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  “What, son?” Luther approaches him, placing his evil hands on the boy’s slight shoulders. “What was she doing?”

  I silently beg Tobias to keep quiet. To lie. To betray his father even though I know he never will.

  “She was being mean.”

  Pain slices through me, a soundless sob clogging my throat.

  Luther grows an inch with his palpable fury. “You dare to make a guest of mine unwelcome?” He turns toward me, approaching with menacing steps.

  I cower, turning my face away, wrapping my arms around my middle. I can’t help the show of weakness. I’m fucking bathing in it, my fragility clear for everyone to see.

  That man—that stranger—has fractured a resolve I’d built over years of torture. And he did it all with a few perfectly chosen words.

  “I’m sorry,” I plead. “I don’t know what came over me.”

  “Fucking stupidity, that’s what.” Luther looms above me, fists clenched at his sides. “Do you need to go back to basic training? Or maybe I should send you to work with the majority of my women so you can understand how well you’re treated here.”

  Horror consumes me.

  “Please.” I collapse onto my knees. “I didn’t mean it. I apologize.”

  “It’s my fault.” Luca’s voice breeches my nightmare. “I got carried away. I tried to make small talk and when I mentioned her past I think she took it as a taunt.”

  I hold my breath, the burn of building suffocation sliding through my veins. I don’t understand his motive for taking the fall. Why would he? Why risk his safety for mine?

  Luther grabs my chin, his rough grip forcing me to meet his gaze, his other hand raised in threat. “You need to be punished for your disobedience.”

  I know.

  God, how I know.

  And I’ll accept his violations without protest over the hell of being sent away from here. He can hurt me as much as he likes as long as I don’t have to step foot inside one of his brothels.

  “Dad,” Cole warns. “I’m growing tired of the adolescent distractions from these women. Can’t we get the fuck out of here already?”

  My heart stutters. Stops.

  I don’t want a delayed sentence. Giving Luther more time to think is dangerous. I need him to react on instinct, not with well-thought-out deviance.

  When Luther doesn’t respond, Cole huffs.

  “Fine. We’ll leave.” He starts toward the doorway, murmuring something to Tobias along the way before he disappears down the hall.

  I don’t drag my gaze from my tormentor. I don’t quit praying for him to strike. Not even when Luca’s intense stare remains potent in my periphery.

  I ignore the jagged seed of hope he planted under my skin. I fight to claw myself back to stability as I blink the heat from my eyes.

  Maybe if I hadn’t been here so long I could fall heavily into the fantasy of Luca being my savior. Back then I would’ve done anything, given anything for a warrior to haul me out of this nightmare.

  But I’ve learned the hard way that there’s no escape from this hell. And my reality is only cemented in place when Luca follows after Cole, leaving me alone with a little boy who betrayed me and a vicious man who I know is more disgusted in my show of weakness than my rebellion.

  3

  Penny

  Luther didn’t hit me.

  He did far worse. He left me kneeling on the cold tile, my thoughts in turmoil as he stormed from the kitchen.

  I don’t know where he went. Chloe informed me that Chris drove them from the house. Cole and Luca included. But even with the distance between us, it took hours to steady my rampant pulse.

  “What are you going to do?” Lilly snuggles in bed behind me, returning the comfort I gave her earlier in the day, while the other women remain in their beds. “He’s going to be horrible to you.”

  “I’ll do what I’ve always done—be strong and fight back.”

  I spent the entire day, and well into the night, berating myself for falling victim to something I’ve built walls against since my first days in this living nightmare. I never should’ve taken Luca’s bait. I’d thought I was immune to those types of taunts.

  I’d thought my defenses held more strength.

  “Where do you think they went?” Abigail asks from the bunk above. “They’ve been gone a long time.”

  “It’s an event night.” I clutch my pillow close to my chest and try to lessen my self-pity with thoughts of all the women currently being violated to make Luther money. “He won’t be home until after midnight.”

  I still have a few hours.

  I tucked Tobias in bed earlier and collapsed onto mine within minutes. Tomorrow will be challenging and I want to be at the top of my game. Not that sleep feels likely to bless me tonight.

  “Are you ready to tell us what happened?” Chloe positions herself up on one elbow from the farthest bottom bunk. “What did that man do?”

  I sigh.

  I should tell them the error of my ways. Make it a learning experience. But the wound is still raw.

  I’m humiliated by the few seconds of hope Luca awakened.

  And frightened over how susceptible my family made me.

  I have to work harder to forget them. I can no longer simply file their memories away in the back of my mind.

  I need to eradicate every thought.

  There were never any brothers who kept the sleazy teenage boys at bay. The tight-knit family didn’t exist. There was no generous, nurturing mother.

  It was all a punishing dream.

  “We can talk about it in the morning,” I murmur. “I’m too tired now.”

  “Tobias mentioned the man being nice to you.” Abigail speaks softly. “Is that true?”

  “Tomorrow, Abi.”

  “But what if he can help us?” Chloe asks. “If he was nice maybe he can—”

  “He can’t help us.” I add steel to my tone. “Nobody can. The sooner you realize that, the easier each day will become.”

  The room falls silent.

  I hate crushing their hopes. But it’s a necessary evil. I’m being cruel to be kind.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I just don’t want any of you to become optimistic. It’s better to expect the worst. One day we’ll get out of here, but it won’t be because some dark prince came to rescue us. We’ll be freed because we were smart and strategic. We don’t rely on others. Least of all men who are associated with Luther.”

  They remain quiet, none of them accepting my apology because they’re still holding out for a hero.

  I lay there in the bitter void for hours, long after Lilly falls asleep snuggled against me and Nina lets out a soft purr of slumber.

  Like I anticipated, it’s well after midnight when the sound of a vehicle approaches outside.

  Two car doors slam and moments later the thunderous footsteps of men ricochet off the walls. Lilly startles awake beside me. Chloe springs upward.

  “Relax,” I whisper. “They just got home. You can go back to sleep.”

  I wince through the placation because I’m not entirely certain everything is going to be okay.

  Luther and his goons have been gone all day. He’s had enough time to stew on my behavior. To scheme.

  Those pounding footsteps could be a sign of his renewed aggression toward me. The forewarning to a brutal punishment.

  The bright glow of the hall light flicks on, seeping into our room from the gap around the door.

  There’s murmured conversation, then Tobias’s sweet voice saying, “But Baba, I want to go back to sleep.”

  “He woke Tobias,” Lilly whispers. “Why would he do that?”

  A rumble of chatter builds in the hall. A dark, aggressive reaction to the little boy’s protest, which encourages my heart to beat faster.

  I throw back the covers, crawl to the end of the mattress, then tiptoe my way to the door.

  “What are you doing?” Nina peers down from the top bunk. “Get back in bed.
If you’re caught snooping…”

  She doesn’t finish her sentence. She doesn’t need to. I already know the consequences and I don’t quit my approach. I don’t stop until my ear is placed to the doorframe and the now softened conversation becomes clear.

  “We need to work together, son.” It’s Luther, his lowered tone filled with discipline. “This is important.”

  “Okay, Baba,” Tobias replies. “But I’m tired.”

  The booming footsteps return. Approaching.

  “Get back in bed,” Abigail hisses.

  I could.

  I should.

  But the thunder is too close. If Luther opens the bedroom door, I’ll be caught scampering away.

  I’d prefer to have him find me standing here—strong and sure—than see my weakness for a second time today.

  Then the door is flung open and my heart squeezes.

  I stiffen, facing the devil head on, his face partially shadowed, the light from the hall beaming down behind him.

  He doesn’t show surprise over my snooping. He doesn’t express annoyance or delight either—just a stony mask of determination while Tobias stands like an exhausted angel by his side.

  “You’re coming with me.” Luther lunges forward and grabs my wrist. “Chloe, you need to join us, too.”

  He doesn’t wait for her to comply. He drags me into the hall, making me stumble as I cling tight to my refusal to show fear.

  Gasps and whispers erupt from my bedroom as I’m taken from my sisters. I’m tugged toward the front of the house and into the living room with Tobias dragging his feet behind us.

  Questions clog my throat. The need for answers is brutal. But I won’t voice my weakness. I have to stay strong this time.

  Chris stands at the far edge of one of the cream leather sofas, his expression tight, while one of the silent armed guards disappears through the doorway across the other side of the room, apparently satisfied Luther can handle the situation on his own.

  It’s safe to assume this is the start of my punishment, and the situation is made all the worse when Chloe inches into the room, her long dark hair loose around her shoulders, her skin pale.

  Those sad eyes make me fragile. The tremble in her hands and lower lip are another battle I have to win in an effort to remain strong.

  But the surprising thing is, both my tormentors aren’t in their usual mocking, sadistic mood. Usually, I’m disciplined out of delight.

  Tonight is different.

  Luther and Chris appear frustrated, their hard eyes and tight features exuding anger.

  The hairs on the back of my neck rise in foreboding. My fingers and toes tingle with anticipation of the unknown. This show of animosity can’t be due to my outburst today. It can’t. I’ve never seen these men so venomous toward me.

  “Sit,” Luther barks.

  I comply, sinking into the cream leather, my hands in my lap, my fingers playing with the sheer material of my nightgown. Chloe takes her place on my left, her breathing shallow and ragged.

  Luther moves to stand before us and indicates for Tobias to sit on the other side of Chloe. “You need to do something for me.”

  I hold my breath, unsure if he’s talking to us as a collective or the boy on his own.

  Having Tobias here must be another punishing strategy.

  I knew this day would come—the moment when the child I helped raise would be used as a weapon against me. I’d known and still I hadn’t been able to distance myself from caring for him.

  “You made a mistake today,” Luther growls at me. “A big one.”

  My pulse pounds everywhere. In my throat. My ears. My wrists. No place more painful than my chest.

  “I’m sorry.” The apology fumbles from my numb lips. “I lost myself. I promise I’ll never do it again.”

  I promise to never, ever let hope blind me.

  “I can make this right.” I meet his gaze. “You know I can.”

  “Yes, I do.” He inclines his head. “And you can start now.”

  I wait for him to lower his zipper and demand a vile act. Instead, he surprises me by reaching into his suit jacket to pull out two white tubes.

  He hands one to Tobias and the other to me, the warm plastic smooth against my fingers.

  “What’s this, Baba?” Tobias asks.

  I glance down at the instrument in my fingers, the cylindrical device resembling something akin to an EpiPen.

  “Be very careful.” Luther kneels in front of his son. “What you have in your hands is a device that can put someone to sleep.”

  Someone? Or me?

  My thoughts rage into a tailspin.

  I fight and claw not to show panic but I know Luther too well. I’m certain he’s concocted an elaborate Hunger Game-type scenario where I’m pitted against a child I would never harm and a sister I adore.

  Luther turns his focus to me. “Both of you need to do something really important. And there’s no room for error.”

  “You want us to put someone to sleep?” I straighten my shoulders. “Who?”

  “My son’s associate.” He pushes to his feet as I clench my fingers around the device, attempting to stop the shake of my hand. “I assume you’ll enjoy the task seeing as though you felt inclined to attack him earlier.”

  Shock overwhelms me.

  Shock and a whole lot of confusion.

  “What about me, Baba?” Tobias’s voice trembles. “What do I do?”

  Luther pats the boy’s head. “Your task is your brother.”

  My stomach bottoms out as Tobias gasps, his jaw slacking.

  “Why?” I swallow over the drought taking over my throat. “And how do you expect a woman and a child to overpower two full-grown men?”

  “You don’t need to overpower them. You only need to get close enough to stab that device.”

  “But Baba…” Tobias pleas. “I don’t want—”

  “You’re not going to hurt your brother, son. You’re only going to put him to sleep so we can bring him here.” He crouches in front of the child again and places a hand on his knee. “His friends haven’t been very nice to him. They’re teaching Cole bad things about us. But once you put him to sleep, we will bring him back here and talk some sense into him.”

  It’s a kidnapping. Of his own adult son. Facilitated by a fucking child.

  “And what happens to Luca?” I stare at my tormentor, searching for answers.

  He glares. “That’s none of your concern. If I were you I’d take this opportunity as a godsend. You’re not my most-favored possession at the moment.”

  Despite the fear coursing through my veins, I return his pointed look. I curl my lip and hope to remind him why I’ve always been his favorite.

  I’m strong.

  I’m a fighter.

  The tactic works. His eyes soften. His tight lips twitch into a sly grin.

  I raise my chin. “I’ll do whatever needs to be done.”

  I know this task won’t buy my forgiveness. The only way I can earn back my coveted position in this house is in the bedroom, under his body and beneath his fists. But I may be able to forego a far bigger penalty.

  He smirks. “Good.”

  Tobias leans forward, peering around Chloe to look at me. To really look at me. He’s scared. Panicked. He needs me to fight for him. To tell Luther this plan is destined to fail. And God, how I want to battle his demons for him even after he ripped my heart out.

  But I can’t.

  Those sweet, innocent eyes tear me apart one slow blink at a time and all I can do is ignore him. I can’t be his champion when my neck is on the chopping block.

  I have to stay on the straight and narrow for a while. To obey with complete obedience. To lead my women by example and remind them that additional punishments are only handed out to those who don’t play by the rules.

  Even though it kills me, I can’t win this battle for Tobias.

  “What about me?” Chloe remains stock still at my side. “What will I do?�
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  Luther’s lips incline lightly. Chris’s do, too.

  A skitter of foreboding descends along my spine, the discomfort prickling my skin.

  “You, sweet Chloe,” Luther purrs, “will be our guinea pig.”

  4

  Penny

  The gentle kiss of sea spray brushes my cheeks as the boat bounds across the water’s surface.

  I hold Tobias at my side, helping him remain upright as we speed through the darkness before sunrise, our vessel quickly approaching an island in the distance.

  I’m calm.

  Focused.

  I’ve been through a lot worse than stabbing a man with a sedative-filled syringe. And if I succeed, I’m sure I’ll live through much more.

  I listened with intent as Luther instructed Tobias on how to use the device. He’d told the boy how to hide the cylinder in his long shirtsleeve until the time was right. Then how to jam the tube against a body part, clothing-covered or not, and plunge the leaver with force.

  I then watched as Tobias practiced on Chloe as she sobbed and begged him to stop.

  Nobody acknowledged her pleas.

  Not even me.

  All I could do was hold her hand as Tobias jabbed the device against her thigh, then glanced at his father for praise.

  I’d been shocked at the drug’s quick effect. Panicked, too. The sudden crumple of Chloe’s body made me question if something far more sinister had been injected into her system.

  Something lethal.

  But her pulse remained strong. Her breathing even.

  Now, all I have to do is mimic the process, only on a man far bigger and stronger than I am.

  There’s no room for reluctance. I need to snatch the tube strategically placed in the waistband of my cream pants and strike without hesitation.

  That is, if I can get close enough to my target.

  “Penny?” Tobias glances up at me, his arms clinging around my hips. His hold tightens whenever we hit a bump in the water, yet the emotion peering up at me has nothing to do with the rough ride.

  He’s petrified.

  Underneath the force calm, I am, too.