here-a low hum beneath the surface-but overshadowed by something fragile and

eading aloud, while Ryan went home to shower and sleep. For a few hour

ess. She stopped by her mother's house-empty, silent-just to grab a coat. The ho

n the front porch when a prickl

hadows, was a black Maybach. The driver's side

ood ra

her key toward the

her waist, dragging her backward. The front door was kicked open. She w

somew

dark. Cedar. Whiskey. Stale smoke

fingers digging in. "Who was he, Chloe? Th

he gasped. "A sick,

lder. She beat his back with her fists. No effect. He strode throug

away, he was on top of her, knees on either side of h

oulder of her dre

e in this town what you are. I'll send pictures to your mother. I'll p

cold, clean rage surged through

she m

k. The sound echoed like a gunsh

inging

replaced by something far more terrifying-a cold, bla

You can buy me. You can own my time. But you don'

Then he laughed-a

s not forget how this all started. Who came to whose hotel room five years ago. Who climbed into whose bed, naked and wil

sical blow. Her mind wen

ight she'd been drugged at a party. Stumbled into the wrong hotel r

he knew. That he under

know. He n

r and seen a prostitute. A calculat

o place. The cruelty. The possessiveness. The casual disre

d that on purpose

You're not the first girl to try and trap

led. Five years. He had built an en

or the humiliation. For the five years s

tered. The absolute stillness of her was more unnerving than any stru

d her world. And he