Collateral Damage (20 page)

The sensation erupted, bursting inside, everywhere at once. I came screaming.

Vince kept me right up there by driving into me ruthlessly. Over and over. Harder, harder—his grip tightened. One hand left my hip.

As he rubbed my clit, an electric shock blasted through me. My whole body seized up. Hands fisted. Toes curled. Throat locked. I held on to the current sizzling along my nerves until my vision blurred. My legs gave out, but I didn't fall.

"Air, baby." Vince's warm breath flowed over my wet skin. "You need some.

With me now, Nicole."

I filled my lungs and rested my head on his shoulder. He sat on the edge of the bath with me in his lap. Just holding me. Just taking care of me.

Nice.
I smiled.
I like this.

"I know you do." He kissed my forehead. "You're cuddly while you sleep, I imagine you need more of this than you've been getting."

"I don't think Cyrus is into snuggling."

"I thought you didn't want to talk about him."

"Don't."

"Then, hush." He lowered me into the water. "Let's get you washed up so I can get you to bed."

While I soaked, he washed my hair with shampoo that smelled like peaches. His fingers massaged my scalp, not missing a single spot. He soaped up a facecloth, scrubbed my back. And then drained the water and helped me stand under the shower as he cleaned every other part of my body and rinsed me off.

Feeling pleasantly pampered and invigorated, I moved to step out of the bath.

"That was—"

"I'm not done yet." He held his hand up as he went to the door to fetch the bathrobes. After putting one on, he passed me the other. "Put it on."

Always so bossy.
I rolled my eyes, slipped into the robe, and then let out a shocked screech as he swooped me up into his arms.

"I'm bigger and stronger than you." He crossed the suit with long strides and threw me onto the bed. "Either you obey me, or I hurt you."

I giggled as he pounced on me and pinned me down with his heavy body. "I'm not scared of you."

"Aren't you?" He looked deep into my eyes, then dropped to his side and sighed.

"You mean that. You really not scared of me."

"How could I trust you if I was?" Lowering my gaze to where his robe parted over his chest, I fingered the flaps and mumbled. "Why do you think I was so angry when I found out what happened in the arena?"

"But you understand."

"Yes." I rolled my eyes and slipped my hand down over his stomach. Velvet over steel. I'd never understood what that meant, but suddenly I did. His skin was soft and smooth over the rippling muscles. I drew a semi-circle under his belly button and thought about what he'd said. "You have an infuriating way of doing everything for a reason."

He drew my hand out of his robe. "There will be no reason behind what I do next if you don't stop."

"Screw reason." I lay one thigh over both of his and scooted closer. "We don't have much time left."

"Exactly. Which is why I want you to rest." He tipped my chin up with a finger and pressed a kiss on my scowling lips. "You can't possibly sleep well locked up. In your room or the one you were kept in before the arena—"

"Don't bring that up." Hiding my face between the bed and his chest, I mumbled.

"I always sleep well with you."

"Good." His pleasure resonated in his deep tone. The steady beat of his heart quickened against my cheek. "Then I will make sure you're able to do so often."

"I'd like that."

"So would I."

The steady rise and fall of his chest slowed. Sure, he'd fallen asleep, I pushed up to look down at him.

The flesh around his warm brown eyes crinkled. "What is it, Nicole?"

"Did you mean what you said before? About not loving me?"

"Yes." He pushed my head down to his shoulder and stared up at the ceiling.

"Which is best for us both. The last woman I loved . . . let's just say she was used against me until I shut her out. I was young and foolish and thought I was making it easier for her. Instead, I took away her only value. She lasted until Cyrus found a new toy."

"Lacy?"

"No. Lacy . . . I'm not sure what he sees in Lacy. She's not his type." He frowned.

"Sometimes, when he looks at her, it's like he's seeing someone else."

My head popped up. This could be useful. "Who?"

He laughed and put my head back where he wanted it. "I don't know. The point is, as Alrik's teacher, and as a beautiful woman who can entertain the crowds, you're worth more."

"So, you don't love me because it's not safe?"

"How could I love you? You're a present from Cyrus that sees me as her savior."

His fingers combed through my hair. "You don't love me either."

Maybe he was right. Dependence and desperation didn't equal love. I felt closer to him than anyone I'd ever know, but that didn't mean much. I'd never needed anyone else to stay alive.

"What if we didn't have to go back?"

"You don't."

That shocked me. I almost sat right up, but he held me in place. My nails dug into the robe over his arm. "You'd let me leave?"

He held his breath. Let it out in a heavy exhale. "Yes."

"I won't. Not without Alrik."

His fingers resumed their combing. "I know."

"So my question stands."

"And maybe someday you'll get your answer." He said in my ear before closing my eyes with his fingertips. "Enough talking. We're expected to return in three hours."

Three hours.
Damn. The last thing I wanted to do was waste those hours sleeping, but I'd gotten into the habit of doing what Vince told me to—even if it was often in my own sweet time.

Besides, I couldn't think of another thing to say. My mind was locked on that one word.

Someday.

Chapter Seventeen

There was blood on the curtains. I don't know whose
.

"Miss Reed?"

No body. Unless he hid it somewhere. God, I hope not.
I gave a little shudder.
Then
again, maybe it would be worth it to save Alrik. If that's what he was trying to do, I won't judge
him.

"Miss Reed?"

What if he just got hungry . . . ? No. He fed from me. And he stopped three times. Two
different gas stations and a convenient store. Why would he do that if he wasn't leaving a trail?

"Miss Reed!" Alrik clapped his hands in front of my face. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." I shook my head to clear it, but it still felt a little airy. I suddenly knew, without a doubt, that Vince and I were on the same page. But he was being smart about this. We didn't stand much of a chance getting Alrik away from Cyrus and all the guards. But once help came—what help, I couldn't guess . . . . And if Vince hadn't told me, it was probably because he didn't want Cyrus to figure out what he was doing.

Which meant I should probably stop thinking about it.

Still, I turned to Vince, sitting on his cushion with his back against the wall, and smiled. I hoped he'd get that I had complete faith in him.

His troubled eyes shifted away from mine, and his grip on his bent knees tightened until his knuckles went white. He'd looked a little on edge since we'd returned early that morning.

Not surprising. He's worried you'll screw things up.

I decided to use Cyrus' tip on how to keep Vince out of my head against
him.

And focused on Alrik and the story. "Sorry, buddy. Where were we?"

Alrik pointed at a page of the book opened on my lap. "The cat ate the r-r-r . . . ."

He scowled at the book. "Rrrr—"

"Rat." Cyrus said from the doorway. He stepped into the room and then crouched so he was level with Alrik. "You don't look like you're enjoying story time, son. Why don't you go outside and help Darryl blow up some balloons for the party?"

"Sure!" Alrik hopped to his feet and scampered out the door.

Vince stood.

I couldn't get my legs to work.

"Vince, I'd like a moment alone with Miss Reed if you don't mind." Cyrus'

simple,
polite
request made my blood run cold.

"Sire . . . ." Vince said.

Cyrus arched a brow, seeming almost as surprised at the address as I was. "Yes?"

"Nothing." Vince thumped his fist into his thigh and then headed for the door.

"We'll speak later, Nicole."

"You won't see her again until the party."

"I understand."

As soon as Vince was out of sight, Cyrus grabbed me by the throat and hauled me up. My feet dangled. My windpipe collapsed. I clawed at his hand, blinded by tears.

"What were you trying to do, Nicole?" He tossed me; I collided with the wall and crumpled to the floor. Before the pain had time to register, he was on me again, shaking me so hard my teeth clinked, and one cracked. "You thought you could sic the cops on me, you stupid woman? Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

"I had to do something." I cleaned the blood and saliva from my chin with the sleeve of my blouse. "Vince was expecting it. Are you telling me you weren't?"

"Of course I was." He rose above me, straightened his suit jacket, and then held out his hand. "I'm just a little surprised that Vince didn't punish you. He's gone a little soft, hasn't he?"

Too stunned to do otherwise, I gave Cyrus my hand and let him help me up.

"He's not going soft . . . ."
Think! Quick!
"He did punish me . . . he just didn't use his belt."

"Oh?"

I bit the tip of my tongue, not sure what to say.

"How?" His hands went to my collar. He undid the button, then the next, slowly undoing them all before he spoke again. "Tell me what he did."

"H-he fucked me." Eyes pressed shut, I forced myself not to resist as he removed the blouse. "In the ass."

Cyrus laughed. "Nice try, Nicole. If only you hadn't already shown me what an ass slut you can be."

He popped open my bra and pulled it off.

"Now, if we're done playing games . . . ." He latched onto my wrists and twisted them when I tried to cover my breasts. "Arms at your sides. There's a good girl." His thumbs slid under the waistband of my skirt and panties, and he rolled them down my thighs together. "This can go two ways. Tell me what Vince did, and I'll leave you in your room tonight."

My arms hung limp at my sides. I tried to make my mind go blank.

"That won't help you, Nicole." He put his hand under my chin and dug his fingers and thumb into my jaw. "Look at me."

Tears gathered between my closed lids as I fought to ignore the pain. A bit more and I was sure he'd shatter my jaw. He needed me to look at him, so I must not. I must not.

"Those needles Vince gave you such pleasure with can be used to keep your eyes open. And I promise you won't enjoy it." The pressure increased. "I can see almost everything even with your eyes shut, but it's so much harder to see if Vince tried to hide something in there. And you want to make this easy on me, don't you?"

"No." Agony flooded my mind, and pain brought bile up in my throat. "Do whatever you want to me, I won't tell you anything."

He dragged me across the room. My back hit a soft surface. Alrik's bed. I kicked and twisted as he weighed me down with his body. His fingers pried my eyes open.

I screamed as my skull erupted.

* * * * *

I woke in a cage. Chains rattled. My vision sharpened, and I realized my wrists were shackled to the top of the cage and my ankles were chained to the bottom.

The cage was just big enough for me to sit up in with my legs bent and spread wide. No chance of closing them; the chains were too short.

"Such a shame." Cyrus said behind me. "All that and you didn't know anything useful."

Glaring at him, I scrambled for some kind of scathing retort—but I couldn't speak. Something was wedged in my mouth. Something big and round and rubber.

"You won't have to worry about saying the wrong thing anymore, my dear."

Cyrus reached between the bars of the cage and patted my cheek. "You can just enjoy the party."

Darryl and Eddie came to either side of the cage and lifted it up. I hung on the bars as I was jostled between them, trying to get some weight off my ass and back so the thin metal wouldn't dig into my skin.

They carried me from the basement and through the kitchen. Screeching, heavy metal music hit me the second they threw open the doors to the backyard.

Balloons splashed with rainbows of glow-in-the-dark paint bobbed all around us like psychedelic fireflies on strings. Fairy lights, with black light bulbs, netted over trees and bushes, cast an incandescent shimmer over everything, illuminating the whites of shirts and dresses and teeth in the crowd. The men carted me around the core of the throng and then hefted the cage up onto a sturdy picnic table set under a massive oak tree.

Eddie stood on the bench, reached into the branches overhead, and then tugged on a hook hanging from chain. After a metallic
clink, clink, clink
the chain lengthened enough for him to attach the hook to the top of the cage.

"One sec," Darryl said before Eddie could crank the pulley, which was partially hidden by leaves. He pulled something from his pocket and then knelt by the cage.

"Cyrus wants you to drink this—"

"This" was clear liquid in a small, glass vial with a cork top. My brow shot up.

You can just tell Cyrus to go fuck himself
.

"—or you'll be taken out of the cage to serve the guests like all the other pets." He gestured towards the crowd, at the naked men and woman milling around with trays full of drinks. As we watched, a tray was knocked out of a woman's hands, and she disappeared beneath three men in rumpled suits. "It's up to you."

I nodded, held still so he could remove the gag, and then tipped my head back, staring at the blinking fairy lights above me so I wouldn't see him smirk at how easily I'd given in. He'd led the last gang bang. I was pretty sure he'd love the opportunity for another.