As I approach the cage, I stare at the golden bars as if I’m admiring a piece of historic art. Luke follows behind me, still swaying. Sienna is a few steps behind him, like a handler watching her animal move in for the kill.
Every step they take makes my heart rate spike. He’s staring at me with that sinister look in his eyes again. I keep waiting to feel something. The drugs or adrenaline, relief, or even fear. But I don’t feel anything.
I’m notafraidof Luke, and I’m definitely not intimidated by Sienna’s attempts to act the part of a villainous sidekick. Giving them what they deserve is going to be the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done. I just need Tiernan to give me my cue to leave.
He catches up to me near the cage, wobbling even as he stands still. Sienna stands just behind his shoulder, her arms crossed, looking at me in a way that makes me feel like I’m trappedinsidethe cage.
“Can you tell me why you’re so obsessed with this thing?” His voice slurs, pale lips barely able to form the words. I stare at him, straining to gauge how much he’s actually had to drink today.
“Oh, I don’t know,” I say, shooting a look at Sienna before landing back on Luke with a wink. “Maybe I want you to lock me in it, like she said. Are you into that?”
Sienna’s eyes flash with a dark, twisted spark of excitement. “Careful what you wish for, sweetheart,” she purrs.
He squints at me through whatever haze the drinking has put him in, then lets out a breathy laugh. “You’re insane.”
“Maybe.” I shrug, keeping the smile. “But aren’t you curious?”
He shifts, coming in close enough for his lips to graze the outer edge of my ear as he whispers, “I’m more curious about what’s hiding under your little dress.” He slips a finger under the strap, letting it snap back into place, as he says it.
My body freezes. I hold his gaze, but my mind is racing. His balance is off, his words are slow… he’s different from what he was even a few minutes ago. I give him a weak smile. His eyelids grow heavier, and the way he keeps looking at me sets my nerves on edge. What the hell did he drink?
And then it comes crashing in on me. Oh, God, he isn’t just tipsy. He drugged himself. That explains the sluggish grin, the heavy eyelids, the slurring.
A wicked thrill runs through me, and I bite back yet another bout of laughter fighting its way up my throat, barely keeping it contained. A victorious smile spreads across my face instead as I stare into his glassy eyes.
He notices instantly. “Oh, you like that?”
“Oh, Luke,” I whisper as he leans into me, the bars of the cage cold against my back. “I don’t think you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
He licks his lips, pure hunger flickering in his eyes as he trails a finger from the strap of my dress down to my cleavage. “Oh, I think you’re right. How about you show me?” he slurs, swaying forward.
His weight presses me further into the cage, the bars digging into my spine. My breath catches. He’s too close, too heavy. Every inch of him reeks of arrogance and that musky cologne.Maybe this isn’t my winning move after all.
I brace my hands against his chest, pushing him back slightly, running a finger down the buttons on his shirt. Pretending it’s a game, but in reality, I’m steadying him. Keeping him just far enough away that I still have some control.
“I knew you’d come around, darling,” he slurs, his eyelids heavy, but his gaze is still glued to mine.
I steal a glance at the clock on the wall, counting down the seconds until whatever he put in that drink finally knocks him out. But it’s not happening. Five seconds pass. Ten. Panic floods my chest as his weight continues to press in on me. His breath hot on my neck and his hands inching lower down my sides.
I look past his shoulder, hoping to see Sienna concerned, but she’s standing there watching the struggle with a faint look of amusement.
“Don’t hold your breath for him to take a nap,” she mutters, swirling her glass. “Luke has a tolerance that would kill a normal man. Whatever was in that... it’s only going to make him mean.”
My heart drops.She knows.She’s been watching the whole time, enjoying the slow-motion train wreck.
I clear my throat, trying to regain my footing. “Let’s—” I manage, but before I can get another word out, Luke’s mouth is on my neck, and his grip tightens violently on my hips. His fingertips dig into my skin hard enough to make me gasp.
He glances up, grinning, teeth bared. “Are you sure you knew whatyouwere getting yourself into?
Once again, my body feels frozen. All of his weight presses me harder against the metal, and my spine is screaming for relief.
No... not again.The whisper in the back of my mind is small, terrified, and dangerously close to breaking me. I’m staring at Luke, but for a split second, I’m seeing a ghost from a memory I thought was long gone.
“Luke, stop. This hurts,” I whisper, the panic finally clawing at the back of my throat.
I look at Sienna one last time, pleading silently for a shred of womanly solidarity, but she just tilts her head and takes a slow, mocking sip of her drink. She isn’t going to help. She’s waiting for the real show to start.
Luke places one finger over my lips, signaling me to stop talking. His eyes are nearly black as his mouth continues its trail past my collarbone.
