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chapter 8

I woke up to Ryan's shoes by my head.

He was crouched next to me, not touching. Watching. The gun was still under my pillow. Safety on. My hand was on it.

Footsteps in the hall. Then Ivan's voice. "You’re awake. Breakfast is cold."

Ryan didn't look at him. "Get out."

Ivan laughed once. "She's on the floor, brother. Again." The door clicked shut.

"You sleep on the floor again, I’ll move the bed," Ryan said.

"Don’t."

"Why not?" He didn't move back. "Afraid I’ll touch you? Or afraid he’ll see?"

I sat up. The dress rode up my thighs. Ryan’s eyes dropped, then came back to my face. Slow. Deliberate.

"I don’t sleep where people can find me," I said.

"Who’s looking? Victoria? Ivan?" His jaw worked. "Stand up."

I did. Too fast. The gun strap dug into my thigh. He noticed.

"Take it off," he said.

"The gun?"

"The dress."

The room went quiet. No footsteps. Just him and me and Ivan somewhere in this house who knew me before the Collar did.

"Why?" My voice didn’t shake.

"Because I bought a wife." He stepped closer. "Because Victoria wants a meeting tomorrow and I want to know what I’m walking into. Because my stepbrother looks at you like he knows you."

He wasn't touching me. Yet.

"Ask," I said.

"Is your name Andrea?"

I held his eyes. Didn’t blink. Didn’t answer. Three years at the Collar taught me silence is a weapon. Use it.

Ryan’s mouth thinned. "Did Ivan know you before?"

Still nothing. No yes. No no. No confession. He could guess all he wanted. I wasn’t giving it to him.

"Take off the dress," he said. Not Alexis. Not Andrea. Nothing.

My hands went to the zipper. I got stuck halfway. Ryan didn’t help. He watched.

The dress fell. The gun was strapped to bare skin. Black lace. Not Andrea’s style.

Ryan’s jaw tightened. "How many people have seen you like this?"

"Too many."

"How many did you want?"

I met his eyes. "None."

Silence. Then he reached out. Unhooked the gun strap with two fingers. Careful. Like disarming a bomb. He set it on the dresser. Didn’t look away from me.

"Get on the bed," he said.

I didn’t move. "Why?"

"Because you’re mine on paper, and I want to see if you flinch." He stepped back. "Lie down."

I did. Sheets were cold. He stayed standing, looking at me. Ivan’s shadow passed the doorway and didn’t stop.

His hand traced my body goosebumps appeared on my body I flinched I always do I stared at the ceiling as his fingers pounded through me 4 fingers exactly moving through me like he owned me but he actually did he actually owned me my mom sold me now I have to be his loyal puppy just like the years getting f****d in the cellar the only difference was that then it was just a night but now the only difference was that this is taking more than a night.

As his hands thrust Into his gaze swept over my face hoping for a reaction any reaction but years In the cellar did something to me it broke my definition of enjoying sex