Aubrey turns to me with a frown. “Did Stella tell you nothing? Yes, you have exactly”—she eyes a clock hanging on the wall across from us—“six minutes to finish eating, and I have orders to make sure you finish all of it. Then it’s on to the final phase before claiming.”
When I say nothing, her frown deepens.
“You didn’t really expect men like the Matthews brothers to make a year-long commitment after ten minutes of formal introductions, did you?” I stare at her blankly. Guess I hadn’t really considered that. “Look, you’ll be taken through a series of tests, that’s it. Everyone’s tests are different, so I can’t tell you what to expect, but they want to see what you can handle, what you can’t. If you pass, you’ll go to your room and get your beauty sleep for tomorrow.”
“And if I fail?”
She shrugs. “It happens. Not everyone’s cut out for this, and there’s no shame in that. You’ll be sent home on a first-class flight to return to your life as normal.”
I close my eyes and take a breath.I can’t go home. Not when I’m so close. Not when Frankie might be out there somewhere, hurt or in danger. Or worse. No thanks to me. My exhale comes out shaky as I open my eyes again.
“Everything will work itself out.” Aubrey leans closer, lowering her voice even though we’re completely alone. “Trust me, phase three is all the Matthews will need to make their decision on whom you will serve.”
I’ve never been afraid of the dark.
When we were little, Frankie would sneak into my corner of the trailer so we could fall asleep together. Later, when Mama took away my designated spot completely, Frankie let me share hers. She would leave a lamp on all night long. It was the only way she could sleep. For me, though, something about the brightness irked me. As though blinding me wasn’t enough, it got greedy and snuck under my skin, gnawing at me like an itch I could never scratch.
The dark, however, has always been there to comfort me. I love that fleeting moment of pure power that pumps through my veins right before I cloak myself in its shadow. The world is quickly shut out with a simple flick of a switch. Just like that. It’s the only shield no one questions or expects you to justify.
But tonight—with the cold, steel chair sending goose bumps down the backs of my bare thighs, my wrists tied behind me—it’s quickly lost its appeal.
I can handle a small, windowless room cloaked in darkness. Confinement is another thing entirely.
Tingles spread through my legs when I shift in the chair, my muscles begging to be stretched. I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here, but the skin around my wrists is sore, and strange shapes are beginning to blend in the dark.
After a while, my shoulders slump.
My head whips to my right at the grating sound of a steel door opening, and a woozy sensation rushes from my chest to my scalp at the movement.
Jesus.
How long have I been in here?
Shaking the feeling away, I squint at the door. Any hope of glimpsing more than a shadowed figure entering the room vanishes as the door closes. Footfalls glide toward me until clothing crinkles right in front of me and a light stroke of air flutters across my skin as the figure kneels.
I narrow my eyes but can’t make out anything more than a broad, masculine outline.
“Welcome to the Dark Room, Emmy.” I recognize the amused, almost taunting tone immediately. Raife. I’m not surprised he finds entertainment in my obvious discomfort. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better,” I manage smoothly.
He lets out a chuckle. It’s low, throaty, and sexy even to my ears, despite my lack of attraction. There’s no question all four of the Matthews brothers are genetically gifted. The fact only makes me wonder why they’d need to hire anyone for sexual favors. “Tell me, lovely. Is it the darkness that bothers you so, or is it the wrist ties?”
I open my mouth to answer honestly but lick my lips instead as I recall Aubrey’s words.They want to see what you can handle ... He wants to watch? ... The others, they always watch.
Are they watching me this very second? Even Adam? Can he see me clearly even while I’m practically blind? His dark eyes flash in my mind, secretive and scrutinizing as he looks down on me.
Heat warms my flesh.
It’s going to be interesting watching you break.
Not tonight, Adam Matthews.
I force my wrists to relax against the binding, then bat my lashes in case Raife, too, can somehow see me clearly. “Maybe I’m just not used to being alone when I’m tied down.”
That earns me a groan as he leans closer, the deep shadow of his face hovering in front of mine. “I knew you had some bite under those soft lips,” he whispers, just as I feel his thumb brush over my bottom lip. “Shame they’re not for me.”
I frown, then mumble through the next wave of dizziness that rolls through me, “What do you—”
