Leo's smile was a small, chilling thing. "Mercy," he repeated, as if tasting the word. "You showed Bella so much of that, didn't you?"
He reached for her. Jessica jerked her head away, a frantic animal trying to avoid the predator's touch. But his gloved hand was steady, inevitable. He didn't grab her. His fingers moved slowly, almost tenderly, tracing a path from her temple down to the line of her jaw. She went completely still, her sobs catching in her throat. Her eyes were wide—not just with fear, but with a deeper horror. The horror of waiting. The horror of knowing what was coming.
His thumb settled in the delicate hollow just below her ear.
"This won't leave a mark," he said quietly, his breath cool against her clammy skin. "But it will hurt. A lot."
He applied pressure.
