It was Irene's voice.
'Steve? What does he want?'
"You had a rough day today. Want to take it out on someone?"
Steve's voice dripped with false sweetness as he coaxed, "This sack's got Claire inside. Don't kill her, but other than that—hit her however you like. Consider it payback."
Inside the burlap sack, Claire's eyes flew wide open. When she heard those words, her face turned deathly pale in an instant, as if all the blood had drained from her body.
She still could not believe that the man who once couldn't stand a scratch on her was now bringing another woman to beat her, just to make that woman feel better.
Irene spoke in a coy voice, "Oh, Steve, that's not very nice, is it? I don't even know how to hit someone!"
"Don't worry, I'll show you," he purred.
Picking up a wooden sti
