. " Seth hesitated, but desire got the better of him. He grinned and turned to Asher, trying his luck. "It won't take much time to have a little fun right now." Asher hadn't responded yet, but Blade couldn't help but snort, mocking his friend, "Look at you, pathetic!" Despite the scolding, Blade didn't continue dragging Lily away. Instead, he and Seth both looked eagerly at Asher. These were his comrades, the brothers who had braved life and death by his side. Asher showed an emotion other than his usual coldness for the first time—a hint of impatience. "Be quick." Seth leapt up in excitement and rushed toward Lily. Blade laughed, letting go of her arm, "You go first." Lily didn't resist. She let Seth pull her closer, continuously begging, "Please don't kill me. I won't say anything, I swear." "I won't kill you, as long as you do what I say!" Seth responded carelessly, his hand already groping her chest eagerly. The softness beneath his grasp only heightened his urgency. He glanced around hastily, then began dragging her toward the bushes. "Inside the car. Let's go to the car," Lily whispered, her voice barely audible, but it was enough to catch Asher's attention. His cold stare made her stammer nervously, "The back seat… it's more comfortable… ." Seth, driven by lust, didn't hesitate and pulled her toward the white SUV parked in the middle of the road. He yanked open the back door and pushed her inside. Asher watched coldly, then nodded subtly at Blade, who understood and followed behind. The SUV was spacious, its white body towering over the scene. Blade leaned against the car, peeking through the half-open window, joking with Seth inside, "Think you got this?" "Shut up," Seth snapped, his voice muffled. The sound of fabric rustling mixed with Lily's muffled cries. A stifled whimper, followed by Seth's labored breathing, filled the air as the car started to rock rhythmically. "Damn," Blade muttered, feeling a stir of his own. "Take it easy in there, you i***t!" "She's a virgin!" Seth's voice was laced with a twisted mix of joy and pride. "I hit the jackpot today!" Blade paused and laughed, calling out to Asher, "Boss, check this out! We might just shake this damn car apart." A virgin, Asher's lips curled into a mocking smile before he looked away again, his expression unreadable. The car continued to shake, spurring Seth into even greater fervor. He muttered endearments as he thrust harder, his mouth seeking hers in frantic kisses. Lily bit her lip, enduring the violation. Despite her attempts to relax her body, the searing pain was unavoidable. She took a deep breath, one arm wrapping around Seth's neck while she concealed her true intentions. With subtle movements, her free hand reached for the small bag behind the passenger seat. Inside was a knife—a small, sharp fruit knife. She had used it the last time William Cross had taken her on a picnic. She had lazily dozed in the backseat on the way home, later using that very knife to cut up fruit for him. She would sit in the back, slicing apples into small pieces, feeding them to William. She had to survive. Lily kept repeating to herself, thinking of her parents, of William. They were waiting for her—she couldn't die here, not like this, not in this humiliating, degrading assault. Lily's fingers finally brushed against the knife. The predator above her was still lost in his violent lust, but Lily's mind had never been clearer. She traced his back, trying to locate his heart. She couldn't be sure, and she feared the blade might be too short to pierce through in one stab. Seth's pace quickened, and Lily knew she had no more time to hesitate. She wrapped her arm tighter around his neck and pulled his face closer, forcing a kiss upon him. Seth was surprised by her sudden response, his grip tightening around her waist as he kissed her back, fervently. In that vulnerable instant, when his body tensed uncontrollably, Lily plunged the knife deep into the back of his neck without hesitation. The knife struck a critical point, capable of killing instantly. The man's frail body froze in that moment, he desperately tried to lift his head, his eyes wide open, as if trying to see clearly the woman beneath him. But it was too late. Lily's legs locked tightly around his, her hands pressing down on his head while she gripped the knife handle, dragging it downward with all her strength. The blade sliced through his vertebrae, carotid artery, and windpipe—everything fell apart under the sharp edge. It was truly a good knife, worth bringing all the way back from Switzerland. Blood spurted like a fountain, and she had to use her hand to stifle it. Half of her body was drenched, her vision nearly obscured by the crimson. The man on top of her finally stopped struggling, his warm body reduced to faint convulsions. Lily didn't dare release her grip too soon. She stole a glance outside the car, the other burly man was standing nearby, and Asher was sitting farther ahead. The car's engine was still running. She hadn't turned it off when she stepped out earlier. Lily knew she had to act fast, without alerting them. She needed to crawl into the front seat, lock the doors, and drive away. This was her only chance to survive. Taking a deep breath, Lily gently pushed aside the skinny man still pinning her down. Asher had his eyes closed, resting while contemplating their next move. They had escaped over a thousand kilometers, next town was not far away, but the future remained uncertain. Maybe he shouldn't have let Blade and Seth indulge themselves now. Yet, those two had followed him through thick and thin, never relaxing for a single day during their last thirty-day escape. What harm could a little indulgence cause? His mind wandered, his taut nerves relaxing slightly. That's why he didn't immediately hear the faint click of the car doors locking. The headlights, which had been turned off to avoid drawing attention, suddenly flashed on, blinding him momentarily. Asher looked up in shock and saw the white SUV speeding toward him like a mad beast. The blinding lights left him briefly sightless, but he only needed a split second to recognize the driver—it was the woman who had been crying and begging earlier. Her face was smeared with blood on one side, while the other half was ghostly pale, but her eyes were strikingly black, devoid of tears, filled with burning hatred and madness. "Boss!" Blade yelled, leaping forward without hesitation and shoving Asher aside. Asher instinctively rolled to the roadside, barely avoiding the wheels that brushed against his shoulder. But Blade was hit head-on, his body flung over ten meters away, landing with a heavy thud. The car didn't stop, rolling over Blade's legs and speeding off into the distance. Lily gripped the steering wheel with all her strength, her only thought was to floor the gas pedal. The SUV hurtled along the road, speeding recklessly until it reached the bright streets. Only then did she slam on the brakes. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, her hands shook so badly that she couldn't even hold her phone, let alone dial William Cross's number. "Aaaah—" A low, guttural scream tore from her throat, more animalistic than human. She bit down hard on her wrist, using the pain to steady her shaking hands before finally managing to call William. Her voice was broken with sobs, "Call the police, William, call the police. " She had driven alone to his city in the middle of the night, originally just to surprise him.