“Not weak,” I croak, slurring. The words are out of my mouth before I realize I’m speaking. Adam stops but keeps his back to me. “Just trying to get a feel for the brothers I’ll be spending so much time with.”
He turns his head just enough for me to see the sharp angle of his jaw, the way the longer strands of his hair have fallen over part of his forehead, the way his eyes narrow.
He’s daring me to make a move.
I push off the chair and wince when nausea tears through me. My legs wobble, skin breaking into a fresh sweat. I don’t know how long I have until my knees are bound to give out. Allowing myself to drop, I catch my weight on my hands and knees, then cringe. I clear my expression before looking up at Adam through heavy lids as I kick off my heels and crawl toward him.
I’m making this up as I go, but they don’t need to know that.Hedoesn’t need to know that.
“Do you want to know what I’ve learned so far?” I ask, keeping my pace slow so my shaky arms don’t collapse.
Finally, Adam faces me. He tucks his hands into his pockets, angles his head, but doesn’t respond.
“For starters ...” I let my voice hang, then shift sharply to the right so I’m crawling toward Raife instead.
Raife’s eyebrows shoot up.
I fight the irritating urge to look over my shoulder and see Adam’s expression. A chill runs through me as the skirt of my dress rides up above my thighs. Once I reach Raife, I stop and sit back on my feet. My breath is heavy and my bones are quivering, but I try to play it off like I’m just turned on.
I lock my eyes on Raife’s brown ones.
“I’ve learned”—my focus blurs, Raife’s face doubling, tripling. I shake my head, try again—“I’ve learned that some of you really know how to tease a poor girl.” Bile rises in my throat, but even being drugged doesn’t subdue the voice deep in my gut tying Raife to Frankie. Raife, the one apparently running this operation. Right now, in a mansion filled with black walls and the unknown, the only thing I’m certain of is that I’m not leaving this room until I’ve sold myself to the devil. “And no one likes to be left hanging ...”
I frown, unsure if I finished my sentence or if that last word was only spoken in my head.
Raife squints down at me, adjusts his tie. “Felix? Griff?” Holding up a hand for show, he snaps twice, as though summoning trained dogs. “I believe the girl is asking for some relief.” He pats my head. “I’m nothing if not selfless.”
My insides churn as heavy footfalls approach from behind me. Griff’s wide, towering build appears beside Raife, and my throat constricts. He cracks his knuckles, rolls his neck, then takes one long stride toward me and halts.
“Felix?” Raife looks over my shoulder, and I imitate the movement. Anything to avoid Griff. Adam still stands behind me with his hands in his pockets, obnoxiously looking as calm and at ease as ever, but I make a point not to look at him. “You surprise me,” Raife continues. “Don’t you want a taste?”
Felix, still leaning against the wall, only shrugs. “Nah, not tonight. Whatever this”—he gestures toward me, making a circular motion with his hand—“is, I’m pretty sure I want no part of it.” He meets my gaze and winks. “Family drama. Nothing personal.”
His words swim in my ears like a school of fish racing in endless circles.
Raife huffs. “Suit yourself.”
A huge hand grips my neck, and I’m yanked to a standing position. I gasp, pain shooting through me, but the sound catches in my throat. My knees buckle from holding my weight, and Griff steps closer, then flips my body so he’s right behind me. Something long and thick rubs against my back, and I squeeze my eyes shut. The fucker’s hard over this.
When I open my eyes, Raife’s settling into the single steel chair in the middle of the room. He kicks his legs out, then leans back and clasps his hands behind his head.
He grins at me. “Front row seats and everything.”
Heat rises in my chest, my neck, my cheeks. I can’t bring myself to look at Adam. I don’t know why—I’m sure he’s enjoying this as much as the others, if not more. He’s one of them, after all. But for some ridiculous reason, I’m embarrassed knowing he’s watching. The man who wants so badly to see me break.
Griff squeezes tighter, then tighter, until I’m straining to suck in a breath as he hunches forward and grinds against me once more.
I clench my teeth but don’t fight it. Not that I’d stand a chance in this state anyway. I signed up for this for a reason, and I’m not going anywhere until I find my sister—even if it means allowing them to think they’ve shamed and broken me in the process.
Enjoy the show, Adam Matthews.
Finally, I slide my gaze to the man in question. Lie or not, there’s something empowering in telling myself I’mallowingthis to happen.
Adam gives nothing away, his expression a hard wall, but I take some satisfaction in knowing he sees the challenge in my eyes.
Griff releases my throat to grip my waist, and I gasp as cool air fills my lungs. Before I can catch my breath, he lifts my dress and squeezes my bare ass hard enough to leave a bruise. I choke out a pained sound but quickly turn it into a moan.
“You like that, do you? Some pain to go with your pleasure.” It’s the first words Griff has ever spoken in front of me, and the rough sound makes my skin crawl.
