Grayson, Lana-Controlling Interests_ A Step-Brother Romance (The Legacy Series Book 2)

Controlling Interests (The Legacy Series #2) Copyright © 2015 by Lana Grayson

Published by Tika Lake Publishing All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you’d like to share it with. Thank you for respecting the author’s work. Cover Design: Rebecca Berto http://bertodesigns.com/ Cover Images Purchased from: http://www.periodimages.com

Other Works By Lana Grayson: Legacy Series Takeover – The Legacy Series #1

Anathema Series Warlord – Anathema MC Series #1 Exiled – Anathema MC Series #2 Knight – Anathema MC Series #3 Coming This Fall! Keep tabs on me through Facebook or Follow me on Twitter! Join my mailing list to receive updates, news, special sales, and opportunities for advanced reader copies of upcoming novels! And you can email me at [email protected].

Please Note: This story is a continuation of a dark step-brother romance which will include scenes of captivity, physical abuse, sexual encounters with multiple partners, and non-consensual situations. The series will end with a Happily Ever After, and will not feature themes of cheating/adultery. All of the characters are over the age of eighteen and are of no blood relation. No Hamlets were harmed in the writing of this manuscript.

However, certain scenes and descriptions may be uncomfortable for some readers. Please read with care. Thank you!

To My Husband... A novel in two three weeks! …Yeah, I know. I’ll relax once it’s done. ;)

Table of Contents Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Acknowledgements



I expected abuse, rage, and violation from Darius Bennett. Instead, he offered me a pink sundress and white strappy sandals. Darius asked me to join him for dinner. It was more likely I’d claw his damned eyes out. The gifted outfit rested over my unmade bed. I regretted leaving the comforter tucked and the pillows so neatly stacked. The message was clearer than if Darius had caught me within Nicholas’s arms. I didn’t sleep in my own bed last night. Then again, I hardly slept at all. “I’m not having dinner with that man.” I faced my step-brothers and dared them to argue. “Not after he attacked me.” Nicholas remained silent though no words spoken in his caramel cadence would sound as satisfying as the crunch of his fist against Darius’s jaw. His hand bruised. Neither of us cared. I kissed every last scape on his knuckles. Then I kissed more than his hand. I shivered. The sensual memory threaded with apprehension. The dread wasn’t nearly as bad as the lingering sense of utter helplessness which remained long after Darius’s assault. Fear didn’t lash me. Humiliation, frustration, and rage humbled me in ways I didn’t know I could be humbled. I made a promise to myself then and there. I would never be that helpless again. I tossed the dress into the corner before Reed tumbled on the bed. He grinned. The flashed dimple meant trouble. “Dinner?” He folded his arms behind his head. “There’s only one thing I want to eat now.” I fully anticipated reliving the passionate and bewildering night in bouts of blushed awkwardness, but Reed wasn’t helping. I tangled my fingers in the buttons of Nicholas’s suit jacket as I lingered before my step-brothers half-nude with mussed hair and puffy lips. Reed had no sense of propriety. Or modesty. Or tact. “There’s a limit to your puns,” I warned. Reed was immune to shame. “Make you a deal. I’ll stop making puns when I knock you up.” “Great.” I tugged at a fresh towel from my linen closet. “Then the Bennett Estate just turned into a comedy club.”

Max reached over my head, slamming the closet door and nearly taking my fingers with it. His shadow loomed, menacing. I weighed my options. If he wasn’t carrying his flogger, I had more wiggle room to oppose him. “It helps to have a little optimism, baby,” he said. “Optimism?” Max was more predator than hero. “We’re doing this for your own good.” “How magnanimous.” “Just doing as we’re told, right, Nick?” The air thickened. And I was still very exposed. Nicholas said nothing. Max retreated, and I clutched the towel against my body. Nicholas’s jacket hung over my curves, but it offered no protection. All three of my step-brothers had touched, tasted, and tempted every last bit of me. And I enjoyed it. All of it. Christ. Life wasn’t easy before, yet I handled my illness, school, the funerals, my mother, and the company with a smidgen of grace. It wasn’t neat and tidy, at least I wore clothes for most of it. Now? Well, I wasn’t wearing much of anything, and everything I thought I had under control twisted in the Bennetts’ shadows. How was I supposed to confront the tattooed, muscle-bound behemoth who ordered optimism just hours after rutting me over the arm of a couch? Was I just supposed to ignore the green-eyed charmer who winked before he ripped me from the floor to take his turn with my spent body? And what defenses did I have against Nicholas Bennett? He dominated me. He protected me. Then, he gave me to his brothers. And I obeyed him. I accepted every touch and kiss and caress. But, even as Nicholas and my stepbrothers enthralled me with pleasure and conquered me in lustful savagery, we all understood our places. I owned him. I owned them all. The stock my family bought and the influence they garnered guaranteed me a controlling interest in the Bennett Corporation. In less than a year, I could ruin them for the virginity they stole, the skin they bruised, and the life they destroyed. They planned to rape me. Imprison me within their home. Impregnate me. They thought they’d control me. Except, in the best and worse decision of my life, I fell in love with Nicholas Bennett, and I allied myself with Max and Reed. My controlling interest in the Bennett Corporation was nothing more than a sword without a hilt. I

could swing it, but was I willing to slice off my hand just to strike down Darius Bennett? That answer was easy. Yes. I’d spill every last drop of my blood to destroy Darius. No punishment existed that suited a villain more snake than human, but I’d invent a torture fitting for the venomous fiend, if only to prevent the worse sin of all. He terrified me. And I’d never let him frighten me again. I kicked the dress and ground the silk into the carpet with a satisfied twist of my heel. No way in hell I was wearing any clothes he picked out. “You guys deal with Darius,” I said. “I want to take a shower.” Reed tensed the same as his brothers, but only he dared to question me. “A shower? Already?” I wouldn’t detail the particulars of my current situation. I flushed. “I’m…sticky. Yes, I want a shower.” “Shouldn’t you…” He really shouldn’t have pointed. “Keep your legs up?” “I think my legs have been up for long enough.” Bennett pride was truly a marvel to behold. My step-brothers shared an unrelenting arrogance which only amplified after a night of demonstrating their virile masculinities. They smirked. There’d be no living with them now. Hell, I’d be lucky if I ever got a full night’s sleep again. And the warm shudder that rocked me was the first thread of the tangled emotions that strangled me. Max stated the obvious. “Dad’s gonna want you there for dinner.” “I don’t give a damn what Darius wants.” “You want to get hurt?” Reed frowned. “Max, come on.” “Honest enough question,” Max said. After spending my last few hours getting slammed, gripped, and tossed man to man, brother to brother, I both loved and loathed the newfound aches within me. But no matter the gentle touches and pleasurable nibbles, my step-brothers couldn’t ease the stinging bruise on my cheek. They couldn’t kiss away the strikes only now fading from my sides, and they’d never heal the tightness in my chest—either an unfortunate fracture or the lurking asthma threatening what Darius hadn’t fractured. I didn’t want any more pain. I agreed to Nicholas’s plan. I’d stay silent about the secret trust and offer my body for whatever heir they thought they could create. But that sacrifice was enough. I deserved a little protection. “Don’t let him hurt me,” I said. “Simple as that.” Max had the least patience of my brothers, but even he was silenced. “I don’t care how you do it, or what you tell him.” I held each of their gazes—Max’s dark intimidation,

Reed’s gentle green, and Nicholas’s golden vow. “I won’t let him hurt me again. Don’t make me do something I’ll regret. I…don’t want to lose you guys.” Nicholas nodded toward the door. They hesitated, but, ultimately, his brothers obeyed. As always. Reed winked before they gave us privacy. Privacy. A strange word for a girl who just had sex with three men. Three brothers. Her step-brothers. I tossed the towel away and faced the only man capable of delivering such depravity. Under the heat of his honeyed gaze, the whisper of his velvet voice, and the brush of his secret touch, I’d have surrendered again. “What can I do?” Nicholas drew too close to me. I faked confidence and pretended his approach hadn’t twisted me around his finger, will, and command. What could he do? An excellent question, only it had no answer. Nicholas veiled his secrets and forged a path to his desires by using whomever and whatever he needed to get what he wanted. And that was me. But what could he do against Darius? What would he do when his attempts to create an heir failed? What could he do when falling in love bound us to a world of pain, sorrow, and danger? Nothing. And everything. My life would either end in a splash of blood or suddenly begin with a newfound wealth. I could topple the Bennetts with a whisper and be destroyed with my next breath. “Are you okay?” He asked. It was a simpler question. “Are you?” He didn’t answer. He abandoned his tie sometime during the night, and I wore his jacket. Nicholas was never so untended. I teased the buttons protecting my nudity. He noticed. He studied my fingers. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?” “You rescued me when your father tried to rape me only to hand me over to your brothers.” A button opened. “Then you watched as they took me, again and again.” The memory darkened him, but not into rage. He leaned close, and his breath warmed my baring skin. I stilled, trapped within the intensity of his golden gaze. “They might have taken you, but you are in my possession.” He unfastened the second button. “Never forget, Ms. Atwood. My brothers are permitted a taste, but, ultimately, you belong to me.” The jacket slipped from my body. I stood naked, trembling in his heat, so very tiny before such a proud

man. Nicholas dressed once more, feathering the jacket over his shoulders as he admired me with a victorious arrogance. “You should stay with me,” I whispered. The suit composed him, but it did little to hide his excitement. I edged to the bed. “We could rest for a while.” “Are you really thinking of resting?” No, but I needed it. “Well, we’ll…get some champagne.” “What are we celebrating?” Did he have to ask? I grinned. “My victory, of course.” “Is that so?” “We should drink to my newfound stock portfolio. Or maybe my family’s foresight in securing the shares necessary to bring down the Bennett Corporation.” I tempted him with the destruction of his life and the tease of my body—probably the most dangerous way to antagonize a Bennett. Nicholas never took the bait. “Get your shower,” he said. “And then please come to dinner.” “No.” “Concessions, Sarah.” “I don’t know what’s more ridiculous—you and your concessions or Max and his optimism.” A quick whip of the terrycloth wrapped the towel over my body. The material was too short and Nicholas’s quiet dignity too intimidating. “How can you even look at that man?” I said. “There’s not a part of me that doesn’t wish a thousand hells on my father.” “Then why?” “Sarah, no matter what I do, he’ll drag you to that hell with him. I won’t give him that chance.” Nicholas brushed a hand on my cheek. I let him linger too long, but he had already seen me at my most vulnerable. He held me when I cried and comforted me as I broke down after his rescue. Part of me hated letting a Bennett see that weakness. The other part of me, the part not soured by the name Atwood, wanted nothing more than to be consoled by the man I was beginning to love. “Don’t be afraid of him,” Nicholas said. “I’m not.” It was a lie. “We won’t let him hurt you.” “Where have I heard that before?” I spoke too quickly. Nicholas pulled away. The frustration crackled around him, a charge of simmering anger and disappointment. I didn’t deserve the guilt for his regret even if he didn’t blame me for acknowledging their failure. I groaned. It should have been simple. Get kidnapped. Endure the rape. Gloat when my infertility thwarted their plans. Find evidence of my father’s murder.

The plan had crumbled. I became a willing prisoner, they never raped me, and my infertility would force Darius to kill me to save his company. And my father? My father wasn’t murdered. Even if he was, he was too evil to avenge. Nicholas reached for me. It didn’t matter where he touched, just as long as he did. His finger traced where my neck hollowed into my shoulder. “I have the takeover,” he said. “They wait for my signal. Once it happens, I’ll have control of the company. He won’t be able to touch us.” “When will that be?” “No more than a couple months.” “I could be dead by then.” “You could be pregnant.” I rolled my eyes. “Good luck.” “You as well.” Even Nicholas’s patience had limits. He paused. “Sarah, I’m asking this as a favor. Come downstairs and eat, be quiet and polite, and don’t give my father cause to hurt you.” “It’s not my fault that I’ve been abused.” “No. It’s my fault. It always will be.” His kiss did nothing to chase the remorse from his words. I welcomed the nibble of his lips, but, like all our time, we existed in stolen moments and dangerous secrets. What should have connected us in quiet peace was only the reminder of the war to come. Nicholas had his responsibilities. His expectations of his own duties and the tasks his father forced upon him. The invitation to dinner was not one we could refuse. I preferred starvation. “You can do this,” he said. “But don’t let him think anything has changed. He can’t know you’ve allied with my brothers or that you’re unable to conceive, or that you are aware of the Josmik Trust.” Nicholas forbade me from speaking the very secrets I longed to scream. If Darius realized how badly I already cracked the foundation of the Bennett Estate, he’d slit his own throat instead of mine. I agreed with a reluctant nod. Staying quiet would be more difficult than standing before the monster again, but the payoff was worth it. “Fine,” I said. “But I’m not wearing the damn dress.” “Dinner’s at eight o’clock.” I might have asked Nicholas to stay if only to borrow some of his confidence. For the first time in hours, I was alone. That only gave me the silence to think. And I had no idea what I was doing. I showered, letting the thick, rolling steam fill the bathroom before I dipped under the water. The heat soaked through me, the water embraced me, and every evidence of the wildest night of my life rinsed

away and circled the drain with the remnants of my sanity. Not only did I fall in love with a Bennett, I let all three of my step-brothers have their way with me. At the same time. And not just once. I thudded my head against the tile. It was easy to submit at Nicholas’s hand. I never thought I’d find any comfort in the possession of another, especially a man who tracked me through the night and stalked me over road and cornfield to kidnap me for his family’s twisted benefit. He kept me as his pet and prisoner. And I longed for him to join me under the water. Christ. I wasn’t just digging my grave. I sat at the bottom of an open pit, kicking the dirt walls and ripping at roots to collapse the damn thing over me. This was a dangerous game made riskier by my loyalty to Nicholas. Every second trapped in the luxury of the Bennett’s prison endangered me. No matter the love and promises, escape was the only logical, sane, and safe solution. But leaving would enrage Darius. Potentially hurt my step-brothers. Ruin Nicholas’s chances to destroy his father in the planned takeover. If I left, every second of my freedom would tempt Darius to end my life before the trust awarded to me. At least if I stayed in the estate, Nicholas, Max, and Reed could protect me until we concocted a better plan than hoping they’d get me pregnant. Was it worth the risk? Probably not. Was it worth attempting if it meant Darius would rot inside his own family? Definitely. Silence cursed the estate. I dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and forced myself from the room. My pulse deafened me to everything but the voice screaming in my head to hide, push the dresser in front of the door, and arm myself against the evil that was Darius Bennett. I waited at the top of the grand-staircase. Fifty stairs to compose myself. The first ten punished me as though I stepped upon broken glass. My nails clawed against the banister, aching as I fought instinct and descended. My shoes clipped against the stone in a distinctive echo. Jos-Mik. Jos-Mik. Jos-Mik. At least it offered an imagined poise. Money. Power. Stock. It only mattered to me if I had it all and Darius had none. Now, it was the only weapons I had. They waited in the dining room. I was five minutes late, and Darius Bennett had counted every spent second. His eyes weren’t dead, but the specks of color decayed into a dingy brown. He claimed the head of the

table and surveyed his family, his home, and his prisoner as though everything in the world had bowed at his feet to produce what he wished. What wasn’t delivered, he took with violence. During the night and into the day, I stayed with my step-brothers. Not an inch of my body went unexplored, and every pleasure was meant to break me. But I hadn’t broken. Not even close. So why did my resolve crumble? Three men took me during the night, but the only touch I could remember was his. Darius’s cold grip on my hips. The searing pain of his attempted invasion. The foul promise of his lust. He punished me then. I’d be fortunate if he didn’t kill me now. I couldn’t do this. My knees buckled. I’d either collapse in sobbing horror before Darius, or I’d leap over the table and aim a dinner knife for his jugular. But I’d vowed never to show weakness in front of a Bennett again. They foolishly left a knife at my place setting. “My dear, you decided to join us?” Darius greeted me with a smile that bared teeth and words that curled over my throat. I froze, and I didn’t know if that made me hate him or myself. “Your dinner is getting cold.” I’d choke on it before I managed to swallow. Prickles of panic stabbed at my skin. Nicholas pulled my chair out for me. When I didn’t move, he took my wrist. I flinched, maybe to pretend like I didn’t trust him or maybe because it was a legitimate recoil. Nicholas hesitated before his grip tightened. I despised this. I had every reason to fear Darius Bennett, but not cause to suffer from it. I once confronted the man who kidnapped me, eager for the fight. I accepted that my step-brothers were meant to rape me. I used my infertility as a shield and sacrificed my very freedom to defend my family’s honor. In a matter of weeks, everything changed. The man I defended didn’t deserve my loyalty. The men I feared protected me. And now? I knew something Darius didn’t. I would own him. Whether or not he thought he could violate me. Whether or not he’d try again. I. Owned. Him. I took my seat, and our family dinner began. “You aren’t wearing the dress I picked out,” Darius said. I didn’t answer. “Sarah, you are my daughter, and I expect you to act as such. You will wear what I lay out for you.” He hummed. “Besides, I thought you’d look very pretty in it.” Every word grated me until I shredded like the pot roast simmering on the platter. I reached for the

wine. “No, no.” Darius’s tone would turn the food rancid. His light, patronizing chastisement stuck as hard as a slap to the face. “No alcohol for you, child. We aren’t taking any risks.” It wouldn’t matter, but I couldn’t say it. I gritted my teeth as Nicholas passed me a glistening goblet of water. Reed grabbed a dinner roll. “You aren’t twenty-one yet anyway. Hate for someone to slap us with kidnapping and underage drinking.” I perked an eyebrow. “Heaven forbid.” Max exhaled. He stroked the flogger he kept at his side. Always. The damn thing intimidated me, infuriated me, and delighted me. I understood the warning. Like Nicholas said, I was supposed to be quiet and polite. “My dear, you haven’t taken your vitamins.” I tensed, refusing to look at Darius. Nicholas did his bidding, passing the tiny crystal ramekin to my plate. I stared at the pills inside. They had to be kidding. In what universe would I ever take any pill Darius offered me? I might have been a fool for staying at the estate, but I wasn’t suicidal. Darius sipped his wine. “A prenatal blend of folic acid and vitamin D, and a woman’s multi-vitamin. All excellent for the baby.” I tasted blood. “I’m not pregnant.” “You will be, soon enough. Someone should ensure you’re taking proper care of yourself.” I didn’t appreciate his concern. Darius surveyed my body as though he could see through my clothing. I hoped he didn’t notice the goose bumps. “I can manage it myself.” “But all this stress.” His voice gentled. It only sickened me. “It’s too much for you. First your father’s death. Then your brothers’ accidents. Your poor mother was so traumatized, and then there was your school work and the company.” “What about getting kidnapped? Being held prisoner? Getting—” My throat mercifully closed before I uttered the R word. “All stress is bad stress.” “And you’re the cause.” Darius chuckled as he cut his meat. “Hush, child. Hysterics are so unbecoming.” Nicholas gripped my knee under the table, but I wasn’t the one he should have controlled. “I’m not taking those pills.” “Doctor recommended. You can take them in the morning with your asthma medication.” “Oh. So now I’m allowed my medication?” “You need to be healthy and strong. And, my dear, if our little experience in my office proved anything, it is that you are neither healthy nor strong.”

“You son of a bitch—” “Language, Sarah.” Darius’s warning was exactly the melodic tone he’d take with a child. “We are at the dinner table.” “How dare you!” “Lower your voice.” “You tried to rape me!” Darius cast a glance to his sons with a smile. “In my preferred method, you wouldn’t have suffered any consequences.” I burst from my chair. “Fuck you!” “Ms. Atwood,” Nicholas said. “Enough. Sit.” No way. Not now. Not if I was to confront a man who showed no remorse for his cruelty. Max frowned. He tapped his fingers on the flogger. “Apologize.” “For what?” Raw anger surged inside me, poisoning me with hatred. “I’m not taking your vitamins. I’m not eating your dinner. And I won’t be spoken to like I’m your…your—” “Daughter?” Darius met my gaze. “Sarah, it’s time someone accepted you as their daughter. It’s not as though Mark ever loved you—” “Don’t you dare!” I lunged over the table. Nicholas caught me before I grabbed the carving knife from the roast. I swore and twisted, beating at his arms. His grip loosened only as a second pair of hands seized me. The coiled tribal tattoos were once warning enough. Now it didn’t matter. Max forced me over the edge of the table. I yelled, but the first strike of his hand ached even through the denim. No! Darius insulted me, terrorized me, humiliated me, and I was the one who got hurt. I couldn’t let it happen again. Not while Darius watched. Not while he seasoned his meat and sucked the juices from his finger, grinning as Max pinned my arms behind my back and unhooked the button on my jeans with a casual pop. I swore as the denim was yanked down. My panties fell next. The strike against my backside echoed within the dining room. “Enough, baby.” Max spoke with words too soft for the monstrous crack against my defenseless body. “Don’t pull this shit at the dinner table.” “Let me go!” His grip only tightened. Struggling did nothing, and Max positioned to avoid my kicks. Another blow. Harsh and cruel. The anger bubbled in my chest. I held my breath if only to will an asthma attack over the crushing defeat of a sob. A third strike. Max knew how to hurt. I thought I knew how to take it. But that was before—before Darius trivialized his attack, before my step-brothers aided in my shame, before Nicholas refused to help as Max laid me

across our dinner, bare and exposed, for his hand to slap in violent punishment. Why weren’t they helping? Ten terrible spanks crumpled me in tears. Max nodded to his father and passed the butter to Reed as I peeled myself up. I shook Max away as he offered to help with my jeans. I handled that defeat on my own. “Disruptive child,” Darius sighed. “Take her upstairs and dress her properly for a dinner with her father.” Nicholas nodded, taking my elbow. “She’ll return when she’s decided to behave.” Darius arched an eyebrow but merely buttered his bread. “Good luck, son.” The carving knife rested too far from my hand. Nicholas yanked me from the room before I uttered another profanity. I resisted his hold until he tossed me onto my bed. The door slammed behind us. Nicholas loomed over me. “Have you lost your mind?” I wasn’t prepared to fight him too, not while the adrenaline surged and Darius’s words echoed in my ears. Darius deserved to die. To be hurt. To fear, just as I feared. And his sons... “You didn’t stop him,” I hissed. “No, we didn’t.” He pointed to the door. “I told you to behave. You knew what would happen if you challenged my father.” “He insulted me! He threatened me!” My words chopped against my horror. “He gloated about almost raping me!” “Sarah, he thinks we’ve raped you too.” The fires fueling my rage sputtered and extinguished under Nicholas’s gaze. He was right. God he was right. And in my terror, I nearly exposed us all. “Sarah, you have to trust us.” Easier said than done—especially with Darius’s crawling words grating my skin and Max’s strikes aching my behind. Nicholas hesitated, the gold in his eyes fracturing into a hard amber. “You do trust me, don’t you?” “Nick—” “Sarah, what happened downstairs had to happen. My father can’t suspect anything. If he learns how I feel about you—” “I know.” He knelt beside the bed, taking my hand in his. His kisses delighted my fingers, chasing away the pain, frustrations, and fears. But not all of them.

My twisting stomach answered the most important question for me. Did I trust Nicholas Bennett? No. But I had to try. “I will protect you,” he whispered. “But what happens in my bed and what has to occur before my father are not one and the same.” “I hate him, Nick.” It wasn’t what I meant. I did hate Darius, but something far worse controlled me. I feared Darius Bennett. Surrendering to that fear would ruin us. “If you’re going to survive, if we plan for any of this to work…” Nick’s mocha words caressed me, even in warning. “You have to promise to submit. You have to control yourself…or it isn’t just you who will get hurt.” The bite to my anger was lost in a sigh. “I know.” “Give him what he demands, Sarah.” “What happens when he demands me?” “It won’t happen.” I picked up the dress, but my fingers twisted in the soft silk. “Darius has always gotten what he wanted when he wanted it. It’s only a matter of time.” “Not if you behave.” Designer fashion was hardly worth risking my life—or the safety of my step-brothers. I shimmied into the outfit. The pink silk fit perfectly, a delicate and modest design that complimented my petite curves. It was the perfect outfit, something any father might have chosen for his young daughter. I shuddered. Nicholas breathed the compliment. “Lovely.” I reluctantly followed him back to the table, humiliated like an errant child ferried away while she pitched a tantrum. He led me before his father. I swallowed my pride only to choke on it. “Sorry.” The apology soured my stomach. Darius lowered his fork. He waited, chin raised with an aristocratic dignity that hid his perversion under the guise of silvered hair, a clean-shaven jaw, and perfect suit. “Sorry...?” Darius prompted. “For my behavior.” “Try again.” Nicholas squeezed my shoulder. I’d forgive myself once the trust gave me control of the Bennett Corporation. It made every sacrifice that much easier. “Sorry, Dad.” “That’s better.” He smiled, sincere only in its attempt to shame me. “Now you can eat your dinner before it gets cold.”

I took my seat. “Oh, my dear, the dress looks lovely on you.” Lovely. My stomach twisted as I choked down the vitamins Darius offered. Lovely. It was the same word Nicholas used to describe me. It meant nothing, but my skin still crawled. Nicholas asked me to trust him. I’d never survive my captivity if I made the same mistakes twice.



“Nicholas, come into my office.” Dad sounded mad. What didn’t I do right this time? “You’re in trouble.” Max snickered so our tutor wouldn’t hear. Reed gurgled behind him, bashing his blocks into the wall. “Trouble!” I didn’t make Dad wait. I knocked on the door to his office before entering. Dad had the firecracker I thought I hid centered on his desk. Uh-oh. “What is this, son?” It was supposed to be a prank on the nanny until Max dropped the matches in the pool. “I told you these were not allowed in the house,” Dad said. “Unless you’re trying to set the estate, the forest, and half of California on fire, you don’t light firecrackers. And you certainly don’t hide them from me.” The crop pulled from Dad’s desk. I tensed. “Nicholas, I’m your father. You do not keep secrets from me, is that clear?” “Yes, sir.” “Remember, son,” he said. “You will never be able to hide things from me. I will always know.” Her breathless cough woke me in the night. Sarah hid the asthma during the day, but, when she slept, her greatest insecurity came to life. She wheezed in her sleep, shifted against me in nightmare, and murmured soft words when my hands brushed her curves. Sarah was only honest when she was asleep. Fortunately, I hadn’t asked her for truth, only submission. The delicate creature sharing my bed was more fairy than girl. Her hair was pale as corn, her eyes wide and innocent, and her temper quick and punishing. Circumstance trapped her between two worlds. She belonged at home and on the farm and with what remained of her family. Instead, I kept her in my command, between my sheets, and captured within my will. If we were all honest, her captivity bound me as much as it restrained her. I loved her, and because of my obsession, I’d never let her go. One day, it would ruin me. But until then? Sarah Atwood slept naked in my bed. And she was mine. I shifted the blankets. Sarah pouted, her lip puffing with sleepy indignation. My pillows swallowed the

petite, defenseless girl within the dark sheets and my darker intentions. The peak of her breasts tantalized me, but my greatest temptation rested in the crest between her legs. Her bare, silken slit promised softness, warmth, and the greatest pleasure I had ever taken. She had been a virgin only weeks ago. But, under my control, she was teased, ravished, and filled. By more men than me. If lust heated my blood, then jealousy was the spark that would consume us in flame. A darkness more perverse than obsession demanded either violence or an immediate, animalistic satisfaction. As a Bennett, I waited for neither. As a man in love, I’d offer Sarah my soul, carve out my heart, and spend every cent to my name if it meant keeping her from danger. Except I was what endangered her, especially as I forced her in my brothers’ arms to submit, rut, and create an heir. I should have wanted to kill my brothers, but Reed prioritized her release, savoring her moans and whimpers. Max mounted her like an animal and broke her with ecstasy. Sarah’s gaze found me with every thrust, every swelling oblivion she rode. They flooded her with seed and protected her by stealing what belonged to me. But I needed them. She needed them. Sarah’s life depended on her captivity, her submission. Her breeding. And the thought that should have sickened me was the very sin that hardened me beyond rational control. She stirred as I shifted over her body. I tasted the soft skin between her neck and shoulder. The bite was meant to warn her. Sarah gasped as she woke with a man pressing between her legs. Eventually, she would understand what I expected of her. She gripped my shoulders, but she didn’t push me away. I wouldn’t pretend to be noble. I wasn’t the man she deserved, but it was my name she murmured as I slipped inside her soft, slick, desperate folds. I’d keep her prisoner, bind her with every rope and chain, and trap her within my arms just to drive the breath from her body with my demanding strokes. She was mine. As was everything. The woman. The estate. The companies. Her protection and my deception were one and the same. I thrust inside her, tempting her surrender, tasting her cries, loving how tightly her fingers dug into my skin as I pressed her deeper, harder, faster into the mattress. Selfish. Monstrous. Traitorous. Each time I claimed Sarah, I expected her to fight—to twist, cry, flee, and beg. I promised a fate wrought with horror, and I twisted an innocence so pure and lovely she had yet to understand why I controlled her so easily. I took her body as my reward, my sin, and my salvation. Her warmth was the promise of Heaven that drew me from hell. It was a crime to savor how she accepted my invasion, but she destroyed me as I destroyed her. An

absolute beauty haloed her features as my ruthless conquering woke her with ecstasy and rutted her into lustful, gluttonous fantasy. Sarah was every warmth, every hope, every comfort denied to me in life. Her arms promised safety. Her body offered perfect acceptance. I didn’t deserve to be loved by such perfection, but I would never fucking lose that blessing. Nothing in this world meant more to me than the woman trembling under me, murmuring my name, and depending upon me for her safety. My claiming flushed us both with heat, and Sarah gasped a quivering breath before clenching completely around me, dazing me with the absolute beauty of the woman beneath me. Her orgasm whispered in a glorious mew, but mine earned her groan. I jetted inside her as deeply as her body accepted without crashing through her. It wasn’t enough. It’d never be enough. Every rapturous moment and erupted heat only demanded more from me. More than I could give, more chances than I could offer, more danger than I could fight. I claimed her, bedded her, and filled her, but dread coiled inside me. The bruises on her cheek had hardly faded. The trauma to her body hadn’t healed. I feared nothing I did would prevent the inevitable. Infertile. Unless she conceived, it’d be impossible to save her without spilling blood. But nothing in this world stopped a Bennett before. “Morning.” I didn’t pull from her. Sarah brushed the straying blonde locks from her face. “Think we’re beyond greetings this morning.” “You’re so damn beautiful.” “You don’t have to charm me, you already got what you were after.” She arched, pressing me deeper inside her. The heat of our desire melded, and she giggled at the mess. It hardened me more. “Stay with me today?” I’d do so many things for this woman, including sharing her perfection and potentially losing the chance to create her heir. But spending the morning locked in her embrace was beyond my power. I was already late. “We have a meeting with the board today.” I kissed her before she asked the question. It wasn’t time to instigate the takeover. Not yet. Not until I secured every vote and protected Sarah and my brothers from the inevitable fallout. “I can’t miss it.” Sarah shifted. I didn’t let her up. “Don’t move.” I pressed against her belly. “I read you’re supposed to lay flat for fifteen minutes.” “Did you also read the definition of infertile?” “Do this for me.” She surrendered, resting her arms over her head. Her chest puffed and the gentle slope of her navel to her hips nearly convinced me to stay between the sheets. I kissed a trail over her neck and pulled from her heat.

“But I was liking that,” she pouted, snuggling back into the blankets. “Good.” I paused. “I’m giving you to Max today.” “You’re giving me to Max?” Hearing it from her didn’t make it any more palatable. But what choice did I have? Time was against us. Nature was against us. My father expected results. One month without a conception was reasonable, maybe even two, if the websites I studied were accurate. But my father was not a patient man. He prioritized creating the child, but he would kill her if she was close to earning the trust. The punishment for losing our chance to seize Atwood Industries would be severe. And so I’d give her to Max and Reed. To save their lives. To save her life. And to create the life that would end this madness. I wanted that heir. Christ, did I want her child to be mine. Only then would Sarah be safe. Only then would she belong to me and me alone. Only then could I have my wealth, my companies, and my love combined in to a single, unstoppable empire, more powerful and profitable than my father ever dreamed. And I’d do it with her. For her. Even if it meant giving her to my brothers to ensure at least part of that dream became reality. I dressed, but she didn’t let me prepare for work in peace. “You think you can just give me away?” “Yes.” “What if I wasn’t feeling Max today?” She bit her lip. “What if I thought Reed should have his way with me?” She tested me. What did she expect? Jealousy leeched into my blood, but Sarah at least found comfort in their arms. Her moans. Her shudders. Her trembling orgasms. Her pleasure was the greatest beauty in this world, even if it confused her to cry out for Max and Reed. Then again, my reaction was curious as well. A dark possession blinded me, but I hadn’t gone mad. Just the opposite. Everything about Sarah enthralled me, even when I wasn’t the one enjoying her. “It doesn’t matter,” I said. “You’ll stay with either Max or Reed today.” “And…you want them to fuck me?” The command came easier knowing I was the first to take her in the day, and I’d be the last to savor her at night. “Yes.” “Do you trust them that much?” She asked. “I trust you.” “Are you sure?” “Should I have reason to doubt you?” She flushed. “What if I enjoy it with them?”

“I hope that you do.” “But…” She sighed, staring at the ceiling. “You can’t be okay with this. Nick, I don’t…I’d hate for this to tear us apart.” “Where are you sleeping, Sarah?” “It’s too early for riddles. I’m in a bed?” “In my bed.” I leaned over her, capturing her cheek. Her wide-eyes stared up at me, entirely too bright and hopeful for the world in which I damned her. “You will sleep every night in my bed. You’ll wake every morning in my arms. Is that clear, Ms. Atwood?” I brushed my thumb over her puffy lip. “They touch you because you are given to them. They fuck you because I order it. And you will receive them because it is what you are meant to do.” Sarah didn’t pull away. She never did, even when it was in her best interests. “Remember this moment,” she whispered. “Right here, right now.” “Every second with you is forever seared in my memory.” “Good.” Her voice was a tempting challenge. “Remember this conversation on my twenty-first birthday.” “Why?” “Because, Nicholas Bennett, once I own you and your company, you’ll be obeying my orders.” “And what would those entail?” “You touching me because I want it. You taking me because I command it.” It was a defeat worth earning. She leaned in, but I denied her, if only to watch her pout. “You’ll get that kiss once I return,” I said. “I’ll hope for more than a kiss.” Dangerous girl. I pushed her back onto the bed as she dared to sit up. She obeyed with a quirk her eyebrow. She quieted, but she wasn’t tamed. Not yet. Her soft curves nestled into the blankets. For a single, indulgent moment, I imagined how beautiful she would look with the gentle swell over her belly. I hardened again and ignored the fantasy that bordered on sin. The cool shower steadied my base instincts. I dressed and let her sleep. The helicopter stood by to take me to San Jose. I texted Max from the air. Sarah’s yours today. His response was delayed. Should I marinate her, or can I treat her like any old piece of meat? I didn’t have time for his games. Keep her safe today. Make sure she behaves. Where’s Dad? Where else? With me. Board meeting.

Can you keep it together? Did I have a choice? I had to control myself, just as I had to force Sarah to apologize to the monster who mistreated her. A punch to his face wasn’t enough. Not when my fists still clenched, my teeth gritted in obedient silence, and my blood dissolved all Bennett loyalty. I detested violence. I hated my father more. He met me within the main conference room. I wasn’t as late as I thought. Only four of our shareholders had arrived. Of course, they were the members of my father’s inner circle. Old money. Billions of dollars sat at the table, a soft majority of it in my family’s pocket, but it wasn’t enough. Money bought power. The men who helped to make our company grow, the ones who invested and fought and profited, they always coveted more. Then Josmik Holdings waved a stack of Atwood cash under their noses. Some refused, but others? Just like Sarah Atwood, some temptations were too hard to resist. “Nicholas, sit.” My father took his seat at the head of the table. He greeted me with sincerity. I believed none of it. Was this what he did to her? Lured her to his office. Offered her a chair. Sunk in his teeth for the kill? I chose one of many available seats. Odd. Where was the rest of the board? “Should we get started?” My father accepted a mug of coffee from the brunette secretary he kept too close during the day. I declined the coffee. She moved to the man opposite me—Bryant Maddox, one of my father’s longterm investors and the only son of a bitch more dangerous to the young secretary than a Bennett. He did take a cup, though his request for sugar came with a pat to her ass. She shifted from him and tended to the other men—each older, richer, and less trustworthy than the last. “We don’t have a quorum.” I paged through my emails. I received nothing explaining their absences. I hated ill-manners more than tardiness. “We should postpone for other board members.” My father dismissed his secretary with a pleasant smile that wouldn’t have fooled a child. “This isn’t a formal meeting,” he said. “We’ll only discuss old business. No sense disrupting everyone’s day.” My father never played his board meetings informally. Usually, the stockholders would arrive—on time and accounted for—settle into their seats, and throw softball questions at us regarding the business, the profits, and the direction of the company. Most of the questions I answered. My father would summon a CFO to field more the complicated inquiries. The business was formal, stagnant, and the board didn’t delve too deeply into the Bennett Corporation. What was going on? “Nicholas,” my father said. “Can you give us an update, son?” The clenching of my gut wasn’t just intuition. Twenty-nine years of fear, apprehension, and the strike of a cane against my back taught me more than respect. I learned my father’s expectations with every bleeding punishment. Something was wrong.

I cleared my throat. “An update on what exactly? Monthly projections? I have some data from the second quarter pending, I might be able to estimate profits—” “No, Nicholas. An update on Sarah Atwood.” Even her name stuck in his throat like wax. He couldn’t speak of her without tempting whatever vile aspect of his nature heated his blood. It heated mine too, but at least I admitted I was dangerous to Sarah. I delayed as long as I could. The board waited patiently. “Sarah Atwood knows nothing of Josmik Holdings,” I said. They nodded. “We have some time yet before she is awarded her inheritance, and I’m encouraging the stockholders who entered agreements with Mark, Josiah, and Michael Atwood to reconsider their arrangements.” I met my father’s gaze. “I have no doubt we will maintain control of the Bennett Corporation.” “Yes, yes, we have full confidence you’ll secure our lost stock.” Bryant leaned over the table, rapping a finger to emphasize his hissed his question. “Have you fucked the girl?” “Excuse me?” “Sarah Atwood.” A portly stockholder spat her name, clanking his spoon on the sides of the coffee saucer as he stirred in milk. Jacob Fisher perpetually sweated, and I waited for the day he’d dab his forehead with a hundred dollar bill. “Have you taken the girl yet?” I stilled. This wasn’t a stockholder meeting. Christ, it was an execution. Adrenaline surged into me, tightening my muscles for a fight I hadn’t expected. What did my father know? The bruise on his face faded, but my punch hurt his pride more than his cheek. Was this his retribution? My father told the board we kidnapped Sarah Atwood. Why the hell would he tell the board? “I’m not sure what you’ve heard…” I met my father’s gaze. He offered me nothing. “Sarah Atwood is a guest of ours.” Bryant snorted. “Is she pregnant yet or not?” “I—” “For Christ’s sake, Nicholas,” Bryant said. “We don’t care how you do it as long as it gets done. Did you create Sarah Atwood’s heir yet?” My father didn’t warn me. He didn’t tell me he revealed the secrets. He let me walk into a lion’s den and admit to raping the girl we held hostage. What the hell was he planning? My father shook his head. “Unfortunately, my sons’ first attempt was unsuccessful.” “You do it right, Nick?” Jacob snorted. “She ain’t a cat to skin. Only one way to do it.” “Did they all try?” Stanley Bisson spoke from the end of the table, pointing a gnarled finger toward my father. “You have two more sons.”

“They’ve all taken their turn, yes.” Stanley approved. My stomach turned. “And they…won’t be a problem if they decline to do their family duties?” Bryant asked. “Nicholas can be quiet convincing,” my father said. “My sons all prioritize the needs of the family.” Prioritize? My father threatened to kill my brothers if they didn’t rape Sarah. “Such a pretty girl. Imagine her hair with Reed’s eyes.” Stanley slurped his coffee and earned the agreement of the other stockholders. “Their boy would break a lot of hearts.” My father nodded. “And make us quite a bit of money.” “They’ve always been good, loyal boys,” Bryant said. “I’d hate to see anything happen to them.” Stanley frowned. “They know it’s not worth risking their necks to disobey their father. They’re smart lads.” The table chuckled. This was all wrong. Not only was my family’s sin exposed beyond the confines of the estate, it was sanctioned by an unspoken portion of our Board of Directors. Raping and breeding Sarah wasn’t just a means to secure our own wealth. The board encouraged our crime because the horror it’d cause was in the best interests of the goddamned Bennett Corporation. It wasn’t the first time I cursed Sarah for rejecting my offer to sell her company and be done with this insanity. How the hell was I supposed to protect her now? “How long should all this…messy business take?” Clyde Leonard hadn’t touched his coffee. He rubbed his balding head. “Let’s ensure this whole sordid affair is handled quickly.” “Nicholas.” My father waved toward me. “Do you have a projected completion date?” This was sicker than anything we had done. I hadn’t hurt her, but speaking of our vile intentions was a rape of everything beautiful I experienced in my perfect moments with Sarah. I tempered my words with caution. I hadn’t rebuilt my complete composure yet, not since I stopped my father from mounting Sarah like a rabid beast. I tensed to fight, to maim—to kill. But I could do none of those things. And so I lied. “It will be done soon.” “And you’re sure you’ll get this heir?” Bryant’s voice bore no sympathy for the woman expected to carry the child. “It will be a Bennett?” “Yes, it will be a Bennett.” “But what if she doesn’t get pregnant?” He abandoned his coffee. My pulse quickened. “Why wouldn’t she?” “Any number of reasons—maybe she escapes.” “Impossible,” my father said. “I see no other option to save this company if we don’t have a Bennett in her belly by the end of this year,” Bryant said. “Hell, by the end of the summer.” My father shrugged. “We have contingencies to make her conceive.”

Bryant waited. He expected me to answer. I hated that it had been my own idea. “We’re…taking her every day,” I said. “To ensure we don’t miss any fertile times.” “Excellent.” “We’ve worked far too hard and too long to lose the company now,” my father said. “My son understands what we need to do. When Sarah Atwood conceives, we’ll secure Atwood Industries, and the trust she’s inheriting will be forgotten. The alliance with the Atwoods will make us more profitable than ever, and my son—” He patted my shoulder. “His legacy will be secured.” Bryant stood with a grin. “Well, good luck, Nick. Here’s hoping to some happy news in the coming months.” He pointed to Darius. “Looking forward to the barbecue. Tell me I’ll get to meet this little lady of ours.” “She’ll be the guest of honor.” Son of a bitch. Wasn’t it enough we kidnapped her? Did he seriously think we could shuffle her between guests at the annual fucking barbecue? No one had that much control over Sarah Atwood. My father’s selected partners shuffled from the room, questioning how soon they could get to the club before tee-off. My blood chilled, pumping fractured ice through my chest. The tightness would destroy me. Was this how she felt when she was scared? When I tied her to the bed? When I threatened her to conceive a child? Christ, the only thing that could save her now was the very thing my father and the company wanted most. What I wanted most. I was no different from the cackling men discussing an innocent girl’s future. They coveted money while I desired nothing more than absolute control of her body, mind, and soul. And I had it. My father wasn’t the only danger. I couldn’t protect Sarah if I craved the same things. Only a monster lusted for such power over an innocent girl. And only a Bennett would succeed in claiming her. If my father didn’t damn us all by revealing our plans to men loyal to money over blood. I slammed my laptop closed. He watched me with baited amusement. “Nicholas.” He thought he could speak to me. Every decision this family made, every crime, every life we ruined, was because of him. I learned from my beatings, I earned my fortune, and I did everything he ordered to grow into a creature more demon than man. But he wasn’t going to hurt her. Not ever again. “You told the board we kidnapped and raped Sarah Atwood,” I said. “Yes.”

“Do you want to go to jail?” “Do you want to lose the company?” “What if she talks?” “Cut out her tongue.” I exhaled. “What if the board talks? Those are expensive tongues.” “Why would they jeopardize such a fantastic opportunity?” He buttoned his suit. “You have a lot of work to do, Nicholas. Your sister won’t resist us forever. We’ll break her and secure our fortunes as she bears the next generation of Bennett.” “Or else?” “Or else what?” “If she doesn’t conceive?” “That’s up to you, son. You can watch the company fall, our family crumble, and fail to avenge your mother’s death…” Goddamn it. “…Or you can pull the trigger yourself. Nothing stopping you now, of course. I simply imagined Sarah Atwood would rather be raped and left alive than shot dead in her prime.” Son of a bitch. “If this is brought to light—if they say anything to anyone—we’re ruined. Sarah will be gone, we’ll be jailed, and we’ll lose everything regardless of how many men fuck the girl.” My father stood. “Or, we’ll be richer and more powerful than ever, and justice over the Atwoods will be served.” This wasn’t about vengeance for Mark Atwood’s crimes, and it wasn’t for the money. My father trapped Sarah Atwood because life and chance toyed with her fate. She lost everything when her family died, and I lost myself chasing her, holding her, loving her. I turned to leave, texting the pilot so I could return to the one who needed more than my money and family name. My father called to me, his voice a dark threat. “I know, Nicholas.” I stopped. “Did you think you’d hide it?” Damn it. Sarah. I revealed everything I felt for her when I attacked him in a blind rage. How could we have been so careless? She slept in my bed, looked to me when frightened, and only uncoiled her hand from the carving knife aimed for my father’s neck when I called to her. My devotion to Sarah Atwood would damn her. He knew. And he tortured me in front of the board to prove his power over all of us. “Nicholas, you aren’t as powerful as you think. Not yet.” His scowl clipped his words. “This is how

you challenge me? I raised you. Molded you. I made you the man you are.” “So you’ve taken the blame?” He snorted. “I expected this from your brothers, not you. I thought you’d understand. I hoped you would join me, so we could secure our future together.” “You were wrong.” “This complicates things, Nicholas.” His steps clipped hollow against the thin carpet. He drew too close. “I expect you to protect this family,” he said. “I’m protecting the one who matters.” My father laughed. “And when the takeover fails? When the stockholders sense the derision within our fold? You don’t have a majority, Nicholas. You never did. You never will.” He stepped closer. “Every moment you spend chasing the impossible will only ruin you for the future. This takeover will never succeed.” Jesus Christ. The takeover. The surge of awareness chilled me, head to toe. It was never about Sarah. The girl was his obsession, but she was a toy to him. A woman to breed and a source of entertainment when he was bored. My head pounded. I was reckless. The realization bled from me as though the flogger turned on my skin. Every plan, every freedom I promised Sarah— Gone. He knew about the takeover. He knew more about the takeover than I did. And he could stop it. I said nothing. He sighed. “Never mind, son.” His voice hardly warmed, but it gentled for me. Only me. “I was your age when I began to challenge my father.” He expected a response. “I don’t doubt it.” “But do you know the difference between you and me?” “There’s many.” “Not as many as you would think,” he said. “However, one is most important.” I stilled as he leaned close, patting my shoulder. “Son, when I confronted my father, I was strong enough to win.”



Mom set the baby in my arms. He didn’t look like a book. Why did she call him Read? “This is your new brother,” Dad said. I shoved at Max as he pinched me. “I don’t need another brother.” “Family is important, Nicholas.” Dad patted my shoulder. “One day, you’ll be in charge of your brothers. They’ll look up to you, and you’ll have to do what’s best for them.” “I don’t want a brother. Why can’t I have a sister?” “Maybe in a few years.” Mom shushed the baby when he started to fuss. Max pawed at her too, but Dad pushed him away. “Let’s enjoy your new brother for now. He looks so like you.” Not really. He was just a wrinkly little thing—all chunky and pasty. “I guess. Don’t know why people want babies anyway.” Dad frowned. “Babies are very important, son. You’ll need to have a baby one day.” “Why?” “Because you’re a Bennett, and your sons will carry on the family name.” “Make Max do it.” Dad chuckled. “You’re the eldest, Nicholas. It’s up to you. But you’ll understand when you’re older. Trust me.” If he said so. My father used Sarah Atwood to control me. He didn’t realize the depth of my feelings for her, but he had yet to forgive my initial protest against breeding the girl, and the takeover confirmed my hesitance to commit the apparent crime. My taking of Sarah was no longer a sin, but it would damn us just the same. My father wasn’t threatened by my plans to succeed him. He rose to the challenge. And he chose to punish Sarah instead of me. She had warmed with pleasure then paled with quiet fear. I embraced her to get close and coil a fist in her hair. She surrendered to my kiss only so I could muffle her cries. I whispered for her to trust me while clipping a leash around her delicate neck. The collar choked her, but she endured the humiliation. Her resilience amazed me, but she couldn’t fight every monster that awaited her. She depended on me. I promised her safety only to deliver her to my father’s den. My father awaited us behind his desk, requesting Max and Reed’s presence as well. Had the estate not

swarmed with caterers and waiters, landscapers and party planners in preparation for our annual barbecue, I would have feared for Sarah’s safety. I loathed how easily I could imagine my father’s chosen tortures, but I was wrong to assume he’d physically hurt her. I underestimated his cruelty. He’d break her without a single touch. And he’d make me stand in silence as he did it. He didn’t end his phone call, but he motioned for me to contain her. Max seized her leash, and Reed closed the door. At least she wore clothes this time, though the sweet, sunshine yellow sundress bound her more effectively than any length of chain. I didn’t trust her to stay quiet, and my heart ached as she fought against my hold over her body and hand muffling her protests. Whatever my father planned amused him beyond even the excitement he took from beating tears from the girl. He continued his conversation and admired the dress he picked for Sarah. His eyes lingered on her curves. Christ, I presented her to him. And then I understood why. “I’ll come down this weekend, Bethany. We’ll take a trip to the coast. You love the ocean so much.” He spoke to his new wife, to Sarah’s mother, and no good would come from the conversation. Sarah tensed, sparking like metal striking metal. Despite my hold on her, Max’s released flogger, and Reed blocking the door, Sarah didn’t fear a punishment for running. Not when she fought to rush toward my father. “I miss you too, darling, but I’ve been busy lately. So many new…” He licked his lips and studied our captive. “Business opportunities.” He threatened her but taunted me. I tightened my hold across her lips. She didn’t try to speak, but she caused enough trouble without words. Her nails dug into my arm. She might have fretted for her mother, but I met Max’s gaze with the same momentary confusion. I didn’t recognize the disturbing softness in my father’s voice. His tone rounded, leisurely and mellowed, probably to benefit Bethany’s fragile state, shaded with anti-depressants and the prescribed medications she abused to survive the day. He didn’t condescend. It felt…authentic. My father tried not to upset Bethany, though he captured and molested her daughter, ordering her repeated rape to deliberately impregnate the girl. Sarah bristled as he placed the call on speakerphone. “We’re holding our annual barbecue for a few of my business associates today, Bethany.” Sarah strained to edge closer to the phone, desperate to hear her mother’s voice. That, I understood. “A barbecue?” Bethany’s exhaustion infected her enthusiasm. “That’s nice.” “It will be a special occasion,” he said. “Sarah’s graciously agreed to help hostess.” I held Sarah tighter. Her mother hesitated. “…Who?” Sarah no longer fought against my hold. Without my support, she’d have crumbled to the floor.

This wasn’t part of my father’s plan. He frowned, leaning closer to the phone console. “Sarah, darling. Sarah’s still here.” Reed whistled, earning a frustrated grunt from Max. The connection crackled, but Bethany lightly chuckled, lucid once more. “Oh, Sarah’s so bright at a party. Sociable. She’ll make you proud, Darius.” “Always has.” “Put her on the phone?” My father faked his apology. “She’s tied up at the moment, darling. But I’ll call you after the party and schedule our weekend. You should get some rest.” “I do miss her.” “And I know she misses you,” he said. “She’d do just anything to see you. Soon enough, if everything goes to plan.” The conversation ended with an oddly sincere exchange of affection. Sarah trembled with rage. Son of a bitch. My father didn’t strike her, but a beating might have been kinder. What better way to control Sarah in public? Bruises revealed too much, but destroying her pride and twisting her mind? He didn’t have to make her bleed to tear her heart out. My father stilled. “You do wish to see your mother again, right, my dear?” Sarah didn’t answer. “The men attending this luncheon are family friends and business partners. You will be cordial. You will be entertaining. You will behave.” His gaze settled on me. “Wouldn’t want to make a fool of yourself, would you?” He neither expected a reaction nor did I offer him the satisfaction. He waved a hand. “Don’t leave her unattended today. If she speaks out of turn, drag her into the house and beat her, but not where anyone will see the strikes.” Like the villains we were, my brothers and I agreed. “Sarah, if you want your mother to survive this weekend, you’ll be a good girl. You’re my sweet daughter, visiting your big brothers after that terrible asthma attack. You do as they say, and you make me proud.” He grinned. Her silence amused him. “Give Daddy a nod.” Sarah refused as though the motion would snap her neck. I forced the movement. “Good. Now, go walk through the property. Make sure the grounds are fit for our guests.” I hauled Sarah upstairs, and, for the first time, locked her within her bedroom. She swore at me from beyond the door, but I’d preferred her angry with me. I wasn’t chancing any impetuous revenge on my father for either the attempted attack or his threats against her mother. My brothers and I did as he instructed, heading outside to oversee the barbecue’s setup. “I used to like having this party.” Reed checked the caterer’s schedules. “Lot more fun when you aren’t in charge of it, and when you don’t have to carve up the guest of honor like the ribs.” I agreed but remained silent. Today’s hell would be a far different experience from the parties we had

as children—the one time we were permitted to laugh, play, and rough-house with the other kids. After Mom’s death, the barbecue became a sticky and boring event in the summer heat, stuck in tailored suits and attached to my father’s side as an awkward adolescent. The past few years offered entertainment, at least. Good food, pleasant conversation, and a chance to interact with them men I hoped would lead me against my father and change the course of the Bennett Corporation. That opportunity was lost before my father gave the welcoming toast. I surveyed the grounds for the perfection my father expected in the minutes before the guests were scheduled to arrive for lunch. The caterers set their smokers on the far edge of the property, tinging the garden with the salty-sweet temptation of tenderizing meat. The planners wove thousands of white LEDs into the half acre of rose bushes, and flowers framed the linen-stripped tables, crisp white tents, and the two dozen chairs prepared for an annual display of Bennett hospitality, cordiality, and raw decadence. We impressed the same people, courted the same money, and served the same end goal—success. Only this time, our lives would depend on the behavior of the tiny Atwood threatened into silence. Sarah didn’t need a weapon to destroy the family, not when a single scream would echo louder than a shotgun. “Greet the guests once they arrive.” I instructed Reed. “But Sarah doesn’t leave my side. Our father doesn’t touch her, and she doesn’t talk to anyone on the board alone.” Reed frowned. “But—” “Don’t let them near her.” Max didn’t like his orders. “It’s trouble enough having an Atwood at a Bennett Corp picnic, but she can’t deliberately ignore the investors. There’s enough bad blood without causing more trouble.” More trouble than he realized. “It’ll be safer for Sarah if she’s kept away.” “What the hell is going on? You aren’t telling us something.” He was right. I hadn’t told them of the encounter with the board or my father’s knowledge of the takeover, and I wouldn’t. Not yet. Not until I knew exactly what was happening. Not until I had assurances they wouldn’t be harmed. If I revealed the board’s conspiracy, Reed might have stayed calm, but Max? His greatest inheritance was our father’s temper. If he learned the board threatened him and Sarah, we’d be washed in blood—and most of it would belong to him. “I have it under control,” I said. I meant it to end the conversation, but Max intercepted me before I could turn. The coiled, tribal tattoos spiraling over his arms might have intimidated others—or intrigued Sarah—but they didn’t threaten me. No matter the intricate thorns scarring his flesh, the ink didn’t bleed into his veins. Max was a Bennett, and, despite his hesitancies, he was second born. He was meant to obey me without question. And yet he still resisted. “You gotta get your head out of your ass and start figuring this shit out,” he said. “I can ram her all day and night, but if she doesn’t miraculously get knocked up, Dad’s gonna figure it out.” “I said I have it under control.” “You moving on the takeover?” Max flexed when he should have retreated. “You think you can have it all? Get the Bennet Corp, breed an heir, take Atwood Industries, and keep the girl?”

“Yes.” “Christ, you sound like Dad.” He was fortunate Reed interrupted us, swaying the conversation as Max overstepped his bounds. Somewhere between the house and the party setup, Reed stole a piece of cornbread. He took a bite, motioning to the rushing caterers and servers. “Why is Dad even hosting this barbecue? One word from Sarah and we’re fucked. What’s he think this will accomplish?” To humiliate me. “Appearances. The partners expect the annual barbecue.” “Hope they’re expecting a SWAT team and every fucking media outlet crashing the party.” “Sarah will behave.” “Why risk it?” Reed grimaced, as though he hated suggesting it. “Why not lock Sarah away? Is it worth jeopardizing everything just to screw with her?” “He’s not testing her.” The words tasted foul. “He’s testing me.” I had no patience for any further discussion, not when every word my father spoke, action he took, and unabashed glance of Sarah demanded a violence I never once condoned. I never considered myself as cruel as my father, not until I captured Sarah, until her life depended on that violence. My empire would be built upon her cries. I collected Sarah as the guests arrived and hoped no one would notice the bruising finally fading from her cheeks. A perfect, sun-lit barbecue awaited us, a lovely afternoon surrounded by people I once trusted. Sarah’s profanity would fracture the ice sculpture. “You can’t expect me to curtsey.” “He does.” “I don’t trust this. Darius would rather I was bound, gagged, and strapped to a bed. Not…” She shimmied, swishing the folds of her dress. “Greeting his guests.” “It’s a public appearance. He’s proving to the world you aren’t…” “Dead in a ditch?” A leash made her easier to control. She might have surrendered to our passion, but without a gag in her mouth and zip-ties wrapping her wrists, Sarah would get herself hurt. “Just be careful here.” I led her to the main tent, into the congregation of men in suits, women in dresses, and children tangled in trust funds. “I’m not sure what he’s planning.” “I usually like it when Bennetts worry.” Sarah’s pale eyes flashed, the striking of flint against steel. “I still do.” Brave little fool. “There they are!” My father welcomed us with a grand wave and paraded us to his guests. “Nicholas, sit, sit.” He pointed me to the unoccupied chair at his right, beside a grinning Bryant Maddox and across from Jacob Fisher. It was a street fight without blades. Both men studied Sarah as though she were the smoked brisket yet to be served.

Max caught my attention from down the table, toasting Sarah with an almost empty flute of champagne. The tumbler to his side contained only melted ice. We were off to a good start. A few seats away, Reed entertained two of our Vice Presidents, both overseeing aspects of our Research and Development branches. Strange. My father usually seated our board members and their families at our head table. Then again, we were down a considerable number of guests. The investors who chose Josmik over our family were, obviously, uninvited. “Friends.” My father stood, looping his arm around Sarah’s waist. “If I may have your attention!” My blood boiled. Sarah forced the same fake politeness she offered for the awkward wedding pictures, when her mother squished her and her brothers against us, resulting in the most dysfunctional Brady Bunch pipedream ever concocted. Only then, Sarah had nothing to fear from my father, only blatant hostility for her father’s death and the blame she placed on our family. Now? He touched her. Held her close. Rubbed his spindly fingers against her delicate hip and corrupted her innocence without even stripping her from the baby-doll dress he forced her to wear. “Please, allow me to introduce someone very special to me,” A monster leered at the dozens of familiar faces sharing in the Bennett wealth and pomp. “This lovely young lady is Sarah Atwood, and I am blessed to present her to you as my daughter.” I braced for war. Sarah nodded a polite greeting to those eager to ogle an Atwood. “Step-daughter.” “Now, now.” He held her tighter if only to bump her hip against his waist. “No need for qualifications, my dear. Come, sit right here.” He helped her to the seat at his left—the only setting without a knife folded into a linen napkin. He should have removed mine. My father took her hand. I thought his touch would bruise her skin. “I want you to meet some very important friends of the family.” He gestured across the table. “Bryant Maddox, Jacob Fisher, Clyde Leonard. These men help to make the Bennett Corporation great. They…share our vision for the future.” In more ways than one. They plotted with my father, but they had the class to admire Sarah with only polite smiles so close to their wives. “She’s the very image of Mark Atwood, isn’t she?” Bryant said. “Uncanny.” Sarah stiffened. “So I’ve been told.” “I almost miss that ol’ son-of-a-bitch,” he said. “Made business…exciting.” Exciting was not the word I would use to excuse the behavior of a man who murdered my mother and nearly killed my brothers. “Does she take after her father?” Bryant winked at Sarah. “No,” she said. I knew better. “But, I assure you, I am very much an Atwood.”

She might have replaced Atwood with warrior, arsonist, or fool, and her words would have been just as powerful. The conversation turned one-sided, and Sarah appeared content to sit in cold silence. That pleased my father. Sarah was meant to be little more than a table setting, a pretty little blonde feature meant to elicit compliments and parade his ultimate authority over her family, her name, and her body. He hadn’t raped her, but she’d bear our scars for the rest of her life. “A toast!” My father raised his glass as the caterers wheeled in silver dishes brimming with pulled pork and smoked briskets, barbecued chickens, roasted lamb, and racks of salty ribs. A breeze blended smoky and sweet, and the blossoming roses and meticulously tended garden aided to the refined beauty of the party. He tugged Sarah to her feet and locked his arm with hers. “I am the luckiest man in the world today,” my father said. “I’m surrounded by loyal friends dedicated to the Bennett family and Corporation, and now? I am blessed with not just three, but four children.” I’d break the raised champagne flute. Sarah’s hands curled into fists. “My darling daughter has completed this family, and I know she’ll unite both the Bennetts and Atwoods. In her time here with us, she has brought us nothing but pleasure, and I’m sure her new brothers would agree.” I didn’t look away. My father’s stare needled my spine in suppressed rage. “This family has grown, and I foresee only more joy in the future.” The board members prematurely clapped. Sick, every last bastard. “The Bennetts consider family the most important investment in this world, and our little Sarah is the penny that shines brightest. I hope that she, and all my sons, will one day be as proud of their children as I am of them.” Deceptive monster. The board cheered, and the others in attendance toasted with their champagne. Every tink of the glasses ruined Sarah with our madness. They celebrated her captivity and inadvertently blessed our endeavor to breed her. The guilt poisoned me as sure as my seed infected her. I threatened the men who demanded her conception while each and every day I forced the same expectations upon her, betrayed her body, denied her control. I meant to save her life. I wanted to possess her company. I dared to love Sarah Atwood. And yet I let the spectacle continue, if only because I knew of no other way to save her, no alternatives to protect the empires I forged for my future. My head pounded. The tension did little to aid my conversation with the board as the caterers served the courses. Reed caught my gaze, mimicking an explosion with his hands. He waited for Sarah to blow. So did I. But Sarah Atwood survived her time in our prison through sheer force of will and an unbreakable spirit. She wouldn’t admit her fear of my father, which relieved me. He wielded too much power over her already. She said nothing, only studied the fancy lunch in the sun and picked at the salad presented before her. She clenched her fork as my father rubbed her shoulders.

My only relief was that she focused on him. That she wouldn’t realize how many of the Bennett board members leered at her, searching every fold in her dress for any telltale sign of their future profits. My father stabbed his salad, piercing a tomato with a victorious thrust. “We ordered the greens and vegetables from the Atwood farm.” He spoke to the table. “A little piece of home for my Sarah.” Her fork dropped. “Well, we knew the Atwoods grow good stock,” Bryant grinned. Sarah indulged him with a nod. “Beautiful too,” my father said. “Everything from the farm is plucked in its prime.” She accepted the challenge without knowing what game she played. “It’s the seed we use, I assure you.” Bryant chuckled. “Imagine the yield if you’d use our products on your fields. Your crops would flourish with Bennett fertilizer.” Her smile was too bold. “Oh, believe me, I already put up with enough Bennett shi—” “More lemonade, my dear?” My father ordered a server to refill her glass. Jacob Fisher’s glance was entirely too greasy for a plate which had yet to be loaded with fatty meats. “No champagne, Ms. Atwood?” “Sarah is only twenty, Jake,” my father said. “Doesn’t even get a taste at a party?” “Bennetts are nothing if not respectful of the law.” Jacob, Bryant, and Clyde chuckled. I didn’t react, but Max and Reed’s glances were not as subtle as they believed. Sarah didn’t appear to notice. She wrinkled her nose as a server presented the table with oysters and passion fruit salads, Thai slaws and the first of the pulled pork sliders, delicately stacked upon the platters. “Darius.” Bryant’s wife—a blonde twenty years his junior—snubbed the oysters and pawed through her salad, removing each toasted almond. “Where is your new wife?” Sarah trembled as she sipped the lemonade. “Unfortunately, Bethany is unwell at the moment. She’s resting at home.” “She hasn’t moved here yet?” “Not just yet.” “For Heaven’s sake, why not? She can’t enjoy living in a dirty cornfield.” Christ. I nudged Sarah’s foot under the table before she exposed our crimes not in tearful sobs crying rape but a hissed indignation at the insult to her family farm. “My mother won’t leave the farm,” Sarah said. “I never thought I would either until recently.” Her voice was the spike driving into my temple, and her glare would snap it in half. I hadn’t been the bad guy for a few weeks. At least it felt familiar. “But a farm of terrible memories compared to a new family?” Darius shrugged. “Her boys are buried on the farm. Bethany won’t ever leave them.” It wouldn’t be a proper barbecue without some mention of a family tragedy. Sarah dropped her gaze, picking at an oyster.

“Oh yes, terrible spectacle.” Clyde flicked a lighter, puffing on a cigar. “Did they ever learn what caused that dreadful crash?” Max answered before I could. “Pilot error.” “Horrid,” Clyde said. “I saw it on the news.” My father gossiped as though Sarah hadn’t paled at his side. “We all saw it. Just terrible footage.” Bryant’s wife couldn’t help herself. “The news showed some of the cell phone videos from the highway. Nothing was left of the plane, only ash!” “From what Bethany says, the family didn’t even know Josiah and Mike were flying that day,” my father said. “The news broke before they received a call from the authorities. Just shameful.” Sarah coughed. The recognizable rasp clutched my throat. She could hide her tears, but speaking of her brothers still seemed to traumatize her. I reached into my jacket, searching for the inhaler. My fingers grazed the medication before stilling. My father already handed Sarah a spare inhaler, anticipating her need before I did. It confused her as much as me. His smirk aimed for me—proud, cold. A challenge. I said nothing. The dinner progressed, and the conversation turned from the violent deaths of Sarah’s brothers to lighter topics, centering on Reed and his upcoming Bennett Foundation Charity Gala. Sarah perked up, abandoning her untouched oyster. “Oh, I can’t wait to attend. Reed’s been working so hard on making it the best event ever. It’ll be such fun.” Could she not go ten minutes without endangering herself? Reed stiffened, and Max downed his whiskey before looking to our father. The gala. In public. Away from the grounds. It’d be too difficult to control her beyond the confines of the estate, and far too suspicious if we didn’t let her loose. My father nodded. “Of course. We’ll have to check your schedule.” “I’ll make room. The Atwoods have never attended a Bennett gala, but I’ve heard so much about them. What better way to unite the families?” “Here, here.” Clyde sneered. His cigar burned, and he puffed a ring of smoke into the air. My father frowned. “Clyde, please, my poor daughter is asthmatic and recovering from a lifethreatening attack.” He brushed her cheek and her defiance faded. “I’m trying to keep her comfortable now. Best not to smoke around someone in her condition.” If Sarah didn’t rip his arm off, Max would. I gestured for Reed, but he already moved. He hauled Max from the table and offered to refresh drinks. “Of course, of course.” Clyde patted out the cigar. “I would hate to put anyone at risk.” “I’m fine.” Sarah’s anger would char the tablecloth. “Nonsense,” my father said. “You keep that inhaler close, my dear. Use it anytime you start to worry.”

She’d shove it down his throat before using it in front of strangers. It hid under the rim of her plate, despite the soft cough she suppressed with her hand. “It’s fortunate you are able to recover from your asthma in this beautiful estate.” Bryant said. “Darius, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, these grounds are gorgeous.” “Made more beautiful with the addition of my daughter, I assure you.” The guests chuckled. Sarah’s eyebrow rose. No good would come from that. “If only I could see more of them.” She sighed as sweet as her lemonade though her tone soured just for us. “I’ve been regulated to a bed most days.” “Doctor’s orders.” My father controlled himself. “Best to stay still and let nature take its course.” “Oh, nature has a funny way of working things out.” She surveyed the members of the Bennett board without realizing how dangerous a mistake she made. “I’m sure I’ll be on top of the world in just a few months.” The servers returned with another course of smoked meats and creamy macaroni and cheese which Sarah seemed to particularly enjoy. I made note of it, if only to somehow treat her with it in the future. At the end of the table, a waiter worked quickly to prepare a plate for a late-arrival. The once empty chair was claimed by a man I hadn’t expected. Peter Hannigan took his seat—the lynchpin in the takeover, the last vote I needed and the hardest one for me to acquire. I had invited him to the barbecue, but he declined, citing schedule conflicts which, traditionally, meant he was golfing his way along the East Coast. He greeted the men at the table, but he seemed at ease with the core of partners surrounding my father. Men who should have been in direct opposition to Peter’s vision for the company. I swallowed my profanity. My father knew about the takeover. He must have realized which men allied with me. Peter wasn’t here on my invitation. My vision blurred with frustration. This barbecue wasn’t meant to humiliate Sarah. The bastard punished me. “You’ve grown since I saw you last, Ms. Atwood.” Peter grinned, his teeth chalk white against his tanned, wind-burned face. She hesitated. “Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t remember…” “You were just a little thing,” Peter said. “Running around your Daddy while he refused my offer for some of his beef cattle. Just a pipsqueak then.” “I…suppose I was.” “But you’re radiant now.” His voice caught. He appraised her like a damn animal, even in the presence of two dozen business associates and their wives. He toasted my father. “She’s just beautiful. Simply…glowing.” My father accepted the compliment and gestured for a passing server to refill my champagne. I clenched my jaw. No doubt what we celebrated. It wasn’t Sarah’s health, and it wasn’t the arrival of his glorified step-daughter.

Glowing. The word sickened me. Peter Hannigan and I spoke only a week ago to finalize my bid for the takeover. Somehow, my father not only contacted him, he promised more than I did for his vote. But I offered stability, a change in the business’s direction, steady profits… Who knew how much of Atwood Industries my father offered Peter, but, as he gorged himself on our food and leered at my captive, he considered himself a richer, more powerful man with acres of corn and thousands of cattle earning him extra millions. My father. Bryant. Jacob. Clyde. Stanley. And now Peter? The barbecue wasn’t the only meat served on a platter for the wolves. Sarah would be next. I hadn’t anticipated this. I didn’t think it a possibility. But I wasn’t going to present her to the hounds for their amusement. Sarah’s lemonade was empty. I didn’t even pretend to aim the pitcher over her glass. The iced liquid spilled over her beautiful dress. She shrieked, but I stood, gripping her arm. “Sorry,” I grunted. “Clumsy. Let me escort you to the house so you can change.” I didn’t let her answer. She escaped the table before my father could flick the handkerchief from his pocket to brush a straying ice cube from his suit. Sarah stumbled over the walkway as I forced her toward the house. “Nick, what the hell?” She searched over her shoulder. The kitchen was crowded with too many caterers. I dragged Sarah into the smoking room and closed the door, narrowly avoiding Reed’s foot edged in the entry. Both my brothers slipped inside. Sarah held her arms out—sticky and miserable. “If I didn’t think the Bennetts were freaks for kidnapping me, I’d know it now.” She scowled. “Who the hell has a barbecue with linen tablecloths and oysters?” Reed grinned. “Supposed to be an aphrodisiac—” I hadn’t the patience for my little brother and interrupted him before he finished. “Sarah, go to your room and stay there. Don’t open the door for anyone but me.” Max and Reed stilled, but Sarah never obeyed when I issued a command. “Why?” “It isn’t safe here.” “But…” She rolled her eyes. “These are your investors.” “Not anymore.” Max swore. Reed tugged Sarah close, ignoring the sticky drink coating her dress and arms. I’d let him hold her, comfort her, but unless she was tucked between all three of us, I’d never consider her truly safe. If we even could protect her. What I planned to do with her, to her, was anything but kind. Unfortunately, we had no choice. No other alternatives. Sarah had to conceive, regardless of her health or whatever she believed was wrong with her body.

My father wasn’t the only danger to her now. “What’s wrong?” It wasn’t often her voice trembled, but Sarah Atwood was right to feel fear, if only because I was afraid too. But she wouldn’t like how I’d chose to defend myself. “I just lost my majority,” I said. “What does that mean?” It meant that I’d failed her. It meant that everything I worked for, everything I planned, and the only way I had to protect her was not only gone, it was flaunted in front of my face by my father. He orchestrated the entire event, including revealing his alliances in a deliberate attempt to humiliate me. And it worked. I couldn’t share Sarah’s gaze. “It means I just lost the takeover.”



“All alone, baby?” I flinched. My sandwich flopped onto the floor. The iced tea nearly followed, crashing into the sink. Max and Reed laughed as I peeled myself off the kitchen counter and hid my trembling hands. “Not funny.” My voice hardly raised above a whisper. I flushed. Darius wasn’t even in the house, and I still tip-toed around the kitchen like a coward. “What are you doing without your leash?” Max twirled the leather around his finger. Reed tisked his tongue. “Nick freed me before he left for the office.” “Isn’t he a sweetheart.” I didn’t like wandering downstairs. Without Nicholas at my side, my steps echoed too loudly, the stairs ached my lungs, and the shadows reached gangly fingers at me. Groping. Petting. Hurting. If it weren’t for the empty fridge in Nicholas’s suite, I’d have stayed tucked away in the corner of his bedroom until I turned twenty-one. I wasn’t an optimistic person—even with my billions, I couldn’t buy luck, bargain for my freedom, or sell the damn company which now depended on an imaginary heir. I had to be pragmatic. I’d never conceive a child, Nicholas’s takeover failed before he moved on it, and I was trapped within the dungeon of a monster as his little play toy. Darius paraded me around the barbecue to his friends and partners, presenting me as a perfect daughter. I couldn’t scream while the beast dared to touch, compliment, and degrade me. No one knew what he had tried to do. What he almost did. What he would have done if Nicholas hadn’t rescued me just in time. Suddenly, I wasn’t very hungry. Frustration curdled my stomach, but biting my lip drew blood. I imagined it wasn’t my own. That helped. Reed didn’t let me run. He tugged me into the dining room, setting my food aside to set me on the table. Max stole a potato chip. I pushed the plate toward him. “You okay?” Reed’s dimple usually offered instant comfort, but it didn’t help now. “Would you be okay?” His fingers drifted over my arms, tickling where Nicholas had kissed in fierce silence as we showered.

I wasn’t used to Reed so freely touching me. Neither was he. “Nick asked us to…check on you.” “He actually spoke to you?” I’d be jealous if I wasn’t worried. Reed’s fingers tangled in the dress straps. He brushed one over my shoulder. “He hardly talked to me this morning.” “The takeover shit fucked with him.” Max drifted closer only to clip the leash on my collar. He tugged and teased me against his hand. “Don’t worry, baby. We’ll take care of everything.” I didn’t doubt their commitment, but their solution would never work, no matter how much Nick hoped. Tried. In unforgiving silence, he took me that morning in the shower. I braced against the slippery tile as he burrowed himself within me again and again, grunting in a frustrated burst of muscle and force. It might have frightened me had I not recognized the adoration in his eyes. Except, after, the gold hardened, fracturing into an amber remorse. Nicholas left, angry and sullen. But he promised to take care of me. I didn’t need false hope. Their plan would never work. If I wanted to survive, I’d have to protect myself even without their breeding. Nothing meant more to me than surviving. I had to live, if only so I could secure my future, my wealth, and my power from Darius’s defeat. I’d watch him crumble, make him squirm and panic, just how he humiliated me at the barbecue. My revenge would punish Darius with the same fear and shame he forced on me. Until then, Max twisted my leash, and Reed flicked down the strap of the dress protecting my curves from the hungry gaze of my step-brothers. Nicholas demanded my submission. Some orders were easier to obey than others, especially when commanded by two sexy, attentive, and demanding men. Max no longer frightened me, and I didn’t suffer the unfamiliar awkwardness around Reed. Now, my insides fluttered in different ways when presented before them. Max bulked and lifted, forging a strength that threatened more than it protected. Dark, spiraling tattoos striped his chest…and lower. Max took pride in his ink, preferring the symbols to a designer suit. A Bennett didn’t use tattoos to intimidate, but Max possessed a darkness that forced my pleasure instead of earning it. Not like Reed. Nothing about the sun-bleached surfer was menacing…unless I happened to fall for the dimple framing his charming smile and silken laugh. Everything Reed did was meant to earn my pleasure. His simple affection conquered me without Nicholas’s possession or Max’s flogger, and he did it with an expert’s precision. I blushed under their attention. Both of my step-brothers honed their bodies to perfection. And they planned to feast on mine. Reed bundled my dress over my hips. “Panties?” He groaned. “Really?” I shrugged. “Gotta make it hard on you.” “Believe me, Sarah. I’m plenty hard.” Max’s voice lowered. “You’ve got orders from Nicholas, baby. No sense playing games.”

A strange thrill tickled over me. Nick left me to his brothers and expected them to do all manner of twisted and sensual things. He knew they’d fuck me, and he encouraged them to tease and fill. Nicholas swore conceiving would save my life, no matter the man who did it. I expected him to bleed with jealousy, but he hadn’t. If anything, he took me harder, faster, more intensely than before. Did Nicholas like sharing? I shivered. A new warmth built in me, without the bite of the flogger or Reed’s skilled touch. Did I like being shared too? I did. Oh, what did that make me? I was the luckiest woman trapped in the unluckiest of circumstances. Each of my step-brothers offered me something vastly different. Reed’s attention was all for me. Max’s dominances awoke a dark and mysterious urge inside me. And Nicholas completed me, his every touch a hope that we could end the captivity. Reed’s palm wove over my thigh, encouraging my knees to spread. He moved between my legs, lowering his lips to the hollow of my neck. I shuddered. Reed noticed. He winked at his brother. “Doubt you need the leash,” Reed said. Max wasn’t convinced. He waited at my side, letting Reed take control. They both forced me down against the table. I tried to close my legs, but Max slapped my thigh. My panties peeked, too white and innocent for the eager gazes of the men determined to taste, mount, and conquer me. “The leash is half the fun,” Max said. “You sure?” Reed’s finger brushed the tempting white of my panties. He teased the right spot, flicking across the sensitive area twice more. “I have her attention without slapping her around.” “It’s not about the slapping.” Max curled his hand over my neck and squeezed. “It’s the control. Nick hates getting rough, but I had hopes for you.” “Maybe I don’t need to be rough.” “Don’t you want to dominate her?” That shiver again. I knew Reed’s answer before he did. He whispered the truth in a thousand hushed desires and revealed his intentions only once we tangled together in an embrace that suffocated us in passion. My sweet and gentle Reed longed to claim me as badly as Nicholas. But it tortured him to think of me that way—helpless and bound and completely at his mercy. I shuddered. Nicholas was demanding enough. He’d never strike me to earn my obedience, just as he no longer bothered binding me to the bed with restraints. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t use them. If given the chance, my step-brothers would all tie me down for their enjoyment. Nicholas loved me. Reed worshiped me. And Max? “You’re a bad influence on him,” I said. Max loomed. The shadows in the room followed. “Think I’m corrupting my little brother?” Reed rubbed his finger over the softness hidden beneath the panties. My voice trembled with the delicious shiver. He grinned. “I think your little brother knows what he’s doing,” I whispered. “I think he’s curious to see what you can handle.” Max tightened his grip on my neck. “And what he can do.”

Uh-oh. It had been days since my stepbrothers last frightened me. I allied with them, but the trust was slow to grow, earned more within their arms than how they protected me with my clothes on. Max liked crumbling my defenses, but no Bennett deserved the delight in rattling me. “Shouldn’t you let Reed decide what he wants?” I asked. The dimple returned, every bit as dangerous as the flogger in Max’s pocket. My brothers didn’t answer. I arched an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t I decide how to be taken?” It was rare for Max to laugh. He pushed Reed aside and flipped me over, pressing my tummy into the table. The dress rose high over my hips. Max twisted his fingers in my panties. I didn’t dare move. I didn’t push him away. I wasn’t sure I wanted him to release me. “Nick’s been feeding you fairy tales, baby,” Max warned. “There’s no friendship in our bedrooms. You are ours to take now, and you should thank us for every fucking thrust.” He ripped my panties down. His caress wasn’t as soft as Reed’s. It never would be, and I couldn’t imagine a moment spent with Max that wouldn’t be fraught with violence and lust. “Remember. We’re doing this to save your life.” “You enjoy it,” I said. Max didn’t need to touch me to prove it. “So do you.” “Then why not offer me a choice? Afraid I wouldn’t give in?” Max’s hands roamed. He traced over my slit. I met Reed’s gaze as Max’s fingers slipped within my tightness. Reed grinned. “You’ll never just give in, baby. You’ll always fight us. And I know why.” I couldn’t speak, not as his touch ground against my slickness and revealed just how much I enjoyed his torment. “You think we’ll actually succeed,” Max said. “You think we’ll put a little Bennett baby in that tummy and steal away all your precious land and fortune.” I laughed. Their fantasy hadn’t even crossed my mind. “Maybe. But you know you’ll fail. No baby. No company.” I arched. “I doubt you want it anymore.” “Oh?” I met Reed’s stare. “Why get me pregnant when you could just fuck me all day, every day? This way, you can molest me without consequence.” Max snickered. “It’s not molesting if you’re pushing back, baby.” Reed’s breathing roughened into a pant. I sunk my teeth into my pouting bottom lip. Max kicked my legs out wide as he leaned close. He spoke to Reed though the threat clenched everything inside me in a sudden heat. “She won’t break if you get a little rough,” Max said. His hand tangled in my hair to arch me to him. The bite of pain was nothing compared to what he could

do with a flogger, but he hadn’t indulged in that part of his deviancy. Yet. No way was I getting out of this unscathed. “Sarah knows how to submit, don’t you, baby?” I accidentally rocked against the hardness in his trousers. “You’d think.” “Need some proof?” Yes. About eight and a half inches of it. His fingers weren’t enough, and neither were the layers of material separating us. Max wove me so easily into his will, but I flushed as I realized just how much of my secrets I revealed to Reed. Then again, Reed brushed a hand over my parted lips. I timidly kissed the pad of his thumb, and his smirk rewarded me while challenging his brother. “Go ahead. Let’s see how she submits for you.” His finger sunk into my mouth. I nibbled before wrapping my lips over the offering in a leisurely suckle. “Then I’ll show you the right way.” “You think you know better than me, little brother?” “Only one way to find out.” This wasn’t a game I’d win, and yet I couldn’t wait to play. I didn’t struggle or fight when Max’s belt jingled. It might have dropped to the floor or struck over my bottom, and either possibility would have delighted me. Reed’s murmur urged me to suck his finger harder, faster. I imagined I savored something other than his finger. Only one thing was missing. One person. Nicholas gave me to his brothers, but, afterwards? We didn’t sleep—we pawed and groped, fucked and groaned until we passed out against the twisted blankets. Nicholas’s jealousy drove him between my legs every time I whispered how deeply I had been filled. God. How would he react if he learned Max and Reed made a game out of my submission? It wouldn’t enrage him. Just the opposite. I’d drown in desire before the day was over, and Nicholas would revive me only to plunge me within our passion once more. Max’s fingers tickled over my slit. I would explode right there, right then, just from the mere thought of my step-brothers fighting over my slit, arguing over who would take me first, trading me from hardened cock to cock as I was fucked and used and mounted like an animal in heat. And maybe I was. I’d trade my rest for another touch, forsake safety for another kiss, and deny my own freedom for their gifted pleasure. It wasn’t submission, it was madness, and I trapped myself in the asylum with my three chosen torturers. I tensed as Max leaned close, his words distracting me from the hardness grinding against my thighs.

“Be a good girl for me now, baby.” His hands roamed, but not where I hoped he’d touch. Not my slickened folds. Not my desperate slit that welcomed him, needed him. “Show Reed how I make you—” His finger drifted too far, too fast, too much. The nightmare struck. I shrieked as even the gentlest rub of that area assaulted me with memory. My stomach heaved. I couldn’t deal with an invasion to that tender place, not yet, not so soon after Darius attempted to hurt me there. The panic overwhelmed me. I bit Reed’s finger and lunged backward, flailing and kicking to escape from Darius’s grip. Max’s grip. Was it Max? I didn’t know. The flashes of pain and memory blinded me. Oh, God. He couldn’t touch me there. Anywhere but there. Tears blurred my vision. My foot connected with something hard, and Max roared. I earned my freedom in a shout and bolted from the table, tripping over a chair and collapsing against the dining room wall. Just how I crawled when I escaped Darius. Helpless and fighting to escape. Degraded. Dehumanized. Terrified. Max swore. His leg gave out, and he nearly collapsed, his grip white against the table’s edge. Reed rushed to help. Max only batted him away with a swipe that looked more like a sucker-punch. I meant to apologize. I meant to help. But every word I might have uttered lodged in my throat. Darius emerged from the archway of the dining room. I ground myself against the wall, ripping my dress low over my exposed slit. My stomach turned as Darius grinned. He watched me fight Max and crawl away in panic as though his son tried to attack me. And it made him proud of his boy. Reed hid his bitten, bleeding finger. “Didn’t know you were home, Dad.” Max was unable to stand. I had no idea how hard I kicked him, but he had yet to unclench his jaw or look at me. Darius nodded. “I came home early to speak with Sarah.” My stomach dropped. Max grunted. “She’s busy.” “Oh, by all means.” Darius grinned as I tucked the dress tighter over the places he never deserved to see again. “Please finish. Send her to my office once you’ve…done your part.” My step-brothers didn’t answer, but I nearly screamed as he left me to their mercy.

Son of a bitch. The memories and horrors emerged from my nightmares—a new form of torture. Darius didn’t even have to attack me to destroy my courage. My chest ached. I coughed. Groaned. I was not losing another breath on Darius Bennett. “You okay?” Reed offered his hand. He’d touch me. No. I pushed him away before he helped. I pretended that it was pride and not fear of being touched by a Bennett that drove me to my feet. Christ. Darius hadn’t even raped me, but I still sickened with damp sweat and the crawling, shuddering itch of grimy hands and chapped lips. Max swore and rose, wincing as he rested his weight against the table. I didn’t know what to say or how to say it or if I needed to say anything. I flushed and hated the heat on my cheeks. “Max, you touched…it made me remember...” He wasn’t mad. Why wasn’t he mad? “I get it. Wasn’t thinking, baby.” “No.” I didn’t want him to get it. That only made it worse. I edged further from Reed. “I…it’s fine. Goddamn it. Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t... Sorry.” “Stop apologizing.” Reed spoke too softly. “It’s okay. We understand.” “No, you don’t.” “Sarah, you’re allowed to be upset.” No. I wasn’t about to let myself panic over what Darius tried to do. It was done. It was over. He was a monster, and he could do nothing more to terrify me. Nothing. If I got upset, he’d win. I wasn’t giving him that much power. Reed called my name until I met his gaze. I hated the sympathy in the charmed green of his eyes. “Don’t try to be brave. He almost raped you, Sarah.” “Yeah, well, so did you!” I snarled, but the words ripped through my chest, as though the truth punctured my lungs. My step-brothers silenced. It was the wrong thing to say. I didn’t mean it, and yet I did. Fuck. Everything was wrong. Ruined. And it was Darius’s fault. “I won’t let him get in my head,” I said. Reed didn’t give up. “Sarah, he hurt you.” “So? I’m not going to live my life afraid of where the bad man touched me.” I brushed the hair from my face. “He won’t control me. I refuse to fear Darius Bennett.” Saying it didn’t make it true. Only one way to get my closure. I unceremoniously dressed and faced my step-brothers.

“I’m going to meet with him.” Max laughed. “The fuck you are. We’re calling Nick. I have no idea what Dad plans to do with you.” “And I don’t care. This ends now.” Reed took my wrist as I turned to stalk after Darius. “You’re not going in there alone. Not after what happened last time.” “He won’t try it again.” “How can you be sure?” The thought sickened me. “Because he already taught the lesson.” Max’s expression darkened. “He’s not in it for the lessons, baby. He wants to hear you scream.” “I live to disappoint him.” “Fuck.” Max hobbled after me and pointed at Reed. “Call Nick. Get him home before she gets hurt. I don’t feel like killing Dad today.” Now there was a possibility. A bloody, horrible, deliciously appealing possibility. Before his tortures, I never considered ending a life. But some people didn’t deserve the chances they had or the souls they damned. “I’m going alone.” I didn’t wait for Max to limp after me. “I’m owed an apology.” Too many fears nauseated me. Too many unspoken threats stuck in my throat. I suffered too many nightmares and offered myself to his sons in too many ways just to pretend I was safe. But no safety existed in the Bennett Estate. Nothing they did was right, and yet, I still surrendered to the lesser Bennett evils if only to prevent Darius’s cruelty. Or did I submit to my step-brothers because I enjoyed it? Christ, I didn’t know anymore, and only blood would offer clarity. Spilled or betrayed, it didn’t matter. Darius intended to hurt me, and so I’d make my very existence a reason for him to hate waking each morning. I’d ruin Darius Bennett before he ruined me even if I had to offer my body again and again to the men who wanted nothing more than to claim me and reap the benefits for their own wealth. Money didn’t matter. Family didn’t matter. But I’d endure every torture of hell if it meant I could watch Darius suffer through the same horrors he inflicted on me. Nick didn’t have a majority for the takeover? That was fine. I’d crush his father for him. And they’d all be lucky if they recognized the Bennett Empire when I was done. Hate thickened into venom in my veins. I stormed the corridor to Darius’s office, the same hall where I once fled from the raging beast only to trap myself within Max’s punishments. Then, I feared what pain he’d inflict. But in my irrational, frantic anger, I denied every beat of my heart punishing me with fear. It ended now.

I kicked the office door open. And my rage bled into shock. Darius welcomed me from behind his desk. He clicked his tongue and sent the fluffy golden hairball scampering in my direction. His words trapped me between pounded heartbeats. “I brought you a present from home, my dear.” I crumbled to the ground as the goldendoodle slammed into my chest. He yipped around me, licking my face, hands, and plopping onto his side to demand belly rubs. “Hamlet?” I stared at Darius. “Why do you have my dog?” A dozen horrible, heart-breaking tortures scoured my mind. I searched his curly coat, but Hamlet didn’t look injured. Or worried. Or anything but a couple pounds heavier and spoiled with a fresh grooming. He wiggled, kicking his hind legs in desperation for my scratches. “My little girl shouldn’t be without her puppy.” Tears replaced the rage. “You’ll hurt him.” “Nonsense.” Darius dismissed the accusation with a frown. He offered me the chair opposite his desk, but I learned his tricks from the last time. I stood, holding Hamlet’s collar to keep him close to my legs. “I rather like dogs, as do your brothers. Hamlet is perfectly safe. I promise.” “Like I’d ever take your word.” He pretended he hadn’t heard the bitterness in my voice. “My first wife was allergic to dogs. We didn’t know about hypoallergenic breeds then. You are fortunate to have a pet with your asthma.” Hamlet was one of my greatest loves in the world, and he never once judged me for a single attack, even when I hid my wheezing in my bedroom and hugged him to avoid worrying Dad. Aggravating Dad. This was wrong. All of this. I expected Darius Bennett to attack me, hurt me, rape me. Instead he delivered my dog and even throw him a damn milk-bone from the bag he kept in his desk. What was he doing? The hair on my neck prickled. I prepared to run. “I figured it’d be wise to bring Hamlet to the estate. Your pup requires more attention than your mother can provide.” “Why? Did you kill her?” Darius also pretended he hadn’t heard that. The frustration mounted in my chest. He showed no restraint before. Even a foul glance would have earned me a slap across the mouth. What was his game? “Sarah, she can’t possibly take care of Hamlet. Not with her early onset dementia.” Now I did sink into the chair. Hamlet’s cold nose pressed against my knee. “What did you say?” He held my gaze. “Last weekend’s trip to the farm included an appointment with the best neurological specialist in the country. Fortunately, the doctor suggested many experimental avenues we may pursue.

Also, she spoke of some promising pharmaceutical products. You’ll be pleased to know I invested a considerable amount of money into those companies to facilitate their research.” He lied. He had to be lying. “She’s depressed, Darius. It’s not dementia.” “You must have known. You saw the signs.” “Well, she married you, so obviously something’s wrong. But that’s nothing medication and an annulment won’t fix.” “Is it so strange for you to believe that I might love your mother?” “You’ve never loved anything in your life.” “That’s not true. I love my sons.” And that’s why he threatened to kill Max and Reed if Nicholas hadn’t convince them to breed me. I snorted. “You love your power over them, your power over everyone.” “My power over you?” I arched an eyebrow. “No, you just get off on that.” Darius poured an ounce of whiskey into his tumbler. He offered me my own drink. Apple juice. It was the first time he treated me as a guest. Was it poisoned? Drugged? Sweat beaded my brow. I’d be sick before he finally attacked me. “Your mother’s safety depends on your behavior here.” He said it as though it were obvious. Rational. “But I would never willingly hurt her, not unless you gave me no other option.” “That makes me feel so much better.” “I don’t care how it makes you feel.” “How can you say you love her when you tried to hurt her only living child?” Darius tapped his fingers around the tumbler. “You’re still upset about the incident at my office.” “Incident?” “The world is larger than your wounded pride, my dear. There are more important matters for your consideration.” “You tried to rape me.” “But I didn’t.” “You still tried.” “Nicholas and I have an arrangement. And you have your own duties.” I stood, regretting not taking the juice. At least then I’d have something to shatter on his desk. “You don’t come near me again, do you understand me?” I hissed. “You don’t touch me. You don’t look at me. You don’t even think of me.” “Are you pregnant, Sarah?”

Rage hurt. I never realized how painful hatred could feel. It slashed at my chest and infested my mind. “No.” My voice lowered. “I’m not.” “Then I can’t guarantee your safety, can I?” “You’ll regret this.” “So will you…if you don’t obey my sons and provide us the heir we demand.” Wouldn’t he be surprised? “You will never control me.” I stared into the eyes of the devil and shielded myself in borrowed bravery. “You can kidnap me, hold me, beat me. Hell, even rape me yourself. It won’t matter. You can do nothing to me.” He didn’t react. Why didn’t he react? “Is that so?” I’d scream and ruin it all. I’d praise my family’s foresight and scratch the word Josmik into the pristine hardwood of his desk. The blood in my veins sparked and ignited. I’d whisper it. I’d tell him that I had won. And then I’d cackle as he raged in a pitiful fury when I stole everything from him. But I didn’t say it. Revealing the trust would bury me before I had my chance to witness his destruction. “We’re done here.” My warning didn’t move him. “Don’t touch me. Don’t touch my dog.” He didn’t need to strike me to crack every bone in my body. His voice captured me in quiet dread. “Sit down, my dear. Your manners are atrocious. You will not address your father this way.” “You aren’t my father.” “Sit. Down.” I debated running, but I remembered what happened last time I tried to hide in the Bennett Estate. I was done fleeing, done with the abuse. I sat. Darius was pleased. “That’s my girl. I only ask that you act as a proper lady.” “Provided you act like a man and not a demon.” “You’ll regret those words.” I tensed. “When you beat them out of me?” “No.” Darius pushed a folder across the table to me. “When I offer you everything.” Oh, Christ. Last time he offered me secret documentation, my entire world crumbled under the weight of my father’s hypocrisy. I still hadn’t collected the shattered pieces of my life I lost when I tangled myself in the Bennett’s insanity. My ill-fated attempt to honor my undeserving father ended only in tears. I opened the folder. My original research journal rested between the pages of a contract. He gave me Hamlet and my research. No threats. No raised fists. No unbuckled trousers.

The anticipation of his violence would kill me. What the hell was he doing? “I’m willing to enter into negotiations with you,” Darius said. “My research division was very interested in your work. They understood you were early in the experimentation process, but they insisted the ideas were sound and profitable. I’m interested in buying your research.” My heart stopped, but that was fine. Not like my lungs were willing to breathe. “Buy?” “I understand your…situation is difficult. You’ve lost Atwood Industries whether you realize it or not. Your company is held in trust for my future grandson. I am offering to buy this research from you, Sarah, not your company. The money you’d make would be yours.” Money? I flipped the page. I hadn’t seen that many zeros since my attorney revealed how much Josiah and Mike spent when they took control of Atwood Industries, when I thought they squandered it instead of purchasing the stock and influence they’d use to ruin the Bennetts. It wasn’t real. It was a trick. A distraction. I expected a knife or gun in Darius’s hand. I flinched away. He handed me a pen. Any agreement with Darius was signed in more blood than ink. Nothing he offered came without conditions. No way was I reading the contract now, not when it was just as likely he’d attack and rape me over the scattered pages. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?” The words trembled from my lips. I pushed the folder away. “You’d never give an Atwood that much money for college genetics work.” “I’m not paying for the scribbles. I’m paying for the vision.” “And once you get it?” Darius chuckled. “My dear, we can pretend you’re a guest of this family, or I can lock you in the basement for your brothers to fuck until you were ripped, raw, and bleeding. If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead, just like your bastard father and his wretched sons.” He folded his hands. “However, your womb is worth a great deal to me, and so I am offering you a choice.” “You never gave me a choice before.” “Our original arrangement stands. You will bear a son for this family, and that child will inherit Atwood Industries.” “If you think—” “I’m presenting you with a proposition beyond that original agreement, an offer extended between two like-minded businesspeople doing what is best for their company and their lives.” “I’ll never entertain any offer from you.” “Care to view the dollar amount again? I assure you, it’s generous. As is the opportunity to work in our R&D division once the child is born and weaned off your breast.” “What?” “And once you’ve completed your education, of course. I’ll need someone to head a new Agricultural

Engineering Research and Development department. Who better to oversee your own projects than you?” “You’re kidding me.” “You are not meant to run Atwood Industries, my dear. Once my grandson is born, Atwood Industries and the Bennett Corporation will be forever linked. I am offering you a chance to do what you’ve always wanted.” Bullshit. I didn’t even know what I wanted. I never had a chance to do what I wanted. My father chose my path from a young age, forcing me into genetics and engineering. I did as I was told until his death. Then the Bennetts kidnapped me before I could even try to run my family’s company. And now this? Money and a goddamned job in their company? Why hadn’t Darius just beaten me to a bloody pulp and had his way with what remained? “Think it over, my dear. Or…speak about it with Nicholas.” His eyebrow rose. “If you’re so inclined.” Shit. I threw the papers at him. “Nicholas and you can rot in a shared grave for all I care. I’ll never sign anything over to you.” “There’s no timeframe for these negotiations, Sarah.” He gathered the contract and replaced the pages in the folder. “My office is always open to my little girl.” I wasn’t his daughter. And my real father never let me in his office. My head spun. I stood, lost in numbers and insults, fear and the cold dousing of my rage with confusion. Darius whistled, and Hamlet padded over to him. He tugged at the collar around his neck, freeing Hamlet from the leather and leash. “There we go.” Darius made no attempt to loosen my collar. “He should be allowed a bit of freedom, wouldn’t you agree?” I didn’t respond. I couldn’t think of a goddamned thing to say. Sundresses and barbecues, a small fortune and my knucklehead pet. I might have handled a beating and rape from Darius Bennett if only because I understood every moment in his presence was a war. I refused to retreat. And yet I slunk from his office just as humiliated as ever. Darius neither hurt nor threatened me, and I had no idea what to do without the familiarity of his violence. But I would learn. I’d steel myself against false generosity and his perverted games with me and my step-brothers. In less than a year, I’d own the Bennett Corporation, and I didn’t care how much of my blood spilled, my pain screamed, or my body broke. I wasn’t about to surrender to Darius Bennett. He hadn’t struck me, but I felt the blow just the same. I had underestimated him.

It would never happen again.



“What do you think of the offer?” Nicholas flipped through the contract a second time but still said nothing. He wouldn’t find anything hidden in the pages. I already scoured the agreement, but the only bewildering clause existed in the remarkably generous price for the research. I didn’t trust it. Neither did Nicholas, though he revealed only a momentary aggravation as his gaze fell to the bed. “Your dog is sleeping on my pillow.” I suppressed a giggle. “Cute.” “Does he have to sleep on the bed?” “Hamlet is eight years old. Sleeping is pretty much all he does.” “He can’t commandeer Reed’s pillow?” “Not unless you want me sleeping in Reed’s bed too.” The contract dropped to the table. Nicholas exhaled. “Hamlet can stay.” “I knew you’d be willing to negotiate.” He didn’t share my smile. Instead, he stilled, impenetrable, completely unreadable, even to the woman who fell in love with him. I spent so many days worrying about the lash of a flogger and Darius’s sadism. I forgot the most dangerous Bennett slept beside me, fastened my collar in the morning, and had his way with me at his will. Nicholas never hurt me, but I’d never forget that he was the one who chased me off the road and kidnapped me from my own property to bring me to his family’s lair. Nicholas once surveyed the world and saw every weakness he needed to exploit. But now? He had changed. He was distracted. Blinded. It had something to do with Darius, but Nicholas revealed nothing. That hidden truth would rot us from the inside out. The time for deception was over—lost when my step-brothers and I forged our alliances. But it hadn’t been that simple. Nicholas said he loved me, yet he refused to free me from the cruelty, the terror, and his bed. And now he kept more secrets. I let myself trust my step-brothers, hoping we’d be safe if we protected each other. But Nicholas Bennett could destroy that trust with a single word. I was too vulnerable, my desires and

feelings too exposed. Then again, maybe that’s what trust was. Was that why it was so hard to give? “Did he talk to you about this offer?” I asked a question that would have been foolish only days ago. Nicholas, heir to the Bennett Empire, knew everything, controlled everyone, and made every decision in strict cooperation with his father. Until now. His hesitance curdled my stomach. “No.” “Nick, please. Tell me what the hell is going on.” “I don’t know.” “Why is he doing this?” “I don’t know.” “He offered me a job.” “Sarah, I don’t know.” Nick buttoned his jacket. He wore the suit like armor, but his defenses were stripped. We hid our love, the infertility, Josmik, everything, but one slip and Darius would learn the truth. I was the chink in his armor, and Darius always aimed for the kill. I pushed the contract away. “Christ, Nick. Maybe he knows about us.” “No. Impossible.” “He hasn’t hit me. Hasn’t tried to hurt me. Now he offers me money? Hamlet?” “Sarah, he doesn’t know anything. And we’ll keep it that way.” “He’s an evil, horrible man. He doesn’t need to rape me. He’s trying to get in my head.” “And it’s working.” Nicholas’s mocha voice hardened. “You should never have met him alone.” “I’m not afraid.” “Fear will keep you safe. You aren’t a coward for avoiding him. Letting him think he’s won is the only way to save your life.” I tensed. Even Hamlet whined, yawning before burying his head under the pillows. “What aren’t you telling me?” “I have to go to the office.” I gnawed on my lip. Now was not the time to broach the subject, but it was the most conversation I had from Nicholas in days. I took a breath. “I have an idea for the takeover,” I said. “I can fix it.” “So do I, and it isn’t for you to worry about.” “Nick—” He pulled me into his arms. I hated how his embrace was exactly what I needed. Every time I faced Darius, I returned raw, shaken, and confused. Only Nicholas’s touch calmed me.

He was every breath my chest denied, every whisper lost to fear, and the guiding hand tightening the bindings over my body. I shouldn’t have loved him. I never meant to stay for him. I wanted to believe him. How could I love someone I didn’t trust? What was he hiding? “I’m going to make this right,” he said. “It’s not over. Not yet.” A kiss was our only true honesty. His love was desperate and precious, and it shielded me from the moments of pain and terror that threatened to rip us apart. The kiss warmed as much as it ordered me to obey. “I’ll take care of this, Sarah. I won’t let you get hurt.” Nicholas meant it to be a comfort before he left for the office. And it was, but comfort wouldn’t last. I wasn’t waiting to be saved anymore. Not when Darius controlled me and my mother, not when he threatened Max and Reed, and not while Nicholas risked his future to protect mine. I had my own plan, an idea so devious it would punish Darius in ways he never, ever imagined. If they’d all agree to it. Unfortunately, Nicholas Bennett would never approve a plan that gave me more power than he possessed. And so I had to go to the one Bennett who could convince his brother to sacrifice his pride to save us all. And Christ, would he love humbling Nicholas. I snuck through the estate, keeping to the shadows in my own cowardly apprehension. I hadn’t dared explore the basement since the day I nearly lost my life to Darius, when he gave me to Max for my punishment. Bruises faded, but I still trembled, even without the monster chasing me in a furious rage. The gym’s lights flicked on, and muffled rock music blasted between the jarring crash of weights against metal. Max knew I was there. His leg probably throbbed in my presence. It wasn’t the first time I brought the behemoth to his knees, but it’d be the first time I’d apologize. I heard enough stories about Maxwell Bennett, and I witnessed his strength firsthand. Max didn’t own his floggers and whips because he trained horses. He craved pain. His leg hurt him every moment of the day, and he took his relief by inflicting the same agony upon others. He punished the Bennett’s enemies and disciplined me with an eager hand. And still, his aggression was one of the few protections I had against Darius. He administered my reprimands and ensured his father didn’t touch me in anger. Just another Bennett who earned my fragile trust. Max sweated, bench-pressing an admirable amount of weight. He replaced the equipment and sat up, the hard-packed core of his abdomen clenching. Every muscle flexed, and even the tattoos striking his chest and sides in swipes of violent tribal markings tightened with a dangerous strength. Except his scarred leg. His mesh shorts revealed more secrets than any of the tattoos. Scar after scar marred his twitching, lean muscle, and not a single brush of ink touched his pale skin. A thick bruise colored his knee.

Max rarely exposed his leg. Judging by his darkened scowl, I wasn’t a welcomed guest interrupting the morning routine. “Hi.” I leaned against the doorframe. “Can I join you?” Max laughed. “You?” “I’m supposed to lightly exercise to help with the asthma.” Key word: Supposed. The doctors encouraged it, as though I hadn’t been a co-ed CEO managing funerals and union contracts, depressed mothers and my own kidnapping. “Arm or leg day, baby?” “Arms, I guess. Is that what you’re doing?” The implication insulted him. Off to a good start. Max ignored me, splashing most of his water over his head. The cascading drops teased over the impressively chiseled muscle of his chest. I took a chance. “I’m sorry about yesterday.” “It’s fine.” “Did I hurt you?” “I’m fine.” “Liar.” Too much. His gaze threatened to end more than the conversation. Max didn’t like to be teased. He demanded respect. To get him on my side for this plan, I’d have to earn that respect. “I just thought I should apologize. I didn’t mean to kick you. I panicked.” “And I said it was fine.” That was that. He stretched and selected a ridiculously heavy barbell to lift with one hand. He curled his bicep and did two repetitions before the silence slayed me. “Please, don’t be mad at me.” The equipment thunked onto the rack with a jarring clang. He patted the powder from his hands. “You don’t want me to be mad?” “I need a favor,” I said. “There it is.” “No, it isn’t like that.” Max perked an eyebrow. Maybe it was exactly like that, but I didn’t have time for guilt. “I’d like you to talk to Nick, to convince him to do something for me.” He shrugged. “Suck his cock. He’ll do whatever you say.” Not the plan I had. “I’m need more help than that.” “Well, I’m not sucking him off.” “Max, be serious.” “You don’t understand anything about the Bennetts, do you, baby?” “Nick respects you.”

Max rubbed his face with a towel and scowled. I stood my ground. I wasn’t brave; I simply faced the one Bennett I could outrun. “I’m the second-born.” Max towered over me. “Nick doesn’t respect me. He controls me.” “That’s not true.” “Always has, always will. It’s the way Dad raised us.” “But can’t you—” “Baby, Nick can oppose Dad, but one word from me? He’d rather a dead son than a crippled one.” I had no way to comfort a man who was worth more to his father dead than alive. We all had our reasons for hating Darius. At least it unified us. “I have a plan,” I said. “If you promise to help, we can stop Darius. We can save your life and prevent him from—” “From what?” Max grinned. “Your life is already over, or don’t you get that?” “And here I thought we were trying to be optimistic.” “You’ve been kidnapped. We made you drop out of school and every one of your social circles. Nick forced you into a leave of absence from your company. I don’t care what he told you. You will never get the power back, not after you promised Atwood Industries to an unborn, imaginary child.” He paused. “And if by some miracle we knock you up? You really think you can finish college and run a company if you’re nursing some brat?” I didn’t let him intimidate me. “Then you see why I need your help.” “Yeah. Life’s a bitch when you have no other options.” “Stop it, Max. I’m asking as a friend.” “I’m not your friend.” “Then I’m asking as your step-sister.” Now he sneered. “Spread your legs and ask me again, sis.” “Max—” “Run along, baby. Go sweet-talk Nick and get Reed to drool over you. You don’t want me involved.” “Nick won’t listen to Reed. You’re the only one who can get in his head.” “That doesn’t mean I’m the one who’ll help.” “It means you’re the only one who can.” I stepped closer. “I know you try to make yourself into some kind of monster, but I’m not afraid of you, Max.” “You will be, one day.” “Don’t say that.” His aggravation faded, but the darkness remained, layering his voice in threat and…something else. Something that prickled me with goosebumps. Remorse. “One day…you’re gonna hate me,” he said. “The things I’ve done, the punishments I give?” “It’s not true. You do it to protect me.”

“One too many lashes, and it’ll happen. I’ll break you.” The thought broke only my heart. “Max, I trust you.” “You shouldn’t.” “I’ll never hate you.” “Don’t make promises.” He was never gentle, but he tugged on the collar around my neck as though it were a caress to my cheek. “I can apologize for everything, but you’ll eventually realize my words are worthless. You will hate me, and I won’t try to convince you otherwise.” “What are you talking about?” I didn’t fight as he drew me closer. I lost myself in his unforgiving muscle. “Max, I can handle anything you give. I’m stronger than I look.” “I’m not going to be the man who tests you.” “You already have, and I’ve survived it.” I bit my lip. “I’ll prove it.” “You have nothing to prove.” “I want to apologize for hurting you,” I said. “Let me earn your forgiveness.” “Nothing to earn, baby.” “I’m offering.” My pulse leapt as Max leaned in, his scent a masculine tang of sweat mixed with leather and spice. “Don’t tempt me, Sarah.” His words layered in threat and heat. “I’ll only warn you once. If you want to get hurt, I’ll hurt you. Nothing would piss off Nick more than sending you to him with a pussy full of seed and lashes on your back.” Something primal existed between my step-brothers, a competition I didn’t understand. I belonged to Nicholas, but that didn’t mean Max wouldn’t take his pleasure at the expense of his brother. He tossed his towel away. Max yanked my dress over my head. I shuddered, suddenly trapped within his clutches. He pulled me to a piece of exercise equipment with too many benches, straps, and weights for me to figure out. He stretched my arms up and wrapped my hands over a support bar built into the equipment for chin-ups. “You don’t move your hands.” I arched an eyebrow and released my hold. Max’s slap struck my breasts. The lacy bra protected me from the harsh strike, which only annoyed him. He wrenched the bra away and tore my panties down. “Uh-oh.” I returned my hands to the bar. “I warned you.” He kissed my shoulder only to rock me with a harsh bite. “You’d think a girl in your condition would listen.” “I don’t have a condition.” “Not yet.” “Not ever.” “We’ll see.” Max bit again. I winced, but he liked that. “Always resented Nick’s orders, but, baby, this is one command I am eager to obey.” Goose bumps prickled me as the gym’s cool air brushed my flushing skin. He followed the trail over

my arms. Max’s hands were seldom gentle, yet I leaned into his grip. Growing up, I imagined soft kisses and tender touches and all the romance of the books and movies. I never once hoped I’d be trapped and bound, taken and shared. And I never thought I’d be at the mercy of my step-brothers and their lust. It wasn’t about following orders or tasting something forbidden. They all desired the same thing. To conquer me. The Velcro wasn’t a good sign. Max strapped my hands to the bar over my head. “Restraints in a gym?” I whispered. He shifted behind me. His stare tickled like a caress against my curves. “Wrist wraps, for lifting.” “Oh.” “You wandered into a perfect playroom, baby.” That I did, and I wasn’t sure if I regretted it yet. I squirmed. Max looped my leash over the bar, forcing my chin higher. He admired his work. “You make a beautiful captive.” “Do you really consider me a prisoner?” “You really want an honest answer?” He pressed against me. His hardened cock throbbed, aching for a promised release. “Nick’s not here to save you.” “I don’t need to be saved.” “You sure about that?” Yes. He wouldn’t save me anyway. Nicholas was too obsessed with securing my safety. He’d impregnate me any way he could, even if it meant using his brothers. Even if it meant breaking me to conquer everyone else. Max demanded my submission with a sharp spank. But Nicholas? How could I deny a man who twisted my hatred into passion and healed me with undeniable love? He ruled me, just as he’d rule over the Bennetts, the Atwoods, and all the world if he so chose. And, as a symbol of his control, he gave me to others. A taste, he called it. Maybe he meant to create an heir to steal my company. Maybe he thought it was the only way to save me. But I understood him now. Nicholas offered me because he liked it. He savored the power he held over his brothers—not only in his orders to take me, but in their borrowed indulgences. Nicholas was proud to pull me from beneath them and return me to his bed under his authority. No matter what they did, his brothers were left with only the memory of my skin against theirs. And Max played into his hands, either willingly or because he had no other choice. Not that it mattered when he had a naked woman bound for his entertainment. Max parted from me to retrieve an item I’d either love or hate. How cruel did he plan to be today? “Jump rope.” He tucked the wooden handle under my chin. The rope tightened in his fists, the beaded,

plastic kind I remembered from when I was a kid. “Hate these things.” The last time I tangled in jump rope, I fell and chipped a baby tooth. Josiah and Mike thought it was hysterical. “I’m not a fan either,” I said. “It’s hard on my leg.” Max positioned behind me. “I do it anyway.” “Why?” “Gotta have pain to see improvement.” That wasn’t it. I knew better. “You mean, you punish yourself because you’re in pain,” I said. The rope whistled through the air before it struck, and the dozens of beads connected with my back in a sharp, blinding crack. I surged forward, but the restraints trapped me. I shrieked. Max loved the sound. Served me right. I shouldn’t have pried into his head. But that didn’t mean I’d stop. “Easy, baby,” Max whispered. “We’re just getting started.” “I can take it. Can you?” “I told you not to tempt me.” “Answer my question,” I said. “All this work, it’s not just exercise.” The jump rope whipped as unforgiving as any belt. The snap of the beads scared me more than the sting, but I lurched forward as the rope sliced harsh against the tender flesh of my hips. The bruises that faded would be replaced. My pale skin no longer freckled with the dusting of innocence, but flushed against the constant threat of punishment, humiliation, and sadism. Max dug his fingers into the welts where the rope kissed. “Why else would I exercise? If you’re calling me vain…you might be right.” “It’s not vanity.” “You don’t think I look good?” He fisted my hair. “Baby, you just voluntarily offered your ass to get whipped. Don’t lie. You fucking love how strong I am.” The lick of the jump rope couldn’t compare to the threat of his hands. Nothing stilled me as effectively as his grip over my neck. I warmed in ways I shouldn’t have warmed, but I stopped trying to understand why every raw sensation blended delight with confusion. Pain was just another form of lust. I arched just to feel Max’s hardness. “Speak for yourself. You love how helpless I am.” “What’s not to love? Arms bound. Back welted. Pussy fucking wet as sin.” He hadn’t touched me, but only because there was no need. I felt the slickness on my thighs. After my kidnapping, I became an entirely different woman from the little girl struggling to uphold the Atwood name. I was braver than I thought I could be, putting my body on the line to learn the dark secrets that revealed the limits between pleasure and pain, alliances and enemies, life and death. I liked the new me.

But I didn’t trust how much she was willing to sacrifice. “You like doing this to me,” I said. “You like causing another pain.” Max struck me again. Harder. Almost vicious with the intent to earn my squeal. He didn’t scare me. I twisted against the restraints. “You’re as much a masochist as I am.” Another blow. Wasn’t enough to stop me. “You punish yourself with all these exercises. The jump rope. The leg days.” Max hesitated before the next hit. I thought he’d stop. He only aimed higher, lashing between my shoulder blades. I blinked tears, but the pain dissipated into a thousand shivers that centered too deep and too intense within me. “You hate your injury, but not because it hurts you. You hate having to prove your worth to your family. You call yourself crippled, because you don’t know what else to be.” Max swore. The rope beat quicker now. One, two, three painful strikes that instantly welted my back, my shoulders, and down to the curve of my hips. I gritted my teeth, but I didn’t hide it. Not my tears or the quick, searing, aching demand that coiled me in trembling anticipation for something more than unrepentant blows. It was hard to talk, but he couldn’t silence me. Even if he tried to. “You became a monster and adopted the violence. You embraced pain because it was a part of you, and you could use it to make yourself useful to the family.” I tensed for the worst of the whipping. “You’re second-born, Max. That’s what really crippled you. Your injury just brought it to life.” “I’d be careful if I were you.” I didn’t recognize his voice. My breathing hitched with pain and adrenaline. “You don’t want to be part of the Bennett family, and you don’t want this life. You don’t want to fuck me. You’re doing it because you have to.” “That’s where you’re wrong.” I screamed over the last strike of the jump rope. It clattered to the ground. Max ripped the restraints off my wrists only to toss me face down over the exercise bench. “I always want to fuck you, Sarah Atwood. I’ll send you back to Nick’s bed with more than fucking bruises on your skin.” “You think you’ll get me pregnant?” “Fucking hell, baby, I wouldn’t deserve it, but I’ll die trying.” Max shoved my head low on the bench. His shorts tossed away, and the thickness between his legs pushed against my slit, threatening me with the sheer size of his raging cock. He didn’t prepare me, but the pain he caused was as much an aphrodisiac as Nicholas’s caramel voice or Reed’s loving tongue. “You’re going to regret every fucking word.” His cock impaled me in a single, brutal thrust, far harder than Nicholas ever took me and deeper than Reed had explored. My whimper didn’t slow him. Max knew he didn’t hurt me. Despite the ropes and bindings, threats and tugged hair, the cock invading my core twisted fear into delight. He split through me, claiming my heat and

dragging both us down into a world of shadow, sin, and pain. I collapsed immediately, his weight crushing me with the forced stroke into my tightness. I shuddered through every frantic thrust of his cock. My breasts ground against the bench, and each slap of our sweatsoaked skin dizzied me with his ferocity. “You aren’t doing this to protect me,” I gasped. “You’re trying to prove a point.” “That I can knock you up?” Max arched me so he could seize my breast. He curled his cruel fingers over my nipple and squeezed for my squeal. “Yeah. That’s a pretty good point.” “No. You’re still proving your worth. You’re not breeding me to save your family. You’ll come inside me so you can save yourself.” His thrusts quickened, too hard and too fast and forcing my silence in the swelling heat. His grip punished me. He slammed my body against his hips, and every slice of his cock erupted a growing tension within me. The pressure ached more than any of his strikes against my bruised skin. His hands trembled. I clutched his arms. “You’re as trapped in this estate as I am, Maxwell Bennett.” Max roared. He thrusted as deeply as he could, and we crested together. Not because we willed it, and not because we wanted it. I came because I had won. He came because I understood. My body rolled in violent shudders, crying out against the surge of warmth flooding my core. Max groaned, thrusting again and again, forcing me through intensity, pleasure, and pain. I collapsed against the bench with a whimper. Max didn’t rest with me. He didn’t caress me, whisper sexy words, or hold me against his warmth like Nicholas. He ripped from my shaking body and escaped from the truth. I’d said too much. He tugged his shorts over his hard, raging, glistening cock. I didn’t move. After a minute, he rested a hand against my shoulder. “You okay?” The first gentle touch he ever offered me, and he accidentally pressed a painful welt. “I’m good.” He picked me up before I was ready and sat me on the edge of the bench. Nicholas usually kept me still, flat, and stuffed with his seed. Max didn’t care. He didn’t meet my gaze either. Ashamed. I should have comforted him. I should have asked if he was okay. If I could somehow…help. I might not have loved Max, but I cared for him. Greatly. Not like a lover, and certainly not a brother, but as someone I wanted to trust. I touched his hand. He allowed it.

But, without the courage of lust, the barrier of pain, or the freedom of release, it didn’t feel right prying where I didn’t belong. I licked my lip. It’d swelled where I’d bit to survive the whipping. “I…have a plan to fix the takeover. We can still do it, but I need you to talk to Nick.” I sucked in a breath. “Will you please help me?” “Baby, I was always going to help you.” “Oh. Good then.” “No, you don’t get it.” Max stood before me, knocking my chin up to meet his gaze. The intensity hadn’t diminished, but a foreboding darkness shadowed his intentions. Christ. He was keeping secrets too. “Sarah, I will always help you. You hear me? No matter what happens now or in the future. You ask, and I’ll come running. Even…if one day you hate me. Or fear me. It doesn’t matter. I will live my life to help you.” I blushed. It wasn’t sincerity that possessed him, but sheer intensity, a desperate energy. I kissed his forehead. He didn’t pull away. “Thank you,” I said. “I have the perfect solution to end all this insanity, but you’re going to have to convince your brother. Because, believe me…there is no way Nicholas Bennett will ever agree to my plan.”



If my father didn’t kill my brother first, I’d murder Max in a cold-blooded rage. Sharp, crisscrossed welts marred Sarah’s back. The lines bruised her, whipped by the expert hand of someone who understood his strength but hadn’t wielded the restraint I expected. That I trusted from him. I tasted the fury—a vibrant copper that accompanied a new instinct, one that demanded curled fists and pain to relieve the frustration poisoning my judgment. Violence wasn’t my solution. But what solutions of mine had worked lately? Sarah sat stiffly on the couch, edging away from the cushion. Reed peeked at her shoulders before she could chase him off. “Jesus Christ,” he said. “That’s from a rope?” “A jump rope. It had those plastic beads on it…” Sarah blushed, the pink darkening to a red. “I’m fine. Really.” I wouldn’t let her defend Max’s actions. “No, you aren’t.” I promised to protect the delicate girl only to deliver her into the perversions of a savage. She argued with me, but I had no patience for her, not when I used all of my restraint to remind myself that my brother shared my blood, and; therefore, deserved a chance to explain before I personally disinherited him. Max, of course, offered no apology. I expected as much. “Should we…get her some ice?” Reed asked. I saw red. Max sighed. “I got carried away. It won’t happen again.” Sarah groaned. “I’m fine.” Christ, how badly had we manipulated the girl that she’d defend the beast who bruised and tore her skin? “Nick,” she said. “Really. I’ve been through worse.” Not the reminder I needed. Sarah unsuccessfully ordered Hamlet to sit. Reed hollered as the dog’s wagging tail pitched a glass onto the floor. Hamlet didn’t notice. He buried his head in her lap and jarred her against the couch. She winced. She hurt.

Max would feel the pain ten-fold. If I didn’t kill him first. Max and Reed weren’t discharged from the hospital yet. I took my place beside my father at my mother’s grave. The minister dusted the coffin with dirt. My father embraced his silence, steadfast, as he shook hands with those paying their respects. I mimicked him, his stillness. “You saved your brothers.” The minister patted my shoulder. “Without you, they would have perished in the crash. You are a hero, Nicholas.” I didn’t feel like a hero. Heroes didn’t cry in the cramped funeral parlor bathroom and wash away their tears with sweet cherry scented soap. I smelled it over the flowers. I hoped my father didn’t. “A special bond exists between brothers,” the minister said. “Nothing more profound in this world. They trust you with their lives, and yours with them. It is a love nothing can break, not even death.” My father returned to the hospital after the funeral. He forbade the doctors from taking Max’s mangled leg and ordered them to sedate Reed when tore at his stitches after hearing of Mom’s death He ordered me to stay and receive the condolences for my mother. I refused. Someone needed to comfort my brothers. If only because it’s what Mom would have wanted. I left Sarah with Max, and he repaid me with her pain. I didn’t let him avoid my gaze. “You will not harm her again.” Reed shouldn’t have said it. “Better Max than Dad.” “This wasn’t a punishment.” I steadied the rage in my voice. “This was his own fun.” “Nick, drop it.” Sarah sighed. “I said I’m fine.” “How am I supposed to trust her with you?” I asked. Max stretched against the couch, arms behind his head as though pleased with his work. “You might have seriously hurt her.” “I didn’t.” “You have no restraint. No control.” “She’s walking, isn’t she?” “I asked you for help.” I loathed the implication. “I allow you to touch her because I hope to spare her pain, not cause it.” “For Christ’s sake. A little whipping isn’t going to fuck with her. Not when we’re all trying to knock her up. She should be begging for a flogger instead.” Sarah’s cheeks flushed as she stood. “Enough. I’m not sitting here while you guys measure your dicks to see who fucks me the right way.” Reed grinned. “It’s me, isn’t it?” She ignored him. “Nick, even if it were possible, I don’t like the thought of conceiving just to save my

life.” Neither did I, but it was better than my father murdering her because she inherited a secret trust. A majority of the board allied with him, and I hated that I could no longer judge the number of votes I had to take the company from him. But what should have been my primary concern was lost in rage. The woman I loved was hurt by a man I trusted. And now, regardless of her pain, I’d take her to bed—not driven by jealousy, but because I needed to know that she was okay, unharmed, and safe. We lied far too easily to each other, but, in moments of passion and tangled in pleasure, everything was revealed. Everything except the corruption which infested my board of directors. Sarah didn’t know how many men beyond our family demanded her rape and breeding. And she wouldn’t learn. I loved her too much to ruin her with the evil of others. And so I’d lie to keep her safe. I’d lived an honorable life before I took Sarah Atwood, before she corrupted me with her perfection, broke me with her touch, and damned my soul with her love. If protecting her meant shredding every ounce of human decency left within me, I’d do it. But I feared it still wouldn’t be enough. “I have a plan.” Sarah announced it to the room, but Max and Reed averted their gazes. Shame…or maybe defeat. Either way it wasn’t an emotion a Bennett should have revealed. Sarah surged forward. “I know how to fix the takeover. I know what we can do to ensure you get the votes to cast your father out of the corporation.” “A plan?” I repeated. “Just…hear me out, Nick. Before you say anything.” So it’d be that kind of plan. If it involved leather jackets, my motorcycle, and stealing her out of the country, it wouldn’t work. I already tried and dismissed it as an impossibility. My father would find her, but he wouldn’t waste money dragging her back. Not when a bullet and shallow grave would end our troubles. But I obliged her. I settled into the wingback closest to the hearth. The last time I claimed a seat and watched her perform, my father ordered her to strip. She faced me with a courage I never expected, and I admired every ounce of her bravery. I decided then to take it for my own. And I did. “Your takeover?” She broached the subject with caution. “It failed. Darius still has control of the Bennett Corporation, and he probably will retain it for some time.” “It’s more complicated than that,” I said. Max dared to speak to me. “How complicated?” More than he knew. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Well, I don’t want complicated anymore,” Sarah said. “Nick, I’m inheriting Josmik in about nine months.” A magic number. “Nothing can stop it, right?” She asked. Not without killing her. I nodded. “So why are you fighting my inheritance?” Reed and Max didn’t listen to her pitch. They watched me, waited for my reaction. And then it made sense. She went to them first. And, together, they’d present their plan to me. “You no longer have a controlling portion of the Bennett Corporation,” I said. “But you have enough shares to make it…difficult, if you so choose.” “My goal isn’t to be difficult. I want the controlling interest.” “That won’t happen.” Her eyes revealed so many things she didn’t say. “It can if I’m given additional stock. If I can earn it, I can use Josmik and the purchased shares to take a majority and vote out your father.” She didn’t know how dangerous the board was. They would never sell an Atwood her shares. She had all the stock she could possibly acquire, and my father’s partners controlled the rest. “Sarah, there isn’t any more stock you can cheat, buy, or steal.” “Yes, there is,” she said. “And you’re going to give it to me.” She silenced. My brothers revealed nothing. They waited for my reaction, for my decision, as they always did. Since when did Sarah Atwood have such control over them? “I’m going to give…what to you?” I prompted. Sarah held my gaze. “Everything.” “Everything?” “I will buy your complete portion of the Bennett Corporation. Reed and Max already agreed to sell me theirs, but you hold the largest percentage. With your stock and Josiah and Mike’s collected shares, I’ll have my controlling interest. I will own everything.” My voice lowered. “You want me to give you…” My entire life. My fortune. My empire. My future. Absolutely not. “Sarah, this isn’t a game,” I warned. “I never said it was.” “You don’t realize what you’re asking.”

“I’m asking to combine our power. I understand the risks, but this will work, Nick. It’s our only chance.” “You are jeopardizing the stability of both our companies. This is stock for a corporation worth billions.” “I know.” “Do you understand what would happen to the Bennett name if an Atwood seized control of our family company?” Sarah bristled. “Yeah, I do. About the same thing that would happen if I waddled onto an Atwood farm eight months pregnant with a Bennett’s bastard heir.” Damn. I wasn’t ready to admit that concession. Reed’s sigh was heavy. “Nick, dude, this the best idea I’ve heard since you tossed her naked over a desk.” I anticipated him siding with her. Reed had already pledged his stock. He’d surrender his name and carve out the genes he shared with our father too, but that didn’t make it a good idea. It just proved Sarah wasn’t the only one in danger. My father already threatened Max and Reed for refusing to harm Sarah. If he knew they allied with her? That they offered their birthrights to an Atwood? I couldn’t protect everyone, and no place in the world existed where we’d escape my father. He’d spend millions to track down anyone who wronged him. I saw it firsthand, remembered the money spent and the days wasted while he tracked the man who severed the break line in my mother’s car. Killing Mark Atwood would have only drawn attention to us, pin-pointed the crime to our name, but he made an example of the one he hired. He’d do the same to my brothers without thinking twice, especially if they betrayed our family. “No.” I said it gently, but it struck Sarah harder than any of the welts on her body. “No?” She shook her head. “You don’t understand the plan.” “I understand it.” “Then why?” Max frowned. “We can’t risk it anymore, Nick. Dad’s not going to stop until she’s knocked up or dead. Who the hell knows what he’ll do next, or what he’s told the board about your takeover attempt.” A valid concern. “This is too dangerous. Why risk her life? He’ll kill her before the contracts are signed.” “That’s not true,” Sarah said. “This is the cleanest, safest, best solution we have. Why oppose Josmik if you can use it to your advantage?” “And what advantage is that?” I asked. “Think of the money lost between the stock transfers—” “Oh, please. This isn’t about the money. You have the money. Don’t pretend you’d mourn the loss of a couple million dollars when this plan would guarantee you control of your entire company.” “Would it?” She hesitated. Max and Reed tensed. It took only a moment for her to spark with a quick fury. Sarah shuddered, but not in our offered

pleasure or her nightmarish fear. I rarely saw her angry. That was good. The little fairy turned imp, and she seethed in solemn rage. “You don’t think I’ll give it back.” Partly. The Board would skin her alive before they let an Atwood control anything relating to the company. If the vile men lurking in my father’s shadow encouraged their future CEO to kidnap and rape an innocent girl, I imagined what they’d expect to prevent her from seizing our assets. Her words trembled. “You don’t trust me.” “Sarah.” Christ. She should have asked anything else of me. Anything. I’d kiss away her pouted lip and spare the pain she tried to hide. But not this. “You don’t think I’d return the control. That I’d…” “Destroy the Bennett empire brick-by-brick, starting with me?” I held her gaze. “Sarah, I love you. And you know I am doing everything in my power to protect you.” “Are you?” Why was it easier to love than it was to trust? I wanted Sarah Atwood. The dark fantasies I imagined of her tied to my bed, wrapped within my arms, or swelling with my child were nothing compared to my dreams of her being happy. I couldn’t risk freeing her—not with the power she wielded or the threat of my father—but I still hoped I treated her well. If not now, then eventually, once the madness ended and the takeovers cleared and… Once she conceived my son. I needed her in my possession. I had to defend her from the board. I was the only man who could stop her from harming herself. “What good is a promise with this?” I said. “This requires a contract. Signed and notarized and witnessed. Sarah, no agreement is completely secret. Someone would know, someone would tell my father, and you would be in even more danger.” I paused. She was unconvinced. “This plan will only work if you stay alive until you are given the trust.” “So keep me alive.” “Then you have to conceive.” She scowled. “Or, you could sell me your stock now and end this game with your father.” “How?” “Here’s an idea.” Her voice chilled. “Why don’t we kill Darius before he kills me?” The air thickened. Max nodded, as though he agreed, as though he’d ever dare to actually raise a hand against the man he loathed as much as he longed to impress. Reed said nothing. He’d never get his hands bloody, not when he had the courage to simply walk away, strike out on his own, and make his own life beyond our family crest. The thought burned me, but the fire suffocated with Sarah’s broken expression. The edge in her voice

wasn’t bravery. It was fear. She really didn’t trust me. I didn’t know if that was wise or an insult. “Don’t assume I haven’t considered it.” I softened my voice for her. Those wide eyes stared at me, pale and shaken. “Don’t you think that hasn’t been the first, last, and only thought for weeks?” “Then…” She crossed her arms and hugged herself. I should have been the one to hold her. “It’s our only option.” Poor girl. It was never an option. “Sarah, believe me. I planned. I thought of every possibility. It won’t work. If he dies, and it’s suspicious in any way, his will stipulates everything freezes. The money, the stock, the company. Everything.” Max rubbed his face. “If I know Dad, he’s already pointed fingers at us. We opposed him one too many times. I’m sure he knows we’ve considered it.” “And I’m the sole heir to the Bennett Corporation. Billions of dollars are at stake. The police would look to me first and foremost.” “And Reed and I would inherit our own money. We’d be just as culpable.” “He’d rather dissolve the company than reward disloyalty,” I said. “I won’t let that happen.” Reed snorted. “I don’t care about the company.” “I do,” I said. Sarah tensed. “I am not putting the company or money before you,” I hated that she even thought it. “But the Bennett Corporation is mine. I’ve worked my entire life to assume leadership, and I’m not going to endanger it, our money, our employees, anything if I’m not convinced you’ll be safe.” I paused. “And I’m not.” Max frowned. “Why? If Dad’s dead, who would fuck with her?” The four remaining members of a board I couldn’t control—and they’d show less restraint than my father. They wouldn’t care about acquiring Atwood Industries, but they’d do everything to ensure Sarah never gained a single share of the Bennett Corporation. Sarah had only hope and impetuous courage to guide her. Revealing the board’s corruption would destroy both. And God only knew what my brothers would do if they realized men they trusted their entire lives would murder them for refusing to aid my father. “I understand Dad,” I said. “I’ve spent my life learning from him, studying him, mimicking him, and I’ve come to despise everything he expects of me. Every decision I’ve made was meant to make me a better man than him. I’ve ignored his lessons and attempted to manage this family and company the way I think it should be run.” I tapped my temple. “But I know how he thinks. He is always two steps ahead. He knows we would kill him if given the opportunity.” “Then why wait?” Sarah said. “Why not just do it. You know what he tried to do to me! He’s a monster. He doesn’t deserve to live, not after what he’s put me through.” I stood, buttoning my jacket. “And that’s why your plan won’t work.”

“Why?” I brushed a hand over her cheek. She didn’t flinch away, despite the tightening of her jaw. She bit back a hundred insults to feel my touch. The desire would either safe her life or ruin her before I could help. “You want revenge. I can’t blame you. But you aren’t being rational. Vengeance isn’t clean. You’ll get hurt.” “This isn’t about revenge,” she said. I insulted her. “This is about protecting me.” “And I will.” She didn’t believe me. I didn’t believe me. Sarah held my gaze only to rip out my heart. “The only way you can protect me is if you let me go.” How many times would she force me to tighten the collar over her neck, trap her in my bed, or repeat the damning truth? She was mine. Forever. “I can’t let you go.” “No. You won’t let me go.” “You are safer with me than you are alone in the world hiding from my father.” She meant to be strong. Instead, her voice laced with hope. “Then come with me.” It was a greater impossibility. Not with my role in the company, the expectations, the possibilities I had in play that would save us all without bloodshed. “Enough, Sarah. I know you’re frustrated.” “I’m not frustrated!” Her voice rose. Hamlet galloped to her side, bumping her hand before she wound herself up. The damn dog comforted her more than me or my brothers. “I can’t live like this anymore. I won’t slink around the estate because I’m afraid of a beating. I won’t be paraded like Darius’s long-lost daughter so he can humiliate me before his partners.” It was far worse than humiliation, but I wasn’t ready to break her spirit just yet. It was easier for her to hate the Bennetts than to endure the betrayal of the outside world. At least I could protect her from that. “Sarah.” “He’s planning something. He wouldn’t offer to buy my research and bring me Hamlet and not lay a single finger on me if he didn’t have something planned.” “Nick scared him off a bit,” Reed said. “He’s not going to try anything with you again.” It didn’t comfort her. Just the opposite. “You don’t understand. I don’t care what Darius does to me…” Her eyes paled with dread and memory. “But what if he makes you guys hurt me? He’d have you beat me or starve me or…” Her words edged with the threat of panic. “We’re trapped, and as long as he’s alive, we’re never going to be free of his sadism.” She coughed. Harsh. It did nothing. She couldn’t breathe, and, suddenly, neither could I. The choking gasp frustrated her. She clawed at her neck as someone would swat away a fly, but this was no mere inconvenience. Reed moved quickly, helping me set her on the couch. Another cough.

I knelt before her and offered the inhaler as a tear stained her cheek. Not fear. Not shame. Anger and confusion and a defensive hatred. She scowled as I forced the medication in her hand. She refused. “Don’t start,” I warned. I uncapped the inhaler and threatened to push it into her mouth. “We’re on your side.” She tensed but reluctantly puffed. Reed kept her close, rubbing her back with a comforting hand. Max forced himself to kneel beside me, patting her knee. She tolerated us, taking her first clear breath of air with a frustrated gasp. My brothers and I let out our held breaths too. We hated the asthma as much as she, and for the same reason. The helplessness, the uncertainty. Every night she coughed in her sleep, and I woke, dreading the next time an attack stole her strength and she collapsed, helpless in my arms. Christ. If it wasn’t my father or the board, it’d be her own body. I cupped her pale cheek. “Are you okay?” She was too weakened to lie. “It’s not right that he has this control. I hate not knowing what he’ll do to me.” She was right. My pulse thudded with fury, adrenaline, and absolute sorrow. I was supposed to love this woman. Instead she cowered before me in terror. Or rage. Both were too ugly of emotions for someone so beautiful, so strong. I looked to my brothers. “She doesn’t feel safe.” Max shrugged. “None of us do.” True, but I could offer Sarah some protection, a little reassurance even in the darkness. Something she could use to give her strength. “She needs to have a safe word.” Reed snickered. Max didn’t. “A safe word?” Max grunted. “Nick, nothing about this family is safe, sane, or consensual.” “No, I like this idea,” Reed said. “If we all want to trust each other and pretend this family is halfway functional, she should have an escape.” “Don’t you think Dad will get suspicious if she screams out a word and I stop beating her ass?” Reed shrugged. “So she says the word, and you flip her over. Flog her stomach instead of her ass. Or shove her down and make her blow you instead.” Sarah flinched. Her soft words were meant to call Hamlet to her side. A cover for her trembling hands. “This will give her some control over what happens. If something overwhelms her, she should have an escape, even if we can’t stop it altogether.” “You understand what we’re saying, baby?” Max asked. “Yeah.” She pocketed the inhaler. “I guess.”

I loathed the thought of her so frightened or hurt that she’d scream for mercy, but if it helped her, calmed her even a little around my father, it was worth it. She let me take her hand. “Listen to me, Sarah,” I said. “The phrase can’t raise suspicion. My father must not realize we’ve allied together.” “Okay.” “If you’re overwhelmed or frightened…” Only one phrase would delight my father as much as her pain. “You will scream out I hate you.” She pushed me away. “I would never say that to you, Nick.” A relief. “My father doesn’t know that. He expects it.” “Darius can rot in hell.” She stood and immediately coughed. I didn’t have to move. Max and Reed pushed her onto the couch. Max kept her still, Reed gave her his water. We offered her comfort she didn’t want and options that did nothing to truly save her. She’d fight me on the safe word if for no other reason than she’d hate to use it. She’d never voluntarily admit her fear or beg for mercy. Was I so different? Her takeover, led by the stock she inherited, was her real safe word. And a viable one, even if my gut told me trusting an Atwood, even my Sarah, would only end in ruin. But we had no other options. Sarah suffered an asthma attack simply thinking of my father. I wasn’t going to risk her health because of my pride. “Sarah.” I ignored the churning of my stomach as I made the promise. “I’ll sell you my stock.” She puffed with excitement. I stopped her before she spoke. “But it doesn’t happen now. For any of us.” I nodded to my brothers. “Call it a fail-safe. If we have no other options when the trust is awarded to her, then we’ll sell, and she’ll take control.” “Nick, thank you!” She hugged me. “I promise. This will work.” I lived for her touch, but I pushed her down, forcing her to listen. “We don’t move on it now.” Her eyebrow rose. I wasn’t fighting her on this. “We say nothing. We do nothing. No money exchanges, no contracts are written. The day you are awarded your trust is the day I give you my stock, but not a moment before, or I won’t be able to protect you.” “Once I’m in control I won’t need to be protected anymore. We’ll win this, Nick.” I wasn’t about to deny her hope. But I was prepared to lose everything if Sarah Atwood’s vengeance extended beyond my father? No. But I didn’t have a choice. I wanted to trust the woman I loved as badly as she wanted to trust me. But we weren’t fools. We didn’t say it, but we felt it. In every breath, in every promise, in every kiss, we waited to see who would betray the other first. And I knew it would be me.





Reed rifled through the mini-fridge. He jiggled a bottle of water at me. “No.” I snuggled into the leather chair with my blanket. Hamlet’s wagging tail beat at my feet. “I hate you.” “O-kay.” He held up a small carton of orange juice. “This?” “Nope. Hate you.” He flashed a can of pineapple instead. “This?” “Hate you.” The dimple disappeared as he slammed the mini-fridge shut. He tossed me a soda and knocked the blanket over my head. “Safe word doesn’t apply to beverage choices.” Max grumbled from the DVD player. “Or the movie selection.” I shrugged. “I’m just practicing.” Nicholas ended his call. I smirked as he plucked me from my chair and settled me onto his lap. “You want to practice using your safe word, Ms. Atwood?” His voice dripped sin like melting wax. Every drop stung me more than the last. “That can be arranged.” Nothing good would come from his threat. Nicholas captured me, bound me, and held me as his hostage. I had no defenses against the warmth of his fingers or the spiced sharpness of his scent. And he knew it. Trusting him wasn’t my greatest weakness, it was the power I offered him, the submission he desired, and how easily my body responded to the simple closeness of resting in his arms. Like any other lover. Girlfriend. Prisoner. Heiress. I liked the sound of that. Nicholas’s phone chimed. I grabbed it before he did, flipping through the alert. “Nick?” I flashed the screen at him. “Why does this app think you’re ovulating?” Reed snickered. “So that’s what we’ve been doing wrong.” I thumbed through the brightly colored program, decorated with daisies and pastel greens and more information about my body than I felt comfortable having in my own head, let alone someone else’s iPhone.

The happy little app dinged with the word the Bennetts loved more than any other. Fertile. Nicholas took his phone. He held me tighter against him, like he thought I’d try to leap away. I debated it. The past couple days suddenly made much more sense. My step-brothers hadn’t touched me, not even Nicholas. Now I knew why. They were…saving up. Oh, Christ. I should have been insulted. I should have lectured them or fought them or did something to shame them for their perversions. But it was better to let them hope. They could track me on a calendar or hold me down to fuck day after day, but the Bennetts would never get their heir. I wished I had the courage to reveal everything to Darius, and not just the infertility. The stock. Josmik. How I earned Reed and Max’s alliances and wedged myself within Nicholas’s heart. Darius tried to steal my family and its fortune, but he played his full hand and exhausted everything he could do to me. I won. And if Nicholas wanted to ravish me in nightly delights for a lost cause, all the better. His attentions shielded me from the nightmares and the insult of my kidnapping, abandonment of my company, and nights in a strange bed. Not that Nicholas’s bed felt strange anymore—only returning to it with welts on my back and the touch of another man seemed bizarre. Then again, Nicholas eagerly reminded me where I rightfully belonged. I did enjoy his lessons, even if they were programmed into an alert on his phone. “What are you planning?” I bit my lip. “Should I be worried?” His voice promised more than he revealed. “Just what do you think is about to happen, Ms. Atwood?” I had a good imagination. I arched an eyebrow. “Do your worst, Nicholas Bennett. I’m not afraid of you.” He brushed his lips against my neck, murmuring between heated breaths and gentle kisses. His voice rumbled everything secret inside of me. “You aren’t meant to fear me. You were made to obey me.” “I won’t do that either.” “You will. And I won’t need restraints or whippings to earn your obedience.” “What will you use?” “Nothing.” My stomach twisted, but I wasn’t sure if I welcomed the fluttering. “You’re confident.” “You’ve already surrendered to me,” he said. “And I’ll prove it.” “How?” He nipped my neck as Max sunk into the chair next to us, entirely too close for such sensual talk. The screen flickered as the movie started. Nicholas curled his arms over me. “No talking during the movie, Sarah. Bennett house rule.”

I couldn’t resist. “How would you stop me?” Max answered for him. “We’ll find something to stuff in your mouth.” I quieted, imagining the salty taste of his cock. The thought promised more fun than watching Batman for the second time in the month, but I traced an imaginary zipper over my lips. It disappointed Max. I smirked. Nicholas threatened me with obedience, yet my step-brothers expected me to misbehave. What good was submission if they waited to see how I would inevitably challenge them? Maybe I wouldn’t. Just this once. I cuddled against Nicholas’s chest, curling my fingers in the silken vest he wore under his jacket. Even at home, Nicholas preferred his slacks and dress shirt, refusing the casual shorts Reed wore or jeans like Max. It wasn’t the pajama party, sleeping bags, and popcorn I’d sneak into Josiah or Mike’s bedroom, but I could handle a quiet night under my step-brothers’ control. I thought. The movie began just as Nicholas’s hand twisted in the hem of my dress. He hesitated, as if he expected me to bat away his touch so near his brothers. But that wouldn’t be the obedient thing to do. I wouldn’t hide, even if Reed and Max happened to see the flash of my thigh and the tracing of Nicholas’s fingers. They watched more than that before. They experienced it before. Again and again. One after the other. In the wildest, most overwhelming night of my life. My pulse fluttered, but I didn’t stop his hand. Nicholas’s voice rumbled against my ear. “You know what phrase to practice saying, don’t you, Ms. Atwood? If you use it, I might take pity on you.” Pity? It didn’t matter how many times I surrendered, I had no need for a Bennett’s pity. “I’m stronger than you think.” He hummed. “What did we say about talking during the movie?” “But you—” His kiss silenced me—a nibble that demanded, conquered, and quieted. He had no right to control me so thoroughly. The graze of his lips stole my protests. His wicked tongue flicked against mine. It was not an innocent touch. His scent enthralled me. It bound me against him with the strength of chain and the gentle tickle of a feather. Spicy and masculine, sharp and clean, Nicholas was everything dark that lingered beyond the halo of a fantasy. He was once my warden, preventing my escape and responding to my every challenge with greater defiance. When I walked, he followed. When I fought, he overpowered me. When I angered, he responded in blind passion. His kiss tempted me, revealing my inexperience. I understood nothing about my body, yet I eagerly submitted to the demands of a man more experienced. Far more powerful.

How was I supposed to resist Nicholas? I had no reason not to believe him when he vowed to protect me. But that was a harder submission that parting my lips and permitting the tingling victory of his tongue against mine. I so easily loved the man, but my instincts warned me not to trust the Bennett. He palmed my thigh. I curled against him. His fingers teased, but where he intended to touch, the wetness I couldn’t deny, hid between my crossed legs and the layers of my unspoken resistance. I studied the hardened length of his jaw. Perfect. His countenance was forged for a lifetime of authority, the world of wealth, and nights of stolen passion. Each of my step-brothers possessed an unnatural appeal —Nicholas’s golden eyes and uncompromising grace, Max’s dangerous strength and thriving hunger, and Reed’s charming dimple and playboy simplicity. His hand squeezed the swell of my thigh. I squirmed in a restless struggle against the delicious thrill. I shouldn’t have been attracted to them. It was wrong to let Nicholas fondle me in front of his brothers. It was worse he let his brothers take me. My life was a series of mistakes that somehow ended in pleasure. This was another moment I wouldn’t regret. Every right decision and necessary complication and lost reward tangled within the hem of my dress, easing higher and higher with his encouraging tug. A murmur accidentally slipped from my puffy lips, eager for the return of his kiss. “Sarah, quiet.” Reed chastised with a smirk. “Watch the movie.” I didn’t dare apologize, not for my breathy whisper or my revealing sigh. Nicholas parted my thighs just enough for his hand to paw lower, exactly where I needed him to touch. Nothing compared to Nicholas’s attention. Just the barest of brushes, the slightest bump of his knuckle against my panties enraptured me more than Max’s flogger or a delicate lick of Reed’s tongue. His second stroke pressed harder. My shiver pleased him, as did my eager humiliation to arch my hips toward his tease. Once, Nicholas used ropes and bindings to touch me. Now? I willingly gave myself to a Bennett. He explored the silk of my panties with a bold possession. The material gathered to the side. The darkened theater hid my vulnerable body from my step-brothers, but the exposure still flushed my cheeks. Nicholas darted a finger against my slit. He easily slipped within my slickened folds. And growled. He was allowed to make noise, but the instant I whimpered, his gentle touch turned to pinch. I quieted only as I realized his stroking was not meant for my excitement. His attention focused on the movie and not the trembling woman tensing in his arms, silently begging for the next flick, rub, or press. Cruel. That’s what he was, and I was a fool to ever think otherwise. I shifted toward him, and Nicholas slowed his touches. I relaxed, and he began again, circling my

sensitive nub and savoring each twitch of my breath. I gripped his arms, but his pace didn’t increase or slow. He just…touched me. Heat twisted within my core, punishing me for my eager wetness. I wanted a lick. A kiss. Something big and thick that could pierce through me and silence the demanding insanity that nearly drove the whimper from my lips. I was supposed to be quiet. I was supposed to submit. Was I supposed to just let Nicholas tease me into oblivion? It was easier to be held down, forced to spread my legs under his command. I had no idea how to ask for relief, not even from the man I was foolish enough to love. He teased, and I shifted against his lap. It earned a harder rub of my clit. The sensation rocked me. I tensed and shifted again. Grinding against a Bennett. Christ, I’d have died of embarrassment if he didn’t suffocate me with heat first. The shudder rolled over me, promising a blistering end to the torment. I arched again, striking the same spot with a harder touch. I bit my lip and slid against his fingers. Nicholas hummed. He removed his hand. And pulled his phone. My nails might have sliced through his shirt had he not suddenly stood. He scooped me into his arms and unceremoniously set me in Max’s lap. “I have to answer this email,” he said. An email? Was he kidding? I raced to soothe my hair and pull my dress down. My core ached with a bitter disappointment, but the shock chased it away. Max grinned as his hands roamed where Nicholas had just abandoned. “You’re free to say the safe word, Sarah.” Nicholas said, a dashing tease in his tone. “If you feel the need to practice.” Max wasn’t as subtle as his brother. He tormented me with every aggression Nicholas expertly hid. Max didn’t tickle a path up my leg or gently guide my legs open with soft caresses or practiced demand. He ripped my panties aside and impaled me against his finger in a single, brutal thrust. My body shuddered in a war of shame and thrill, insult and lust. I struggled against his harsh strokes, but every violation of his touch layered me in the promise of instant, uncoiling shivers. Nicholas watched as I breathed a gasped plea. I bucked, eager for my sudden cresting… Max chuckled and dragged his finger out of my tightness just before my peak. Oh, God. They were toying with me! “Easy, baby.” Max pinned me as I squirmed, desperate to escape the aching torment of my stolen moment. “You’ve gotta behave first.”

Behave? I struggled, but his finger plunged within me again, stealing my strength and engulfing me in burning desperation. “You don’t get to come until Nick says you can.” No, no, no. The instructions horrified me. I blushed as though they had simply cuffed me to the wall and taken the tightness they owned. What did he mean? Permission for my own orgasm? Did he expect me to beg? To ask? How much power did Nicholas wield over me? Max thrust a second finger inside me, testing the heat and wetness and absolute foolishness that was me submitting to my step-brothers. I knew better than to offer them my body. Nicholas was right. He didn’t need the collars and leashes. I captured myself in my own confusion and secrets. My pussy clamped over Max’s fingers. He scolded me and withdrew, tasting the slickness as I panted in a pained frustration. “Of course…” Nicholas pocketed his phone, his attention returning as I suffered in Max’s sadism. “You can always practice using the safe word.” Christ. They expected it. They meant for me to beg for their mercy as they dominated my body and stole my pride in twisting delight. Absolutely not. I resisted them before, faced each of them with an unrelenting determination to protect myself, my family, and every last secret I kept. And each of them defeated me in their own way. But not this time. Not now. Nicholas demanded my submission, but he anticipated my challenge. He offered me relief…if I admitted my weakness for my step-brothers’ touches. I wouldn’t give in. If they wanted to torment me, they’d torment me. I was ready to play the game. No safe word would whisper from my lips, no matter how delicious their torture. But Max’s attention forged a new type of agony. The sensations raked me with sweat and trembles. I didn’t fight him, didn’t even whimper as his fingers forced through my tightness and sought the secret spot deep within me that buckled my courage and crippled me in his arms. I bit my lip, but Max saw through my resistance. He drove me to a breaking point, teetered me over an edge of utter damnation, and then withdrew once more.

I panted in his lap and fought the rushing heat scalding me from the inside. Max loved every moment of it. It wasn’t the sting of leather, but he reveled in any pain he caused, even if it came at the expense of my pleasure. His strength was too much. I’d never escape his grip. Again and again he buried his fingers in the most desperate part of me and punished me with the peak of my satisfaction. Then, he’d kick me into the bottomless, hopeless, frustrating pit of my own depravity with no reward. Only frustration. Only need. Max’s frantic pace shuddered my entire body in breathless paralysis. I arched, but he shifted me, cradling me against his chest only to drop me into Reed’s waiting arms. “Fuck,” I groaned. Reed winked. “Not yet.” Christ, it only got worse. Not Reed. I’d never resist Reed. He broke my every defense, cracked my hesitations, and toyed with my frustration. He pushed my legs apart and gave a playful smile. Reed pretended his attention was meant to prove his devotion. I knew the truth. He’d undo me with desire. He was a friend. He was my first ally. Hell, he was almost like a real step-brother. But Reed was still a Bennett, and his amusement was delivered in cruelty. The flick of his finger teased with softness, but even his gentleness jerked and flinched my body. I demanded more. Under Nicholas’s instruction, Reed had spent hours learning every secret of my body. He meant to take me just like Nicholas, to leave his mark within me. He’d learned how I reacted, wetted, and crested, if only so his seed had the best chance to steal what belonged to his brother. They were all lunatics. And I couldn’t stop wanting them. Reed didn’t have the patience of his brothers. His attention drove me too fast to the peak and damned me too low when I dropped without satisfaction. I fought him, gripping his wrists and gasping for breath. He laughed. “Safe word?” He pinned my arms. “Come on, Sarah. You used it for everything before. Just whisper it to me.” He glanced at his brothers. “I won’t tell anyone.” I said nothing. I asked for nothing. And Nicholas watched with a cruel enthusiasm for the moment I’d finally crack and beg for the relief he’d give. As if it wasn’t obvious. As if it hadn’t been his plan all along. The damn app revealed it. Today was their best shot at saving my life or stealing my company, whatever they pretended the reason was now.

Their games were meant to torture me, to make me eager for the moment they’d all take me, rut me, and then claim me with their seed. Nicholas watched. Max clenched his fists. Reed grunted against his own limits. And I fought my orgasm with the same base pride that controlled my step-brothers. It wasn’t about the company anymore or the inherited money or even the power promised from their success. It wasn’t about Atwood Industries or the trust damning their family. Lust consumed them, and the primal urge to dominate wouldn’t be sated with a taking of my tightness. They wanted something…more. They wanted me. They wanted my child. And each of them competed to be the man to do it, to claim me as a woman was meant to be claimed, and to rule over the others as the one who succeeded where they had failed. I was lost between each of them, a prize yet to be won. No matter the chances or my protest, regardless of what would happen, my life, my body, my very existence belonged to the men I hoped to trust. I was their pleasure. I would be their salvation. And now, I had no chance to escape. “Fuck it.” Reed didn’t know his own strength. “I’m not waiting anymore.” Thank God. His hand went to his belt. “Christ,” Max said. “Don’t you have any patience?” “None at all.” Reed was over me before I covered myself. He peeled my panties off and slapped my hands as they hid the slit between my legs. He ducked low, lapping at my wetness as I shattered into sharp anguish. I struggled, but even my sweet, gentle Reed denied me relief. He spread my thighs, prepared to seize the part of me that slickened for any kindness he’d offer. But he hesitated. Reed looked to his brother. “Nick?” My cheeks flushed too pink. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who had to ask for permission. Nicholas sat still, motionless, observing my every shudder. “She knows the safe word.” His voice would ruin me forever. “And she knows the reward if she uses it.” Reward? I groaned. Nicholas still withheld my release. I couldn’t imagine what other depraved things he’d inflict upon me. Reed leaned over my spread legs.

My step-brothers watched me before. Each of them had a taste, a moment, or even a whole night with me trapped beneath them. Reed jerked his cock, somehow ignoring his brothers’ gazes. It was easier for him. They weren’t watching his movements. They stared at the wetness between my legs, the hidden swell of my breasts beneath the delicate dress unceremoniously bundled at my navel. But they watched as Reed’s thick cock sunk within my slit. They listened as my once silent pleas mewed into a timid moan. They waited while he had his fill and I suffered in my own refusal to ask for the peak I deserved. Reed angled my hips and drove deep enough within me that I called his name. It didn’t stop him. My body burst with a fervent need, but it wasn’t a fight to surrender to my step-brothers. Each of them had already feasted on me, fucked me, earned my orgasms, and claimed me as theirs. This time? I battled myself. I wouldn’t speak the word. I wouldn’t submit to my own weakness. I wouldn’t let them control me so easily. But wasn’t that what Nicholas always intended? Either I betrayed myself or I surrendered to the rules he set, the demands he wanted, the deviancies that burned through the tatters of my innocence. Either way, he won. My fingers slipped from the ottoman, and the quiet pace of my breathing quickened. I arched. Reed withdrew, swearing with every passing second he was forced from my warmth. “Not allowed,” He winked. “Gotta ask first, Sarah.” My legs still parted for him. In the dim light cast from the projector screen, his cock glistened with my wetness. It only excited me more. He answered my cry by plunging in me. I gripped him instead, closing my eyes and fighting the waves of intensity determined to break my mind and lose me within the rampage that was his conquering of my body. My time with Reed was never measured in sensual heartbeats like with Nicholas or lashed pain with Max. It was an eager game, a race to finish if only to tease the other for taking so long. Christ, was that a mistake. I gasped against him, fighting the tension building within my core. Every thrust dizzied me with frustration. I panted his name and struggled, offered my hips and beat against his tensing forearms. “Fuck, I’m gonna come,” Reed grunted. “Say the magic word, Sarah. You can too.” Absolutely not. Or was I crazy not to? I didn’t even know anymore. I bit too hard against my lip and fought every coiling pound of my heart. Reed groaned, filling me in three quick thrusts. Heat. Too much heat.

Our bodies pressed together, and I stretched over Reed’s shuddering, thickening cock. Jet after jet of seed flooded me, and I fought the instinct to clench and join him in a shared excitement. “Way to go, champ.” Max laughed. “I’m getting you a stop-watch for Christmas.” Reed flipped his brother off as he pulled from me. “Let’s see you do better.” Uh-oh. I should have expected what was about to happen, but I hardly remembered to breathe, let alone defend myself from my step-brothers. Max accepted the challenge. I squealed as he hauled me from the ottoman and onto his lap. My fingers dug into his t-shirt, but my timid tugs weren’t enough to deter him. He bundled my hair in his hand. “You gonna say the words?” He jerked my head. “Come on, baby. Just whisper them to me.” I stayed silent. He grinned. “I was hoping you wouldn’t.” He freed his hard cock from his jeans. My stilled. “But…Reed just…” “I don’t’ care?” Max’s words bit with lusted threat. “I’m gonna fuck you till you scream that safe word, baby.” Oh, God. I didn’t doubt him. I searched for Nicholas. The bastard sat motionless, savoring a glass of red wine. His nod gave his brother permission to proceed. The torment wouldn’t end. But the pleasure waited only for my word to begin. Nicholas didn’t raise a hand to punish me. I did it to myself. I squeezed Max’s shoulders, fighting my desperation. He straddled me over his lap. I held on tight. It didn’t prepare me. Nothing ever prepared me for Max’s demands. He was built to impale, to crush, to dominate and hurt and force. And yet, I collapsed against his chest, moaning a quiet fatigue into the hollow of his shoulder. His cock slid easily within me, slickened with the heat left by Reed. The seed slammed ever deeper into me thanks to his brother’s furious thrust. Max gripped my hips with a brute strength and a profane grunt. “Hold on, baby,” he said. “You’re gonna enjoy this.” He stole my balance, my breath, my every thought. He hauled me to the tip of his cock, the angry and swollen head that aimed for the deepest and most sensitive part of me. I whimpered as he slammed me down just to hear my moan. The grinding of his hips forced his length deeper, harder. A complete invasion of everything I was. I stretched over him and ached against the denied release. In any other time, any other moment, any other fantasy, I would have surrendered immediately, collapsed in his arms, and offered every last bit of my tightness. Now?

I held my breath as he lifted my hips just to torture me once more. Another pummeled strike. Another aching groan lost in sudden assault and denial. My thighs slickened with Reed’s seed and my own arousal, rendering me a humiliating mess of use and desire. Max laughed, impaling me onto his growing cock and watching as I shuddered with every invading thrust. He’d break me apart before he emptied within me. Or maybe that was his goal? And mine. God, I wanted to come. I struggled within his aggression. Taken once and marked only to be stolen and fucked again. The air thickened with a primal determination, a masculine craving to control not just the whimpering woman bouncing upon a thickness too big and rough to oppose, but to conquer those who would dare to challenge their hold over me. Three men. Three frustrations. Three instinctual urges to rut, seed, and claim. And I lost myself within my own agony—the fading line between pride and surrender, instinct and protection, sensuality and arrogance. The fizzling, heated, painful longing rent my muscles in sheer pain to release. I’d never denied myself before, never thought my step-brothers would deny me. The words were a dark temptation. Just a peep. A whisper. They listened for it. They played me and rutted me and tortured me to earn that moment of satisfaction when my body collapsed, my mind broke, and my will shattered to their own obsessions. But maybe… I arched. What if I didn’t say it? What if I teased and just took what they had denied? What would they do? Max’s cock slammed into me once more. I willed him deeper, harder, fuller… The crack against my behind fractured my reverie, but the blinding pain of the spank only heightened the cruel invasion and endless sensations. I clenched. “No, you don’t!” Max hauled me off his lap and tossed me onto the chair. So. Close. He loomed over my spread legs. “Naughty fucking slut.” Slut. The slur might have insulted me if I hadn’t squirmed on the leather, soaked in my own slickness and the seed of a man who had already taken what he wanted. Max tugged my legs to the edge of the chair,

spreading me in ways that exposed the swollen, silken puff of my slit. He fisted his cock as I tried to escape, to breathe. Max slapped my thigh. I went still. “You know the words. You’re not getting off that easy.” Christ, I wasn’t getting off at all. And now? I was getting a punishment. He leaned over me, raging cock in hand. I bolted. He moved faster, determined to impale me with what I had almost taken in my fevered madness. A reprimand for assuming I could challenge him, oppose him, defeat him… The slice of his cock almost broke me in half. Max pounded my slit, his fists gripping the back of the chair as his fury drove his motions. My legs spread, and he trapped me under the force of his body again and again. The air squeezed from my chest and the courage from my trembling form. I whimpered, fighting his power over me and the quaking demand of my core to accept his violation. Deeper. Harder. Faster. I turned my head, and it was my greatest mistake yet. Nicholas watched every stroke, every tightening of my body, every second another man—his own brother—thrust within me. My struggle didn’t move him. He ignored my pleas. Nicholas merely waited for the moment to grant me permission to come and sate my exhausted body. He wanted this for me. His brothers weren’t a threat to him. He didn’t dread offering me to them or watching me fight my own need for two other men. Nicholas wielded an absolute control over each of us, and that power excited him more than money, success, or the empire he might have built from the claiming of my body. Christ, how was I supposed to oppose him? How was I supposed to survive this? I had to trust him. Falling in love with Nicholas Bennett was my only defense against his limitless power. Max roared, his strikes too hard and fast for anything but his own excitement. He seized my hips and held me in place, slamming his cock deep inside. For the second time, masculine heat filled me. For the second time, I panted in sheer frustration and madness. I didn’t have the strength to fight anymore. Especially as Nicholas rose to take his turn. “I’m impressed, Ms. Atwood.” He unbuttoned his cufflinks only to roll the sleeves of his dress shirt to his elbows. I read every secret in the golden flare of his eyes—a brightness so righteous I believed I was the villain for opposing him and not the victim of a cruel game with crueler expectations. “Stronger than you thought?” My voice weakened in his shadow. He tilted his head, his finger pressed to his lips. “No speaking, Ms. Atwood, not unless I give you

permission.” More restrictions. More rules. More insanity. My body ached everywhere—my head, my chest, the pounded and neglected pussy that coated with seed and yet still demanded more. He pointed to the ottoman at his feet. I don’t know why I did it. I don’t know why I surrendered. But I gave into him. And my reward? Nicholas peeled the dress from my body. He dropped me, naked and trembling, onto my knees upon the ottoman. I exposed everything to him and offered my step-brothers the vision of my surrendered form waiting for the next man, the final man, to claim me as his own. Only this time, it wasn’t just a game. It wasn’t a quick thrill or practiced sadism. Nicholas permitted his brothers to take me, but I belonged only to him. And he would prove his dominance. I held my breath, but the heat of his swollen cock pressing against my abused slit was every relief I demanded, every reassurance my body craved, and every pleasure I denied to myself. I gripped the leather. Nicholas chuckled. His thrust would end me. A blitz of sensation rampaged through my tender core. Harsh and soft, pleasing and painful, demanding and loving. I was lost before he started. He possessed me. He owned me. He stole me. I hadn’t the strength to fight him. No way to resist the invasion of his cock. No reason to not accept every gifted inch of his devotion. I shuddered, but Nicholas didn’t hurt me. He didn’t tease me. His hands gently caressed my curves, savoring the surrendered shivers and delicate secrets so helpless under his hold. His movements stirred too deep in me. The emotion stole my thoughts, layering me in a whimpering helplessness for his touch, his embrace, his whispered promises. The velvet cadence of his words guided me from one shudder to the next, comforting me as his thrusts increased and his demands nearly broke the last of my resistance. “Don’t give in now, Sarah.” His arms wrapped over me, arching me to him as his cock buried completely within my aching slit. “You’re so close.” “Can’t…” “Yes, you can.” His teeth nipped my neck. “Wait for me.” “So…close…” “I want to hear you say it.” Even if I had the strength to speak a safe word, the last phrase I’d ever utter within Nicholas’s arms

was something so dreadful. Not when every moment spent tortured by his body delivered me closer to an endless, savory, mythical satisfaction I could no longer deny. I shook my head. “But…love you…” Nicholas laughed, his lips kissing my neck as his thrusts pounded me with demanding, unyielding instinct. “You’re right.” He gripped me tighter. “I don’t like the safe word either.” “But...please….” “I do like please, but you can do better than that.” His words weighed with a strict, undeniable command. They tortured with darkness and savored with permissions for me to repeat. “Come with me.” “Oh, God, yes.” Easily. Eagerly. Desperately. But I should have expected a challenge from Nicholas Bennett. “Tell me where you want me to come.” And there it was. I stiffened. Reed and Max smirked, but nothing about Nicholas’s tone shared their amusement. He wanted to hear it. He wanted to feel it. He wanted me to think about the alert on his app and the implications and the risk involved with offering myself so bare and vulnerable and unprotected against all three of my step-brothers. It was a wicked game, and it meant nothing. But the words dusted upon my lips. His thrusts beat me, driving me to a brink I didn’t know existed and a pain that seared me in an eternity of heartbeats and mind-shattering ache. I couldn’t fight it anymore. I couldn’t fight him. His cock thickened, and his breath raged within my ear. I tensed with him, bound to the same relief and weeping for a release before I collapsed in utter defeat. “Nick…” My voice trembled, ineloquent and desperate. “Nick, please…” “Say it.” Submission. Submission of my mind. Of my soul. Of my body. He wanted me in every way a man could possess, but I denied him that, every time he touched me, every time they took me. Something in his confidence rattled me. I feared saying it, almost as though it would come true, almost as though he could control a part of me I shielded from even the will of a Bennett... Need blinded me. I panted, arched, and cried his name. “Nick, please.” I deserved every last strike, every pain, every pleasure. “Come inside me!”

The words delivered us to the brink, dazzled us in pain, and lost us both within a burst of heat that crippled me from the inside out. Without Nicholas’s grip, I would have collapsed upon the ottoman or floor or dissolved into a nothingness that existed beyond my tired, spent, and broken form. I convulsed within the sudden freedom granted by the fracturing of my pride. Wave after wave, heat after heat, breath after breath. The world slowed and crumbled. Nicholas’s touch melted me, blistering with the same heat he poured within me. An eruption of warmth soothed my tormented core, but it only enhanced the daze of my submission that lost me to vision, sound, and everything that wasn’t Nicholas. I shuddered, again and again, crying his name and bursting to tears. He took me into the strength of his arms before I crumbled. I clutched the power and heat and scent and him, but still the damning waves of cresting, unending ecstasy tore my muscles and leaded my body. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t feel anything over the stillness of my heart—or maybe it was a raging, fluttering pulse that so ceaselessly beat. His kiss stole my precious air. The wracking pressure clenched everything inside me, and my slickness coated my slit and thighs with more excitement, more seed. Nicholas murmured words of affection and love and admissions I couldn’t yet return. He shattered me. His hand brushed my cheek. He put me back together. He cradled me within his lap, and I stole any bit of strength he could offer. He gave it all, holding me close as the world faded into the comforting darkness and shielded shadow. He kissed the tears away. I braved the golden stare. It saw through me, but I forced a smile anyway. Nicholas’s whisper bound me under his control. “I didn’t expect you to last.” Me either, but I’d never admit it. “You can’t break me, Nicholas Bennett.” His words promised only ravaging domination. “There’s no need. You’re already mine.” His kiss exhausted me. I fell limp in his arms, just how he had planned. I rested, granted only a moment of peace. “Damn.” Reed’s laugh was wicked. “Let’s make her do that again!”

The Bennetts often boasted of their twenty-five thousand square foot mansion. And every inch of it had trapped me like a prison. No freedom. No escape. They tucked me away and the real world carried on without me. Even worse, I measured my captivity in humiliating cycles. Three failed pregnancy tests since Nicholas kidnapped me. Three failed tests since I last drove, made a phone call, or answered my email. Three tests since I last lived like a normal person without a collar around my neck. The estate was always so quiet, like a lingering despair leeched from the walls. If I couldn’t steal the keys Nicholas’s Mercedes, Max’s Aston Marten, or Reed’s bike, the least I could do was sneak outside. A bikini packed within my dresser. I hesitated before changing into the vulnerable suit. I never used to fear being exposed. I hated it. Cowering in my bedroom only gave Darius more power over me, but it also kept me safe. Christ. It wasn’t as though I had a lock on my door anyway. Nicholas was my chain and deadbolt, but hell if I knew which side of the door he secured. “Come on, Hamlet.” I whistled for him to follow. “Time for some fresh air.” He bumbled along beside me, droopy with sleep. At least I had a bodyguard…even if he’d trip over his own feet before charging to my side. The pool was my first real test of the estate’s boundaries, and it shamed me that it took so long to make my break. I ignored the fear that prickled my spine. I wasn’t letting Darius get to me, not now that we finally had a chance to defeat him. Once I earned my trust, I’d bury Darius Bennett in stolen shares. Big talk for someone who tip-toed onto the patio so no one would hear. I shivered in the cold shadow of the estate’s Corinthian stone. The wings and windows, arches and balconies jutted against the pristine landscape. Darius built a temple of wealth and opulence without regard for the natural beauty inherent in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The gardens shielded me behind roses and grape arbors. The serene salt-water pool, licked with fountains and teased into infinity edges, circled the mansion and trickled to the garden with a clean, blue and white tile. Artificial and cold, like all things Darius. But the space was charming, and the poolside cabana offered me a lounger and radio. I turned the music on low and collapsed on the chaise with a book. The mini-bar was stocked with soda, and I tossed Hamlet a couple ice cubes. He chased after three before falling face-first into the pool. About what I expected. He crawled out and snoozed in the sunshine while I relaxed and enjoyed my book. We both flinched when Reed jogged through the garden, shouting my name.

“Sarah? Where the hell are you?” I sighed. Hamlet flipped out, bursting from the pool only to dive onto the grass and roll his way to my step-brother. “Christ, there you are.” Reed hobbled between Hamlet’s darting circles. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” I glanced around the cabana—perfectly still, quiet, and serene before he excited my dog. Reed faked throwing a ball. Hamlet stumbled into the pool and dove to find the imaginary toy. “Should I have left a note?” I asked. Reed rummaged through the mini-bar and found a beer. He chugged it despite the sun hardly reaching its prime. “Don’t pull that passive aggressive bullshit with me. Nick’s the heir. He can afford to fuck around.” I snickered. “Your panties are wound today.” “I’m supposed to be babysitting you. I answer one call, and you’re gone.” I tugged on his arm to read his watch. “I’ve been out here for like, two hours.” “Christ.” “Hell of a phone call.” “It’s a disaster. We lost the cream puffs.” I closed my book. “My God. Have you informed the president?” “They’re for the Bennett Foundation Gala, smartass. I’m trying to finalize these preparations.” He jiggled his bottle for the last few drops. “Jesus, it’s one crisis after another. The lights, the band, the food. The bakery called to cancel, said they had a fire. I told them to get in line. I’ve been putting mine out all week.” “Time to bust out the apron.” Reed didn’t look at me. “I gotta do something. They’re…kinda my mom’s thing.” I quieted. “She used to be the one managing our charity events. She had one signature dessert—these cream puffs. People would attend just to taste them. It’s pretty much the only thing of hers I tried to…replicate.” It wasn’t my place to feel guilt for her death, and yet the weight of my surname would have sunk me to the bottom of the pool. “There’s a place in Cherrywood Valley,” I said. “Josiah dated the owner for a while—Chocolate Haven. She helped…” My turn to wade through grief. “She helped with their funerals and wakes. If you give her my name, she’ll drop everything.” Reed grinned. “Look at you. Helping a Bennett.” “You’re no Bennett. You’re my Reed.” “You mean it?” “Of course.” The dimple flashed. “I wonder what you’ll call me when it’s my baby in your belly.” “You really have no tact.”

He held his hands up. “Just saying. I got a good feeling.” “Maybe next time.” The smile faded, like the sun hid behind a cloud. “Fuck, seriously?” “Took the test this morning.” I winked. “Atwood Industries is safe for another month.” “Damn it.” I flicked through my book. “Yeah, well, you tried your best. Made hay while the sun shone and whatnot.” Reed snickered. “You fucking love this.” “Don’t you?” “Yeah, but I don’t broadcast it.” “How am I broadcasting it?” He gestured over my bikini. “Exhibit Fucking A.” “Oh, come on.” “That little string thing?” Reed grinned. “You’re begging me to rip it off, bend you over, and fuck you right here.” “Wishful thinking.” “You’d love it.” I shook my head. “I’d let you love it.” Now he had my attention. The book closed. Reed charmed, though he didn’t apologize for the agonized pleasure he and his brothers forced me to endure only a few nights before. “You know me.” He leaned close, the sea-green of his eyes revealing everything. He’d be sinful if he dropped the smirk. Reed didn’t hide his excitement, not in his voice, and certainly not in the hardness testing his jeans. “I just want to give you the experience of a lifetime.” I gave him a fake pout. “But I’m not fertile anymore. Boo hoo.” “Doesn’t matter to me.” Reed offered pure temptation. “We have our orders. Fuck you, fill you, and repeat.” “It won’t do any good.” “Isn’t that the fun of it?” I didn’t answer, returning my attention to the book, but hell if I remembered a single word I read. Reed’s voice shivered every part of me protected by the tiny bikini. “Who would have thought. Little Sarah Atwood has three men under her control.” Was he serious? I tugged on my collar. “Yeah, right,” he said. “We might snap a leash on you, but we’re on our knees first before you’re bent over. You get everything out of this deal. Passion. Luxury.” I sat up. “Imprisonment. Torture. Almost raped.”

Reed frowned. “Nick.” Low blow. Like I wasn’t trying to rationalize how the hell I could love the man who held me captive. “You panicked and came looking for me after two hours.” I patted the inhaler resting at my side. “You know I can’t get very far, but you still worried about Darius’s reaction. Don’t pretend like this is a spa vacation. I’m your prisoner.” Reed tensed. I hated the look, especially as his excitement was one of the few diversions in the estate. “Then all the more reason for me to make your stay…more enjoyable.” He knocked the book from my hands before pulling me to the bottom of the chaise. I kicked, but it only spread my legs further. “What are you doing?” My scolding didn’t deter him. “Reed! We’re outside!” “You really think anyone can see you out here? Christ, Sarah, we take a helicopter to work.” Reed’s fingers dug into my bikini bottoms. I giggled and batted him away. “Trust me, we’re remote.” “Not gonna happen!” I twisted, but he grabbed my ankle. He leisurely licked along the side of my foot. The shiver knocked me to my core. “Oh, that’s not fair.” He sucked my big toe. I shuddered in a delicious thrill. “Ew, stop that.” “You don’t mean ew.” “That’s my toe.” His studied my bikini bottoms. “Well, you won’t let me get any closer.” “Not while I’m sunbathing.” “Got news for you,” Reed pointed to the cabana. “You’re not getting a lot of sun.” I sighed, pushing myself up on my elbows. “Can you keep a secret?” “No.” “Figures. I’m the only Atwood that couldn’t work the farm. My skin’s too fair. I’d turn all rosy if I get in the sun.” Reed’s devilish grin should have been a warning. “I like making you turn pink.” “Different kind of flush, Casanova.” He laughed. It pinned me like the crack of Max’s flogger or Nicholas’s golden stare. He pulled his shirt off in a fluid movement that tensed every etched muscle of his chest and abs, including the lean V that disappeared below the waistband of his jeans. “Give you a choice,” He said. “Either you let me turn you pink, or….” I followed his gaze to the pool. “You wouldn’t.” “Either way, that bathing suit is coming off.” I edged off the chaise. “Don’t you dare.” “Don’t I dare what?” I shrieked, but Reed was quicker. He dove for the strings of the bikini. I giggled and squirmed, but he

pulled me into his arms. I expected losing the garment and an hour of my life to pure teasing. He aimed me for the pool instead. “Reed, no!” I batted at him. “No, no, no!” Reed cackled. He trapped me in his hold, and we tumbled into the pool. A rush of cool water and tickling bubbles burst over me. I sputtered as Reed broke us through the surface with a wild laugh. I pushed him, but he grabbed for my bathing suit. My struggle excited him. Lately my sweet Reed loved pinning me down. Or maybe he always had. “You dunked me!” I swatted the hair from my face. “You ass.” “Who sits for two hours beside a pool and doesn’t jump in?” “Who sits outside for two minutes and then forces everyone in?” “Much more fun in here.” The water burning my nose and lungs said otherwise. I splashed him, but Reed lived to swim. He pulled me closer when I tried to doggy paddle away. His fingers roamed, exploring the goosebumps prickling my sun-kissed skin. The bikini top’s strings unraveled, and I held the material over my breasts, standing chest to chest with Reed. The temptation to brush along his smooth, tanned muscles nearly dropped my arms from the bikini. Reed’s body strengthened from waters more turbulent than the few bubbles we kicked with our dive. The trophies in is room, the newspaper articles, even the hint of his sun-bleached brown hair revealed a secret life no Bennett should have exposed. All Reed needed was a surf-board and an escape from his cream puff fiasco, and he’d be a new man. A different man. Probably a better man as much as it pained me to think it. Living in the shadow of the estate and suffering through Darius’s madness would ruin him. Darius already threatened his life. In another time, I might have considered Reed a real step-brother. I knew in my heart he was more than just a Bennett. He had…hope. A future. A way to get out of the violence that poisoned his brothers. That was if he didn’t drown me first. He dunked me under the water once more, and I had no idea if he planned to torment or fuck me. He seized the suit, but I had my freedom. I splashed away from him, hobbling to the edge of the pool. My arms covered my bared breasts as Reed hooted from the deep end, brandishing my top in a victorious fist. “Haha.” I clutched at myself and slipped from the pool. “Give it back.” “I’ll trade you. Top for the bottoms.” “Na-uh.” “Then I’ll get them myself.” I giggled as Reed hauled himself out of the pool in a burst of fluid strength. He raced at me just as Hamlet buzzed behind my feet. I tripped, and Reed scooped me into his arms. It wasn’t a rescue. I hit the water before I realized he jumped. Beneath the ripples, he grabbed my feet and poked my legs. His fingers tangled in my bottoms. I pinched his side. Hard. He backed off but didn’t release me.

Something changed. We surfaced, but his arms wrapped over me once more, entirely too tight. The air squeezed from my lungs like he meant to ring the water from me. My chest pressed hard against his, and I whined as he tangled a hand in my hair and pulled. Too hard. Much too hard for Reed. “Ouch!” He didn’t let me go. Maybe it was a test? I remembered my word. “I hate you!” He rearranged his grip, but his voice edged hard. “Shut up, slut.” My stomach pitted. Slut? This wasn’t part of the game. This wasn’t anything like my Reed. I struggled from his grasp, but the true horror lurked behind me. “I heard screaming, my dear.” Darius’s voice chilled the water into ice. “Is everything okay?” Reed was right to hold me. I clutched him tighter, pressing my bare chest hard against the safety of his body. My hair screamed against his grip, but I didn’t care. Every inch of my bared skin prickled with creeping dread. Darius had seen me nude before, he had even groped me and tried to do worse. But my pride reforged itself in the past weeks, and those damn sundresses teased me with a modesty that only left me more vulnerable when violated. My courage evaporated. The last thing I wanted was Darius Bennett staring at my exposed body. Reed sensed it. His arms covered what they could. “We’re fine. Swimming.” “Is that so?” “Just fucking around.” Darius paced the concrete, his shoes clipping the stone and drawing the attention of Hamlet. Reed turned me before Darius touched my dog. Hamlet, of course, flopped onto his side and offered his tummy. I tensed, waiting for a kick or a punch to punish my innocent pup. He only petted Hamlet, earning a wagging tail and kicking leg. “You should be more careful, Reed. Sarah might be in a delicate condition.” My fingers dug into his shoulder. Reed didn’t react. “Yeah. Sorry, Dad. We were just having some fun.” “My children should have fun. But, son, you must be careful with your baby sister. She’s just a little girl yet.” That tone. That horrid, perverted tone. I had no idea if Darius saw me as an adult woman to breed or a small child clutching for her daddy’s hand. He introduced me as his daughter, yet he offered my body to my brothers. I knew he got off on it, but I didn’t know how much. Every slimy word from his lips was meant to frighten me. And it worked.

I should have never given him that power. I should never have allowed him to think of me as his daughter. “Yeah, got it,” Reed said. “Sorry. Don’t know my own strength.” “Well, boys will be boys. Right, Sarah?” I didn’t answer. The water lapped at my body, and punishing goose bumps prowled over my bare back. The sun shone, but it wasn’t bright or warm enough to banish the demon watching, waiting, savoring. His mind rotted with sin, and in some ways, it relieved me. I knew what he wanted with me. But I should have prepared better for it. Reed too, but the day his soul anticipated such wickedness was the day I’d lose him forever. Darius claimed one of the poolside chairs. He smoothed his trousers and sat, watching us wade in the water. Reed felt my trembling, but he couldn’t hold me tight enough. Darius gentled his voice, a snake bite to just the rattle. “It’s nice to see my children getting along.” Oh no. I ignored my instinct to push from Reed and duck into the water. He had the same thought. But releasing wouldn’t prove anything. What had Darius seen? What did he assume? Had he watched us laughing together? That wasn’t such a crime. Darius ordered me to spend time with my step-brothers. Hell, he knew I recovered from my asthma attack in Max’s theater under their careful supervision. But I hadn’t laughed near them. I hadn’t let them chase me, splash me, and strip me with such a victorious grin. I hadn’t acted friendly with them. How much of my alliance with Reed did we reveal? “Reed, you must share your secret,” Darius said. “Sarah always gets so sullen with Nicholas, and she just screams bloody murder with Max.” Reed stilled. “She got tired of fighting me.” “Good.” The word grunted, like a satisfied lover taking his thrill. “I’m glad she’s obeying her brothers now. Like a proper sister.” I hoped he’d leave. I should have expected his perversion. “Sarah, there are better games for little girls and boys to play.” I shuddered. Reed drifted us away from the edge of the pool. “Dad, come on,” he said. “I got this under control.” “Son, you should enjoy your time with your sister, but…” Darius shook his head. “I can’t risk endangering her. Not when she might be in a delicate state with all that seed swimming in her tummy.” He wouldn’t have done this with Nicholas or Max. He treated Reed like a child because he hadn’t hurt me, he hadn’t wanted to hurt me. Darius didn’t trust his son to rape me, and for good reason. Without a threat against his life, Reed never would have tolerated Darius’s bullshit.

Except now? I didn’t think we had a choice. But Darius spoke of protecting me. That was new, but it didn’t mean I trusted it. I’d endure a thousand of Darius’s tortures before I submitted to what he believed was a kindness. Darius picked up a sun-warmed towel. “Come now, Sarah. Out of the water.” My nails dug into Reed’s shoulders, nearly drawing blood. Darius lost his patience after my obstinate moment. His voice lowered. “Now, Sarah, listen to your father. Out of the pool before Reed starts to play rougher.” He stared at his son. “I would hate to see him dunk you when it’s already so difficult for you to breathe.” I wasn’t going under the water, not under his order, and not when I didn’t know if he’d let me up. For all I knew, catching me laughing with Reed was enough to damn me. The Josmik trust was already too much of a liability. I wasn’t giving him any opportunity to kill me. And I wasn’t forcing Reed to hurt me. Not again. Even if I could handle it, I wouldn’t be responsible for breaking the spirit of my first friend in the Bennett Estate. I slipped from Reed’s reluctant hands and shielded my bare chest. Hamlet barked as I emerged from the pool, cautiously picking my steps. “Time to dry off, little one.” I drew only as close as I needed, hiding my breasts under my arm. I held out a hand for the towel. His lecherous grin prickled like needles over my skin. I wish I had drowned. He patted his knee, spreading his legs for me to approach, entirely too close to the hardening bulge within his trousers. He’d touch me. My chest seized tight, locked with a choked breath of a profanity I longed to speak and the scream from my nightmares I desperately hid. I could run. Dash to the house. But I knew how that ended, and so did Darius. This time, Nicholas and Max weren’t in the estate to stop him. But I had Reed. Reed wouldn’t let him rape me. The memory of the pool cue slamming against my ribs haunted me with doubt. Reed hadn’t helped me then, but he couldn’t let it happen again. I thought. I hoped. I honestly didn’t know, and that scared me more than anything Darius might have planned. It was only a towel. I’d pretend it was just a towel. My stomach heaved as I stepped within Darius’s embrace, tucked too closely to a body I still remembered pressed against mine. The towel rubbed over my back, and Darius hummed. Pleased. He wrapped the material over me tight and tugged me near. Trapped.

“There, there,” he said. “All safe and sound now. I know how rough my boys can be.” They learned from the best. The fluffy towel brushed over my arms in gentle, careful strokes that covered me in a layer of invisible grime. It wasn’t right. Not his touches. Not his apparent kindness. He got off on incest, on hurting his daughter in either affectionate fantasy or his violent desire. The towel bumbled over my curves. He tisked his tongue. “Arms down, Sarah.” No way. I wasn’t exposing myself to him again. Not after what he did. Not after what he still planned to do. Reed was too far away, and Nicholas… I wasn’t about to think of Nicholas while his father groped my trembling body. Darius gripped my arms, the force of his hands hidden within the seemingly gentle caress of the towel. I tensed. He pressed, hard. “Don’t worry, my dear.” The smile was enough of an invasion. “If you can’t depend on your father, who can you trust?” Good fucking question. His grip would break my wrist. My arms crashed to my sides, and Darius peeked inside the towel. My breasts exposed for him, flushed pink with humiliation and dripping damning droplets of water from my tightening nipples. He palmed the towel and shushed me with a lullaby threat. The material kissed over my breasts. I expected him to hurt me. Instead, he dried my arms and shoulders, neck and chest, as though I were his child pulled from a bath. That made it so much worse. “Sarah, you’ll never dry off if you’re wearing those bottoms.” The towel laced with razors and every drop of the water sharpened the blades. Reed swore from the pool. Nothing he could do now. Nothing anyone could do. Darius saw me naked before. What was left for him to discover or me to hide? I feared him, but I wouldn’t let him see it. I slipped the bottoms from my body and dropped them on his knee if only to watch a ring of dampness spread over his trousers. I braced for a slap. Darius didn’t react. It scared me more than his violence. “Good girl.” The towel lowered, slipping down to cover my exposed behind. He bundled it in his hands and, with a delicate swiftness, he rubbed over my belly. Low. Gently. Lovingly. As though he thought I was pregnant. The towel swiped, catching over my hips. I didn’t move as his deviancy buried the material in my slit.

Once. Twice. Three times was too many for an innocent drying. I didn’t let him see me flinch, but it didn’t matter. He made his point. His attention turned clinical as he finished with my legs before tightening the terrycloth over my shoulders. He stood, forcing me to look up. “All dry. Doesn’t that feel better?” I didn’t answer. “No pouting. You can play with your brother later. Understand, we have to be careful with you, Sarah, just in case you’re carrying a little Bennett in your belly.” I didn’t blink. “And if I’m not?” “Let’s think positively, my dear.” “I’m not an optimistic person.” Darius’s gaze traced over the curves hidden beneath the towel once more. “I am, Sarah. And I have no doubt you’ll give us what we want. Nothing is denied to a Bennett.” “Prepare to be disappointed.” I braced again for a slap. He did nothing. Darius had never once exacted any restraint with me, especially when I threatened his livelihood and future. He shook his head. “You’ll see,” he said. “Fight us if you must, but, within the year? I will have a dutiful daughter, a new company, and a grandchild uniting our families.” “You will have nothing but ruin. I guarantee it.” “Enough, Sarah. I won’t have you hysterical. It’s dangerous to baby.” A dozen expletives filtered in my mind, and a dozen more urges to gloat, to reveal the negative pregnancy test, to dash his hopes and exclaim the truth about Josmik and my infertility. “You have no idea what danger is,” I said. “If you did, you never would have let me roam free.” “It’s true.” Darius brushed his hand along my cheek. Pushing him away would have only dropped the towel and revealed my nudity. “I do spoil you, my dear. Forgive me, but having a new daughter is such a…” His gaze lingered to my hidden curves. “…Simple delight.” Reed hopped from the pool. Darius’s voice hardened. “Fuck her again.” He didn’t even look at me. “I don’t care if she is fertile or not, make sure she understands her place in this family.” He left us alone, but turned halfway to the house. “And, for Christ’s sake, son, don’t take her in the pool. Fuck her for conception, not your kicks.” I bundled inside the towel as Darius stalked to the mansion. I breathed easier only once Reed gathered me, hiding me within the cabana, hidden from the estate’s windows.

I collapsed on the chaise before the shudders rolled over me. Reed knelt at my feet. The green in his eyes darkened like heavy storm clouds. He angered, but it wouldn’t help. My soft and gentle Reed was worth more than all the bullets and blood in the world. “I’m sorry,” he said. “You okay?” My stomach betrayed me. I swallowed bile. “He touched me.” “I know. I couldn’t—I didn’t know what to do.” “Don’t tell Nick.” Reed grimaced. “Sarah—” “He’ll just freak if he knows Darius got…close again.” “I would have stopped him if he…” “I know.” Reed drove his fingers through his wet hair. The drops didn’t bother him. They caressed his strength, highlighting the muscles and power that were useless against anything within the goddamned estate. He swore, pushing from the ground with a grunt. “This can’t happen anymore,” he said. “I’m done.” “Done?” Reed grabbed his phone, swiping a few times before typing something with such force he nearly cracked the device in two. He paced, checking the time and counting days on his fingers. “We’ll charter a plane,” he said. “We’ll…” I blinked. “Wait, what?” “The night of the gala will be chaotic enough. We can slip out after. Take the plane, stay in Mexico for the day, then fly out from there.” “Fly?” “I’ll pull money before we go, and we’ll stop somewhere so you can access your accounts. Then we vanish. Go to Belize or Thailand or somewhere. We’ll find a nice resort.” “What the hell are you talking about?” “I’m getting you out of here, Sarah.” Reed’s voice hardened. “Like I should have done at the beginning of this nightmare.” My chest ached—a quick relief and a dreaded terror all wrapped into the same choked breath. “Are you serious?” “This isn’t going to stop. It’s only gonna get worse. He’s going to kill me unless he watches me rape you to a bloody pulp. And, Sarah, I swear, I will not hurt you.” “Don’t make promises, Reed.” “I’ll make all the goddamned promises I want. I’m getting you out of here.” “Reed, we can’t.” “Yes, we can. We’ll do it quick. No one will know.” I grabbed his hand, surprised he trembled more than me. “Think about what you’re saying.”

“You don’t know what he’ll do to you,” Reed said. “Christ, I don’t know all of what he’ll do to you. If you aren’t pregnant—” “—I’m not—” “Then we’re all gonna get fucked. But I can get us out of here.” He forced the gentleness into his words, but the dimple still reassured me. “We only gotta run for a year. We’ll go party around the world. Live it up like two billionaires should, right? Have some fun. See the sights. Be together.” My heart ached for him. My handsome, good Reed. He was a man I could have fallen for, had things been different. Had I not needed a friend. Had I not given myself to Nicholas. “Reed.” My heart broke as I whispered the truth. “I’m sorry. But I’m not in love with you.” “I’m not asking you to love me, I’m asking you to let me save you.” He kissed my hand. “Sarah, I told you before. I can be a friend or I can be your brother. Right now? I don’t care what you think of me so long as you let me help you. I can’t protect you if we’re in his shadow. But if we get out? I will make sure you’re safe.” I believed him. Reed was the only Bennett who made any goddamned sense, and yet I was still the one forcing him to hurt me. I was the one rejecting the only sane idea anyone had in the past three months. I looked away. “I can’t.” “Why the fuck not?” If I didn’t speak it, my tears would have revealed it. “Nick.” “Christ. He can take care of himself.” “So can I.” “Not now. Not in this. Not from him. God only knows what my father is planning.” Whatever it was, it wasn’t divinely inspired. I shook my head. “I will protect my company and family,” I said. “But if I’m going to protect myself, I have to end this my way. Darius hurt me. I’m going to hurt him too.” “You can’t.” “I will. I’ll take everything he has, everything he built, and I will burn it to the ground.” “You won’t be able to stop him,” Reed said. “Whatever you plan to do, whatever power you think you have? It’ll destroy you. You’re too good for all…this.” “But I can end him!” “And my motorcycle can get us to San Jose in forty minutes. We’d be out of here before anyone knew we were gone.” “What about Nick?” Reed collapsed on the chaise, wrapping an arm over me. He pulled me close. I swallowed. “Do you trust Nick?”

“Do you?” I wished I hadn’t asked myself that question every minute of every day since they first kidnapped me. Despite every pounding instinct in my mind, I nodded. “I have to.” “Now you sound like a Bennett. Blindly following the one with the most to gain.” “He also has the most to lose. The fortune. The company.” “You.” I shrugged. “It’s a risk we all have to take.” “My father will never leave you alive if he thinks the corporation is in danger.” I bit my lip, sneaking a peak at him. “It already is.” “You told Nick you’d give it back.” “I know.” Reed hesitated. “Did you tell him the truth?” I tightened the towel over my shoulders, hiding my disgusted and terrified shiver. I was violated again by a man who deserved every hell I could inflict on him. No way was I leaving the estate. The instant I ran was the instant Darius learned everything—the trust, the plans, the alliances with my step-brothers and how foolishly I fell for his heir. They’d have to reveal my infertility. And then? My step-brothers would be in danger. My mother killed. And my future? A heart-beat from fortune or pain. We had a plan. We just had to see it through. And Nick? “Nick will just have to trust me.”

I seized Sarah before she descended the stairs, hauling her into my arms and cupping a hand over her mouth. And I hated how desperately she clawed at my grip. To get away? To hold me closer? Probably both. I kicked the door open to her room and shoved her inside. My hand wrapped too tightly over her stomach, but she ceased her struggling. “You have to listen to me.” I hadn’t released her. Christ, I didn’t think I ever would. Not after what was going to happen. Not when I knew she would never come back to my arms. “Sarah,” I said. “Don’t say a word. Don’t fight. Just…listen.” Sarah rarely listened, even when it might have benefited her, even when it might have spared her pain or torment. Her bravery was more important to her than her safety. But it wasn’t to me. And in this? Once she realized what would happen today? What waited for her downstairs? She’d have to be brave, and she’d have to behave. I could promise her the world, but hiding her secrets and keeping her safe were two challenges determined to crash head-on. Her survival depended on her complete and total submission. I tried to protect her. I thought of locking her in my suite and taking her to my office, never out of my sight. In my fear, I took her night after night, even when the only benefit was pledging my devotion to her. She wouldn’t conceive, but at least we promised our love in the darkness. A love I knew I was losing. I owned her heart on borrowed time. And I would break it if only to ensure it continued beating. I’d thought I’d have everything. Both empires. My fortune. Sarah at my side. I was supposed to be the future of the family. Instead, I threatened our very stability. The empire didn’t unravel—it collapsed. I was only beginning to collect the pieces large enough to fit it back together. I silenced Sarah’s questions with a greedy, selfish kiss. I savored the innocence that controlled my every thought, decision, and regretted mistake.

“Do you trust me?” I whispered. She hesitated. In every aspect of my life, I wielded absolute authority, and the one person I expected to submit knew better than to surrender completely. “Depends.” The calmness shattered her. “Why are you scaring me?” “Because I’d rather you hate me than fear what’s about to happen.” Sarah tried to flee. I pushed her onto the bed, and I knelt before her. Her delicate frame tensed, ready for battle. I witnessed too much of her frustrations and earned too few of her smiles. It shouldn’t have been like this. “He killed my mother, didn’t he?” Sarah wavered, but she didn’t cry. At least I could ease that fear. “Your mother’s fine. I promise.” She shuddered. Her relief washed away a flood of terrible thoughts. “Then let Darius do his worst,” she said. “Don’t.” I took her hand. “You can be as brave as you like to march around the house, but you don’t have to be that way with me.” “What way?” “Like you have no one to protect you.” She looked away as I drew her fingers to my lips. “Nick, I can handle myself.” But she couldn’t. Not for much longer. And that’s why I made the decision. “I need you to trust me. If we can get through this, everything will change.” “Get through what?” Not yet. “I found a clause in the trust. One we overlooked.” Sarah groaned. “I’m really starting to hate these clauses.” I kissed her hand again. It didn’t relieve her. I didn’t expect as much. But the opportunity would make up for it. “The trust is set to award on your twenty-first birthday,” I said. “I can make it happen sooner.” She sucked in a quick breath. A flicker of hope colored her cheeks. I held her gaze. “The trust can be released early if all parties agree to an amendment.” “We…change the terms?” She asked. “We’re only altering the timeline of the distribution, not the allocation of the resources. If all parties agree, there’s no reason we can’t award the trust to you before your birthday.” “How soon?” It was eagerness that endangered her, how quickly she imagined the victory without considering the complications. Then again, Sarah was young, and she was never meant to manage the legal and financial interests of her family’s holdings. She wasn’t like a Bennett. In some ways, it was a blessing. In others, Sarah was damned because she

didn’t understand how a Bennett thought, the lengths they’d go to maintain their power. “I have the consent of all parties but one,” I said. She gasped. “You’ve already started it!” I had to. The last pregnancy test offered me no other options. My father wasn’t pleased. Neither was the board. Billions of dollars rested in the infertile womb of one young woman, and only my brothers and I knew the truth. My father might have tolerated months of failure if we kept Sarah’s captivity as a family sin, but the Bennett Corporation measured success in quarters. Three months passed with no progress. And my company demanded results. “I approached the men who sold to the Josmik trust,” I said. “But the plans are not finalized yet.” Sarah stood, giggling as she twirled around me. I envied her enthusiasm. “Then we did it,” she said. “This is really it. Nick, we won!” I took her hand and guided her into my arms. “One investor hasn’t signed the amendment yet, and it requires a unanimous agreement. I need to convince Roman Wescott to sign.” Which was unlikely. Wescott was a difficult enough investor when he approved of the Bennett family’s business. After he betrayed us to Josmik, he owed me no favors. He never offered them before. And now, he refused to return my phone calls. “Roman Wescott?” She crinkled her nose. “He met with my father and brothers before. A land deal, or something with the cattle.” “I don’t doubt it.” “Then it’s perfect! If he knows the Atwoods, he’ll sign it over. I know he will.” She laughed. “Hell, I’ll throw in all the Atwood almonds to get him to sign. Then he can figure out how to water those damn trees in the middle of this drought.” “Sarah.” She snickered. “Wow. I can make a ton of improvements to the fields when I inherit a new fortune courtesy of Darius Bennett.” And there it was again. That tone. A shadow to her voice which cursed her in hatred. Sarah no longer desired freedom. She wanted only to watch my father crumble in humiliation and defeat. And that made my brothers’ promise of stock dangerous. With every passing day, every passing insult she faced from my father, she tightened the noose around our necks. Why would she return the stock when she could ruin my father’s every accomplishment? “Sarah, this is bigger than a war with my father.” She nodded, but promise of vengeance ignited her temper. It wasn’t about the money or stock or futures. She worked to defend her family and their memories. I knew just how much she would sacrifice to save what was hers. It was why I loved her. And why I had to protect her. “Sarah, we need a concession first.”

Her excitement turned to despair. For as easily as I read her, Sarah cracked through my barriers. She was the first person besides Max who ever fractured that façade. Neither of them should have wielded that power, but Sarah learned more about me in three months than Max had in a lifetime of banishment in my shadow. “What kind of concession?” She hesitated. “Nick, what the hell is going on?” “My father is waiting for you downstairs.” “Isn’t he always?” “Sarah, he also knows the trust might be awarded early.” She gnawed on her lip. She bit the puffiness more than she kissed. In another world, I would never have let it happen. She’d have no worries, no fears. Just passion and pleasure and every promise of love. “You know he wants an heir,” I said. Her voice embittered. “More than anything.” “There’s a doctor waiting downstairs with him. He’s here to administer the fertility drugs.” I prepared for a slap. She retreated instead, forsaking the distance between us. The few feet felt like miles, so far it was as though she had never once settled within my embrace. “Fertility drugs,” she said. I held her gaze. “Yes. An injection. One medication delivered in the days before ovulation, another to induce it.” “But I’m—” She whispered. “Does he know I’m infertile?” “No.” “Then why the hell would he force me to take fertility drugs? Nick, you can’t let him do this.” “He’s convinced our timing is wrong. Or that we’ve not studied your cycle correctly.” Sarah groaned. “Even if I could, there’s no guarantee I’d conceive if you took me on the right day at the right time.” I nodded. “He knows. He…doesn’t like the odds.” “Darius Bennett doesn’t like nature’s odds, so he’ll pump me full of chemicals before admitting defeat?” “Sarah—” “No way,” she said. “I’m not letting him touch me with any drugs. It’s not going to happen.” “It’s only for a short time. Until I secure that last investor.” “It’s hormones! This is dangerous!” “We only need a month or two—” “Two months?” Sarah held my gaze. “Nick, I am not doing this. What happens if I get sick? Or if they cause some sort of crazy cancer? Or if I actually…” She didn’t say it. Despite the horrors she faced and the fortune slipping through my fingers, I still hoped. What if the drugs helped to get her pregnant?

What if she conceived? What if my every demand to dominate her ended with an heir? She would have my child. My legacy in the world. A new generation of Bennetts richer and more powerful than we ever dreamed. As quickly as the temptation struck, my mind darkened. What if that child was used as a pawn in a horrific game between feuding families? What would he do when he learned he was conceived in domination and darkness instead of the love of two people? It was the first time I thought of the heir as an actual baby. A part of me. Living. Breathing. Cuddled against Sarah’s breast. My vision seared with fury. No one would ever hurt Sarah, but I’d kill before anyone harmed our child. “Doesn’t matter,” she said. “It’s still impossible.” Then why did the thought still hurt so much? “Do this for a month,” I said. “We’ll give my father what he wants, and he can waste his time hoping for a miracle. This is going to end, Sarah. I promise you.” “I won’t take the drugs.” “We don’t have a choice.” “There’s always a choice!” Her voice layered with frustration, sadness. “Reed offered to run away with me.” The implication was a knife to the heart. Max earned my ire for daring to mark her skin, but I never expected betrayal from Reed. My youngest brother had more courage or common sense than me. “Why did you stay?” “Because of you.” Sarah didn’t dare fall into my arms. She straddled the same insecurity I battled, trapped between passion and fear. “I wasn’t about to leave you. I’m in love with you, Nick. Even though I know it’ll only end badly.” “It won’t. I promise Sarah, I will earn everything for you. The company, our wealth, your freedom. It’ll be yours.” “I don’t want it.” “Don’t give up now. Don’t let my father scare you. Trust me. I can do this for you.” “It’s not for me. You’re doing it for yourself.” “I’m not.” Her voice trembled. “Downstairs, the most evil man in the world is prepared to do horrible things to my body. Your plan is to let it happen.” “If he knew I was organizing the amendment, he’d murder you this instant.” “So, you let him inject me with hormones.” “Sarah, I promise you—”

“Are you hoping I’ll get pregnant?” My silence was the answer she feared and expected. She struggled just to look at me. “How can I trust you when this plan is an easy way for you to get what you want?” “I’ve never been dishonest with you. You knew every time I took you, I was trying—” “And if it works?” “You said it wasn’t possible.” “But where does it end?” Her voice hollowed. “More drugs? More sex? What if he decides to do it himself—” “He won’t.” “I can’t take that chance.” “Sarah—” “And what happens if you’re successful?” She hardened. No longer the little fairy trapped in my grasp but a force of nature roaring for destruction. “How do I know you won’t seize control of my company?” “How do I know you’ll return my stock when you take over the Bennett Corporation?” Silence. The stalemate broke only with her whisper. “Don’t you dare judge me for being scared,” she said. “Not when the collar is around my neck, and the scars on my body came from the hands of a Bennett.” “Sarah, I don’t judge you. You are the strongest, most amazing woman I’ve ever met.” I touched her cheek, my thumb brushing the hint of freckles dusting her skin. “If I had a fraction of your courage, this would already be done.” “Don’t say that. You’re the only reason I’m holding myself together.” “I don’t deserve you.” “You’re probably right.” She leaned into me. “I know you can be a good man, Nick. I want to feel safe with you.” “You are.” “Prove it?” It wasn’t a challenge but a plea. “I can. I will.” I held her tighter. “Max may protect you from pain, and Reed might have offered to take you away, but I am the only one who can end this madness.” “Then what aren’t you telling me?” It wasn’t a secret—it was the one truth that would devastate her. I couldn’t reveal the board’s interests yet, not when I needed her cooperation to take the drugs that would save her from my father. “I haven’t told you I loved you today.” She pushed. I didn’t let her escape. “I haven’t you told you how much you mean to me. How badly I hate what he’s doing to you.” “Ready to shout it from the rooftops?” “No. This doesn’t have to be shouted,” I said. “I tell you, over and over, that you’re mine. And I like

that thought. Part of me demands I prove it to you every morning and night. And part of me wants to kill my brothers for touching you.” She went still. I bumped my forehead against hers, breathing in her sweet, fruit-kissed scent. “I have no right to claim you, Sarah Atwood. In truth, I belong to you. I’ve been yours since the moment we met. Now every time I hold you, kiss you, or slip inside you, I lose even more of myself.” I brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “But I would rather fade away completely than spend another second pretending to be the Nicholas Bennett I once was.” “Sweet words from the man holding me captive.” “Do this, and I’ll have more than words to offer you.” “You’re asking a lot.” “I always do.” She sighed. “We can’t give him some other concession?” “This is the last one.” “I’ll hold you to that,” she whispered. “Don’t make me regret this.” I already was, if only because her life measured in months and was worth only the billions her obedience secured. I removed the collar from her neck, but simply guiding Sarah to her new fate bound her more to me than if I forced her to crawl at my feet. My father waited for us. Introduced me to the doctor. And Sarah trembled as he handed the prescription’s instructions to me. “We must fire one hundred people from Engineering.” My father expected my answer, studying me from beyond the desk. I scanned my reports. “One hundred?” “The quarterly reports aren’t great, and the board isn’t happy. What do you think?” He waited as I let the silence linger. “Nicholas. This is your first real test. I gave you the presidency of the engineering firm before the board felt it was appropriate. Don’t make me regret this.” As if the board had any real say in our company’s decisions. I flipped through the pages. Checked the math. Tallied the salaries and healthcare, benefits and accumulated time. Twenty-one years old and I managed a multi-billion dollar branch of our company. No decision came lightly. “I planned for fifty,” I said. “We’re looking for stability.” “I planned for sustainability.” My father folded his hands. “This is business, Nicholas. Liabilities and assets. Either one hundred people are fired or—” “Then fire them.” My father nodded as I flipped through the papers one last time. He expected an explanation or a protest, but I could do nothing with the failing division he gave me. He tested me with the livelihood of one hundred employees. Any weakness, and it’d be another hundred losing their jobs to teach the

lesson. I didn’t speak the truth, but I didn’t lie to my father. Not entirely. “My calculations were incorrect.” I accepted his offered whiskey. “I don’t like being wrong.” “You’ll learn, son.” He toasted me. “I’ll teach you. One day you’ll run this company and family exactly as I plan, just as effectively as me.” No. I’d do it better. My father expected me to inject Sarah myself. After the poking and prodding, bloodwork and inspections of her exposed and trembling body, the doctor and my father decided it would be me delivering her medications every morning. Beginning right then. She didn’t look at me. She didn’t look at the needle. And she didn’t look at my father. She prepared herself for battle. That was why I loved her. That was why I hurt her. That was why I had to betray her this one last time. The drugs would either secure our future or rip us apart. I pushed the syringe’s plunger. It would be the last time I hurt her.

“Loop the rope under her breasts once more.” Darius studied me from behind his desk. “It can be tighter. I’m not taking a chance on her running.” Max glanced to Nicholas before obeying the order. We were fortunate Darius didn’t notice. The rope cast tight over my body, twisting over my breasts, binding my stomach, and, worst of all, stretching between my legs. It tugged my slit, and within moments of Max finishing his last knot, the pull of the nylon overwhelmed me. The sensation shifted from weird to painful. “Walk, my dear.” Darius spared me no sympathy since the failed pregnancy test. If I was to make a public appearance at Reed’s charity gala, he would punish every moment of my freedom. “Are you comfortable?” “No.” “Good. Dress her. Adjust whatever rope shows through the material.” He commissioned the dress from a French boutique. It glittered as if spun from sunshine itself. Nicholas bundled the silk and helped set it in place as the bindings limited my movement. The sleeves hung low over my shoulders, and the corset dazzled with subtle accented stones. The ropes hid perfectly under the ruffles as the gown teased the floor in sweeping, silken movement. No one would see what Darius Bennett hid beneath the silk. That was a secret kept between a father and his little girl. The stylists finished before the bondage. He surveyed my hair and pale pink lipstick as though I were a living doll—a toy for him to torture, dress, and exploit. The bright gown did nothing to age me. I looked like a girl off to homecoming, and the light makeup and darling curls masked me in angelic innocence. A perfect daughter. A helpless prisoner. The thick ropes constrained my chest worse than the corset. Darius didn’t care. He planned for me to be uncomfortable and bound, unable to easily escape. The tug of the nylon burned against my breasts, ached my chest, and tormented my clit until it hurt. It would be a miserable night. “Lovely,” Darius said. “You’d be more beautiful if you were swelling with a child, but soon enough. Nicholas, you will escort her.” Nicholas had said nothing while his brother bound me in lengths of rope. Now he offered his arm. It wasn’t a gentleman’s courtesy. He had escorted me too many times this week, guiding me to his father’s office where he injected the fertility drug under Darius’s supervision. The humiliation would happen for twelve consecutive days before the final injection induced my ovulation.

I hoped Darius wouldn’t supervise that aspect of my treatment. Nicholas held my elbow and Max attended my other side as we ducked into the limo. They tried to shield me from Darius. It didn’t work. Anywhere his voice grated was too close. The leather seat twisted the ropes under my dress. I squirmed, but the bindings cut into every sensitive spot on my body. Darius noticed. “Does it hurt, my dear?” Not that I would admit. My silence amused him. “At least you’re an obedient little girl when there’s ropes digging into your cunt. I should have done this weeks ago.” He rapped the closed glass separating us from the driver. The limo departed. “This should be an easy night. You are not to speak unless spoken to, Sarah. You will not leave your brothers’ sides. You will remain polite and courteous. Am I understood?” It was less demanding than the orders my father issued when the Atwood’s attended events. “I wouldn’t dream of disrespecting the Bennett name,” I said. “Not when it could cost me so much.” It wasn’t the answer Darius expected, but screaming rape in a crowded ballroom would tank my future company. I’d ensure the Bennett Corporation thrived in their profits and success before I ripped it from Darius’s clutches. He didn’t react. I braced for a slap across the mouth, or a veiled threat for Max to tie the ropes around my neck instead. “I know you’ll make Daddy proud.” Max shifted, but Nicholas possessed an uncanny ability to remain still, steadfast, and unaffected. I envied his skill almost as much as I feared his father. Darius hadn’t pricked me with the needle of the fertility drugs. He hadn’t beaten me or tried to rape me. His tortures turned…mental. Offering to sell the research? Dressing me in pretty little outfits with darkness strapped beneath? Presenting me to his partners and board members as his new daughter? He didn’t raise a hand when I challenged him. That was worse than anything he’d done in the past. Reed requisitioned a popular ballroom for his extravagant gala. Black tie was apparently a family tradition, but Reed’s event offered more creativity than what Darius permitted within his iron-fisted expectations of his sons. Spotlights and a string quartet greeted the arriving guests, the more famous of which delighted the crowded red-carpet with quick photographs. I squinted. A comedian, sitcom actress, and mayor posed for a picture. Not a bad haul, though Atwood events usually commanded more State Supreme Court justices and lobbyists than celebrities. The gala supported the Bennett Foundation, but the head of the household directed the assigned personal assistants to guide us to a secondary entrance. He preferred something low-key. Something less likely for me to make a spectacle. Or escape. As if the ropes constricting me in every horrible, disgusting place would let me run away. “Smile, my dear.” Darius offered his arm. “All eyes are on us.” He wasn’t lying. Though his touch should have left a line of bruises over my skin, his hold appeared nothing less than

gentlemanly—fatherly—as the crowded ballroom parted for us. Worse, I clung to him for support. The ropes burned as much as the shame, especially the one tucked between the folds of my slit. Every sway of my hips dragged it deeper. I leaned on Darius, as if I trusted, admired, or respected the damned toad. I would have preferred the gala see the bondage wrapping my body than my reliance on my step-father. Darius molested me without a single touch. I wouldn’t give the bastard the satisfaction of knowing how much it panicked me. So I pretended I didn’t care. For one night, I escaped the Bennett’s prison only to enter a world of even worse restraint. Money attracted money. I recognized most of the gala’s attendees. The Bennett and Atwoods circles overlapped, even if the families never did. My presence was more surprising to the guests than the appearance of an action movie star. I hadn’t seen most of these people since my brothers’ funerals. I’d endured less stares at their wake. An airy waltz strummed from the string quartet. The rumble of conversation, chortled laughter, and hushed gossip threaded throughout the beats. The cocktail hour was little more than a checkered flag to begin judgement. Despite the formal dress, waltzes and blossoming, white flowers transforming the Versailles-inspired ballroom into a lovely garden, nothing changed from the day-to-day cutthroat lifestyle of high society. The Bennetts might have been the only family with the gall to kidnap and rape, but that didn’t mean their guests didn’t look upon me with a presumption worse than hatred. Pity. “Sarah Atwood!” One of my father’s former golfing partners shook my hand in passing. “So sorry I never caught you after Josiah and Mike’s funerals. Hopefully, you’ll be well enough soon to take over where they left off.” Great. Everyone heard about the asthma. The secret my father kept hidden was what Darius shouted to the masses to explain my social disappearance. I accepted the compliment with grace and tried to slither from Darius’s arm. His hold only tightened. The Bennett’s friends offered greetings, business associates toasted Darius, and strangers admired our charming new family. Darius showed me off to people who benefited from knowing I was still alive, and I was forced to shuffle at his side, bound by the unseen, aching rope. And there. Only twenty feet from me. Roman Wescott. The investor who might have ended all of this insanity. He was younger than I anticipated, and far more handsome, if not a little…guarded. He packed with lean muscle, but his eyes chiseled just as hard as his physique. Grey, like carved stone. He conversed with a small group near the bar, but stood too far to be properly greeted without alerting Darius to my intentions. If he saw me or Nicholas, he didn’t react. Darius checked his watch. “We will stay through this cocktail hour. I have one more person for Sarah to greet…if she behaves.” Since when did I ever meet his expectations?

His arm entwined in mine, as tight and revolting as the ropes restraining my movement. I hated that I forced pleasantries with his friends. Hated that I squirmed under his hand. That I suffocated in his musky cologne. The curl of his fingers was a measured humiliation. He pretended he was a real step-father—that he hadn’t forced me over his desk, stripped me of my dignity, and attempted to violate me with pain. I slammed my heel against his foot as he dared to guide me away. This ended now. No more pretending. No more waiting for trusts and scheming in the shadows. I wasn’t cowering any more, not when I had the money, the power, and the alliances of his sons. This time, he was going to fear me. “Don’t touch me,” I hissed. “Don’t you dare lay a hand on me.” Max downed his champagne. “Aw, fuck.” “Sarah, not here,” Nicholas warned. Darius twitched, concocting a dozen different punishments and perversions to punish my disobedience. “Be a good little girl, and take Daddy’s hand.” I tasted the profanity on my tongue, undignified and rich with venom. I didn’t have a chance to say it. “Darius, darling!” I recognized the voice, that melodic, southern softness. For twenty years, that voice praised and comforted, mourned and wailed, but I never heard it call so lovingly for Darius Bennett. Nicholas took my wrist if only to prevent me from crumbling to the floor in a mess of silk and chiffon. I stared at the thinning woman gliding over the ballroom. “Mom?” My mother eagerly kissed Darius, smiling at him with a grin that tore through my gut. She never once looked at Dad like that. “Oh, Sprout!” She extended her arms for a hug. “I had no idea you’d be here!” Me either. I couldn’t move. “Go on, my dear,” Darius said. “Give your mother a hug.” The monster bound me to my shame with knotted ropes then led me to the one woman who had no idea of the danger he posed. I didn’t care. Mom was there. She was okay. She wasn’t hurt. I collapsed in her arms. She had lost weight, but the depression wasn’t entirely Darius’s fault, not when the funerals, pills, and empty house did more harm than anyone. Her eyes puffed with dark circles, but she covered them with enough makeup and false charm to hide her grief.

But her smile. That was genuine. And I didn’t realize how much I missed it until it aimed for Darius. “Isn’t she just lovely?” She asked. Darius nodded. “Takes after her mother.” “Oh, you cad.” I didn’t release her. “Mom, are you okay?” “Of course, darling. I’m enjoying your brother’s wonderful party.” I hugged her again, whispering in her ear. “Mom, really. You can tell me.” “Sarah, what’s gotten into you?” She laughed. “You act like you’ve seen a ghost.” Nicholas and Max mercifully remained silent. I tried again. “Mom, I haven’t seen you in forever.” “Oh, hush, Sprout. It hasn’t been that long.” My chest ached. “It’s been almost three months since…I left for the Bennett Estate.” “Three months? Couldn’t be.” “You haven’t seen me since then…even when I was in the hospital.” “The hospital? For what?” Nicholas took my hand. I was grateful. Mom frowned in confusion. Darius kissed her temple. “Her asthma, remember? We took care of it though. Our daughter is good as new. And her brothers have tended to her needs.” Vile. Wicked. Bastard. “Poor thing,” Mom said. “Always did have such dreadful attacks. Mark hated it.” “She’s safe with us. I told you I’d look after her.” “Hopefully, she hasn’t been too much trouble.” “Little Sprout?” Darius grinned. “Oh, she’s earned a very important spot in our family.” She laughed, but her amusement bled with fatigue. Her hands trembled as she accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waitress. Darius carefully replaced it with a club soda instead. Mom drank without realizing the difference. “Bethany—you can’t have alcohol with the new medication.” “Right, right. So hard to remember these things.” He brushed her hand. “I’ll remember for you, my love.” This was sick and wrong. The woman before me was a shell of my mother, and the bastard at her side prayed on her depression. He couldn’t love Mom. He used her for the money and company he never received. Now he bartered my

body for her safety. But she loved him. Christ, if she only saw the monster he really was. But I knew better. If she learned the one man she had left in the world was a demon who abused her only surviving child? It’d destroy her. Whatever remained of her. “Oh, Nicholas, don’t you look dashing?” Mom teased him with a pat to his cheek. “And Max? I hardly recognize you. Sarah, couldn’t you just eat your brothers up?” Sure, if they didn’t eat me first. Reed’s timely appearance rescued us. He seized two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter just to force something into Max’s hand. He addressed my mother with pure charisma. “Bethany.” He didn’t look at me. “I didn’t know you’d be here. Now the party can get started.” Mom chuckled. She leaned against Darius once more. “Now I know where he gets his charm.” The cluster of Bennetts attracted a parade of tuxedos. They descended upon Darius. Nicholas edged between me and a man I remembered from the barbecue, pre-lemonade fiasco. Bryant. His greeting was laced with a sweetened threat. He was one of Darius’s primary partners, but something beyond the Bennett Corporation’s feud with my family darkened his gaze. I didn’t appreciate his Cheshire grin. He stared so hard I feared he’d see the ropes, but he studied only the midline of my dress with a scrutiny unbecoming of a man who didn’t have an apologetic tumbler of hard liquor in his hand. “So nice to see you again, Sarah Atwood.” He looked at me but spoke to Darius. “She gets prettier by the day.” “She is a vision,” he agreed. Nicholas squeezed my elbow. A warning to be cautious? “How are you, Ms. Atwood?” Bryant asked. “Still enjoying your stay with your brothers?” “Step-brothers.” Something in his tone demanded the qualification. “And I feel I’ve taken advantage of them for too long. I should return home soon, to be with my mother.” “Oh, nonsense.” Mom laughed. “I won’t be a burden.” Darius patted her hand. “Sarah, I can take care of your mother. You need only to focus on yourself. These past months were trying for you.” “And yet, my stress remains.” I shook free of Nicholas’s arm. “I’m eager to return to work and focus on my company. I have many ideas for Atwood Industries in the coming year.” And the Bennett Corporation. Bryant sipped his champagne. “A lot of things can change in a year, Ms. Atwood.” I didn’t like his tone. Something lingered in his words beyond the usual company arrogance.

Darius agreed. “Look at what happened just this year. Your father, your brothers, the asthma. You must concentrate on what’s important.” The ropes pained me. I raised my chin. “And what would that be?” “Family.” “You can’t put a price on blood,” Bryant said. I shivered. “But some might try.” “If it’s in the company’s best interests.” My stomach flipped. I edged closer to Nicholas. The creeper’s tone screamed danger. He spoke with a veil over his thoughts but not his amusement. Mom didn’t notice. She pointed through the crowd. “Now, Sprout…” Mom aimed her attention for a college aged man with tousled hair and a grin with too much tooth. “That’s the Livingston boy. Remember him? Robert?” I remembered, even if she didn’t. “Richard.” “Yes, Richard. That’s right. You should go talk to him.” “Why?” “He’s premed with a trust fund the size of our back field.” “What?” “You should start looking for a nice boy, Sarah.” She took Darius’s hand. “I wish I’d tried harder at your age. Things might have turned out differently.” Bryant chuckled. “Bethany, don’t go pressuring the girl. I’m sure she’d rather enjoy her family now. Isn’t that right, Nick?” This time, his words stuck with the subtlety of champagne thrown in my face. I chilled. Mom shushed him. “Oh, Bryant, you don’t know what it’s like. Both your children are grown and married. I won’t be happy until Sarah finds a nice boy and settles down.” Bryant grinned. “Eager for those grandbabies?” Darius slithered his arm over Mom’s shoulder. “Aren’t we all?” I didn’t like this. Not at all. Something was wrong. Nicholas pulled me from the cluster before they saw my shiver. “Excuse us,” he said. “This is a party, after all. If Sarah would care to dance…?” Mom’s aww was unnecessary. “Oh, Nick. And here I thought Reed was the charmer.” This wasn’t charm. It was necessity. The ropes punished my sore slit and bruised breasts. I could hardly move, let alone dance, but Nicholas pulled me to the floor anyway. He held me like a proper gentleman, but he couldn’t hide me from Darius’s stare. An entire ballroom or a thousand miles could separate us, and Darius Bennett’s menacing gaze would still find me.

Pin me. Hurt me. I squeezed Nicholas’s hand until my fingers turned white. “You’re hiding something,” I said. “What haven’t you told me?” He spun me in perfect rhythm, as though we were two friends, two siblings, enjoying the party, the music, the laughter of those admiring an Atwood and Bennett in harmony. But it wasn’t harmony. It was discord. And it broke my heart. “Darius’s partners know we’ve kidnapped you. They’ve demanded you remain at the estate until we secure the future of your company.” The lights and music blended into a dizzy blur of noise and pain. I pretended to smile as we swayed to the music. “How do they know?” “My father told them.” “He told them? Everything?” Nicholas held me tighter. “Everything.” I tasted the scream, but my lungs collapsed before I uttered a sound. “The Bennett Board of Directors ordered you and your brothers to breed me?” Nicholas guided me through the dance, but I had no control over my steps. The ropes would hang me now. I couldn’t breathe, but he didn’t let me pull away. I could do nothing while we waltzed within a gala of close friends and allies, social partners and potential investors. I was trapped. “You didn’t tell me.” My words weakened as the ropes strangled me beneath my dress. “You didn’t tell Max or Reed.” “It wouldn’t have changed anything.” “Of course it does!” “My father involved only the investors he trusts.” “Nick, those are the ones who hold the majority.” “Once you inherit the trust, this will be nothing,” he said. “You’ll control the board, regardless of what they’re doing to steal your company.” Like it would matter. Like I could face the men who damned me to a life of imprisonment and abuse. “Don’t pretend, Nick.” My fingers clutched his arms, but it’d be my voice that sharpened enough to draw blood. “You did nothing to stop it. You agreed with the board and did everything they told you to do.” “To save your life.”

“You haven’t saved me at all.” I had to get away. The longer I stayed in his embrace, the more likely I’d collapse against him and use his strength instead of my own. He had captured me that way once. It wouldn’t happen again. “I thought your father was evil. If I had known your entire company was this demented, I’d have set my farm on fire just to end this insanity.” “Sarah—” I couldn’t escape Nicholas’s arms. He led me into a swaying circle as though he planned for the dip in the music and charming swirl. “You kept this from us.” “If Reed and Max knew, they might have attacked the board. Who knows what my father would have done.” He paused. “And I didn’t want to frighten you.” “Well, I am frightened!” I searched his honeyed eyes for anything to protect me from the madness. “If they would plan my rape, they would plan my murder.” “I won’t let it happen.” But he let everything happen. He read my expression, and the truth slashed us both with regret, remorse, and despair. I mourned the trust he’d never earn. So did he. “I have to stop this,” I said. “If they suspect you know anything—” “They’ll what? Inject me with fertility drugs? Force me to have sex with my three step-brothers? Let Darius beat me any time I try to fight? What else can they do to me?” “Kill you.” “Only if I don’t fight back.” Our dance continued. But my heart shattered. The Bennetts didn’t know what happened when an Atwood was pushed past their limit. Dad ignored me in favor of my brothers, but I inherited as much tenacity as Josiah or Mike. We would ring the sky for rain and tear through the earth to destroy any weed that strangled our crop. The Bennett Corporation was the very definition of a weed. They were a coiling, tangling, worthless infection of rot that stole the sun from everything good and pure. They’d be ripped from the soil and cast in the heat to bake and wither. Darius Bennett roamed the gala like a damned champion of charity and generosity. He was respected because of his name and status and where he sat in the board room. I had surrendered to the Bennetts for long enough. Now it was my turn to take what I deserved. Justice wouldn’t cleanse my wounds. I demanded vengeance. I’d steal everything that was Darius’s and cast it into hell with him. And I knew just how to do it.

Roman Wescott. I’d find him. Earn his vote. Secure the trust. I’d free myself from my imprisonment. Because I couldn’t depend on anyone else to do it for me. “Good evening, everyone!” Reed took to the stage as the music ended. “I’m Reed Bennett, and I’d personally like to welcome you all to the 15th annual Bennett Foundation Charity Gala.” The audience applauded. I stayed at Nicholas’s side, though I didn’t know if the ropes or his presence hurt me more. “Just a little history for you guys,” Reed said. “My family started this charity when my brothers and I were children. I was eight years old when my mother was killed in a terrible car accident, and my brother and I were severely injured. Fortunately, my family is blessed with the resources to handle such traumatic events, including our numerous surgeries and long recovery.” My chest tightened. What recovery? Darius subjected Reed to dozens of plastic surgeries to reduce the scarring to his face to preserve the Bennett image. Max should have lost his leg. Had his father been compassionate, he wouldn’t have lived in agony. “Many families aren’t as fortunate as mine, and they need help to cover the costs of an unexpected emergency. The Bennett Foundation is in place to help those families focus on what’s important—healing, recovering, and getting children home where they belong.” The gala clapped. Reed waved away the applause. “Before we begin tonight, I have some good news to share,” he said. “The Foundation is pleased to announce we’ve already raised seven hundred thousand dollars, and our auction hasn’t even begun.” Another applause, only this time, a man near the stage waved his hand. “It’s for a good cause. I’ll give another ten thousand now!” Reed winked. “What a totally generous and completely unplanted offer from Mr. Benjamin Hart.” Another hand rose, this time a rugged, frightening man who didn’t belong in a tuxedo called out to Reed. “Fifteen thousand to my godson!” Reed nodded. “And fifteen thousand from Tovial Aren, my godfather. Make sure you all bid on the Harley that Tovial and the Temple MC donated for the auction. This year, the bike actually has a VIN number!” The gala laughed as Tovial curled a fist at his godson. Reed held up a hand to speak. “In all seriousness. I’d like to thank our largest donors for their generosity. Of course, I have to recognize my father, Darius Bennett.” The room exploded with applause. My stomach turned. He listed three other names, though only one dug into my mind like a bullet through my skull. “Roman Wescott,” Reed announced. “You’ve always been a great supporter of this charity.” The bindings either tightened or my asthma threatened me. Reed gestured to a photographer. “Actually, if you all wouldn’t mind coming to the front for a picture.” Two of the benefactors eagerly parted from their friends for a chance to gloat their generosity in the newspaper. Roman declined, though the cheers of the crowd pulled him from the back of the room.

My heart thunked with every step he took. Nicholas gripped my elbow. “Don’t,” he warned. “Whatever you’re planning, don’t.” “I’m not allowed to mingle?” “No.” “Your rule or your father’s?” “Can’t it be both?” “It wouldn’t surprise me.” I meant it to hurt, but he was right. Neither of them would let me speak with the one investor who could award the Josmik Trust early. But if he didn’t see me now, Darius would stuff me into the limo and only the devil could predict what he’d do when I was imprisoned behind his walls once more. I wasn’t waiting for Nicholas to earn his support. Not now. Not anymore. This was my only opportunity. I sucked in as deep a breath as the bindings allowed. My arm surged into the air. “I’ll donate two hundred and fifty thousand dollars!” The gala silenced. Nicholas released me. “Atwood Industries gives two hundred and fifty thousand dollars!” “I…” Reed’s shock stole his confidence. What others would assume was excitement, I knew was dread. Because I felt it too. Darius’s prickling stare burned through me. “And two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from Sarah Atwood my, uh, supremely generous step-sister.” The applause started stunned, but all attention turned to me. I did as Dad taught and accepted their cheers with the grace inherent to the Atwoods. Nicholas stiffened. His voice growled, low. “Get up there before my father kills you,” he said. “Now.” It was an expensive few minutes bought in the company of a man who had no idea the power he wielded, but I would have paid double for the chance. My billions were worth nothing if I was killed before I spent it. I endured the gossiped whispers and tucked between skirts to reach the stage. Reed met me at the stairs, surveying the gala as though he expected open gunfire. And maybe he did. I leaned close as the charity’s benefactors slithered before a photographer. “What the hell are you doing?” He whispered. Hell if I knew, but I was going for it. “Can you see the ropes through the dress?” “The what?” I took that as a no and decided it was safe to take the picture. I slid beside Roman Wescott with a charming grin. The photographer worked quickly as the waltzes played and the crowds dispersed for the auction. Three flashes and we were done. “Distract your father.” I ordered Reed. My heart ached. “And Nicholas.” “Sarah, what’s going on?”

I didn’t answer. Roman thanked the photographer with a cordial formality. He didn’t linger, but that was fine. I hurried to his side before he returned to his associates at the bar. “Mr. Wescott!” He turned. His eyes hardened like chipping stone. “Ms. Atwood.” “Yes!” I held my hand out, reflexively, and offered as firm a handshake as Dad insisted a woman should have. “Yes, I’m Sarah Atwood.” “A pleasure.” It sounded more like a dismissal, but I wasn’t done. I hadn’t even started. “I was hoping I could speak with you.” “I apologize, but I don’t conduct business at social events.” “My father taught me the same,” I said. He had Nicholas’s presence, but he seemed far older. “This will only take a moment. You had an agreement with my brothers.” “Ms. Atwood, I’m not entirely sure we should discuss this matter here.” It was true. I cast a glance over my shoulder. I didn’t see Darius, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t see me. “I understand. But Mr. Wescott, I want you to know that I am as serious about Atwood Industries and my family’s commitments as my brothers were.” “Ms. Atwood, the Josmik Trust was not intended—” “I realize it was not meant for my name, not intentionally. But, I assure you, I am uniquely qualified to assume the very same responsibilities my brothers’ anticipated in forming this arrangement.” “I’m sure you are.” He raised a hand to silence me. “But this is neither the time nor place nor gathering to discuss such business.” “I understand, but—” “You are eager, Ms. Atwood. These past few months have been difficult on all parties.” He handed me his card. “We will set a meeting where we may talk without such discretion.” It wouldn’t work. My stomach twisted. “My time is…limited. This might be our only moment to speak.” “And I know what that moment would entail, which is why it will not be discussed here. The business you propose would transfer control of the Bennett Corporation to you. Your family wished to unseat Darius Bennett. It was the reason I agreed to the Josmik Trust.” “Then you see why it’s so important. You understand the temperaments of the Bennett Board of Directors.” “I do, and that’s why it’s foolish for you to meet with me.” He smiled as he spoke of my impending murder. “But I am curious now. Monday, Ms. Atwood. I’ll leave the day open. If you can keep the appointment…” If I survived until then. “…At least I’ll know my shares will be secure with someone cunning enough to earn them.” He offered me a nod and returned to his associates. I memorized the address on the card and discarded it before I was caught with the evidence.

Monday. It didn’t give me long to plan an escape, especially as Darius intended to inject me with the final fertility drug on Tuesday. I was out of time. Darius and the board expected a pregnancy. And when they didn’t get it? I either surrendered my future to Darius, or he’d steal it from me. Both outcomes would end in blood, sweat, and terror. But I would be the one victorious. And I’d win, even if I had to use a Bennett as my sacrifice.



Reed’s lips trailed a gentle, soft path along my neck. Timid shivers rocked me, centering low, just where he knew to tease, circle, and tempt. We didn’t need the handcuffs, but I told him I thought it’d be…fun. The lie sickened me, but it was my only chance to save myself. If I didn’t take the opportunity now, I doubted I’d have another in the future. “You okay?” Reed’s lips warmed my neck, my blood, my shame. I nodded. He didn’t believe me. “You’re distracted.” And it was hard to stay that way. I rested against Reed as his hands caressed my every exposed curve, vulnerable secret, and flushing heat. “I’m okay.” He frowned, the dimple lost in concentration. His hand brushed my cheek. “What happened after the gala?” “Nothing.” “Sarah.” Reed didn’t punish me with his strength like Max or dominate me with a possessive stare like Nicholas. When he held me, he cared. Legitimately. But underestimating him was more dangerous than giving Max a weapon or Nicholas my forsaken promise of surrender. The blankets tangled under us, kicked as he dropped me on the bed, smacked me with a pillow, and seized me in his arms. He promised his suite was a safe place—clothing optional. That made it so much harder. To protect myself, I had to cut off the head of the snake ruling the family. But Darius didn’t bleed crimson. His heart pumped money, wealth, success. Stealing the Bennett Corporation from Darius would torture him more than a blade to the side or bullet in the chest. Or pool cue to the ribs. Fist to the temple. Violent assault over his desk. I trembled in memory as Reed wedged between my legs. He saw it and made no effort to take what I had willingly given before. His voice softened. “Did my father hurt you?” He traced the bruise under my breast. “Aside from…the ropes?”

“No.” The answer surprised us both. “That’s not like Dad.” “I know.” “Expensive risk.” I grinned. “For a good cause.” I didn’t say if it was the charity or upsetting Darius. Reed guessed. “You think he’s up to something?” He asked. I didn’t have to lie. “When isn’t he?” Reed’s hand caressed my bare body, avoiding the tiny spot below my navel where the fertility injections had struck for the past ten days. “You deserve better than this,” he said. Maybe. Probably. I was getting there. “I’m okay.” “Can I help?” God, was I tempted. “Trust me. I have a plan that doesn’t involve a passport.” “Wasn’t talking about leaving.” He spread my legs, gazing over my soft, slickening folds. “Let me take the fear away,” he whispered. “Just for a little while.” His kiss centered on the part of me most desperate for his unique brand of kindness. The first lick flattened me against the bed. The next twist of his tongue earned my quiet murmur. The third, the knowing exploration of everything deep inside me, demanded my every attention. Reed was as much a Bennett as Nicholas or Max. His dominance just manifested in different ways. He didn’t force. He didn’t hurt. But I was just as helpless against his aggression. He devoured me whole and sunk his tongue in to taste. Each pulsing tease of his lips curled over my sensitive clit. What had been abused by ropes healed within his caresses. My hips raised, pressing against his mouth. He liked that. I liked that. The handcuffs jiggled over my wrists as I arched in a quick and demanding excitement. With great reluctance, Reed had admitted the restraints got him off. I wished I could be the one to help him explore that dark part of him, or that I could somehow reassure him. But the cuffs were the only chance I had to escape. I twisted my hips, and the whimper came naturally. The murmur was a dread I suppressed for the past three months. At least the flinch was honest, if not meant for someone far more frightening than Reed. “Sarah?” Reed looked up as I jammed my wrists against the metal. “You okay?” I nodded, too quickly. The handcuffs clattered. Reed didn’t wait for me to ask. He just knew.

Or thought he did. “Sorry,” he said. “Sorry. Hold on.” Reed unclasped the metal and tugged the cuffs off. I gave him a relieved shrug. “This is why you have a safe word.” He knocked his forehead against mine. “I thought I could…I was curious…” I hated lying to him. “I’m okay now.” “Good.” It wasn’t fair. I couldn’t have trusted anyone more than Reed while I was cuffed and immobile. Like all Bennetts, he got off on domination, but unlike the others, he deserved the submission. I met his gaze with a coy bite to my lip. His eyebrow rose. “What are you thinking?” He grinned. “That you don’t need handcuffs to get what you’re after.” “And what is that?” Good question, even I wasn’t sure. “Obedience?” He shrugged. “My offered body?” “Not a bad start.” I glanced down, savoring the view of his cock, pulsing hard and impatient for attention. “Pleasure?” “Well, who doesn’t want that?” I pushed him to the pillows, but Reed didn’t budge. He didn’t respond to a pout either, but a playful stroke of his cock did the trick. “You focus so much on me.” I caressed him, loving his honest shudder. “Let me treat you for once.” “Really, I don’t need it.” His voice deepened. “Sarah, I’m ready to go.” “It’s not about being ready. It’s about being pleasured.” “No. It’s about filling you up with seed. Nick’s orders.” “Well, this is a…roundabout way of getting there.” Reed might have refused, but the instant my lips lowered to the heated head of his cock, his fist wrapped solidly in my hair. I took him in my mouth, but Reed yanked my curls, refusing to let me sink fully around his shaft. A test? His grin turned wicked. No. A trial. Reed wasn’t an oppressive, sadistic lover like Max, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious about the power he wielded, the delights he demanded, or the control he commanded over my body. I licked the thickness of his shaft, tasting his salty strength. His growl encouraged me. I tickled my tongue along the underside of his length—down, down, down—until his fist gripped my hair too hard. My

teasing returned to the head. He liked that too. Then again, Reed was always the most agreeable Bennett. And the easiest to manipulate. Christ, did I hate doing it. Every gentle lick and timid swipe of my lips became an apology. I sucked, using my hand to pump more of his length. It worked. Reed abandoned his hold of my hair to lean back, his arms crossed behind his head. At least he’d be happy for a moment. At least he’d be savored. At least he’d know I never meant to trap him in the middle of it. “Sarah.” His voice rasped. “You gotta stop that now.” Every muscle tensing his perfect body glistened with a lover’s sweat. Reed wasn’t a patient man. It was amazing he let me torture him as long as I did, especially as he normally buried inside me just to hear my cry. He was greedy. He was demanding. And he was my Reed. I didn’t stop. My hand curled over his shaft and tugged harder, tasting his heat and the delicious warning of his excitement. I flicked my tongue, mimicking every tease he ever gave me. He grunted a profanity. “Sarah, I gotta fuck you.” No way. I couldn’t. I wasn’t about to reward myself with his warmth, touch, or the delicious fill of his cock inside me. This was for him. About him. He hissed my name, but his grip knotted in my hair too late. I sunk low against his shaft and tried to swallow every bit of his jetting seed. It was the first time I ever did that. I grinned. Reed didn’t. “Shit.” Reed fell against the pillows in a shudder of relief and misguided anger. “Fuck. We weren’t supposed to do that.” I didn’t pull away from his cock, and Reed didn’t push me off. He rubbed his face and enjoyed the lasting tremors of my tongue. I flicked a figure eight as he groaned. He didn’t see me reach for the handcuffs. “Christ, Sarah.” He pulled me up to his side. “Give me like…ten minutes. I’ll fuck you then.” “It’s okay, Reed.” “No, it’s not. I promised Nick.” I slid my hand with the cuffs under the pillow. “Nick won’t care.” “He wants you pregnant. Swallowing my load doesn’t do that.” His hesitation was cute. “At least…I don’t think so. I hope not, or I got a couple girls to call.” “You guys refuse to believe me. I’m very, very infertile. So just…enjoy it.” Reed exhaled. I wished my stress melted as easily as his. “Well, I did. Thanks, I guess.” His reflexes dulled from the release. I launched, slamming one cuff around the brass metal of his bedpost and the other around his exposed wrist. He laughed as I did it, the dimple almost encouraging me.

“Sarah, babe, I’m not into this.” He winked. “You aren’t either.” “Just…listen to me.” He clattered the cuff against the railing. “Easier ways than this.” I shifted from the bed, gathering my lost dress on the floor. He watched me, eyebrow arched. “Reed, promise you won’t get mad?” “Oh, shit.” “Reed—” “What the fuck are you doing?” I swallowed. “I have to go.” “Go?” “But I’ll be right back.” “What?” “It’ll be really quick. I promise.” He jerked forward, but the handcuffs caught on the bedpost. I didn’t recognize his scowl. “You’re leaving?” “I promise I’ll come back.” “Why the fuck would you come back?” “Okay, look,” I said. “I’m meeting with Roman Wescott.” Reed grunted. “That asshole?” “Yes. He’s the only one we need to amend the trust to award it early.” “Are you insane?” “I’ll be in and out. Darius won’t know I’ve gone to meet with him.” Neither would Nicholas. The dress slipped over my head. I couldn’t find my panties, but that wasn’t unusual. “I have to do this. If I can get him to help me—” “Now you’re asking for help?” It was a good thing I cuffed him to the bed. “I offered to get you out of here. You told me no. You couldn’t leave Nicholas. It was impossible.” “And it was. Then.” “What changed?” “Everything.” Reed tested the cuffs. “I’m a good listener, sweetheart. I can’t do much else now. Enlighten me.” “You did offer to help me once,” I said. “Letting me do this is helping me.” “No,” he said. “It’s helping yourself.” “Right now? It’s the same thing.” “Nick won’t see it that way.” Like I didn’t already know that. Like I hadn’t already endured that betrayal and ignored every rational warning in my mind. Like I didn’t realize Nicholas couldn’t rescue me on his own, not with the board

determined to burn my fields by slashing through me. He warned me to stay away from the one investor in Josmik Holdings that could end Darius’s rule. Did he assume I’d jeopardize the trust? Or did he keep me away because he feared how much power, stock, and hatred I would possess when it was done? His reasons didn’t matter. He wouldn’t stop me. I had to live long enough to watch Darius lose everything. This was how I was meant to do it. “Nick will have to understand,” I said. Reed nodded. “You think he trusts you?” “I don’t think any of us trust the others.” “You know you could always trust me.” He softened his voice. “Come on, Sarah. Unlock me so we can talk with my boxers on.” I didn’t free him, but I tossed him the boxers and the TV’s remote control. His jaw tightened. Without his smile, the scars on his face and cheek and ear were suddenly visible. I rifled through his discarded pants. “I’m sorry, Reed. Where are the keys to your car?” “Porsche?” “Sure.” “Under the visor.” I nodded. “I’ll be back before you know it. And I’ll fill her up with a full tank. I promise.” “Don’t bother. He’ll find you anyway.” “Darius won’t know I’m gone.” “Not talking about my father.” Reed’s voice darkened. “I’m talking about Nick.” I didn’t want to imagine it. “He’ll understand.” “I doubt it. I’d rather run from the man who thought he lost you than from the man who thinks you stole everything. If you go and talk to Wescott, he’ll know you’re seizing the company.” “I am seizing the company. What difference does it make if it’s today or if it’s on my birthday?” “A couple months is a big difference,” Reed said. “Enough time for Nick to save the day.” “Well, I can’t wait.” “You have to.” “Reed, they’re going to kill me if I don’t conceive.” He tilted his head. “They?” So he didn’t know. Nick kept it secret, even from his brothers. Was he that desperate to protect me? Or did he really think he could stop it? “The Bennett Board of Directors knows about me,” I said. “They sided with Darius. They voted to have me raped and bred so they can save the company. And if you refuse? They’ll look the other way while Darius kills you.”

Reed paled. “Jesus.” “So, if anyone asks where I am, just tell them I’m taking care of some errands.” I turned to the door. Reed swore, tearing at the cuffs on his hand. The bed shook as he yelled for me. “Sarah, wait! You can’t go! If that’s true, it’s suicide!” And that fear made my decision for me. I took a breath. “I’d rather kill myself then give Darius Bennett the satisfaction of pulling the trigger.” Reed’s voice hardened. “Yeah, that’s great. But remember where else he’s aiming the gun.” My insides chilled. I stilled. “See the problem? You march out that door, you kill us both.” “But...I handcuffed you.” Why did I argue? Why didn’t I just go? Why couldn’t I leave without Reed understanding? “He’ll think I trapped you. He can’t blame you.” “My father has never missed an opportunity to blame one of his sons for their failures.” I didn’t have any other options, and Reed was always too honest with me. “If I let you go, will you try to stop me?” “Yes.” It hurt. I knew he’d say it, but it still hurt. “Then you are just keeping me prisoner here too.” He didn’t hide it. “Yes.” “That isn’t fair.” “Sarah, you said you’d submit to keep my father happy.” “And get raped?” My voice shrilled. “Is that worth keeping Darius happy? Watching him destroy my farm and my family’s honor? My mother?” “It’s better than being dead.” “Not if Darius wins.” “The only victory is the one you’re imagining,” he said. “We are talking blood. Life or death. Forget the company. Forget the feud. Vengeance won’t save you.” “It’s more than just vengeance.” “Yeah. This feud is about people too. The ones killed in car crashes. The girl stolen in the night.” “You don’t get it, Reed.” He tried to soften his voice and failed. “Yes, I do, I know you’re afraid of him—” “I’m not.” “Sarah, you are so afraid of my father you aren’t thinking clearly. Admitting your fear doesn’t make you weak, it makes you human.” “If I get scared it means I’ve given up.” Reed tugged the handcuffs, but not to escape. He wanted to hold me. That was worth running from. I wasn’t admitting anything. I wasn’t letting Darius get into my head. I was doing this to save myself.

And nothing he could say would stop me. “I’ll come back,” I said. “And we’ll pretend like this never happened.” “That’s not possible.” Reed stared at the ceiling. “If you leave, we’re gonna have a problem, and I won’t be able to fix it.” My chest ached, but it wasn’t asthma. “It doesn’t have to be fixed. Nothing is broken.” “Do you know why I fuck you, Sarah?” I stiffened. Reed didn’t mean it to be harsh, but it was the roughest he ever dragged his words. “It’s not about knocking you up. It’s not about obeying Nick. It’s because I’m trying to give you a taste of pleasure, something that will give you the strength to fight.” He shrugged. “I told you before I’d protect you however I can. Sarah, I told you. I’d rather meet my father in hell than let him hurt you.” “I remember.” Reed looked away. “But I can’t protect you from Nick.” I stilled. He stopped struggling against the cuffs, but with his surrender came something else. Anger. Insult. Betrayal. “I hope to God you can control Nick,” he said. “Because I don’t care who you ally with in this house, if you cross Nicholas Bennett, no one will be able to save you.” “I have to try.” I hesitated. “Can you forgive me?” He didn’t answer the question. “You’re just as ruthless as they are.” “Only because I have to be.” “No.” Reed’s voice stung. “You’re choosing to be. You don’t realize how much blood will spill.” “I didn’t draw it first.” “But they’ll draw it last.” Reed tucked his arms behind his head, but only I flinched as the metal clanged. “Trust me, Sarah, my father will make it hurt.” “I’m not afraid of him.” “Yes, you are.” His voice layered with remorse. “But you haven’t seen half of what my father is capable of. If you leave, he will give you a real reason to fear him.”

“Sarah Atwood has escaped.” It wasn’t the first time it happened, but it was surprising it took this long for her to attempt it again. My father didn’t agree. His voice corroded with venom. “I’ll find her,” I said. “Yes, you will, after you’ve returned to the estate. First you will free your brother, and then I will meet with all of my sons to discuss what must be done.” “…Free my brother?” “Don’t delay, Nicholas.” His words sliced with a familiar rage that would split the long-healed scars on my back. “The little cunt’s final fertility treatment is tomorrow. I will have her home and bedded or it will be the last time I give her the opportunity to escape.” Christ. I slammed the phone on the receiver only to immediately call for my helicopter. What the hell was Sarah doing? If she was lucky, my father would break her legs and chain her in the basement to be fucked. If she truly angered him, he’d do the same and then kill her. The thought shredded my heart, and the threat of madness fueled my veins with rabid fury. If my gut twisted and blood poisoned when my father merely looked at her, what monster would I become if he dared to lay a hand on her? And how could I prevent it? Sarah didn’t listen to me. Willful disobedience made for a sensual challenge but a terrible epitaph. Her safety depended on my one command. Submit. And still, she defied me. At each and every turn, she disobeyed me. And now she had escaped. It was hard enough controlling her when she was at my side. She fled from our home to go…where? Anywhere. Anywhere she could free herself from the Bennetts. Anywhere she’d be rid of me. Sarah was slipping away. I held her in my arms, promised my love, and damned her to a life of captivity and horror. She blamed me for all of it—my father’s attempted rape, the fertility drugs, the conspiracy of the board. And she was right. I’d vowed I’d do whatever I could to keep her safe. Except free her from my possession.

And the instant she realized it—when she truly understood my obsessive devotion—I’d lose her forever, no matter the restraints, seclusion, and madness that bound her within the estate. All the more reason to find her before she did something reckless. Something more reckless. The helicopter arrived within a quarter hour. I texted Max from the air. Where are you? He responded with a slight delay. The estate. Enjoying the show. What show? You’ll fucking see. I didn’t have time for cryptic games—not from my father, not from my brother, and not from Sarah Atwood endangering herself in a foolish attempt to return home or hide from my family until she inherited the trust. The trust. Christ. Sarah never retreated, she only delayed to arm herself. The helicopter was halfway to the estate, but I didn’t order the pilot to return to San Jose. I knew exactly where she was. If she had any common sense, she’d hurry to the mansion before my father traded the last of his patience for a loaded gun. If she wanted to survive, she’d leave me and never look back. But the thought of losing her was a pain that surged with dark desperation and unjust rage. Sarah Atwood was the true cornerstone of any empire I’d ever build. Nothing else tempted me. Nothing else moved me. I needed Sarah in my life, at my side, in my bed. I didn’t trust myself to deny the selfish desires. My love endangered her more than my father’s wrath. The helicopter landed. I met my brothers within Reed’s suite. Nothing prepared me for it, and yet, somehow, I knew this was how it would happen. “Oh, Christ, the cavalry’s here.” Reed knocked his head against the headboard. He wore only a pair of blue boxers. The color matched the light bruising on the wrist trapped in a handcuff. Max snickered from the corner, twirling a set of keys in his hand. “Would you tell him to fucking unlock me?” Reed clattered the metal around his wrist. “This isn’t as comfortable as it looks.” I surveyed the room. No signs of struggle. No sign of Sarah. Just my youngest brother, handcuffed to his own bed. Like a jackass. “How…did this happen?” I imagined it quite vividly, but I hoped I was wrong. Sarah slamming a chair through a window and running was acceptable panic. But overpowering my brother? Her escape was premeditated, and it would enrage my father.

“I’ll let you out,” Max said. “Just gotta say your own little safe word.” “Fuck you, I have to piss.” “That’s not it.” He dangled the keys in front of him. “Say Sarah Atwood made me her bitch. Then I’ll uncuff you.” Why weren’t they worried? “Where is Sarah?” Reed shrugged. The handcuffs jingled. She managed to restrain a man twice her size. Sarah was as impressive as she was idiotic. “She left about six hours ago.” “Six hours?” It was like she tried to enrage my father. Max frowned. “Where’d she go?” My brother pointed to the cuff. “I wasn’t at liberty to follow her. She stole my car and left.” “She stole your car?” Max’s voice rose. Reed huffed. “She sure as hell wasn’t taking my bike. Don’t worry, she said she was coming back.” “Why in the hell would she come back?” Max paced the room, but he made no effort to unlock our brother. “Where’s her dog?” “She left him.” That reassured me. “She wouldn’t leave Hamlet with our father.” Max swore. “What the hell happened?” “Christ. We were just messing around. I wasn’t paying attention. She cuffed me and ran.” I didn’t want to consider the possibilities, but my mind was nothing if not a bastion for jealousy. “Why did you have handcuffs?” Reed had the decency to look shamed. “She said she thought’d it be fun. Then she pretended to freak out with them on. I took them off because she was scared. Now I know she’s one hell of a liar. She blew me, cuffed me, and left.” My spine stiffened. “She blew you?” Reed’s eyes jaded with impatience. “Yeah, cause that is the pressing issue at the moment.” “You don’t make a lot of babies that way,” Max said. “Fuck you.” “Now you’re getting it!” “Enough.” I checked my watch. “Max, let him up. We have to meet our father downstairs.” “He’s pissed,” Reed said. Max unhooked the cuffs. “No shit.” “He’ll hurt Sarah.” “No.” Max didn’t look at me. “He’ll make me do it. And it won’t end well.” I cursed the horrific thoughts that stained my mind. “If he doesn’t decide to kill her first.”

My brothers silenced. I wasn’t giving up yet. “We have to find her before he does.” “Why?” Reed rubbed his wrist. “Let her go. Do you think she’s stupid enough to come back?” Stupid? No. Naive? Yes. If Sarah wanted to hide her meeting with Roman Wescott, if she wanted to ensure the amendment to her trust stayed secret, she didn’t have a choice. She had to return. My father’s suspicions damned her each minute she strayed from the estate. Once she was returned and safe, we could lie. Make up a story about her fleeing in terror instead of an attempt to deliberately undermine the Bennett Corporation and institute a hostile takeover. Sarah’s one salvation was the fate she denied. My father wouldn’t have cause to kill her if he believed breeding her was still the viable option. Creating her heir was still his first priority, murder his contingency. Unless she forced his hand. Unless she loaded the gun and stood before the barrel. But Sarah didn’t trust that I would prevent him from pulling the trigger. And she was wrong. I wished she realized how wrong she was. I avoided violence, but only because I played our options, calculated the risks, and worked to secure empires instead of vendettas. But if the time came for blood to spill? I’d slit my father’s throat before I let him take her perfection from me. Reed leapt from the bed. Max tossed him his pants, but he darted first to his liquor cabinet to swig from a bottle of whiskey. He took the bottle with him to the bathroom and returned a minute later, a quarter of the amber liquid gone. He rubbed a washcloth over the abrasion to his wrist. “Gonna be worse than that downstairs,” Max warned. Reed tossed the bloody cloth in the hamper. “I’m a grown fucking man, not some little blonde troublemaker. What’s Dad gonna do to me?” “Think long and hard about it. If you aren’t pissing your pants, you don’t know Dad.” “Fuck this.” Reed downed another mouthful of whiskey and grunted against the sting. “I’ve had enough of this goddamned family. I’m done. I’m not dealing with this bullshit anymore.” “You oppose him, and he’ll punish Sarah for your insolence,” I said. Reed’s voice hollowed. “Yeah, well, she made her choice, didn’t she?” The harshness shocked me. Reed was always so eager to help and appease Sarah. Whatever happened between them pissed my brother off. More than I expected. Did she realize? She put herself in danger, but no handcuffs would ever convince my father Reed was helpless in her escape. Sarah underestimated my father. And this time, she wouldn’t be the only one punished for her disobedience. Reed tugged a shirt over his head and headed downstairs without a word, without a plan, and without a hope to survive what awaited him. Max and I followed as he kicked in the doors to our father’s office to confront the monster.

He never learned. His punch slammed Reed’s jaw before my brother prepared himself for the strike. He slumped, but my father pointed to us. “Hold him up,” he said. “Both of you.” This wasn’t a good sign. I hoped my father would display some restraint. He hadn’t harmed Sarah in weeks, except for the ropes which tore her skin at the gala and an incident in the pool she refused to reveal. My father attempted to break Sarah’s mind instead of her body, to spare her any accidents if she had been impregnated. But he had no reason to protect Reed. My father never offered mercy to those who opposed him. Max and I steadied Reed on his feet. My father rubbed the ache from his knuckles and sneered. “You helped her.” Reed spat blood. “How the hell would I do that? She cuffed me to the damn bed.” “And why would you let that happen?” I tasted the same challenge as Reed, but, unlike my brother, I had sense to not indulge it. “We did it enough to her. Thought I’d see if it was as fun from the other side.” He held my father’s stare. “It’s not.” I braced for the bastard to strike. So did Reed. The attack never came. “You were careless, boy,” he said. “You let her escape. Who knows where she might have gone or who the little cunt has spoken to.” “Good question,” Reed said. “Maybe she went to the Board of Directors?” Son of a bitch. Reed and Sarah obeyed none of my orders and consistently made life more dangerous for us all. Max knew not to react. Reed scraped the last bit of luck he had. “You told the fucking board we held her captive, and you’re worried about Sarah getting loose?” His voice rose. “Half of the motherfucking board sympathized with the Atwoods. They sold their stock. Why would you risk any of them knowing that we’re trying to breed her?” My father’s rage would shatter bone. “They don’t care about that girl! No one gives a damn about Sarah Atwood—it’s her fucking womb that’s worth billions. Christ, if it were any other organ I’d chop her open and rip out her entrails myself.” I didn’t doubt it. His hand slammed against the desk. “We need her womb. We need the baby you have yet to conceive! That little bitch is one fertility treatment from ovulating, and you let her escape!” And there it was. The key to saving her. Sarah was only one injection away from ovulation. For all my father knew, she escaped because she was afraid of conceiving. He’d believe it. He lived to watch her cower in fear.

“Nicholas, you will find her and bring her to the estate.” Eagerly. “Of course.” “We’ve given that bitch free rein of this house. It ends now. She is here for one purpose and one purpose only, and she has yet to fulfill her responsibilities.” My father dared to hold my gaze. “I hoped my sons understood.” Unfortunately, I knew exactly what he expected. I was tempted by the same greed and lust for power. I inherited more than just a company, an estate, and an empire from the monster. The same evil in him lurked in me. I denied that calling, but the darkness crept in my soul and ached to possess Sarah Atwood in complete and utter dominance. But I wouldn’t become my father. The day I surrendered to that beast was the day I damned Sarah to a true hell. “You will fuck her,” he said. “Each of you. Again and again until we are certain the fertility drugs were not a waste of my time. I don’t care if she cries or begs or screams.” He considered it with a leering amusement. “In fact, I’d prefer it.” “Holy Christ, you’re fucked up.” Reed had too much time to think while bound within his room, and his thoughts were not ones he should have voiced in my father’s presence. “What happens if we do get her pregnant?” He struggled forward, but Max and I prevented him from making a worse mistake. “What happens when her step-brothers knock her up? You expect her to bargain the company for her baby?” “The heir is the only matter of consequence to us.” “It’s not a matter or consequence! It’s a child.” “Reed, I no longer believe you have our family’s best interests at heart.” The crop cracked over my shoulders. I didn’t groan. It made Dad proud, but it wasn’t enough to dull the pain. Across the room, Max stuck out his tongue. This was his stupid fault. He was the one who snuck into Dad’s office. And it was his idea to use Reed to scout. The baby couldn’t do anything right. Three strikes of the crop and Max had cried. I lasted five. “Bring the boy over,” Dad said. “Darius, no.” Mom held Reed close. “He’s only four.” “He’s old enough to learn.” The crop pointed at me. “And Nicholas is old enough to realize his brothers’ behavior is his responsibility.” Dad took off Reed’s shirt. He faced my little brother toward me. Reed thought it was a game. I didn’t warn him. Dad forced me to watch.

“Next time, Nicholas, maybe you’ll remember to keep him out of trouble.” The crop lashed down. Reed would never stop screaming. My father taught us to prioritize two things in life—family and power. Our greatest sin wasn’t kidnapping, torturing, and breeding Sarah Atwood. It was dishonoring the family. Disobeying my father. Placing another’s needs before the success, wealth, and bond of our name. “This Atwood whore has confused you, Reed,” my father said. “You’ve forgotten who you are. What you represent.” “We’re wasting time.” I drew his stare. “Sarah escaped hours ago. Let’s go and find her before she gets farther away. Who knows where she is now.” My father folded his arms. “What did she tell you, Reed?” “Nothing.” “You were with her last.” “Yeah, we don’t do a lot of talking when I’m…” He took a breath. “She’s not all that good for conversation.” A lie. My father chuckled. “She’s not meant for conversation. She’s meant for fucking.” “Haven’t I done that?” “Have you?” My father’s tone shifted—wild and accusatory. “You are Reed Bennett. My son. You were born to represent me.” “Yeah, I get that.” “I made you to empower this family. Our wealth, our company, it means nothing if the world doesn’t know our name and understand we are meant to own them.” Reed shrugged. “What if I want something different?” My father turned, stalking to his desk. “That right is not yours. Not if you wish to wield the Bennett name. Not if you expect your billions, your power.” “All our money didn’t prevent Mark Atwood from stealing our investors. Our power did nothing to keep Sarah Atwood under control.” Fuel on the fire. I wished my father’s punch had knocked Reed out. “Our name didn’t do shit for us,” Reed said. “And the only Bennett people will ever remember is the one Sarah is forced to conceive. I take no pride in that.” “Our name is the only reason you and Max are standing here today.” My father’s sneer was meant to insult them. It worked.

“When that car crashed, do you think the doctors would have worked as hard to scrape your skin from the asphalt if your name wasn’t Bennett?” He pointed to Reed’s face. “No other family would have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to sew your face back on your skull. They would have let you live, scarred and ugly, without any hope of a decent life.” “It wasn’t my injury that scarred this family,” Reed said. “The only reason you tortured me with those surgeries was so you looked good. So you wouldn’t be ashamed of your deformed youngest son and his crippled brother.” “Reed, enough.” I didn’t trust the vein in my father’s forehead, the one even Sarah Atwood hadn’t managed to throb. “This isn’t helping us find the girl. We’ll deal with this later.” My father stilled. “No. We’ll deal with this now. Bring your brother to me.” Neither Max nor I moved. My father pulled a knife from the desk. Reed swore. “What are you doing?” I threaded my voice with weary impatience, not the gut-punching fear that summoned the adrenaline. “I’ll take the helicopter to Cherrywood Valley and see if she’s at the farm. Max and Reed can search San Jose on their motorcycles. We’ll find her—” “We don’t have to search.” My father pointed the blade at Reed. “He knows where she is.” “Why the fuck would I know?” Reed asked. “Because you’re friends with the little whore. You helped her. Comforted her. Your baby sister told you where she was going, and now you’ll tell me.” Reed stayed silent. My brother knew. Sarah told him about the board, about Wescott, about everything. My father was right. And if Reed spoke even a word of it, Sarah would die. Reed played dumb. “I have no idea. She said she wanted to see her mom. Check with Bethany.” My father didn’t believe the lie. He called to me. “Bring him here.” I delayed as long as I could, staring at the knife in his hand. “Let’s just find Sarah—” “I said bring him here.” No. Even his cruelty had limits. I would not allow my father to harm my brother. “If Reed sees no benefit to being a Bennett, if this family is so scarred, then why hide what nature intended?” My father’s shrugged. “Or, what that little whore’s father intended.” “Jesus, Dad,” Max said. “What are you going to do?” The knife flashed. Reed said nothing. “He either tells me where the Atwood bitch has gone, or I’ll earn back the thousands of dollars I wasted giving him a chance to honor the Bennett name.” He was insane. He threatened to cut Reed’s face, to etch away the years of plastic surgery and reveal the ugly scars underneath. He would maim his own son.

And, in his madness, he expected us to help him do it. “Where is she, Reed?” My father asked. “Last chance.” I had to find another way, some possible chance to spare my brother pain and save Sarah. I pushed him behind me. But my brother fought my arm. He snarled at me, his words as certain as a slam to the gut. “She made her choice, Nick.” The madness would take us all. Reed thought he was protecting her. He wouldn’t tell my father, even if the consequences would forever scar him. I couldn’t let this happen, but time slivered against the edge of my father’s knife. I had no options. I couldn’t spare my brother his pain and save the life of the woman I loved. But Reed would do it for me. “Sarah left.” Reed shrugged. “I don’t know where she went.” My father tapped the blade in his hand. “I’m disappointed in you, son.” “Aren’t you always?” “Hold him down.” Max refused. I forced Reed forward instead. He swore, though the word aimed for both me and our bastard of a father. I deserved more than his profanity. I deserved more than my brother’s ire, Sarah’s distrust, and my father’s gratitude for pinning my youngest brother to the desk as the knife raised. I deserved the tearing slice to my face. Reed screamed. I’d remember that sound too. And I’d ensure it was the last pain my father ever caused.

“Mom!” The front door slammed behind me. I let Reed’s car idle in the driveway, practically steaming from the three hour speed run from San Jose. I made a two-hundred and fifty mile detour before my meeting with Roman Wescott. I hoped it’d be worth it. “Mom?” I sprinted through the halls. “It’s Sprout! Where are you?” The patio door opened. Mom brushed the dirt from her hands and dropped the garden trowel in the coffee can tucked in the corner. “Sarah, no yelling in the house. I heard you all the way in my flower garden.” Her voice slurred, and an orange pill bottle jingled out of her pocket, but I didn’t care. I wrapped her in our first honest hug in three months, our first real embrace since Josiah and Mike’s deaths. It was our first touch which didn’t mourn a lost husband, father, or hope. “Sarah, what’s gotten into you? Is Darius here?” I shuddered. “No. Look, Mom. I can’t stay long.” “You haven’t stayed long in months.” Her disappointment chided me. A sharp pang of sorrow struck me to the core. “Mom…I haven’t been living here.” “Right, right.” She waved a hand. “So kind of Darius to offer to take you in.” Kind was not the word I would have picked, but it wasn’t the time to argue. I herded Mom into the master bedroom and opened the closet. The clothes piled high, but she had always bribed a farmhand to help her fold the laundry. “Mom, pack a bag. You have to stay with Aunt Sharidan for a while.” “Shari?” Mom made a face. “Oh no. I haven’t seen my sister since the wedding, and even then I had two glasses of wine too few to deal with her.” But Aunt Sharidan was the closest relative I could think to take her in, though San Francisco would plop into the bay once they started to fight. “Why are you running around?” She asked, “Honestly. Put my bag down.” The clock on the wall ticked entirely too fast for me to pack more than a few pairs of jeans, a couple shirts, and a random assortment of her toiletries. “Sprout, stop. What are you doing?” “Mom, I need you to go visit Aunt Shari. Don’t argue with me, please. I can’t explain now, but I will later. I promise. Just…go get your shoes on.”

“I’m wearing shoes.” I glanced down. “Mom…two of the same shoe.” Mom held out her foot, cackling as she realized her mistake. “Oh, look at that. Serves me right for not wearing my glasses.” I wasn’t so sure. Her bag zipped tight. I’d call Aunt Sharidan from the car. It’d take a bribe to keep Mom there, especially since her relationship with her sister only worsened with age, but I’d sell half the corn fields if it meant Mom could be safe. If only for a little while. If only so Darius wouldn’t be able to hurt her for what I was going to do. I sighed. It was stupid to even return to Cherrywood Valley. Stupid and reckless and utterly selfish. I meant to drive straight to Roman Wescott’s office, plead my case, and convince him to amend the agreement. I planned to collect my trust and find a way to defend myself from Darius. But I didn’t make it close to San Jose. I left the estate and immediately headed south. Toward home. Back to Mom. A desperate part of me needed to sink in her arms and cry, to reveal everything horrible and frightening and disgusting that had happened at the Bennett Estate. I wanted to beg for Mom to be my mother again. We’d hire security, find a safer home, and then finalize her divorce. Darius would slit her throat if I so much as whispered about his treatment, but if she were free of him, we could try to rebuild our life and farm. Maybe then we’d be safe. I would inherit my trust. I’d help Nicholas depose his father. And then? I searched the house to find her cellphone charger. My steps slowed in the kitchen. There was no more then. I was an idiot. Idealistic fool. A little girl who denied that anything was wrong in the storybook fantasy of her family. The pilot light flickered on the stove with no pots or dishes near. “Mom?” I called. “Are you making tea or something?” Mom followed, still fretting about my rampage through her drawers. “No. Why?” I didn’t answer. Mom brushed her hands. “Where did all this dirt come from? Heavens.” She tisked her tongue. “Did you want tea, Sarah? Good gracious, you come bursting in here shouting all manner of nonsense, trying to get me to visit Shari of all people, and now you want tea. I swear, sometimes I think you are just a clone of Mark.” I flicked the knob on the stove. “You…left the stove on.” “Oh. Whoops!” Whoops? She might have set the house on fire, and all she could say was whoops? My stomach dropped. She hadn’t been the most level-headed woman since the funerals, but I thought it

was the depression. The medications. Darius was right. She fluttered to the cabinet. “Well, now I’m tasting tea anyway. Put some water on, Sprout.” I hesitated, but Mom flipped a towel at my behind. She laughed as I visibly flinched against even the smallest nip of the cloth. She didn’t ask why I feared a strike. I wouldn’t have told her anyway. I filled the kettle. Mom set tea bags and sugar on the table. She hummed as she worked. When was the last time she hummed? Three months ago, Mom could hardly get out of bed, torn between the excitement for her new marriage and the crushing despair of her mourning. The pills helped, until they didn’t. They stole the once vibrant and vivacious woman who was my only companion in the family. A family that didn’t want me. No. My father didn’t want me. Josiah and Mike loved me. They were older and far busier with Dad, but they snuck me sweets when I was sick and let me sleep in their rooms if I had nightmares of earthquakes. I hadn’t visited their graves since they died, not after Mom took the razor to her wrists just as the funeral procession arrived at the plot in our far field where they’d rest next to Dad. I hadn’t visited Dad either, not that he deserved it. My chest tightened. Coming here was a mistake. It’d be the first place Darius would look, and Mom the first person he’d hurt. I tried to defend my family, but at my first opportunity, I lured danger to it. We weren’t going anywhere. I couldn’t trust Mom to go anywhere. She offered me a fruit salad wrapped from the fridge. “Fresh from the garden.” She pushed the fork toward me. “Bet you miss that. Darius doesn’t appreciate good fruits and vegetables.” Neither did his carnivore sons. Sons who would be on their way to find me. To capture me. To imprison me with him again. I had no idea what would await me when I returned or how angry Nicholas would be. I savored a bite of the watermelon and aimed for the honeydew immediately after. “Sprout, tell me why you’re so worked up?” Mom spun her spoon in her tea. “You aren’t yourself.” I didn’t even know who myself would be anymore. I left the Bennett Estate terrified and enraged, but the revenge I sought wasn’t as righteous as before. I demanded blood, not for the sin perpetrated against my family but the darkness Darius forced me to endure. Did that make me as ruthless as Reed thought? The way he looked at me crushed my heart in mounting guilt. I never meant to hurt him. I’d probably

hurt them all before it was done. Except they hurt me first. What was I supposed to do? Mom hovered. “Looks like you could use a treat too.” She tucked a plate of chocolate chip cookies under my nose. I abandoned the fruit. “Your father loved those cookies,” Mom said. “They were the only compliment he’d ever give.” The cookie fell to the plate. Almost a year of mourning, and she never once said anything disparaging about Dad. I tried my hardest to remember anything she ever said bad about Dad. I couldn’t. Then again, until a few weeks ago, I had nothing negative to say either. I blinked away a damning tear. “You never told me what a monster Dad was.” Mom’s teacup lowered. She hesitated. “He wasn’t a monster.” I nibbled the cookie. “Helena Bennett?” “So you’ve spoken with Darius.” “Nick.” “It was a long time ago, Sprout.” “That doesn’t forgive what he did,” I said. “No,” she agreed. “But Mark never asked for forgiveness.” “You never said anything.” “No.” “Did Josiah and Mike know?” Talking about Dad no longer weakened her, but her voice slipped when I mentioned my brothers. “Yes, I suppose they did.” I hated to think it. “Didn’t they care?” “You know your brothers.” She trembled. “Knew. They thought they’d change the world.” “They might have.” She nodded with a pursing of her lips. “Some things aren’t meant to be.” And some things in the world were cruel and unfair. The house stood too silent without my brothers rumbling down the stairs, late for school, late for a date, late for work. Dad called them irresponsible. They were the greatest men in the world. They never should have died. Too many things went wrong, and too many lives destroyed with theirs. It should have ended with Dad. I hated myself for considering it.

I hated him for writing me out of the will, out of the company, out of the family. “Dad never thought I was as good as them,” I said. “Did he?” Mom stirred another lump of sugar into her tea. It was her third cube. She must not have remembered dropping the last one. “He never saw you, Sprout,” she said. “Had he looked, he would have realized you were so much like him.” “That’s not a good thing.” “It can be. Mark was successful because he was shrewd. He saw his opportunities and did what he had to do. He provided for the family. Some people would call that ruthless. He considered it life.” She paused. “He died before his time. And your brothers…” “Yeah.” “But that’s in the past. No sense dwelling on such sadness. We have a new family to care for.” Even half a state away, Darius Bennett turned my stomach. “Mom, I want to take you far from here. I’m going to get you away from Darius.” “Away from Darius? Whatever for?” I stood, casting the cookie into the sink. “He’s evil, Mom. Absolutely evil.” She gave me the same look she always did, as though my overactive imagination concocted another crazy story. “You’ve never had any love for the Bennetts, but I hoped you’d try to come to terms with this—” “If you knew the man he truly was—” “Sarah, I’ve known Darius Bennett since I was thirteen years old, and I’ve loved him nearly as long.” I stilled. “You what?” “Darius and I were childhood sweethearts. Had his family not moved to San Jose and mine not entwined with the Atwoods…my life would certainly look very different.” “You aren’t serious.” “Our lives took separate paths, but nothing has made me happier than reuniting with the first man I ever loved. It’s healed a lot of wounds I thought impossible to mend. He’s given me a new hope.” She tapped her fingers over the teacup. “I’m not well, Sarah.” “Don’t say that.” Any of it. “Your brothers knew. They tried to help me, but I said they were being foolish. However, all the mourning and stress has only…strengthened the condition. I didn’t tell you. I don’t want you to worry.” “Mom—” “Darius is a loyal husband. And you see he is a devoted father. He cares for me, and he cares a great deal for you. Please give him a chance, if only to grant me a bit of peace while we battle this next hurdle for our family.” She was serious. Every word, every hallowed implication, every failing hope. She believed Darius would save her. I didn’t have the heart to warn her what happened when she

trusted a Bennett with her life. “You should have sold the company.” Mom stared only into her teacup. “You don’t need this stress. This hassle.” “I could have handled it.” “You weren’t meant to handle it,” she said. “I was glad he didn’t leave the company to you.” “Mom—” “Sell, Sarah. Before the Bennetts knock the price off our farm. Get every penny you can before they realize we don’t have a male heir to run the farm and that you…well, sweetheart, you’ll never have a baby.” It wasn’t stopping them from trying. I let my voice drop. “I’m not selling. It isn’t even possible now that the clause is public. Besides, you don’t know the shit Darius is trying to pull to get the company.” She tisked her tongue. “Don’t you fault Darius for being financially-driven. He could do a lot with this farm.” “He’s not financially-driven. He’s vile.” “Sarah, you are an Atwood. Mark Atwood’s daughter, no less.” Mom sighed. “No one is guiltless in this world. An Atwood loses their innocence very quickly.” Only if it was stolen. Strapped to a bed and taken. Offered. Given. Savored by Nicholas Bennett every night thereafter in boundless passion. I gave myself to a man I didn’t know if I feared or trusted, loved or blamed. The phone rang. I didn’t have to guess who called. I rose. Mom tapped her lips and promised a secret. “Darius, love.” Mom breathed a gentle hello into the phone. “What a surprise. No, no. I’m not busy at all.” I shook my head, prepared to run or hide or fight. Neither of my options would keep us safe. “Sarah?” Mom looked at me. “No, I haven’t seen her. Isn’t she with you?” I mouthed a thank you. She nodded. “Oh, yes, I’ll call you the instant she comes by. Let me know if you hear from her. Love you too.” She returned the phone to the cradle. My heart lurched into my throat. “Mom, you won’t tell Darius about my infertility, will you?” She chuckled. “Of course not, sweetheart. That’s the sort of issue you need only to discuss with your future husband. It isn’t my place to tell. But Darius does know some wonderful doctors…when you do meet that right man, of course.” I feared I had already found the right man. Or maybe I loved the wrong man who consumed everything innocent inside me. I stood, stepping into Mom’s hug.

“I gotta go,” I said. “Just…be careful.” “Unless I develop an allergy to corn, I’m perfectly safe.” She frowned at her packed bag dropped in the middle of the hall. “Sprout, don’t forget your things.” A punch to the gut hurt less than my forced smile. “I’ll come back for it.” She kissed me goodbye, and I didn’t want to think it might have been the last time. I hurried to Reed’s car. Darius wouldn’t trust my mother, and my step-brothers could fly a helicopter. They’d search for me at the farm first. But only Nicholas knew where I’d ultimately go. If he hadn’t already stopped the meeting from happening. Three and a half hours of aggravation, panic, and traffic did little to ease my fraying nerves. I pulled into Roman Wescott’s building with a pounding headache and the clutching fear that every Bennett would await my arrival. But I was alone. And Roman Wescott welcomed me into his office with a waved hand and concerned frown. Without the pretense of the tux and gown, I feared he saw me for what I was—a fleck of blonde, petite and slim, clutching a purse that hid two different types of asthma medications. He wasn’t Darius Bennett, but I couldn’t be sure the wealth the Bennett family provided hadn’t lined his pockets and warped his mind. And just because he made a deal with my father and brothers didn’t mean he was sympathetic to any of the Atwood causes. If he was so willing to sell his stake in the Bennett Corporation to their lifelong rivals, was it even worth trusting him? My world shrunk the instant I escaped the claustrophobia of the estate. I had no one to trust and everyone to fear. Roman Wescott offered me a chair. I crossed my legs, hoping the pleasant sundress and windswept hair appeared business casual. “Thank you for meeting with me,” I said. I admired the sleek, modern office, filled with glass tabletops and a view of downtown San Jose. “You have a lovely office—” “Ms. Atwood.” Roman’s dark eyebrows rose. “Skip the pleasantries. I know why you’re here.” “I suppose you do.” “You want the Bennett Corporation.” I mimicked Nicholas’s practiced stillness and rested my hands on my knee. “No. My interest in the Josmik Trust is…personal. I’m simply acting toward a resolution.” “But, once the trust is awarded to you, you will possess a considerable interest in the Bennett Corporation.” “Yes.” “Do you want complete control of Darius Bennett’s company?” I tiptoed around the question. “If it’s in the best interests of my investment. But you would not have entered an agreement with my father and brothers had you not anticipated that particular outcome.”

“True,” he said. His dark countenance revealed nothing. “So why did you do it?” His chair creaked as he leaned away. “Do what?” “Why did you agree to sell your interest in the Bennett Corporation to the Atwoods? You know the history and the feuds—” He wagged a finger. “No. I don’t. Any rivalry between the Atwoods and Darius Bennett existed solely between the families. I didn’t invest my fortune in a petty family squabble. I’ve chosen to secure my wealth in a company bound for success and driven by profit and innovation. That is why my father partnered with John Bennett. And that is why, when Mark Atwood approached me, I agreed to terms. Darius Bennett is not his father. He is not protecting my investment.” All good news. “I am not my father either,” I said. “I’m not Josiah, and I’m not Mike. But I am an Atwood. Success runs in my veins. We draw it from the very soil itself. You can trust me with your investment. The contractual amount for your shares is held in escrow, waiting to be finalized.” “I’m sure it is.” “So why not sell early?” I asked. “If you no longer trust the direction of the Bennett Corporation, sell now, before the stock dips or…any other unpleasant circumstance endangers the company.” “And what unpleasant circumstance would that be, Ms. Atwood?” Roman’s eyes flashed like marble. “You do see the…complications this sale poses, don’t you?” What did he know? How many members of the board understood my captivity? How many encouraged Darius’s plot? Why wouldn’t he just sign and avoid the danger of such a conspiracy? “I’m doing what I must to protect my family’s interests and secure my father and brothers’ final project,” I said. “It was their decision to approach the members of the Bennett board.” “I highly doubt they anticipated the challenges that would arise for you.” “Nevertheless, I am willing to face those challenges.” “Indeed. Here you are. Asking me to amend an agreement to destroy a company which yielded me a profit over the years. You’re asking me to ruin my personal and business interests even though you were not present in the initial negotiations.” He smiled, but not for my benefit. “Ms. Atwood, the only reason you sit before me is because you are the last surviving Atwood.” I nodded. “It’s true.” “It’s much to ask from a young woman managing a legacy her father never intended her to have.” “Ask yourself, Mr. Wescott. Do you believe Darius Bennett will protect your family’s investments in the future?” “It’s unlikely.” “There’s your answer.” “What is your incentive, Ms. Atwood?” He bid me to reveal more than I wished. “You are a billionaire heiress. What do you need with this potential revenue?” “I have many reasons.”

“Name one.” Survival. Revenge. Blood. I swallowed. “Security,” I said. “Are you sure it won’t just endanger you more?” “Nothing can endanger me more.” “Maybe.” He sighed, folding his palms. “I want to help you, Sarah Atwood.” I didn’t react. “Mr. Wescott, it isn’t help. This is a business arrangement which will benefit us both.” “Please understand this decision does not come lightly. I have spent my life working for the Bennett Corporation—investing time and money and energy into a family I supported.” “I understand.” “Nicholas Bennett is a strong leader. He would lead his family and corporation to success.” “I completely agree.” Roman shook his head. “He would. If he were given the opportunity.” The hair on my neck prickled. “I bear no resentment for Nicholas Bennett.” “Maybe you should.” I didn’t respond. Roman leaned in, his hard stare revealing a lifetime of secrecy. He was no older than Nicholas, and yet he radiated wisdom, mystery, and danger. Though he was quite attractive, his words haunted me. “I’ll agree to the amendments, Ms. Atwood. You can inherit your trust and engage the Bennett Corporation as you see fit—under one condition.” I didn’t like conditions discussed without a lawyer or witness. “Darius Bennett is not a good man,” he said. “His plans have severe consequences for everyone in the corporation, and his hatred lives on in his sons.” I said nothing. He held my gaze. “Ms. Atwood, I will consider signing this agreement only if you agree that the stock you receive, the interests you control, and the power you’ll possess in the Bennett Corporation remain yours.” “I don’t understand.” “If you want this trust, you will assume control of the Bennett Corporation.” His command stopped my heart. “And you will never sell your control back to Nicholas Bennett.”



I thought the estate was empty when I returned. I was wrong. Darius Bennett seized me in the foyer. I shouted, but his hand curled around my neck before I could call for help. His fingers stained with blood. He squeezed. It wasn’t the first time I couldn’t breathe in his presence. “Where have you been, my dear?” The slithery rasp of his voice did not pretend to be kind. “We’ve been so worried about you.” I said nothing. His grip tightened. Hard. Too hard. I coughed. It made no difference. My hands clawed at his hold even though struggling would only excite him. Darius liked when I tried to fight him. I’d learned that the hard way. My pounding heart broke. Had I been quick, had I not panicked and went to find Mom, I might have made it back before anyone but Reed knew I had gone. Now the estate stood quiet. Empty halls and emptier rooms awaited me, despite leaving Reed chained to the bed for too long. Way too long. My step-brothers weren’t home. Nicholas wasn’t here. Only Darius. I was alone with a monster who trapped with a grip more demonic claw than hand. “You’ve been very naughty.” Darius held me close. The decaying brown of his eyes hardened with something worse than his usual threats. Delight? Anticipation? It curdled my stomach. “You know you aren’t allowed to leave the grounds without permission.” His attention cast down, practically shredding through my dress. “You know you aren’t permitted to leave your brothers’ beds.” That tone. His words gambled between youthful chastisement and lechery, and every melodic syllable and growled intent promised something sick. His sadism rivaled only his perversion. He whispered terrible secrets against my flesh. “You do not disobey your father.” He cupped my cheeks with both hands, bumping his forehead to mine. What might have been fatherly compassion disgusted me, his every touch a march of stinging insects that

coiled over my spine. “Does Daddy have to punish you?” I shook my head. I’d play his game and stay quiet. I’d do whatever he wanted if he’d let me go. Killing me wasn’t the worst thing Darius Bennett could do. He wouldn’t stop until I begged for death. And I would. God, I knew I would. I tried to be brave. Tried to pretend Darius had no control over me. Tried to lie to Nicholas every morning when he woke me from my nightmares. He chased away the fear with gentle hands and gentler reassurances. Then, I felt safe. Now my lungs filled with Darius’s stale scent, a blend of cigar and leather. His drifted his paws from my cheek to my shoulders. He leered as I began to tremble. I swore I’d never let Darius see me afraid of him. He wouldn’t give me a choice. “You are a spoiled little whore,” Darius whispered. “Do you think you have the right to look us in the eyes? To argue with us? To run from us?” His nails dug into my elbows. It wasn’t his blood that stained his skin. “Do you know what I’ll do to you?” I didn’t let myself guess. I wouldn’t explore that dark and terrible place in his mind. “I can starve you. Beat you.” He licked his lips. “I can ensure you’re raped every hour on the hour until your belly bloats with a child. I don’t care if you’re in pain or frightened or cold. The only thing I care about is right here.” He cupped my stomach, low, aiming for the womb he didn’t realize was barren. “If you don’t start to grow a little Bennett soon, Daddy’s going to be very disappointed in you.” I nodded. “Come with me, my dear.” Darius grasped my wrist, tugging as he led me to the stairs. His fingers crushed my bone, but I’d wrench my hand off if it meant escaping him. No. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. They promised it wouldn’t happen. That they’d protect me. Nicholas swore he wouldn’t let his father touch me again. But they weren’t here. They were looking for me. Darius jerked my arm. Something terrible in my wrist popped. I yelped, but he didn’t care. Darius dragged me up the stairs, into the darkness of the estate. Why did I come back? Why didn’t I just run? Why did I do this to myself?

Nicholas. I wanted Nicholas. I wanted the chance to be with him and love him and escape with him. No matter the horror or pain or demons, I needed him. We struggled to build a life in shadow even when we knew it’d incinerate the instant it came to light. How was I supposed to love a man who captured me, sacrificed me, and deceived my trust? And how was he to love me when I betrayed him to save myself? I tripped over the stairs. It didn’t slow Darius. My hesitations and pleas, protests and screams would never stop him. He forced me to my feet, leading me up, up, up, into the desecrated secrets of his world and the depraved recesses of his mind. Where was Reed? And Max? God, where was Nicholas? My chest ached with a breath that trapped too deeply within my lungs. I fought the asthma and ignored my fear. Neither would help me survive the pain, shame, and destruction Darius willed. But I only needed to survive. Darius revealed too much of himself. He’d keep me alive. Broken, but alive, and that was his greatest mistake. I sacrificed everything before. I’d surrender my body if it meant I’d live to strike him down. He hauled me to the landing, and I blinked back tears. But Darius didn’t aim for his private wing—the desolate stretch of hell I hadn’t dared to explore. Instead, he forced me into Max’s sanctuary, the theater tucked within his hall. He took me to the first place in the estate that had offered me a moment of…comfort. He didn’t plan to rape me, but that didn’t mean I was safe. He’d hurt me however he could. I never thought I’d be eager for the bite of a belt or the rage of a flogging. Pain I could handle. Pain I had endured, both at his hand and Max’s twisted protection. But without my step-brothers, I had no idea if Darius had the restraint to end my punishment before it turned into a murder. He didn’t have Reed’s compassion, Max’s awareness, or Nicholas’s undying patience. Darius possessed only absolute cruelty. And I experienced a brutality that knew no limits. But that didn’t explain why he forced me to sit in the leather recliner centered in the room. I stilled as he ripped the extension cord from a gaming console hooked to the theater system. He tested the strength of the wire and faced me. His smile waged a cautious, lucid, merciless war. Even my heart shivered. Whatever he planned would be worse than rape. “I talked to your mom.” Darius leaned over me to twist the wire against my chest. He looped it behind the chair and bound me against the leather. The cord nearly sliced me in two. He liked how I bit my lip to silence my squeal.

“You didn’t ask for permission to leave, but I understand. You missed your family, didn’t you?” I swallowed my profanity. No sense endangering Mom. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “You went home, my dear.” I didn’t answer. Darius wrapped the cord around me a second time. It cut into the sensitive skin beneath my breast where he already punished once with his ropes. I didn’t let him see me flinch. “The first time I asked, she lied.” He tightened the cord as he growled the word. I pinched my eyes shut. His force drove the air from my lungs. “My own wife. Lying to her husband to protect her whore of a daughter. Sarah, I won’t stand for that.” Oh God. He tied me too tightly to even tremble. “Fortunately, Bethany is a devoted wife. She understands that I am her husband.” Darius knelt before me and surveyed his work. “She told me all about your visit. She said you acted…strangely. And that you were desperate for her to visit your aunt.” His voice lowered, the shadow of pure, utter hatred rumbled in his voice. “How dare you try to interfere in my marriage.” My mouth dried. How could she have told him I was there? She wouldn’t have betrayed me, not if she understood what she was doing. A breath escaped in a pained cough. She…forgot. Whatever illness cobwebbed in her mind captured a memory of my visit but not my plea to keep it secret. One conversation with Darius, and she spilled everything to him. What else would she eventually forget to keep quiet? How long did I have before she revealed my infertility? “She’s not well.” I steadied my voice. “I wouldn’t trust a word she says.” “I’ve learned how to decipher her. Despite your ill-intentions, your mother was thrilled that you came to visit.” I didn’t answer. He tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear. “I know you miss her. I know you miss all of your family.” “It’s expected when someone’s been kidnapped.” The gentle hush to his voice was worse than any profanity. “We’ve tried to make you a home here. You know I’ve thought of you as my little girl.” He thought of me in ways no daughter should ever have been imagined by a loving father. His touch burned me with a warned shiver, but the cords bound me too tightly, biting through my skin even as I remained silent, pressed hard into the recliner. Darius’s hand slid along my leg, savoring the soft skin of my knee. I looked away, but he only explored. His fingers pressed no higher than the uncomfortable swell of my thigh. “I try to be a good father,” he said. “But it’s difficult raising a disobedient little girl who doesn’t respect her family the way they deserve.”

He wouldn’t pry a single word from me. His fingers dug into my skin. I’d bruise, but I’d survive. “You understand, don’t you? Your father just wants what’s best for you.” The grip turned painful. He’d rip my leg off if I didn’t acknowledge him. I nodded. “I have enough trouble keeping my boys in line. I’d hate to think that my little slut daughter would cause as much mischief as them.” “Where are they?” “Your brothers?” Darius’s voice lightened. “Oh, there was a…bit of an accident. Nothing for you to worry about.” An accident? Blood on his hands. Oh God. “Darius—” He wagged a finger. “Now, my dear, I told you. Nothing so formal.” The word soured on my tongue. “Dad. What kind of accident?” He ignored me. “It warms my heart how much you care for your brothers.” What did he know? I didn’t react. “You’re probably worried they’ll end up like Josiah and Mike—dead and burnt and scraped together into a bundle of charred flesh to be buried.” He should have just hit me. I’d be sick. I wasn’t ready for him to mention my real brothers. He didn’t deserve to speak their names, let alone use their death to frighten me. “You miss Josiah and Mike. Your mom does too. Luckily for my girls, I have something that can take the pain away.” Nothing he offered would ever give me comfort. I twisted. Just the memory of my brothers exposed every raw and vulnerable nerve for him to fray. My father’s death destroyed the family. Josiah and Mike’s deaths destroyed me. And Darius knew it. Of course he knew it. He saw it at their funerals. He heard it in my voice every time an insensitive asshole demanded details of their crash. Only a bullet to the head would end that pain. And he wasn’t kind enough for that. “I have something for you,” he said. “It took me a while to acquire it, and it cost a decent amount of money, but…” He caressed my cheek, his thumb pausing over my lower lip. He pushed as though he expected me to suck on it, but he turned before succumbing to that fantasy. “Nothing is too much for my little girl.” “What are you talking about?” “I can give you one last chance to see your brothers.”

Darius tapped my nose as I stared at him, bewildered. “You stay here.” He chuckled at his joke as he surveyed the bindings. “Daddy will be right back with your present.” What. The. Fuck. My stomach hollowed. He left the theater. I fought against the wires binding me, but Darius knew how to trap someone within his grasp. My skin sliced against the cords. I couldn’t escape before he returned. He carried a DVD. None of this made sense. Darius paused at the popcorn cart tucked against the wall. He added oil and kernels to the popper while humming a quiet tune. The machine whirled to life and kicked out bright kernels of fluffy popcorn. I flinched with each jarring pop. He added a handful to a bowl and pumped glob after sickening glob of thick, gooey butter over the popcorn. He sat the bowl next to me and tightened the cords behind the chair with another cruel twist. “Are you comfortable?” He admired his work, how the bindings forced me stiff against the chair and raised my breasts high. My hands lost feeling. He didn’t care. “I know it’s a bit much, but I don’t want you to miss a single moment of this.” He waved the DVD in the air. Had he gone completely insane or was this just par for the course? I tempered the question as best I could, but my voice still trembled. Not like I could be calm when my skin abraded under the rope, the bondage ached my back, and his grin radiated pure evil. “Darius, what the hell are you doing?” “We’re going to watch a home movie.” “What home movie?” Darius tapped the DVD. “Why, one of your brothers, of course.” I didn’t understand, but the dread prickled over the parts of my body that hadn’t yet gone numb. He settled in the recliner next to me, pressing a few buttons on the remote. He shoved the bowl of popcorn at me, chuckling as the ropes didn’t allow me to even flinch away. “Don’t worry.” He pressed a kernel to my lips. “Let Daddy help.” I tried to refuse the greasy popcorn, dripping fake butter and offered from fingers that smelled of cigars and blood. Darius forced the bite into my mouth. I spat it out. “Let me up! What are you doing?” My voice rose. “What do you want from me?” He frowned, shushing me with a finger. “No talking during the movie. Bennett house rule.” Now I would be sick. A button on the remote dimmed the lights. The screen projected a shaky video of a rest stop overlooking a busy desert highway. The cellphone video focused on a group of teenagers before spinning upwards, capturing a small,

private jet flying entirely too low. It wobbled. Then it lost altitude. “Oh, God,” I whispered. It was a true home movie. Darius found a recording of their plane crash from the cellphone video that captured their deaths. “Shh.” He pressed another kernel of popcorn to my lips. “Watch, now, Sarah. This is the good part.” I squeezed my eyes shut as the camera focused on the plane pitching to the ground. I accidentally opened them in time to see the fireball. The plane crashed nose-first onto a highway in Nevada, missing the traffic on the road but disintegrating on impact. Mom and I didn’t know they had crashed. We didn’t even know they were on the plane or out of the state. We didn’t know they had died before the cable news channels splashed the screen with the crawler. Billionaire Atwood Brothers Killed In Private Plane Crash “This footage was difficult to find.” Darius offered me more popcorn. I swallowed if only to keep from throwing up. He pointed to the screen, proud of what he forced me to watch. “The FAA used it for their investigation, but I spoke to the right people so that my little girl could see her brothers one last time. And here we are!” The video ended. I released my breath. Sweat poured from my body, but I shook with unending chills. It was done. Over. I’d forget what I saw. Banish it into the deepest pits of my mind. Darius patted my hand. “Sarah, you are my daughter. It’s time I share with you the secret of the Bennett’s success.” He leaned close, as if revealing a grand mystery. “Family is the most important thing in this world, so I hope you can appreciate what I’ve done.” The screen brightened. The video began to replay. “No, no, no,” I whispered. “Darius, don’t.” The rest stop near the highway. The blue sky. Their plane rolled again. This time I didn’t close my eyes. This time, I died with them. “How could you?” I didn’t recognize the strain in my voice—the months and months of forsaken mourning I suppressed to protect Mom from herself, prevent our farm from failing, and to manage the mess I thought my brothers left behind. “Why…why are you doing this?” “No need to thank me.” The footage replayed again.

I struggled against the ropes. Nothing freed me from the damning bindings, but I’d have torn my body in half if it meant ending Darius’s sick punishment. “You’re a monster,” I whispered. “This was why I went to Mom. To get her away from you. To save her before you torture her too.” “Don’t be ridiculous.” Darius studied the remote, squinting at the buttons in the darkness. “I love Bethany. She obeys me as a proper wife should. You, however, are more…difficult.” “If you think this will make me behave—” “Hush, Sarah. I forgot the best part of this DVD.” He pressed the remote. My world shattered. Mike’s startled voice shouted, muffled and faint. “What the hell. What’s wrong with the engine?” Darius patted my hand. “I also had access to the black box. I took the liberty of hiring someone to match the footage.” “Son of a bitch!” Josiah’s cry broke over the pilot’s alert to the nearest tower. I stilled. Now I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t unhear their voices. Their confusion. Their fear as the plane pitched down and they faced their certain death. “No no no!” Mike. “Jesus, fuck!” Josiah. They screamed in unison. And then…the crunch of metal overtook them both. The footage dimmed to black. I couldn’t breathe. The video began again. The hum of the engines. The alert from the pilot. “What the hell. What’s wrong with the engine?” Mike. “Son of a bitch!” Josiah. “No no no!” Darius stood. He punched the volume until the sound hissed over the speakers and the screams of my dying brothers ached within my ears. Then he tossed the remote on his abandoned seat, too far for me to reach. The bowl of popcorn settled in my lap, and I tasted every greasy, butter coated kernel he forced into my mouth. My lips burned with salt. I couldn’t handle the charred, husked smell.

“You wanted to see your family, Sarah.” The shaking video of the explosion framed Darius in a hell he deserved and every fire I would ensure consumed him. “If only you had asked. You didn’t need to leave to see them.” He watched the screen for a moment, smiling as my brothers screamed in terror. Then, he walked away, leaving me to suffer the looping footage, listen to their bloody screams, and endure the precise moment my family was destroyed in twisted metal and raging fire. “Enjoy the movie, my dear.”



The world was too small a place to hide from my father, but it was still large enough to lose Sarah Atwood. Max called me a little after two in the morning. I pulled off the road, pitching my helmet into the dirt. I didn’t greet him. There wasn’t time. “How’s Reed?” Max’s voice wavered—not out of remorse. He’d gone too long without a drink, and reality gave him a hangover worse than any vodka or whiskey. “Twenty stitches.” I didn’t swear, even if it was warranted. “What did you tell the hospital?” “That he was fucking jumped. We said someone knew who he was, tried to take his wallet.” “Is he okay?” “He’s pissed. And your fucking girlfriend’s gonna answer for it.” I didn’t blame him for being angry. We all suffered from Sarah’s mistakes. But that meant I had to find her before my father did. Before she was beaten, bloodied, and killed. If Sarah thought she could instigate the takeover of our company in an afternoon with one bad decision, she had a hell of a lot to learn about patience, commitment, and hiding her intentions. Escaping the house did nothing to secure her strength—it only harmed Reed. “Did you find her?” Max asked. “No.” “Should we keep looking?” I tortured myself with that same question for the past three hours. If Sarah found a place to stay, and if she could be trusted to remain there until the shares transferred to her, then it was best for her to stay quiet and lost. But Sarah Atwood had a bad habit of tripping into the center of attention, and each time she blundered into the spotlight she risked ruining her life. “She doesn’t want to be found,” Max said. “She can’t hide from me.” “She can’t hide from Dad either.” Not without my help. Not unless she started to listen to me, to realize I had fucked up, but I still meant to protect her and love her.

But she hadn’t trusted me. And the feeling was mutual. “I’ll be at the house in half an hour. Get Reed there. He should probably sleep.” “Reed’s not staying.” Like hell he wasn’t. “If Dad thinks Reed split too, he’ll assume he’s helping Sarah. Then they’re both dead. Get him home and put him in bed. Handcuff him again if you have to. Reed isn’t leaving until we find Sarah.” I ended the call. The bike roared to life under me, and I jammed the throttle. Sarah Atwood was the only woman who would force me into leather. Because of her, I stole through the night like a criminal on my motorcycle. Except I was a criminal. I searched for the girl we kidnapped and molested, threatened and beat. No wonder she ran. But even if she wasn’t worth billions, even if she didn’t possess the power to utterly destroy my family, I’d never let her get away. I fell in love with her. She was the reason I believed something more precious than wealth and power existed in the world. She ruined the man I thought I was. Every word from her lips was meant to drive me to my knees, and I willingly collapsed at her feet. She was everything that might have offered me something my fortune couldn’t buy. Hope. Passion. Challenge. Too much challenge. I gave her the freedom far too quickly. That would change, whether we wanted it or not. Life would be much more difficult for her. For me. For us. I wouldn’t stop searching for her until I could apologize and earn back her trust. I rarely rode my bike, and it was precisely this reason it stayed in the garage. The wind and darkness tricked my mind. The things I once considered important were replaced with foolish thoughts of Sarah, freedom, and the temptation to have everything I had ever desired if I could bend the world to my will. But the bike wasn’t fast enough to outrun the creeping, lingering sense of dread. I raced the isolated roads to the estate and eventually fell into formation behind Max’s Aston Martin. My bike rumbled into the garage. Max’s car hadn’t parked before Reed jumped out. He slammed the door, pointing a finger in my direction before I pulled my helmet off. “Don’t you fucking say a goddamned thing,” Reed said. “Not one fucking word.” The stitches glinted in the dim light, red and raw. I unzipped my leather jacket. “Are you okay?” I asked. “What did I fucking say?” Reed pointed to the gash on his cheek, stretching from chin to ear. Our father highlighted Reed’s largest scar, one finally fading after years of growth and plastic surgery. “Our lunatic father tried to carve my face off. How the fuck do you think I am? I’m pissed. I’m hurt. And holy Christ,

Nick, if you don’t get the fuck out of my way, I’ll give you a goddamned scar to match.” Reed was rarely angry. Now, he was beyond enraged. The stitches were the only reason he had yet to completely fall apart—physically, mentally, emotionally. He shoved past me, ignoring Max as he tossed a bag of pain medications and antibiotics at Reed’s chest. “I’m done with this bullshit. I’m done with this family. I’m done with him.” Reed pointed at the house. “For twenty-four years, I’ve been beat and pissed on. Now I’m expected to do it to someone else. No. It ends now. And if you aren’t man enough to do it then I will.” I dropped my helmet on the workbench and peeled the gloves from my hands. “You didn’t tell him Sarah met with Roman Wescott.” Reed frowned, hissing as the tension tugged on his cheek. “No, I didn’t.” “Why?” “Because I’d rather it be my face than hers.” Max crossed his arms. “Think she’ll appreciate the sacrifice?” “This?” Reed pointed to the wound. “Yeah. She’ll understand. But the rest of this insanity? Fuck it. She’d rather burn the estate to the ground than let us help her now. And guess who’s going to get caught in the middle?” I wouldn’t allow it to happen. “Sarah isn’t like that.” “Like what?” Reed narrowed his eyes. “Like her father? You aren’t that stupid. This doesn’t end without more blood. Look in the mirror, Nick. You’ll be the catalyst for the third generation of this feud.” I didn’t deny it. But I would end it. No matter what Sarah believed about me or what she thought she had to do to survive, I’d find her. I’d bring her under my control. And then we’d start again, not with her as my prisoner, but as my partner. We would control the stock until the moment we could strike. The power would tilt, my father would fall, and I would have everything. Including Sarah Atwood. Where ever the hell she was. “I’m going to bed,” Reed sneered. “And no, Nick. You don’t have to cuff me.” I wouldn’t try to apologize. Not yet. Not when he wouldn’t listen. Max and I followed, though our brother was beyond our comfort. He muttered to himself, storming up the staircase. “At least I got fucking blown today. One perk to this fucked up family—” Something else echoed in the house. I shushed my brother. Max shrugged. Reed swore. I doubted the painkillers aided any of his senses. Rumbling bass vibrated within the very walls. Every booming thud punched in my gut. The estate existed in perpetual silence. My father wouldn’t have tolerated unproductive noise. I didn’t trust it. I stalked the sounds, hunting the thrumming booms and harsh, static crackles haunting our second

story. The music or movie or whatever played was far too loud. Something was wrong. The noise pumped, obnoxious and oppressive, and far too repetitive for a movie. Far too realistic. My blood thickened, surging like molasses through my unwilling heart. I slammed through the theater’s locked door. The footage of a crashing plane brightened the theater. The blinding explosion of fire and smoke zoomed in blurry focus on the screen. The flames devoured was little was left of the wreckage. Instantly, I knew what I watched. The death of Josiah and Michael Atwood. Sarah was here. Sarah had been here. For God only knew how long. “Holy shit,” Max shouted. Reed smashed his hand against the lights, and I dove to the screen, yanking wires out of the projector. The sound didn’t mute. “No no no!” “Jesus fuck!” Then the explosion. I ripped the DVD player from the cabinet, hurling it to the ground. Silence. Except for Sarah’s weeping. The choked cries would forever rake my nightmares. My beautiful, unbreakable Sarah sobbed, bound to a chair and forced to watch the footage of her brothers’ plane crash. A black box recording overlaid their final moments of utter horror. The bindings over her body were too tight. She hadn’t been able to escape the terror, even when her sickness overwhelmed her. She’d thrown up sometime in the night. How long had she been here? “Sarah?” I knelt before her, my hands on her cheeks. She sat in shock, paled, cold, and clammy. Tears streamed over her cheeks. Endless. Constant. “Look at me.” Her eyes didn’t focus. They hadn’t moved from the screen, even without the video playing. “Sarah!” I shook her. She didn’t react. Didn’t move. I never knew fear until that moment. I shouted to my brothers. “Get me something to cut her free.”

Reed tossed himself at her feet, swearing again and again as he tried to warm her hand. Max tossed him a knife, and I worked with a pair of scissors. The rope and cords fell away, though they had broken her skin. Her arms and chest scraped with abrasions. And still she said nothing. Only cried. A stream of tears wetted her cheeks, crippled her breathing, and turned her lips a dangerous shade of blue. “Jesus,” Reed whispered. “She’s been home this whole time. We weren’t here to stop him.” No. I wasn’t here. I failed her. Again. Again and again. No wonder she didn’t trust me. No wonder she retreated into the shocked silence of her mind. Reed rubbed his face before he remembered the stitches along his cheek. He winced but grasped for his phone to check the time. “How long as she been here? Sarah? Can you hear me? Sarah, say something. Christ, dude. She’s been sick. What do we do?” I scooped her into my arms. “I’ll take care of her. Straighten up in here and wait for me in my suite.” Sarah fell limp as I held her. She didn’t speak or help to hold herself against my chest. She just… Gave up. Surrendered. Submitted. The only thing I ever demanded of her, and now I had it. Sarah wrapped herself in a cocoon of silence and lost her every strength into the pit of flightless despair. My father hadn’t touched her, hadn’t harmed her, and yet he stole from her the only strength that fortified her against the nightmare we inflicted. Hope. “Sarah.” I called her name, ordered it, as I hid her within my suite. I set her on the vanity counter and drew a bath. “It’s over. I’m here now.” Nothing. The water splashed into the tub and steamed, filling the bathroom with an oppressive heat that usually helped her lungs…had she not given up trying. Her breathing shuddered. She made no attempt to cough or choke or gasp against the closing of her throat. Her lips trembled in blue tightness. Her eyes—the sharpest gaze which ever dared to challenge mine—faded to a sickly grey. I wasn’t letting this happen. My father wasn’t taking her from me. Not like this. Not ever.

I pulled the dress off, but shivering rattled her body. What had once been tight with curves and feminine secret thinned too much. Stress and fear eroded her, hardening her from the girl I loved and into a woman who knew only pain and sorrow. I ached with her, just as lost and sick and helpless to prevent crimes that never should have happened, to protect the blood that never should have spilled. Sarah. Reed. Who was next? How long before my father murdered his sons in his quest for greed and dominance? And what about my greed? Blood destroyed my family’s bond. Narcissism corrupted what remained. What was the point in having it all if I destroyed everything acquiring it? Sarah coughed. The rasp would drive me insane. She suffered at night and now she suffered as she woke, trapped between reality and the horror of my father’s cruelty. The tub filled. I didn’t bother removing my jeans or shirt. I settled with Sarah in the water, letting her rest between my legs. The water stirred her, and she flinched as the warmth stung where the rope had bitten. I apologized, but I brushed handfuls of water over her chest, arms, and neck, cleansing her of the sickness and restoring the flush of warmth to her silken skin. I wove my fingers in her hair. Her weeping quieted. She finally woke, squirming against my body, but edging closer. She hid her face within my soaked shirt. “I don’t want popcorn again,” she said. “Ever.” I had no idea what to say to that. “Deal.” Her voice wavered. “Why didn’t he just hurt me? Why would he do this?” It wasn’t a question I wished her to ask. It was an answer that only my father’s eldest son would understand. Beating her did nothing to break a woman already broken by hatred. The only way my father could punish Sarah Atwood was to destroy what made her so determined to defeat us. Her family. My father forever tarnished the memory of her brothers with a black and evil knowledge no one should have possessed. Their last moments were theirs, not a burden for her to bear. “Where were you?” She whispered. “Where I shouldn’t have been.” I tightened my arms over her. “I’m sorry, Sarah.” “You’re always sorry.” Honesty. It served no purpose but to feed my guilt. “I know. It changes now.” “You always say that too.” “Things are different now.” “No.” Her voice hardened. “They’re exactly the same. We promise each other the world and then destroy those vows the instant a secret is easier to hide. We end up here, always. In pain.” “No more secrets then. No more running. We’re stronger than he is.”

“Maybe. Now. But I’ve seen how this will end. We’ll fight to be together, swear our love, and then we’ll ruin each other because it isn’t possible for us to have everything.” “Then I only want you.” “You don’t mean it.” “I do.” “You’ve chased power your entire life. Why would you give it up now?” Easy. Easier than any deal I ever made, dollar I ever spent, and selfish desire I ever put before others. “Because you are the one irreplaceable thing in my world. You are everything to me. And I swear to God, Sarah Atwood, I will spend every minute for the rest of my life proving it to you.” “And your father? The fertility drugs? The companies?” “Forget them. I only want you to be safe.” “I don’t feel safe.” And I hated myself for it. “You will.” “What about trying to get me pregnant? This ridiculous scheme to keep me alive?” “It’ll end.” Sarah rested against me, the tears returning. “This won’t end until he’s gone.” She whispered of our greatest problem and one of our only remaining solutions, but the risk wasn’t worth the complication. Not yet. Not until we had no other options. I held her tighter. But how much longer could I risk leaving her so vulnerable? The rap at the door startled her. She dove against me, but Max’s voice eased her thrashing. She stilled as he entered. I nodded to the warming towel against the rack, and he helped to pulled her from the water. The towel bundled over her. He leaned down to hold her close. I stilled, edging from the water as a sudden chill chased through my veins. Max’s words shadowed with regret, remorse. I didn’t trust Max’s restraint. I didn’t know what he’d say. “You will never understand how sorry I am.” His voice rumbled low. He covered her with the towel, but his hands fell limp to his sides before he helped to dry her. “Baby, I will never, ever forgive myself. You get me? I won’t rest until I earn your forgiveness.” Sarah didn’t understand. Max stole her to the bedroom. I peeled the dripping shirt from my skin. I kicked off the jeans, replacing them with a fresh pair of trousers as Sarah rested on the bed. She huddled against the blankets. Reed sat in silence across the room, his stitches just as dark and ugly now as they were in the shadows of the garage. Sarah stared, her lip trembling as fresh tears rolled over her cheeks. “He did that to you?” She whispered.

He nodded. “My fault?” His nod came slower. I’d have scolded him, but Sarah hadn’t regained enough strength for lies. Not yet. She covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s done,” I said. “And you’re safe. That’s all that matters.” Her gaze hadn’t left Reed’s new scar. She tensed, her voice a deadened, frightening shade of resignation. “He tried to hurt me.” He did hurt her, even if she wouldn’t admit it. Sarah took her first full breath. It chased the hollowness from her words. “My brothers are dead.” I looked at Max. He said nothing. “It doesn’t matter how many times he tortured me with the video,” she said. “Even if I watched it a million times, they died only once.” I brushed the hair from her face. “Don’t. You don’t have to be brave.” “Yes, I do,” she said, holding each of our gazes. “I lost Josiah and Mike. But now I have three more brothers, three men I love. And you guys are still alive.” Her eyes flashed, pinning me in place, promising the same intensity she once used to oppose me. “And I won’t let Darius separate us. Not after he’s already taken so much from me.” She let me pull her to my chest, though the limp and frightened girl was replaced with something more dangerous—someone volatile and more unpredictable now than before my father threatened her with the memory of her family. “I’ll stop him,” she promised. Who was she convincing? I didn’t trust the hollow shock in her voice. “Before this is over, Darius Bennett will fear me. Nothing he does will ever hurt me again.”

Darius Bennett slept soundly in his bed. I’d ensure he never woke up. A knife twisted in my hand. A cleaver from the kitchen. I didn’t remember stealing it. I didn’t remember anything. It was too hard to think over the sound of my brothers’ screams. They ached in my head. An endless ringing. A demonic cry from beyond the grave. It echoed and twisted and would never end, even with the knife, even with the darkness, even with the images finally over… Darius Bennett slept soundly. He didn’t deserve that peace. Night after night, I slept in quivering terror. His hands never left me in my nightmares. I bled and fought and struggled. And I hated it. I hated him. I hated the control he wielded over me. Nothing he said, did, or hurt would ever compare to the horrors I imagined myself. Darius was no longer a man. He was my ultimate fear. He corrupted every strength I had and every future I might have possessed. As long as he lived, I wouldn’t. As long as he breathed, I couldn’t. No matter the ropes or threats or locked doors in the Bennett estate, the chains that bound me most effectively weren’t twisted over my body. They invaded my mind. I stepped closer, but the knife weighed heavy in my hand. I could do this. I had to do this. I had no other way to protect myself or the ones I loved. Every day Darius’s eyes feasted on my curves. I knew what he wanted, what he imagined. I pretended to be brave. I stilled my trembles and cleared my voice and met his gaze. But every second spent peering into his blackened soul corrupted my courage. Faking my bravery only exhausted me. Fear would kill me before it he did, if not from a strike too hard against my temple, then the asthma would do it for him. I wasn’t going to live a life cowering from my shadow waiting for a demon to emerge from my own hell. Darius changed the game. It wasn’t just me getting hurt anymore. Another step toward the bed. I stared at the monster. My hesitation was every mercy he refused his own son. He’d hurt Reed in an effort to find me. But Reed proved to be as much my brother as Josiah or Mike. It didn’t matter though. How long until Darius’s blade slipped and the steel punctured his heart instead of the scars on his cheek?

How long until Darius blamed Max for my misbehavior and flayed him for my escape? How long until he learned that it was Nicholas who gave me strength? I loved Nicholas, but I hated myself for never trusting him. If I had, maybe a knife wouldn’t have trembled between my fingers, clutched white-knuckled in my hand. I snuck from Nicholas arms, torn between nightmare and hallucination, only to stand before the origin of my every fear. And I froze. The spine-rending terror paralyzed me within the shadows of his lair. No surging forward. No retreat. Just stillness. Waiting. Clutching a knife. My brothers’ screams tore through my mind. Hours. I endured it for hours. At least it was quick for them. They died once in a flash and it was done. I died with them thousands of times. My heart stopped with theirs. My breathing staggered in their panic. I didn’t share their pain, but that was nothing. I’d suffered enough of Darius Bennett. He was a demon for forcing me to watch the footage, but he was a fool for not realizing how much it would enrage me. The knife twisted in my hand. Darius Bennett slept soundly in his bed. My brothers slept soundly in the ground. That injustice would be righted. “Well, go on then, my dear.” Darius hadn’t shifted. The leeching darkness of his room blinded us, but his skulking stare tore over my skin. My heart shuddered, twisting from my chest as though I aimed the blade for me instead of Darius. “I assume you’re here to kill me.” Darius’s voice crackled. “Unless you wish to warm my bed?” My stomach heaved. No doubt that’s what he wanted. But why hadn’t he done it yet? The violent and lust-crazed Darius Bennett fostered a cunning and calmer monster—one who bided his time, punished with a caress, and preferred madness to blood. He had me alone in his house, helpless against his strength, and he didn’t strike. He didn’t hurt. He hadn’t touched me. I didn’t understand. Darius acted as though I wasn’t a threat. He treated me like a child. Or like he thought I was carrying a child. The bastard infected my mind. He took pride in how every minute of his torment, of his indifference, silenced like a slap to the mouth.

“You’re a monster,” I whispered. “Do you know how cruel you are?” “I have my limits,” he said. “I didn’t show the video to your mother.” “But you could.” “Why should I? I don’t need to break her.” I swallowed. The lie thickened my tongue. “You haven’t broken me.” “Yes, I have.” “No.” I touched the knife with both hands, if only to reassure myself that the weapon was in my palm and not his words. “Never. I won’t let you.” “Because you’ll kill me?” “Yes.” “Then do it.” My eyes adjusted to the dim light. Darius slept without a shirt. Greying chest hair curled over his heart. He crossed his arms behind his head. I ignored the bulge between his legs. “Come, my dear. Climb into bed. Stab me. Hurt me. Kill me.” Do it. I silently repeated the words, filling my mind with something other than the constant screaming of my brothers. Do it. End it. Stop him. Save yourself. Save them. Do it. “Sarah.” He called. “Come now. You disappoint me.” “I’m glad.” “I always meant to claim you as my daughter. But this weakness shows me the truth. You are not my blood.” “I never was.” Darius sighed. “I had such hopes for my little whore. Fuck your brothers. Endure your breeding with a modicum of grace. Birth us a son.” “Screw you.” “I hoped my little girl would be happy, healthy, and fucked until she couldn’t stand under her own power. Isn’t that what every father wants for his daughter?” “You aren’t my father.” “And what a time to remember it.” Hatred and disgust seized my mind. Pure insanity. My brothers’ terrified cries.

The knife trembled in my hand, but I was still strong enough to imbed it in his worthless flesh. I dove at Darius’s chest, slashing and kicking and cursing. The blade caught him. Tugged. I laughed as it slid within his skin and dragged down, down, down. He bled. And I loved it. But the slice only enraged him. Darius roared. His fist slammed me in the gut. The knife snapped from my hold. I fought, but the darkness trapped me as effectively as Darius. I fell against the bed, screaming until the cold bite of the metal pressed into my neck. Darius straddled me, his laugh a serpent’s hiss. “You think you can walk into my bedroom in the middle of the night, threaten my life, and not suffer the consequences?” The knife drew blood. “Have I taught you nothing, my dear?” He didn’t move. Neither did I. I fought the cough that might have driven the blade through my neck. “So why don’t you kill me then?” I stared where his eyes might have been, if the evil polluting his soul hadn’t eroded everything human and left only twin pits of hell. “Do it. Kill me.” “And ruin the opportunity to breed you like a dog and take your company? No, Ms. Atwood. You’re more useful to me alive.” “Are you sure?” Rage faked my confidence. “What happens when I seize control of the Bennett Corporation before you get your bastard child?” The knife stilled. I let the sneer color my voice with hatred. “Josmik Holdings is mine. It passes to me as soon as the amendment is finalized, and I just had a very productive meeting with my last benefactor.” Darius’s hand drifted over my chest. He groped and punished, gripping hard against a breast sore with the lash of rope. I ignored the throbbing hardness between his legs. “It won’t work, my dear. My son and I regained the stock we needed to keep control. You are a wealthier woman because of the trust, but you are of no consequence now.” “I have a majority.” “How?” I savored every word and only wished I might have seen his reaction instead of enduring his rage. “Your sons gave it to me.” The slap cracked against my cheek. The first real emotion I forced from Darius in weeks. I grinned, tasting blood. “Nicholas? Max? Reed?” Their names offered me courage. “We made an agreement. They gave me their stock so I might get rid of you.”

“I didn’t know you could make those kinds of deals on your knees.” “The Bennett Corporation is mine. And my first order of business?” I leaned up, whispering in utter delight. “Stealing your sons. Taking your wealth. And leaving you with absolutely nothing.” Darius tossed the knife away, but his hands braced my wrists. He pinned me. Savored how helpless I was beneath him. He leaned down close, his breath hot and panting against my neck. I shuddered as he licked the soft skin. “You are an Atwood, through and through, aren’t you?” He shifted against me, his hardness growing despite the threats I whispered. “Always preoccupied with your own gain, how to take your vengeance, what is best for you.” His hand pulled at my thighs, trying to force them apart. I twisted and fought. “You never stop to think what might benefit the family.” “How does slicing Reed’s face benefit the family?” “How does sneaking in my bedroom in the middle of the night with a fertile womb secure our assets?” Darius slapped me again. “You think only of yourself. You’re a selfish, entitled little whore. I don’t know how you ensnared my sons, but it doesn’t matter.” He gripped the waistband of my pajamas. I shouted, kicking at his arms. “This ends now. Take my company. Bewitch my sons. Once you are fucked and bred, none of your wealth will matter. Stealing that cunt will be worth all the stock, power, and billions to my name. Do you know why, my dear?” His hand pressed low, gripping a part of me he so often stole in my nightmares. I stilled. “Because every torturous second you carry my son, you will suffer. You will bear the destruction of everything that is yours and the creation of everything that is mine.” I batted his hands away. He hit me again. My breath lost as he punched hard against my belly, where he planned to inject every foul and horrible poison from his body. “I will ruin you, and I will enjoy every minute of it.” I screamed as he ripped at my pajamas. The sudden flood of light stilled us both. Darius roared, curling his fist for a punch. The choked, rasping grunt of his breath stilled his fight. Nicholas hauled him from the bed, trapping his father in a headlock meant more to break his neck than keep him still. Max pulled me from the blankets only to toss me into Reed’s waiting arms. He faced his father, but Nicholas held him firm. It wasn’t Max’s responsibility to protect me. Now, it was Nicholas’s turn. “You will not touch her.” Nicholas’s voice tainted with a rage I didn’t recognize. The spiced smoothness twisted, splintering into the dagger sharp threat of glass. “Not now. Not ever again.” Reed hid my face in his chest. Sweet and naive Reed. He thought I’d be frightened. I’d eagerly watch Nicholas break his father’s neck and kick his lifeless corpse into his own blood. “Let me go.” Darius didn’t struggle, as though he didn’t believe the thinly veiled madness trembling

Nicholas’s once-eternally still hands. “Release me, son. Now.” “Don’t you fucking look at her.” Darius’s choked gasp didn’t beg for his life or plea for mercy. He laughed, again and again, each demonic chuckle slicing my courage. My step-brothers circled me, protecting me from Darius’s touch, and yet, somehow, despite their rescue, my world still tore apart piece by corrupted piece. “You idiots.” Darius grunted against the arm in his throat. “I told you to fuck her, not indulge her. This was why I wanted her gagged and bound.” “Don’t give me more of a reason to hurt you,” Nicholas warned. The thick muscles of his arms twitched with untapped strength, straining for the moment to snap both his sanity and his father’s neck. “She convinced you to betray me?” Darius sneered. “She told you to sell your stock?” Max scowled at me. “He’s right. You should have been gagged.” “And you think…what? She’ll return it when she’s done?” Darius cackled. “Christ, sons. Are you that blind? For a minute, I didn’t know if I held Sarah or Mark Atwood against that knife.” It wasn’t a compliment. My stomach twisted as Darius spoke too reasonably for a man whose life threatened in the curl of his son’s bicep. “You can’t trust the little slut. I taught you better than this. You know the Atwoods have made it their life goal to destroy us.” “And you haven’t tried to destroy us?” Nicholas grunted. “Kidnapping? Rape? Selling this secret out to the board? You beat us into submission as children, threatened us as grown men, and forced us into violence to preserve our power. No more.” “I made you the man you are, Nicholas.” “You made a monster.” “And because of it, you have the power to end this feud and protect this family. I told you to fuck and breed Sarah Atwood so that the next generation of her family’s blight would be ours. It would have ended the struggle, secured our future, and earned you a son worthy of our name.” “That isn’t how I planned to build my empire.” “This is the only way to seize it!” Darius stared at me. “You either breed the girl or put a bullet in her head—” Nicholas twisted, silencing his father with a growl. “What if I kill you instead?” “Then how does my eldest, my heir, receive his precious inheritance?” Darius laughed. “You need me, son. You need me for the company. For the estate. For the money. If my death is the least bit suspicious, our assets are frozen and my sons are given nothing. I would sooner let the company dissolve than let my traitorous son hand it to a little Atwood whore.” “It’s worth it,” Reed held me tighter. “Kill him. We got enough money.” Darius growled. “I should have slit your throat.” Nicholas swore. He slammed Darius into the wall hard enough to crush his nose. Blood poured from his face, but Darius only groaned in aching disappointment. As though he expected more from Nicholas. As though he didn’t even care his life was meant for his son to end. “Now you have a suspicious death,” Darius spat blood. “Broken noses don’t look like heart attacks.”

“You deserve to die for the hell you’ve put this family through.” Nicholas breathed heavily. He looked to his brothers, speaking through gritted teeth. “But I’m not going to do it.” “That’s my boy,” Darius grinned. “Let’s hear your master plan.” “We’re leaving. Tonight. And you won’t stop us.” Darius’s nose gushed crimson. “I’m in no position to argue.” “You resign from the Bennett Corporation, effective immediately.” “Name you in my stead?” “Yes.” “And, with me gone, you think your little sister will let the trust dissolve so you can keep your company? I didn’t raise a fool.” Nicholas didn’t look at me. “And you will not touch Sarah Atwood. You don’t look at her, talk to her, or come near her ever again.” Darius sighed. “We’re not done with her.” “Yes, we are.” “Remember the opportunity that exists between her fucking legs.” Nicholas seethed, but he didn’t end the life that still threatened us, even pinned to a wall and weakened with spilling blood. “Agree to these terms, and you’ll get a decent buy out. You get to live.” “How can I trust your word, son?” His gaze seared through Nicholas and aimed for me. “You’ve already lied, betrayed your family, and attempted a hostile takeover.” “You can either doubt me and die or take your chances and live.” Reed’s hand tightened over me. Max shifted too, sheltering me from Darius’s twitching lip and resigned sneer. I didn’t hold my breath. Darius Bennett stole it in fear and lost it in the cunning twist of his brow. I feared him more now that he was struck against the wall. I’d revealed too much. He looked inside my soul and saw the only power I possessed was a frail bond with his sons. I was nothing to him, only a womb to be filled and life to snuff out when he was through. Nicholas demanded that I submit if I wanted to survive, and I’d pretended as long as I could. But it didn’t protect me. It only exposed a lie I now shared with the man who would ruin us all. Darius didn’t yield. He merely lowered his fists. “Go then, Nicholas,” he said. “Take the whore and watch as she burns the world around you.” “And the resignation?” “You’ll hear from me first thing in the morning. That, I promise.” Nicholas shoved his father away, watching as Darius choked over a freeing breath of air. “Congratulations, Nicholas, the Bennett Corporation has never had such a judicious leader.” Darius laughed. It curdled my stomach. Not because he showed no remorse. Not because he held a knife to my throat. Not because he’d threatened and attempted to rape me again. But because I recognized his false surrender. Nicholas let his father go.

It was our worst mistake.



We should have run. Out of the mansion, out of the city, just escaped and never looked back. But Nicholas didn’t run. Bennetts never retreated, they simply relocated their battlefield. Worse yet, my step-brothers weren’t afraid. They didn’t think we had to keep moving. They thought they’d won. I didn’t feel much like celebrating. I also was a piss-poor example of a trophy of their victory. I cleaned the blood from my neck, but I didn’t need a scar to remind me that attacking Darius was foolish, careless, and utterly reckless. Nicholas took my hand as we packed a bag and left the estate. He forced me behind him on his bike in a chilled silence. Reed didn’t look at me. Max grunted when I worried for Hamlet. But Nicholas kissed my forehead. Reed tucked his jacket over my shoulders. Max drove a car instead, just so we could take my dog with us. He even allowed Hamlet to sit up front on the imported leather. I should have apologized. We all should have apologized. But we said nothing. Only ran. We escaped to Max’s penthouse in San Jose, hardly past the shadow of the estate looming in the mountains. The basement housed a private elevator, and we slipped upstairs to Max’s claimed upper floor. Hamlet bounded down the hall, bouncing at the door as though we weren’t hurt, exhausted, and suffering from the horror of the night. I patted his head, but he was too excited to have us all together again, close and safe. That, I understood. “In.” Max’s order wasn’t soft, and he didn’t offer it with a Baby. I squeezed past Nicholas and Reed and shuffled in the entry, rubbing the cut on my neck as the door locked behind us. I didn’t know if I should have thanked Max for taking me in, or if my reaction was just another mistake in a line of fuck-ups that would make our lives miserable. I waited in awkward silence instead. His penthouse was dark and industrial and every bit as intimidating as him. He decorated it cold and sparse. A bachelor pad for the bachelor who hardly lived there. Max pointed over the open floor plan. “Bedrooms. Bathrooms. Living room.” He headed to the corner, flipping on the lights over an array of bottles and shakers. “Bar.”

Reed spoke for the first time in hours. “I don’t care what you make. I’ll have two.” His stitches flashed. He shouldn’t have ridden his bike such a long distance. The helmet pressed his cheek, and the cut oozed. I didn’t know how badly he hurt, and the mountainous back roads and dark turns were dangerous even for someone who wasn’t…maimed. Reed knocked open a pill bottle from his pocket, swallowed too many, and followed it with a splash of offered whiskey. He didn’t smile. He couldn’t, not without hurting his injury. My chest seized. I wasn’t the one who made the slice, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t responsible for his pain. All of their pain. Was it worth it? I left Roman Wescott’s office without an agreement, unable to close the deal. Darius was right, he just didn’t understand why. If I wanted to destroy him, I’d first have to betray Nicholas. I would steal everything from him—everything he worked for, everything that was promised to him, everything he planned for so long to change and improve. And now, Darius knew about our fucking alliance. What I spat in hatred and anger damned me to the Bennett Corporation. Was I still worth more pregnant than dead? I needed a drink too. Maybe the whole bottle. Hell, just the glass pushed against my throat to finish what Darius had threatened. Nicholas guided me to the couch. I followed, but my steps tripped. I gripped the dark sofa just to stay standing. “Reed…” All three of my step-brothers frowned. Individually, I could handle the intensity of Max’s gaze or the unfamiliar scowl touching Reed’s lips. But collectively? Even the gold of Nicholas’s eyes obscured into a muddied amber. I already said enough tonight. They didn’t want to hear anymore. I quieted, slipping onto the couch to cradle my legs to my chest. I still had Reed’s jacket tucked over my shoulders. He hadn’t asked me to return it. Yet. I clutched the leather, held it against me with the same ferocity I clung to Mike and Josiah’s pillows after the news of their crash. I’d lost two brothers already. I couldn’t lose these men. Not my gentle Reed who’d just as eagerly toss me in a pool or carry me away from danger. Not my Max, the one who understood the frustration when the world used our illnesses and injuries to define us. Not Nicholas. My Nicholas. My chest ached. Tears slipped before I could stop them.

The fear returned. So much fear, an endless barrage of thoughts that needled my chest with consequences that gutted me as though the knife had actually struck. Now that I admitted it, I couldn’t remember a time when I hadn’t been afraid—even before the Bennetts. Mom’s breakdown. My brothers’ deaths. Dad’s cancer. I rubbed my cheeks with the backs of my hands, cleansing the tears. The San Jose skyline filled the floor to ceiling windows. Despite the flashy lights of downtown, the night seeped into the penthouse. In the distance, the Bennett Corporation headquarters glowed, framed against the mountains. We weren’t far enough away. I didn’t know where we could go. Even if I went home, I ran from the man who sent his sons to chase me on bikes and pluck me from my own cornfields. If my step-brothers took me, Darius could do the same. If he came after me. When he came after me. My step-brothers revealed nothing beyond their own exhausted silences. I assumed they relived their side of the events. They’d finally escaped their father, though I hadn’t given them a choice. They opposed a man more violent and brutal than any of us believed. At least, for them, it was over. But they hadn’t been trapped under him. They hadn’t heard the disgusting rasp in his voice. His threats weren’t meant to scare me. His hiss, the words he spoke, the futures he imagined, what he intended to do. Darius was desperate to punish and claim me. If he had his way, he’d make me suffer in humiliated agony— “Sarah.” Reed’s voice lured me from the darkness. He offered a drink. “You could use it.” My hands trembled as I grasped the glass. I sniffed it, and the alcohol burned more than my tears. “Not supposed to,” I said. Max tossed me a blanket. “Don’t think that matters much anymore.” “I guess not.” I took the shot, grimacing as the liquid set my mouth on fire. I didn’t need any more heat rushing to my head. I handed the glass to Nicholas. He shot the rest. “Guess you can sleep here.” Max poured a second drink and gestured to the kitchen. “There might be a frozen pizza in the freezer. Haven’t been here for a while to check.” My voice hushed. “I don’t think I can eat.” Reed snorted. “Make it. Getting your face cleaved works up an appetite.” What did they want from me? An apology? More tears? A plea for forgiveness? I pushed away from Nicholas and threw Reed his jacket. He hissed as the sleeve swept against his cheek. He deserved it. Or maybe he didn’t.

Hell if I knew. “I panicked.” I thought I’d scream. My voice trembled instead. “I tried to sleep, and all I heard, all I saw was that video. Over and over, hours of my brothers dying!” Nicholas waved his brothers away. “Sarah.” “I snapped! Everything is just this horrible blur. The footage. You guys finding me. I thought I was in the theater, and then I woke up in the bathtub with you, and then I don’t know what happened afterwards. I couldn’t think. I just…acted. And then Darius…he tried…” “You should rest,” Nicholas said. “You’re tired.” “She’s not tired.” Max slammed the pizza in the oven. “She’s traumatized! Jesus fucking Christ, he knew exactly what he was doing making her watch that shit.” Nicholas exhaled. “I’ll handle it, Max.” “Did you know he had that footage?” He asked. “That was the black box recording. Where the fuck did he get that?” Reed’s voice hardened. “Of course he had it. He probably had it all along. You know he wanted to hear what was on that tape.” Max swore again, slamming his drink into the sink. It shattered on impact. “What the fuck did he tell you, Sarah?” I swallowed. I couldn’t think about it anymore. Didn’t he realize? Couldn’t he tell? I shook my head. Max didn’t care. He pushed every limit I had, fed off of every pain inflicted on others and, for some reason, wished it on himself. Including this one. But he couldn’t protect me from this punishment. None of them could. “Sarah!” Max’s order verged on threat. “What did he say?” “It’s fine,” Nicholas said. “Sarah, you don’t have to think about it.” Max’s voice darkened. “He might have told her anything.” “He didn’t.” “How can you be sure?” “We’d know.” Nicholas’s voice had yet to melt back into the caramel steadiness. The calm was gone. A razor’s warning remained. I didn’t recognize it. His stillness wasn’t patience, it was…predatory. A rage-fueled awareness, a deadly trap set with no escape. His hug shadowed me in a false peace. “Forget what you saw, Sarah. And what you heard. Consider it a nightmare.” “A home movie.” “What?” “He called it a home movie. Said I didn’t have to go home to see my family.” My heart ached for my lost brothers. “I didn’t know how much I missed them until…” “Holy fuck.” Reed collapsed in the chair by the window. He looked out, away from us. “Goddamned

lunatic.” I swallowed. “Reed…” “Don’t.” “But, I have to—” “I said don’t.” He stretched his neck as best he could, wincing as the stitches tightened. “It’s fine.” It wasn’t. I could feel it—a tension that wasn’t there before. I hated whatever walls suddenly separated us, but I wouldn’t rest until I ripped them down and begged Reed to forgive me. “I thought I’d return quicker.” The explanation was weak. “But after what you said…I wanted to get to my mom. I tried to get her away from Darius. I didn’t know—” “Jesus, Sarah. What do you want from me?” Reed swallowed another pill. “I kept my mouth shut about where you went. I didn’t tell him a goddamned thing you didn’t just fucking shout right back at him. But you got what you were after. You had your vengeance. It’s done. What happened, happened.” “I’m sorry.” Reed sighed, meeting my gaze. He offered a simple smile. A momentary truce. I’d take it. “I’m fine. You’re safe. That’s all that matters.” It wasn’t true. I didn’t feel safe. He didn’t seem fine. For months I planned, schemed, and fought for a way to escape from the Bennetts, but none of my imagined scenarios hurt this badly. I lost Reed. I was losing Max. And Nicholas? Our relationship balanced between secrets, lies, and a fragile trust that crumbled and rebuilt every passing day. Loving him was a constant fatigue but also a healing thrill. I wouldn’t let him slip away too. The pizza bubbled in the oven. Max limped to the kitchen to shut off the timer and dropped an iPad in my lap. “Here.” I bit my lip. It was the first piece of technology with access to the internet they gave me in months. “What do I do with this?” “Whatever you want,” Max said. Nicholas sat too close, watched too intently. I didn’t trust my voice. “Are you sure?” The gold would burn me, scald me with a solemn authority. “Yes.” “Are you…are you freeing me?” “Yes.” “Forever?” I touched the collar over my neck. “You’re letting me go?” What a horrible question to ask the man I loved. Yet I asked it, and he answered, and my heart fluttered with the same joy as when he admitted his feelings for the first time. Nicholas leaned close, his hands warm and fingers quick as he unfastened the leather from my throat.

He tossed the damned thing to the table and rubbed the redness from my skin. “We don’t need a collar anymore.” His touch chased my trembling away. “I don’t need this anymore.” “You never did.” “I wanted to keep you mine, in all ways.” “I’ve always been.” I held him close in a breathless gratitude as his touch warmed my cheek, my blood, and the thoughts frozen in such horrible memories. “We belong to each other. I’m forever yours, Nicholas Bennett, whether you hold me with chains or a whisper. Loving you isn’t surrender. It’s the only thing I’m meant to do.” He beckoned me to his side and cradled me against his chest. The blanket pulled over us. He gently stroked my hair as Max stormed in the kitchen and Reed chewed too many pain-killers with his drink. Nicholas’s steady heartbeat dulled the echoing hell screaming in my mind. I slept against him, clutching him, seizing a moment of safety and peace I never thought I’d experience within a Bennett’s arms. One moment was all I earned. One precious moment when the world stilled, Nicholas was mine, and my step-brothers shared a cautious laugh over Hamlet’s desperation for a piece of pepperoni from their pizza. That peace was too fragile. The security an illusion. And my freedom? Lost the instant the Bennetts decided I would be theirs. The gunshot jolted me awake. Nicholas swore, pushing me to the ground. Reed dove over me, but the shot didn’t aim for us, only the lock on the door. Hamlet burst from the living room to hide in the bedroom. My step-brothers shouted for me to follow. I didn’t make it in time. The penthouse door splintered and slammed against the wall. I should have known better. I should have expected it. I never should have let my step-brothers stop running. I longed for the bullet. Darius Bennett aimed for my step-brothers instead. “I’ve taken a few hours to consider your proposal, Nicholas.” Darius stepped into the penthouse. The gun didn’t waver. “Your terms are unacceptable. I’ve come to renegotiate.” Max rushed forward. Darius fired, aiming for the window overlooking the city. The sliding glass door shattered. It was our first warning. “Where is she?” Darius said. “Sarah, stand up.” Reed’s knee pushed into my back, pinning me against the ground. He perched over me, and Nicholas answered in my stead. “We have nothing to discuss.” Nicholas faced his father without fear. “Sarah is mine. The company is

hers. You have no recourse. Leave before you hurt someone.” Darius exhaled, as though he mourned for the son before him, or maybe he mourned that he still lived. “Nicholas, I raised you better than this. I groomed you for excellence. You wore the mantle of our name with pride. I trusted you. I wanted you to succeed.” How could a man so deranged sound so…sane? Calm? Normal? Darius wielded a gun as though he held a cigar, and addressed his son as though he wouldn’t inevitably turn the barrel on me and end the madness we thought we’d escaped. “I taught you nothing was more important than family,” Darius said. “Max understood it. He knew what had to be done to protect our interests.” “Fuck you,” Max hissed. “He blames me, of course,” Darius said. “Each of you blame me, but it’s the father’s role to guide his sons, whether or not they understand the need for disciplines, the denials, and expectations.” He paused. “I had hoped you would learn with a son of your own.” My stomach rolled. Reed forced me down. The gun raised. “Let me see my daughter. Bring her to me.” “No.” “Do you understand what will happen if she assumes leadership of our company? If it isn’t a Bennett son who ultimately grows in her womb?” “Yes, I do.” “You’ll lose everything, Nicholas. And not just the money and the power and company.” His voice lowered. “You’ll lose your little whore too.” I fought against Reed, but I couldn’t free myself of his grip. Nicholas said nothing. Darius chuckled. “You surprised me. Truly. The takeover attempt? Then, I didn’t understand it. It felt too early for you to test your power. But now, I see.” I doubted that he did. Darius reached for the collar on the table. He ran his fingers over the leather. “You betrayed your family, company, and future for a moment of pleasure. You trusted an Atwood whore with your life. And now? You’ve squandered the wealth this family inherited and every future cent we might have acquired. All because of her.” Nicholas didn’t flinch. “This isn’t about Sarah.” “Yes, it is.” The gun pointed too close to Nicholas’s temple. I pushed Reed away and crawled to my feet, despite Nicholas’s insistence to stay behind. My step-brothers tried, but they couldn’t protect me from Darius’s stare. Hungry. Insistent. Victorious.

Darius meant to kill someone tonight. “Even though my loyal sons, my own flesh and blood, have forsaken this family, I have not.” He looked to each of my step-brothers, demanding their full attention. “I propose two solutions to this problem. And because I am a fair man and father, I will let my sons decide the fate of this family.” It wasn’t fate, it was judgment. Whatever solution he offered and decision they made would ultimately end in blood. “Proposition one,” Darius said. “I kill Sarah and end the threat of her takeover in one painless shot.” “No.” Nicholas didn’t hesitate. “Then I kill all three of my sons.” My chest tightened. All three? I didn’t doubt his cruelty, but Darius wouldn’t dare. Not if it left him without an heir. Unless he already planned for his next son. “I will not tolerate this disloyalty,” he said. “Not when I am presented with a beautiful alternative, just waiting for someone to do it right.” He leered, and I understood exactly what he wanted to do. “I’ll take Sarah for myself. Fuck her. Impregnate her. And our heir?” His eyes pierced through me, as violating as any touch. “Our son will possess the future of both the Bennett and Atwood families.” “You’re insane,” I whispered. “Hush, now. Daddy’s talking.” “You won’t touch her.” Nicholas wasn’t intimidated. “If you want to kill us, try. You don’t have enough bullets to stop me before I rip your goddamned head off.” “Let’s find out.” The gun rose, but Max leapt first, diving at his father with a knife stolen from the kitchen. Darius expected it. He slammed the butt of the gun against Max’s nose and kicked, aiming solely for the weakest part of his leg. Max crumpled to the ground, slicing, but catching only Darius’s suit jacket with the blade. The gun aimed. “Odd,” Darius murmured. “You’d sacrifice yourself for this Atwood.” I shouted, shoving past Reed and diving in front of Max. Nicholas captured me in his arms, but not before my plea stalled Darius’s tensing finger on the trigger. “Yes, my dear?” “Please, don’t!” My nails dug into Nicholas’s arms. “I’ll do whatever you want. Don’t hurt them!” “Somehow, I doubt you’ll do whatever I want. Tempting though, child.” “I swear it. Please. Let them all go.” “Christ, you are a little whore. Are all three of my sons that taken with your cunt?” “Leave them out of this? If you’re going to rape me, then just do it and get it over with.” “How romantic, child.” “What the hell do you want?” I spat.

Reed called to me, his voice hard. “Sarah, shut up.” Darius waved Reed into silence. “No, she’s free to ask. It’s a simple question. Do you know want I’ve wanted ever since we first invited Sarah into our home?” I answered for them. “My heir.” “That’s right. And I trusted my sons to do as they were meant to do. Three men, three chances for success.” He raised the gun as his smile twisted. “I have a third proposition.” Oh God. Nicholas tightened his arm over me, pulling me into his embrace. It wasn’t enough. It’d never be enough. Nothing he did or said or offered would ever be enough to prevent what Darius planned to happen. “My sons will take responsibility for this family. They will do what must be done to save it.” He extended his hand for me. It was either his touch or the bullet. I didn’t fear for my blood, not while Nicholas held me, Reed protected me, and Max already crumpled to the ground in his own attempt to save me. They were spared, but they weren’t yet saved. That was up to me. I approached Darius too slowly for his liking. He tisked his tongue, seizing my hair and slamming me against him. The thin dress never stopped him before. He ripped through the neckline and dropped the tattered material to the floor. My step-brothers swore. I didn’t. I forced myself into silence. How was this any different from what already happened? Nothing had changed. Not the exposure or humiliation. Not the dread poisoning my body or the tremors threatening my resolve. Darius Bennett had already captured me. Then, I braved any illicit touch or pain to defend the false memory of my father. This time, I’d protect ones who deserved it. A real family. Men who risked everything to save me only to have the danger pointed at their temples. Darius could do nothing to me he hadn’t previously done. If he still believed I could deliver him an heir, all the better. I offered my body once. I’d do it again to save my step-brothers, the only real family I had left. The gun pressed under my chin. He reached into his jacket. “I didn’t forget what day this was.” He removed the syringe from his pocket and showed it to me. The needle was far larger than the previous fertility injections. I tensed as he used his teeth to remove the cap and spit it away. “This is a momentous occasion. Do you know what this injection does?” Yes, but I didn’t answer. “It induces ovulation,” he said.

His hand brushed my stomach, gripping the flatness he deluded himself into believing would eventually grow. “You’re ready now, my dear.” He ripped my hair, but his voice softened too much for the threat of the needle and the fist gripping my panties. He shoved them down, but they didn’t come all the way off. That shamed me more. The strewn panties and ripped bra were worse than nudity. Darius exposed only what they needed. Only what they’d take. Only what he meant to hurt. And he wanted them to hurt me. Though Darius Bennett didn’t care what happened to me or my body, Nicholas, Max, and Reed did. They refused, willing to take a bullet over causing me pain. But that wouldn’t save any of us. Or them. “It’s okay.” My voice broke as I comforted them for the evils they’d do to me. “It’s okay.” It wasn’t, but I made the choice for them. Darius twisted my hip and aimed the injection. I winced as the needle plunged too hard and too fast into the fleshiest part of my thigh. The medication burned. Darius tossed the syringe to the ground. He yanked my hair to keep me still. “You’ve had three months to impregnate her, sons, but maybe you aren’t doing it right. So listen to your father while he explains. This is your whore.” He pointed the gun too close to the crest between my legs. “This is where you fuck. And now, all three of you are going to do your part for this family right now, do you understand?” Three men. My stomach heaved. I wasn’t ready for this. There wouldn’t be any kind words, soft touches, or sensual teasing. My body wouldn’t warm in submission without understanding why I offered myself to them. It wouldn’t be fun or loving or a treat like what Nicholas had planned for me that night in the theater. Reed paled. Max didn’t look at me. But Nicholas? He stared at me. Permission. A reason to do it. An apology. I didn’t look away. “I trust you.” I had to. Three men. I could handle three men. These men. If it meant saving our lives, even if it protected us for only a few hours, it was worth the sacrifice, no matter how reckless. I submitted if only to survive. I submitted to save them. Darius tossed me to the ground, the gun aiming only inches from my head. I cowered before my step-

brothers, flinching as his voice rasped with perverted authority and chilling composure. “Who’s first?”



The gun pointed at Sarah’s head. “Your turn, son,” my father said. “Don’t worry. She’s warmed up for you.” The barrel nudged her temple. Her voice shifted after Reed and Max seized her. No more promises of trust. No more comforting murmurs. Sarah repeated only three words through gritted teeth. “I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.” And I believed her. The bindings cut off circulation to my wrists. That didn’t stop me from fighting the leather until I bled. I deserved it. I deserved worse. The balcony laced with the iron scent of struggle and the chill of captivity. My father wasn’t satisfied with just hurting the girl. Through hoarse, pained breaths, Sarah bound our hands with the straps Max kept in the chest within his bedroom. The leather tightened as the gun cracked against her temple. She collapsed. My father hauled her limp body over his shoulder. And then they were gone. Max thrashed against the balcony. His struggles did little to loosen the cuffs securing our hands to the railing. He battered his body until he was black and blue. It didn’t free him. I doubted he cared. He meant to punish himself. We all did. Reed strained against the railing, as though he could rip the very pillar from the balcony and free himself. “I hurt her.” He repeated it too many times through clenched teeth. Tears wetted his cheeks. He twisted his wrist and swore as his fingers ground against the restraints. His finger cracked with a sharp pop. He didn’t react. “Nick, I tried to be quick. I didn’t mean to hurt her.” He sought comfort. He was my brother, and I should have comforted him. I said nothing. The leather bound my wrists the tightest. The last to hurt her, the last to be bound. My father watched as

she twisted the straps and offered me no leniency. No tricks. And yet he still punished her. The minutes passed too quickly. We lost time trapped within the horrors of our cruelty and the skinslicing bindings that lashed us to the balcony railing. We watched as he held her. Stole her. Carried her away. I didn’t want to imagine what he’d do to her once they were alone. I prayed Sarah wouldn’t regain consciousness until it was done. But life as a Bennett taught me optimism only encouraged the foolish to hope and the lazy to let opportunity pass. This was an opportunity my father would eagerly receive. He’d wait until she woke up. And what we did—what he made us do—would be little more than a prelude to the real horror. The straps bit into my wrist, deeper and deeper with every sickening twist of the flimsy, worthless scrap of material that prevented me from rushing after her. Were the cuffs any different from a gun? The leather bound me in place just like the threat of the bullet. I had a dozen regrets. Suffered a hundred haunting memories. Tasted a thousand unscreamed words. But the eternity of moments frozen in endless pain would forever destroy me. A bullet would have been nothing compared to this pain. Unless it aimed at her. My life, my fortune, my everything deserved a bloody, bullet-riddled death, but only once Sarah Atwood was safe and comforted, rested and soothed. Healed. If she could ever be healed. Maybe my father had killed me. No hell existed that would torment me more, and no greater devil existed than the man who forced me to prove my love by exploiting her innocence with such terrible violence. Until now, I hadn’t been an evil man. Until now, I hadn’t committed a crime. Until now, I wasn’t a bloodthirsty and unrepentant killer. My father taught me to act like him. Speak like him. Rule like him. And for twenty-nine years of my life, I mindlessly obeyed. Then I was given Sarah Atwood. I was born not to emulate a tyrant but to end its reign. Rage. A fury as quick as flame and desperate as starvation stole the stillness which composed my thoughts. The fury filled me with a disjointed and eager thirst for pain. My father spent his life grooming me to

become him. This would be my first, only, and last refusal. Before the sun rose, I would reject everything my father was, everything he expected I’d become, and everything he had trained me to accept as my responsibility as heir. It took a lifetime to break the bindings which shackled me to the path my father chose for me. It’d take only one vile moment of destruction to end it for good. Max panted, sweated, and swore. “What the fuck do we do?” He slammed his hands against the cement. “Reed, you out?” Reed’s voice hollowed. “Does it fucking look like it?” “You even trying?” The restraints prevented Reed from lunging and ripping out Max’s throat. “You son of a bitch—” “I was just fucking asking!” “Who the fuck keeps this type of bondage shit in their house?” I wiggled a finger, tucking it into my palm. The leather slipped. “Thought you were interested, little brother? Thought you wanted to learn the rough stuff.” Reed spat on the ground. “You didn’t get enough of that shit tonight? Should we call Dad back? Make me hold her down for you again—” “Jesus Christ, what the hell do you want? Think I knew what he was planning? Think one day I figured I should buy some restraints in case Dad bound us to the balcony after forcing us to rape our fucking sister?” Reed jerked his arms. “Never should have done it.” “You did.” “Fuck you.” Max swore. “Nothing we can do about it now, can we? Jesus, we knew it would end like this. Every goddamned day we held a knife to her throat. Now you’re upset when it slips?” The leather yielded. I tugged against the twisted straps. Blood seeped over my fingers. It only aided my escape. “We hurt her,” Reed said. Max frowned. “At least she’s still alive.” “Yeah, but who knows how badly that will fuck with her.” “She’s still breathing.” “We hurt her.” “Holy Christ, she still has it better than the other Atwoods, doesn’t she?” Max thrashed a final time, popping his shoulder and bracing the wrong leg to force his freedom. “At least she’s alive to try to fight him off.” The guilt added another layer of weight to the bindings. I leaned forward, straining as my wrist ground against the cuffs. My jaw clenched, and, with a scraping of my flesh, the leather released me. I shook off the ache and tended to my other wrist. Reed whooped in excitement. “I’ve almost got it,” he said. “Get my left hand.”

I was free. My mind abandoned all coherent thought, and my every imagined vision tainted with blood and retribution. Rage and insanity and numbing fear nearly cast me from my brothers in desperate chase to find my father before he hurt Sarah or decided she wasn’t worth the risk to the company. But selfish vengeance led only to mistakes. Sarah learned that first-hand. I gritted my teeth and aimed for Reed, ripping through the binding on his bruised and swollen wrists. He bolted from the railing and helped tear the leather from Max. But Max stilled. He stared at me. “We have to tell her.” “Save the confessions.” I pulled the restraint from his hands and pitched it across the balcony. “She needs our help, not our burdens.” “It’ll be your burden too. If you still think you can save her from Dad and get her away from all of this, you’ll have to tell her.” “I won’t.” “How can you say you love her?” I grabbed his shirt, hauling him to his feet only to slam him against the sliding glass door. The pane trembled, and the splintered glass from the bullet cracked behind his back. “Because I love her. I’m sparing her that pain.” “Bullshit. You’re afraid to lose her.” Yes. More than afraid. Terrified. Max baited me with a truth that would destroy Sarah Atwood in complete and total betrayal. “When are you going to tell her that we killed her brothers?” Max growled. My voice hardened. “We?” “You son of a bitch. You’re just as responsible as me.” “Am I?” Max pushed away. “Dad didn’t tell me what I was doing or whose plane it was. He said it was important to the family, that I was the only one he trusted to do it.” His breathing cracked with what might have been a sob. But Max never allowed anything beyond darkness into his thoughts. “I wanted to prove myself to him. I didn’t question it. I just…did it.” Reed pulled me back, letting Max free. “Sarah can’t know. It’ll kill her. You saw her after his home movies. She loved her brothers. You tell her, and God only knows what she’ll do.” That was easy to imagine. “She’ll destroy the Bennett Corporation.” And me. “That’s if she doesn’t decide to do that after tonight,” Reed said.

Max slammed against the door, locked from the inside. He hit the glass with his bare hand, punching where the webbing cracks slipped from the bullet hole. We didn’t have time to waste. My kick aimed for a stretching crack. It shattered the door and scattered the glass. “Let’s hope she survives the night,” Max said. “What’s your plan?” I checked the time on my phone. No calls, no texts, but I hadn’t expected my father to contact me. Not if he had more important things occupying his time. “We’re going after them.” I zipped the leather jacket. “And we bring Sarah back by any means necessary.” Max frowned. “You sure?” “Yes.” “What if it gets bloody?” I didn’t expect the word to ever cross my lips, let alone taste as delicious as the coppery tang. “Good.” Max nodded. He pulled a key from his pocket and led us to his gun cabinet. He handed me a .45 and ammunition. He dropped a second into Reed’s palm. He stilled. “Will you be able to pull a trigger?” Max stared at us. “Dad left this type of bullshit to me in the past. Doubt either of you ever got your hands dirty.” It was the truth. My father ordered a distinct segregation for his sons, a set role each of us fulfilled. And, like mindless little minions, we eagerly met his every expectation. Not anymore. My father raised Nicholas Bennett as his protégé, a groomed mimicry that served only as an extension of his greed and black ambition. With every swipe of the crop and every rigorous anticipation of behavior and skill, I learned. I was Darius Bennett’s heir, but I wouldn’t become my father. I’d become his complete and total opposition. But my courage built at the expense of the blood, virtue, and pride of an innocent woman. It would be the last time Sarah Atwood saved me from myself. I tucked the gun in my jacket. Reed did the same. Max nodded. My brothers followed as I stormed from the penthouse. “Head to the estate. Split up when we arrive. Don’t hesitate to shoot.” I hated thinking it. “He won’t hesitate to kill you.” Or me. With Sarah under his control, my father didn’t have a need for us. If he raped and impregnated her, his heir would not only assume power over the Bennett Corporation, but he would own rights to Atwood Industries as well. And that lusted power lured my father into a state of obsession so dangerous even if Sarah had revealed her secret—even if she tried to wield her infertility as a way to prevent his violence—he wouldn’t have cared. He’d have taken his chance and tried anyway.

Because that’s exactly the chance I took. The outcome I demanded. The greed and hunger in my blood was gifted from his. I understood him too well. Which meant we didn’t have much time. My motorcycle roared with every untested rage burning through me. I didn’t wait for either of my brothers. I jammed the throttle and tore from the parking garage. Reed followed close. Our bikes surged through downtown San Jose toward the Santa Cruz Mountains lurking in the distance. The night cloaked us in speed, chasing the shuddering terror that coiled within my heart. I damned my thoughts to images of pain—the same tortures we inflicted on a woman I supposedly loved. At least it had been at my hand. The excuse did nothing to sate my demand for blood or the guilty, horrid, hormonal release. I hated myself. I hated what I did. I hated how it felt. I hated how I felt. Sarah had endured the worst, and yet the disgust and shame which assaulted me shadowed my thoughts in grief. I’d never look at myself in the mirror again. Not without knowing what I did. What he made me do to her. How badly I betrayed her. The city lights faded into the early morning curtain of solitude that blanketed the mountains. Dangerous roads during the day were made perilous at night, especially for bikers blinding themselves in evil to prevent the unthinkable from happening once more. Each mile tore at my heart and wore the bike, the throttle nearly ripped from the handlebars in my crushing grip. She’d be okay. Sarah spent every minute of every day fighting every insult against her. She’d be okay. But would I? How much blood would spill to sate my wrath? My soul craved to inflict every pain she felt upon the man who demanded obedience over rationality and submission over humanity. What would I find when I stormed the mansion? Thirty minutes rent through me as though the gun had fired into my skull. We blasted into the estate, but I didn’t have to order them to move. The same animalistic instinct for blood surged through them. I led them in a charge, each of us blasting through a locked entrance to our childhood home and sprinting through the halls, kicking in doors and launching up stairs. Stillness greeted us. I didn’t know if I wished to hear her screams. Silence meant he was either finished or… Or she was dead. Reed bounded along the foyer. “Not in the basement.” Max shouted from upstairs. “Not in my side or Reed’s.” Reed swore, running to check the study and parlors, shouting as the rooms remained empty and undisturbed.

I stalked my wing. My bed hadn’t been touched. That left only one mess of sheets. We met in the hall outside my father’s bedroom, guns drawn. My brothers waited for my nod. The door shattered under my foot. Darkness. Empty. Still. They weren’t there. “Son of a bitch.” Reed leaned down, cradling his head. “Where the fuck did he take her?” My gun hadn’t fired. The relentless agony of unfulfilled revenge rampaged through me as if I had never breathed, as if my heart failed to pump my blood, as if I had kissed Sarah Atwood but was unable to speak the words I longed to say. I’m sorry. I’ll save you. I’ll hide you. I’ll never let him hurt you. The words turned to graveyard dust in my mouth. They wouldn’t be unsaid for long. I’d find a way to make my promises and protect the girl like she deserved to be protected. I just had to think. I had to imagine what a man like my father would do if presented with the opportunity to seize everything he ever wanted by punishing the one he hated most. I didn’t have to guess. My cell vibrated in my pocket, and I knew exactly who it’d be. I ripped it from my jacket and answered, the sinister rumble thick with enough rage to reveal my intent without a weapon in my hand or the scattered remnants of his door at my feet. “Where is she?” The trembled answer wasn’t a gateway to hell. The whisper echoed only of Heaven and light and invaded paradise. “Nick.” I clutched the phone. “Sarah? Are you okay? Where are you?” “Daddy warns you not to follow.” The edge in her voice wasn’t meant for me, even if my cruelty deserved every last barbed threat within her words. “Or he said he’ll kill me before we have any fun.” Fuck. “Tell me where you are.” “If I do that, he will kill me, and I’ve already had a rough enough night.” “What does he want?” Sarah didn’t answer, and the muffled exchange ended with her sharpened cough. “Daddy says to just be

grateful you got to fuck me. He says even if you disgrace the Bennett name, at least the three of you got off one last time.” Another cough. I recognized that sound. The wheeze ached in my own lungs. “Sarah, are you okay?” “No, but it’s asthma. I’ll be fine if I get my inhaler.” She hardened. “You couldn’t afford the liability if I drop dead here, and I doubt Daddy wants to lose me when you might have bred me like a good little whore.” Sarah’s voice shaded with wild, breathless rage, but she was smart enough to drop a hint even coiled in sickening threat. I stared at my brothers. “I’m coming for you.” “Nick, don’t. If you do, you’ll all die. Just stay away.” The sorrow in her words would end me. “He says he has no sons.” The call dropped. My blood laced with a perverted confidence. He had no sons? That wasn’t true. It wasn’t true at all. If only because I finally saw the truth. I understood, for once in my life, exactly what it meant to be a Bennett. The gun disgusted me. The metal hadn’t fired, and yet it burned my flesh. Since when did I rely on violence to achieve my means? Blood and pain and rape? It was barbarism, not the composed dominance of the world I crushed within my hand and used to further my own ends. And he knew it. All this time, all the lessons, all the moments where I wielded contracts as if wealth were every bullet I needed—he wasn’t training me to be like him. He made me better at being myself. Teaching me to become a proper Bennett. I wasted my life pulling away from his shadow and reinventing myself as a man who didn’t rely on deceit and corruption to manage my empire and grow my power. I was a fool. I wasn’t meant to oppose Darius Bennett. The only way to stop him, the only way to ensure his reign ended and our lives were saved and Sarah’s life was spared was to embrace what had always been, what was always meant to be, and what I had already learned to do. Innocent blood spoiled when used for revenge. And so I wouldn’t be innocent. I wouldn’t struggle against the forces my father created. To save Sarah Atwood, I had to become the leader he wished, even if that meant becoming the man I

swore I’d forever reject. “Is he going to hurt her?” Reed asked, the words as dark as the images swirling in my head. “No.” Confidence returned. I understood now. “He wants her heir. The fertility drugs take a few hours to work. He’ll try later, when he thinks he has the best chance.” “What the hell do we do?” “We do what we should have done long ago.” I studied my brothers, no longer disgusted by my actions but strengthened by the clarity such violence offered. “We rescue her.” “How?” “I know where she is.” Reed frowned. “But she couldn’t tell us.” “She didn’t have to. She said we couldn’t afford the liability if she had an attack where she was.” I handed Max my gun and unzipped the leather jacket, returning to my room to pick a suit before the sun rose and my work day began. “He’s holding her at the Bennett Corporation. That’s the safest place for her and the worst place for me. He knows we won’t start a firefight in our headquarters.” I paused. “Fortunately, I don’t have to.” Max followed closely, holstering his gun to his side. “Why?” “Because I don’t plan on killing our father.” “Why the fuck not?” “Because that’s what he expects. I don’t have to touch him. I’ll ruin him from the inside.” “How?” Max blocked my path. “How the hell do you think you’re going to save your ass and hers?” “If we want to survive, we will submit to Sarah Atwood.” I met my brother’s challenge and promised nothing but victory. “I’m surrendering my control of the Bennett Corporation.”



Darius Bennett would have preferred to chain me to the conference table. He waited for me to serve him on my knees like a proper whore. It would happen. I knew it. I felt it. My skin bruised and broke at the hands of my step-brothers, but it wouldn’t be enough for him. “Twenty-four to thirty-six hours,” he had whispered, eagerly. He savored the thought of taking, hurting, claiming. “The doctor said that’s when the drug is…most effective.” I hadn’t counted the hours, but when dawn broke, my time slipped away. Darius wouldn’t wait a full day before ruining me. He hid in the Bennett Corporation headquarters like a coward. I’d be safe until the moment he decided running from his son wasn’t as enjoyable as raping his step-daughter. He forced me into an executive chair poised at the carved redwood table. My lungs ached. It was a trap. He lured me into the very core of the Bennett Corporation, where my family had attempted to strike for generations. I had the stake to drive through its heart. But Darius had the needle, gun, and motivation to destroy me. It wasn’t a stalemate. His restraint was a miracle. Darius hadn’t touched me. Hadn’t beaten me. Hadn’t hurt me. Instead, he forced his sons to do it for him. My step-brothers. My friends. My lovers. The men I trusted, and the ones I left stranded and devastated on the balcony. I survived the ordeal, but I wasn’t sure they did. My step-brothers couldn’t look at me. They didn’t speak. They didn’t even see the piece of sharpened glass I kicked toward Reed’s hand, something they might have used to slice through the bindings Darius forced me to tie. I was the one raped. They were the ones broken. My heart didn’t just shatter—it burned to ash and flaked away. Reed’s whispered apologies. Max’s collapse. And Nicholas? I ached for the words I spoke to him and the bruises he left on my hips. The gold in his eyes faded completely, lost and flared into a hardness I didn’t recognize. A hatred. He embraced violence and breathed only vengeance.

He did his part with a ruthlessness I remembered only once before. Darius possessed the same brutality. I refused to let it scare me. Darius might have led me around his office in a leash or simply hauled me over his desk to finish what he started weeks ago. Once it was done, once the tortures were over and the lecherous monsters waited for a Bennett that would never be born, I’d sit at the head of their table, steal their fortunes, and hold the fate of the company in my curling fist. If I so chose, I’d dismantle the entire goddamned empire and let it drown in the poisons it manufactured. No more corporation. No more Bennetts. No more pain. And Darius would be left cowering with nothing as I stole his fortune, sons, and pride with a flick of a pen over the corporate ledger. But, that would also punish Nicholas. His company would be mine. His stock, mine. His empire, mine. He expected me to return it to him, but he never believed it would truly happen. Nicholas Bennett was far wiser than me. He understood the complications from the beginning. It wasn’t hatred or vengeance that would betray him, but business—the only language the Bennetts spoke and the scripture they worshiped. Nicholas would understand. He had to understand. I couldn’t surrender now, and I couldn’t protect his interests. That trust was the only strength that remained. Darius settled in the chair beside me. With a gentle hand that promised only cruelty, he brushed a lock of hair behind my ear. I hadn’t the time to wash the tears from my face or cleanse the ordeal from my body. He didn’t care. He forced a school-girl pink sundress over my shame, slipped the delicate sandals on my feet, and kissed my forehead in every fatherly manner I came to fear more than the strike of his hand. He wanted me presentable for the meeting. I wondered how long it would take for me to soak the dress in his blood. “Cheer up, my dear.” He patted my hand. “We’ll be done quickly, then we’re off to make a baby.” I thought I’d eventually get used to his intentions. I didn’t. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said. “You don’t have a choice.” “You aren’t pointing a gun at your sons anymore. What makes you think I’ll listen?”

It’d have sounded stronger without the gasp, wheeze, and cough imbedded in my words. Darius wasn’t concerned. He spoke as though he judged the courage in my blood. Very little remained. “I never needed to threaten my sons. You’re an Atwood, and the only thing an Atwood lives for is their own selfish interests.” “And revenge.” “Revenge won’t taste as sweet as you, Sarah.” “I’ll take my chances.” “No,” he said. “You won’t have any.” I shuddered in furious silence as the first of the Bennett Board of Directors entered. Bryant was a sleaze bag and far more dangerous than I originally believed. He shook Darius’s hand and sat opposite me at the table, entirely too interested in the waistline of my dress, as though he expected me to waddle into the room and visibly swell with a child. “Awfully early to celebrate, Darius,” he warned. “Say what you will about the family, but the Atwoods do grow a reliable product.” “Think it’ll stick?” Darius smiled. “I’d bet the company on it.” I said nothing. Though no music, laughter, or scream would have sounded more beautiful than the secret I longed to reveal, my infertility was the only bullet in a gun I forgot to load. I already acted recklessly enough. If I wanted to survive, I had to think like Nicholas. I had to be patient. Practical. I couldn’t let them frighten me. Five investors total joined the table, but the Bennetts had ten on their board. At least, a board in name only, until the amendment passed and my presence would rival the majority Darius commanded. I stayed still, though the asthma clouded my head and closed my throat. I wouldn’t let it beat me. Not now. Not while Darius welcomed his partners to the exhibition of my living hell. I remained silent. They preferred that. Bryant surveyed me, his gaze focused purely on profit. I didn’t dare to guess where the others looked. Every part of me had already been more exposed and hurt than anything I suffered in my nightmares, and it wouldn’t end with a board meeting. I was nothing to them. Not a woman. Hardly an Atwood. They didn’t view me as a rival, only a body to fill and a slave who had yet to perform her only immediate function. Darius didn’t see it, but I felt it. The resentment. The anxiety. Three months into my captivity, and they hadn’t seen their results. Time passed, and every second that left me barren put the pressure on their wallets. They wanted the child as badly as the Bennetts, but the investors didn’t have the patience of even my

step-father. The safety of the company outweighed a family’s revenge. Darius meant to breed me for more than the corporation’s benefit—with my body’s surrender, he’d steal my pride, my potential, and my future. I clenched my teeth. He didn’t realize the danger in his selfishness. His board spent the last years watching as profits trickled and quarterly reports were gamed with layoffs and restructuring, all courtesy of the man they now depended on to secure their ultimate plan. They trusted him to seed me with an heir, and the months lost to nature’s refusal damned their chances. Every business weighted risk against venture. I was, most assuredly, their greatest capital risk. “Were the drugs administered?” Bryant didn’t even wait for the coffee to brew before asking the important questions. “Was she bedded?” “Oh, yes.” Darius took my hand, pressing my fingers to his lips. “I should say so.” I jerked, but he didn’t release my palm. The betraying flush amused the board. Six men circled me, their chuckles exposing the tatters of my decimated pride. “All three of them?” Bryant asked. Darius’s voice slithered over my skin. “Go on, Sarah. Don’t be modest. You have a controlling interest in this company. The least you can do is answer your fellow board members.” He’d regret this. All of this. I braved their stares. “I don’t have a controlling interest. I am the controlling interest. Remember it. One day, I’ll have Darius’s seat, and then I’ll ask each of you how it feels to get fucked.” Again, they laughed, as if they had nothing to fear from my threat or they thought I’d never carry through with it. They made a terrible mistake. I longed for the moment to prove how dangerous it was to cross me. “We’re all friends here, Ms. Atwood.” Peter Hannigan, the man who turned on Nicholas only to leer at the woman he loved, motioned for a time out. “No need for such hostility.” “Yes, Ms. Atwood, you are acting so…hormonal.” Bryant laughed. “You understand your responsibilities now, I take it? Permit an old man’s curiosity and please, relieve the board’s concerns. You were to be fucked by all three of your brothers. Were our orders satisfied?” Peter chuckled. “Hopefully, her brothers were.” How dare they. How dare they ask such terrible questions. My night shattered into visions of hell—moments of forsaken violence at the hands of men I trusted, friends I loved, and a man I needed. Darius meant to destroy me with their relentless thrusts and murmured apologies and the punishment for our disobedience. I’d struggled to imagine myself anywhere else. I’d fought against my every fear if only to make it easier on them. I didn’t let myself hurt.

Before, I had submitted to Nicholas, Max, and Reed because it was something sensual, new, and terribly forbidden. I thought it’d bring no consequence but pleasure. Until now. Until him. Until the board feared for their fortunes. I confronted the vile nature of fearful men, terrified of losing their power and tempted with greed to acquire more. Darius forced an innocent woman to lose her virginity, pride, and all control over her body just to add a few more blood-soaked dollars to a fortune already sickeningly untouchable. I wasn’t answering any of their damn questions. “Why don’t you ask my father?” I spat. “He was there. Holding the gun.” Darius sighed and gave a helpless shrug. “Little girls, what can you do? They never do as they’re told, and, when you get hard on them, they crumple.” The board murmured their agreement. “Too rough?” Bryant asked with dark amusement. Darius shook his head. “She overreacted. Started crying in the middle of it all. Nick had to stick his cock in her mouth to stop her sobbing while Reed did his part.” I launched from the table. Darius trapped me before I could run. He forced me into the chair with a grip that might have wrenched my bones from the socket, but his insult hurt me more. He chided me for the memory and cursed as a wheeze shortened the last easy breath of air I took. I gasped, shallow and worthless. It aggravated him. He shoved a bottle of water into my hands. “Even now, she’s a little prima donna, refusing to believe her cunt wasn’t made to be bred. I had no idea she’d be this difficult of a whore.” The eldest man, Stanley, frowned. “Regardless of her…efforts, the board has only one concern. Did she or didn’t she conceive?” “Oh, it’s much too early to tell,” Darius said. “Unfortunate.” “That’s the way of nature, Stanley. However, she was aided by the fertility drugs and seeded by three men. She will bear a Bennett.” He smiled “Her body simply does not have a choice.” “No,” Stanley said. “But we do.” Darius silenced. So did my coughing. A surge of hope sliced through the tightening of my chest, a burst of warmth and radiant sanity I hadn’t dared to imagine. They’d let me go. God, they’d let me go! Maybe they understood? Not the cruelty, these men were beyond empathy for others, but they saw the business, the empire, the wealth all crushing within my grip. They’d release me because they knew I’d seize control. They cared only for the money, not the feud. If it no longer benefited them, I’d be released.

And, if I could escape from Darius Bennett, I’d be free. Stanley couldn’t intertwine his arthritic fingers, and so he held his palms instead. He leaned over the table, his lips loose and words slurred over saliva. “This plan has always been…distasteful, to say the very least.” Darius brushed a finger over my cheek. “True. But you know my daughter was only taken into my home because of these desperate times. This plan was a circumstance of last resort, created by Mark Atwood’s refusal to leave his empire to Sarah.” “She’s been raped.” Darius grew impatient. He sneered at me. “I assure you, my sons were kinder than she deserved.” Stanley wasn’t moved. “Darius, you realize the staggering amount of money riding on this one conception is...well, quite frankly, it is a risk I was unable to justify without your assurances.” “I understand.” Darius spoke of me as though I wasn’t sitting beside him. “I had hoped her time spent within my family would be easy. I was lenient. No bindings to the bed or terrible injuries. At least, not yet. But anything can happen. Should the board worry for her behavior, I could break both of her legs and leave her bed-ridden.” Bryant chuckled. “Or ridden in bed.” I shuddered. I had no reason to doubt Darius. He’d hurt me in every way he possibly could—mentally, physically, emotionally—and then he’d rut whatever remained to ensure I never recovered. Worse, he wouldn’t be the one to issue the pain, not now that his own flesh and blood turned on him. He’d make them do it, and, like the fool I was, I’d sacrifice myself again and again to protect my stepbrothers. Stanley grumbled, cursing at Bryant. “The point is, all this funny business is for nothing if the girl doesn’t conceive.” “She will.” “When my daughter married, she tried for three years, not three months.” The board quieted. I didn’t react. “The girl is young, of course,” Stanley said. “And with the fertility treatments and the…amount of intercourse she’s subjected to, I’m sure her chances are substantially improved; however, the time has come to ask…what if it isn’t enough?” Darius’s patience wore thin, his plastic smile an invitation to continue. “What’s your concern, friend?” “I move to end this experiment.” “And do what instead?” Stanley hesitated only to nod in my direction. “We should kill the girl.” My lungs crumbled, and the sudden fear shot pain through my chest as though I breathed pure smoke. Darius gripped my arm and prevented me from fleeing. “She might be pregnant already,” Darius insisted. “It’s too early to make such rash decisions, especially as this particular drug induces ovulation. She should be taken regularly, beginning today.” “And your sons would do this?” Stanley’s eyebrow rose. “Where is Nicholas?”

Darius didn’t blink. “Exhausted from his night, of course. He is not the only Bennett available to take responsibility for this family.” No, he wasn’t. Darius would be more than willing to restrain, hurt, and breed me, especially now. Especially as my step-brothers stormed the estate with guns drawn prepared for murder. Darius had watched, of course, tapped into the estate’s security cameras. He forced me to make the call, to taunt his sons, to speak with the man who broke me well after I surrendered to him. Clyde, the only yet-silent board member, checked the time on his cell phone. “Darius, I’m inclined to agree with Stan. You must admit, controlling Ms. Atwood is not only an exhausting procedure, the legal ramifications of this arrangement are dire. Your sons couldn’t even control her at the charity gala.” “That damned Wescott,” Stanley said. “Who knows what she said to him.” Darius’s attention was a brand of fire and the threat of utter incineration. He steeled his voice, but I recognized the hatred clenched within his fangs. “Well, my dear? Ease our fears. What did you discuss with Mr. Wescott?” I’d regret saying it, but either the asthma or intentions of the board would steal my final breath. I had nothing to fear except Darius Bennett, and even he could hurt me no more than what he forced his sons to do. “We discussed how best to raze the Bennett Corporation headquarters to the ground.” Stanley sighed. “She’s her father. It’s as if he’s been reincarnated.” Darius crushed my hand. Fortunately, my cry silenced within the gasping cough. They didn’t hear my pain. But I heard the crack of bone. “As I said, she is difficult.” Darius rolled my fingers, grinding the knuckles over the fracture that pierced me with tears. “Nothing a good strap and some time at home won’t fix. After all, who hasn’t had to discipline a misbehaving daughter?” Stanley shook his head. “I call for a vote. I’m sorry, Darius, but every moment she’s without child is another moment closer to the release of the trust. She is a liability and threat to this corporation. She must be handled quickly.” A vote. They would vote on my life. Not just on my treatment or torment or the decisions I wasn’t permitted to make about my body and the men I had no choice to obey. They voted on my life—my last right, stolen by men more concerned with money than the evils they perpetrated. I was glad I couldn’t breathe. Glad my asthma stole my voice and robbed me of any chance I might have used to humiliate myself in running or hiding. I’d look into the eyes of the men who damned me into a world of violence, and they’d stare back as they judged my life as either too important or too worthless to risk impeding their plans. Darius glowered, his voice a rumbling growl. At home, he expressed himself in damning brutality and blood. Here?

This was another world, one he chose to hide in to avoid the retribution of the sons he betrayed. And yet, the headquarters wasn’t safe for him either. “You will not kill my daughter,” he said. “Oh, please, Darius.” Stanley groaned. “Do you actually care for the girl or are you simply waiting for your own opportunity to bed the child and create an heir?” “I am protecting my investment.” Darius strengthened his words. “She has the fertility treatments. She’s been fucked and properly seeded, I saw to it. I admit, ridding ourselves of the problem is an easier solution, but I will not allow us to squander this opportunity. The child she bears will be worth billions.” “If she conceives, if she carries to term, if if if,” Stanley warned. Bryant frowned. “What will ease your concerns, Stan? Darius can fuck her here on the table then. Would that convince you she’s been impregnated?” Stanley waved a disgusted hand. “Heavens, no, but the very fact that we are yet discussing her future conception is reason to worry. If she were already with child, we’d be celebrating. She is not, and so we must vote to preserve our hold on this billion dollar investment, our present holdings, not the potential benefit for the future.” Short-sighted bastards. I clutched my broken hand, forcing shallow breaths. Stanley looked over the table. “All in favor?” He asked. “Aye.” Clyde didn’t look at me. “Aye.” Peter scratched his head. “Seems a little harsh so early, doesn’t it?” “Nothing personal,” Clyde said. “We’re a company specializing in herbicides. Consider this a pruning of a dangerous weed before it spreads into the garden.” Peter frowned. “Sad day when such a fine piece of ass is pruned. Aye.” Darius hadn’t moved. He gazed across the table, awaiting Bryant’s vote. “Christ.” Bryant said. He leaned away, rapping his fingers on the table with a mounting agitation. “I wanted this. Bad. Do you have any idea how much money is at stake? We could have prevented this takeover and gotten more.” Stanley aged as the vote extended, and I couldn’t wait for the puckered asshole to keel over. “Never faulted a man for his ambition.” Stanley pointed at Darius. “But when a man endangers those around him? That’s the problem. Too much money at stake. Generations of investments and the future of this company all rest on Ms. Atwood.” He glanced over me. “It might not matter how many times your boys roll her over. Despite their intentions, she’s just as hostile as ever. She hasn’t been properly subdued.” Darius’s voice lowered. “She will be.” I believed him. Stanley didn’t. “Whether you care for the girl or if you only wish to see her suffer, the problems are the same. I demand to know that my money is secured, and I’m not afraid to find leadership who will ensure my investments are protected.” Bryant rubbed his face. “Christ, you’re right.”

“Is that an aye?” He apologized to Darius, not to me. “Yes. Aye.” Darius’s fists curled. I hoped they killed me. I wished the asthma would take me. Either the board would mercifully end this, or Darius would expel every suppressed coil of rage inside of me. He couldn’t target the investors, but he would eagerly punish me for not conceiving. I never wished I would get pregnant. The fear changed my mind. At least if I were, I’d stay alive long enough to fight Darius. “The ayes have it.” Stanley softened his voice. “Call your boy, Max. We’ve trusted him in these matters before.” No. This wasn’t happening. Not now. Not after everything I had been through. Not after everything I endured. I had been captured and imprisoned, tortured by my attraction with Nicholas and lost in every moment I weakened for him. I survived their love, and I survived their violence, and still, my path led me to the maw of hell. I’d die, wheezing in the middle of the Bennett boardroom, without the breath to beg for my miserable life. Darius’s voice slithered with quiet indignation. He faced his board members, the men he trusted, with a rage I hadn’t expected. “She’s not dying,” he hissed. “Not until she’s been fucked, bred, and births a Bennet. Then, I will do with her as I please. I would remind the gentlemen the name of this corporation. Sarah Atwood belongs to the Bennetts.” “With all due respect, Darius, I’m speaking as a friend and partner.” Stanley nodded his head. “The girl is a liability. One you shouldn’t indulge. Get rid of her.” “No.” “You’re outnumbered on this, by friends you’ve trusted for years. The girl has to die to preserve this company. Don’t be a fool.” Was it better to die at Darius’s hand or be rescued with his mercy? Not that it would save me. He would spare my life only to deliver me to a torture bound under his control. I let hope guide me. I didn’t want to owe my life to Darius, or have to repay him for saving me, but at least I’d be alive. I handled the Bennetts before. I needed only a chance to live for the chance to escape. I never thought I’d depend on Darius Bennett for anything. Now, he’d be my hero. And even his power wasn’t enough to sway men just as treacherous to him as they were to each other.

My life rested on the decisions of a Board of Directors eager to toss their fortunes to whichever bidder promised the most return. They were traitors for the right price, rapists to earn a penny, and murderers to save their investments. My coughing hid the truth, buried the secret beneath layers of wheezes and choking, half-breaths and pathetic whines. I had never been so scared before, but I’d die before I admitted it to any of the monsters so eager to ruin me. “Darius?” Bryant sighed. “What do you say?” He didn’t hesitate. “Nay.” Stanley tapped the table. “You’re alone in this.” Darius didn’t answer. His attention focused on the door, and the thinnest amusement coiled over his lips. “No. I’m not.” His voice edged hard. “Nicholas has yet to vote.” I stared at the doorway in blind panic, utter terror, and such stark, abandoned relief I nearly cried out for Nicholas despite the attention of the board. But Nicholas said nothing, simply adjusting the buttons on his suit and facing the men he considered enemies with a confidence unrivaled by any of their voting, threats, or implications. For a moment, only a flicker of perfected warmth, his gaze studied me. The golden halo of his eyes returned, though the hardened crest of amber was nothing he previously possessed. Had I not known Nicholas Bennett—had I not fallen for my lover, submitted to his hand, and earned his devotion—the authority radiating from his presence would have convinced me this man was every bit the enemy I once believed him to be. He didn’t greet the board. They turned to see him. Like a prince seizing the crown from a wayward king, he chose the empty seat at the opposite end of the table and made it into his throne. The warm mocha of his voice froze with an unspoken threat, as smooth as ice and every bit as dangerous as the thinnest layer over the endless depths of a black and terrible lake. “Sarah Atwood is mine.” He made no apology for his words. He stated the truth. “She belongs to me. Her life, pregnancy, or death is, and always has been, my decision.” Darius stared at Nicholas, his voice mimicking his cool, even tone. “And what have you decided?” “She stays alive, no matter the consequences.” “Are you prepared for those consequences?” “Are you prepared for the war which will come if she dies?” Darius looked over his partial board, the few men who traded their souls for power, wealth, and more control over an innocent woman than any one man deserved. “Two Bennetts in support. Motion fails.” The board grumbled, but Darius took my broken hand and squeezed, grinding the fractures. My life was spared, but it was anything but safe, not if Darius stole me away only to make my every surviving moment a living hell.

His voice lowered to a growl, a prelude to the animalistic and vicious instincts that would mount me before the day had passed. “Meeting adjourned.” My vision darkened with my failing breath, but Nicholas didn’t move as the board shifted. “We have one more matter to discuss.” He adopted a perfect stillness and didn’t ask twice. The board members waited, watching in silent confusion as the son of their leader assumed a control he never before exploited. Nicholas didn’t smile. He didn’t scowl. He pulled a contract from his suit jacket and pressed it on the table before him, pen in hand. “You all know Sarah Atwood stands to inherit a considerable interest within the Bennett Corporation,” he said. The board nodded. Darius squeezed my hand to make me gasp. “What you don’t know is that my brothers and I agreed to sell Sarah Atwood our personal and professional shares of the company to assist in a hostile takeover of this board.” What the hell was he doing? He’d kill us both. “Sell to an Atwood?” Bryant said. “Why, Nicholas? For Christ’s sake, you’re the successor!” “For the same reason the rest of the board sold to Mark Atwood and his sons. This company doesn’t need an Atwood to destroy it. My father is doing his best to bring it to the ground.” “Enough, son,” Darius said. “Haven’t we aired enough grievances for one day?” “This isn’t a grievance.” Nicholas pushed the contract down the table. “This is an agreement. A solution to the problem. A way to ensure the Josmik Trust never steals what rightfully belongs to the Bennett Empire.” I couldn’t handle a second betrayal. Not in the same day that Nicholas already stole too much of my confidence and strength. He didn’t look at me. Whatever he planned was in motion, and like the last three months of my life, I was helpless to stop it. “This is a contract of sale,” he said. “An agreement between Sarah Atwood and you gentlemen, the loyal members of our illustrious board.” I forced the question through reluctant lips. “What sale?” “Your inherited shares, granted through the award of the Josmik Trust.” “Why would I sell my shares?” Nicholas nodded to each of the men seated around me, the ones all too eager to end my life. “We will secure the amendments to award the trust to you before you turn twenty-one. You will then sell your shares to the remaining board members, dividing the stock equally and selling for an exceedingly reasonable price.” Darius studied his son. “And what does she get in return?” “Her life.”

I couldn’t breathe. Nicholas was an unbelievably cunning bastard. I expected a rescue, but I imagined what he and my step-brothers attempted during the night, with guns and leather, motorcycles and darkness, stealth and hostility. But Nicholas was a Bennett. A true Bennett. He wouldn’t debase himself with violence. Not when he could destroy his enemies with the power he cultivated from his name. Money stained more than the spread of blood. Darius grinned, reading the contract with a sick pleasure. “Son, you’ve forgotten one important measure. What do you gain from this?” Nicholas stilled. “Ten minutes with Ms. Atwood. Alone.” “Ten minutes?” Darius laughed. “Nicholas, you are awarding a vast amount of shares to these men, men who support me. If we sign this, you will never hold a majority. You won’t have the power to seize control from me. And you are doing it to earn ten minutes with her?” Oh, no. “Nicholas, don’t,” I whisper. “Please.” He ignored me. Damned me. Lost me. Nicholas offered me a way to survive, but, in doing so, he lost any chance at ever deposing Darius. He left the head on the snake. What good was my life if Darius had the power and means to end it? Or worse. We couldn’t escape him. We couldn’t defy him. Nicholas would never assume control of his inheritance, and he did it to protect me with a momentary freedom. We survived the knife-fight only to stare down the barrel of a gun. “Sign the contracts, gentlemen,” Nicholas said. “Once Ms. Atwood is awarded the trust, she will immediately transfer all rights of her stock to you. The Bennett Corporation will be safe from outside interference, and you will have no reason to interfere in our…” He stared at his father. “Family matters.” The members of the board silenced. They looked to Darius for guidance. And, finally, Nicholas held my gaze. I’d never survive it. He bargained away my life just so my relief and pain and confusion would end in his arms. My heart broke too many ways to fix, and yet, he’d try. He sacrificed everything to mend the shattered pieces. He couldn’t fit them back together as they were, but his love would heal me. Make me stronger. He gave me that chance, even if it existed under the threat of his father. “Sign it,” Darius said. “This is how it should be. What happens to Sarah Atwood stays within the walls of my home.” The pen clicked. Signatures released me from the board’s hold. Nicholas stood, taking my hand and pulling me from his father. “Now the meeting is adjourned,” he said. “You have your company.”

Darius folded his hands. “And she has a ten minute head start.” I couldn’t run. The asthma wouldn’t let me. We wouldn’t even make it out of the building before Darius would chase. Nicholas said nothing. He hauled me from the board room and helped me to the elevator. He didn’t push for the ground floor. Instead, he took us to the roof. I wavered on my feet, but Nicholas knew. He always knew. He pulled the inhaler from his pocket and tucked it in my hand. I ignored it and sunk into his arms, seeking safety in the embrace of a man who, only hours before, trapped me within sorrow. He kissed the tears on my cheek. “I’m so fucking sorry for what happened,” he whispered. His kisses didn’t stop. Comforting, loving, warm. I clutched at him and ached for every crest of guilt that darkened his expression and lashed his confidence. “I’m so sorry, Sarah. I’ll never ask your forgiveness. Are you okay? Are you hurt?” “I’m okay.” “Did he…?” The cough stole my words, but I shook my head. “No.” Relief, for both of us. The elevator opened, and Nicholas guided me into the hall, pressing a fob against a locked door to let us out into the daylight. A helicopter waited for our departure. A man paced near the door, his dimpled grin a warmth I didn’t deserve. Reed. He pulled me into a hug and squeezed until I wasn’t sure if it was the asthma or his grief that punished me. I searched over his shoulder, recognizing the pilot in the helicopter. Max? Nicholas didn’t let me speak. He held me close, touching my cheek. “Do you trust me?” He hardened as I hesitated. “Sarah, for once in your damned life, do as I say. Max and Reed are going to take you away from here. They’ll make sure you’re safe. I’ll handle the rest.” “What rest?” I squeezed his arm. “What are you doing?” “Finishing this deal.” “Why?” Nicholas’s grip tightened on me. Reed shouted, and they pitched me behind them. I should have expected him if only because Darius understood his son as well as I did. He knew where Nicholas was, what he planned. “He wants to save your life, my dear.” The monster approached, but only so he could face his son. “He’s going to hide you from me,” Darius said. “He thinks he can save you.”

Nicholas didn’t flinch as Darius released the gun from his jacket pocket. The barrel pressed against Nicholas’s forehead. “Don’t make me do this,” Darius said. “This is a messy business, and neither of us are meant for it.” “Then lower the gun.” “Give me the girl.” Nicholas didn’t move. “It won’t happen. You won’t take Sarah. You won’t kill us.” “You’re so sure?” Darius flipped the safety off. “I thought I raised an intelligent son. You’re nothing but a coward. Too weak to protect your family.” “You and I have a mutual interest in Sarah’s survival,” Nicholas said. “But we have more business than the girl. Without Josmik, the directors have no cause to kill her. But the board you created won’t tolerate the leadership of a man who refuses to do as they say. This family faces a greater threat than Sarah Atwood. The dissention on the board will destroy the Bennetts far easier than one little girl.” Darius nodded. “Money corrupts, son.” “You need an ally.” “Do I?” “You give me Sarah Atwood, and I’ll give you my unconditional support. Every vote you require, every decision you make. No matter the conflict with your partners, the vote will always sway in your favor with two Bennetts in agreement.” Darius lowered the gun. He studied his son. “And the heir?” He asked. Nicholas shook his head. “Forget it.” “You see, son, that’s where you and I are different,” Darius rested a hand on his shoulder. “Investors and board members will always be a thorn in our side. But an Atwood? They are the true enemies. Do what you want with the trusts and the girl and company, Nicholas, but know this…” I shuddered under his attention, pierced by hatred and every reserved aggression he meant for me in an untasted lust. “I don’t care if the company burns to the ground, if the estate is turned to ash, or if each of my sons betrays me and ends up dead on the side of the road.” Darius pointed to the helicopter. “Take her, son. Go on. Hide your little whore.” His words were filth, and he stared at me with dead obsession and violent intent. I stepped backwards, forced into the helicopter by Reed. He followed me inside. Nicholas didn’t move. Didn’t look. Didn’t even attempt to say goodbye. Not while he faced the threat of his father and did all he could to free me from my captivity. “I will have Sarah Atwood’s heir,” Darius said. “Not because it benefits the company or the family or protects our interests. I will have it because I want it. I want to destroy her. I want to hurt her. I want to claim every inch of her body and mark her as mine, and son?” He smiled. “When she swells with my child, I want you to remember this moment. Remember how foolish it was that you let her live instead of killing her to spare her the suffering.” Darius pocketed the gun and grinned, bidding his sons a farewell with arms raised in momentary surrender.

“And Nicholas? She will suffer and suffer greatly.”

“Your office, Mr. Bennett.” The secretary offered more than just a tour of the corner suite. She leaned against the door, her fingers toying with the lock. “Anything else I can get for you?” I wasn’t interested in blondes. “Yes, call my father and ask him to join me. I’d like to thank him for the office.” Her scowl wasn’t nearly as endearing as the treats she offered. She pouted but heeded orders. My father didn’t knock. He entered unbidden, shaking his head. “Nicholas, I hoped you’d enjoy your new office.” He was not subtle. “And the secretary.” I laughed. “I can find my own women, Dad, thank you.” He smiled. “Serves me right for match-making. Though, forgive your father. You might begin thinking of finding someone.” “Part of the business plan?” I sat at my new desk. “Job. Presidency. Wife?” “Child. What did I tell you were the cornerstones of success? Power and…?” “Family.” My father nodded. “Exactly. You’re a young man, but one day, you will be responsible for this family and company.” “Maybe I should work a full day before I start the search for the future Mrs. Nicholas Bennett?” “It isn’t the wife that’s important,” my father said. “It’s the legacy. This company is our future. One day, it’ll be your turn to ensure its safety.” He held my gaze, formally welcoming me to the Bennett Corporation with a handshake. “I hope you’ll be as proud of your son as I am of mine.” I was not a man who tolerated being ignored. Not my calls, not my correspondence, and not my invitations to lunch. Roman Wescott tried my patience, and he would lose. I would not allow my company’s decisions and business interests to be controlled by another, especially one outside the family. I worked too hard, sacrificed too much, and spent too many nights alone to allow a stranger to rule over us. I worked only to ensure her safety. And a month was far too long a wait for me to suffer. Max bounced his good leg as we idled outside Wescott’s office. He saw through it all, even my solemn

silence. “You sure you want to do this?” He asked. “Yes.” “And you want to do it my way?” “That choice was made for us.” Max didn’t believe me. “You really fucked this up, Nick.” No. I did exactly what I needed to do. I protected Sarah, first and foremost. Whatever else happened was inconsequential. If that meant the board ordered me to do their bidding like a damned whipping boy, then fine. If it meant serving my father and parroting his every word for the past month, all the better. If I was the target of their cruelty, then I was the bastard they’d punish. They wouldn’t target Sarah for Roman Wescott’s refusal to sign the amendment freeing her from the board’s sights. But the board’s patience was limited. And I had no other options but to engage Wescott in a more…unprofessional manner. “This is what we have to do to save her life,” I said. Max pointed through the windshield, toward Roman Wescott’s office and the last obstacle preventing me from trading Sarah’s trust for her life. “What if he doesn’t sign?” Max said. “He will.” “We could keep moving her.” Max offered solutions I already imagined and rationalized as too dangerous. “Just shift her around until the trust hits on her birthday. That’s only what, seven months? There’s plenty of little cabins in the Poconos where she could hide.” “I’m not taking that chance. I want her free from the board.” “Just because she’s kept alive doesn’t mean she’ll be safe,” he said. “Dad will find her.” Like the thought hadn’t kept me awake for nights on end, imagining what would happen if we slipped, if somehow he discovered where she hid. What little sleep I earned ended in nightmares of her death and the celebration of those in the Bennett Corporation who lived only to watch her die. The days passed. Then weeks. Then the month. Protecting her meant hiding her, even from me. I hadn’t spoken to her since the day I rescued her. My brothers stole her away, exchanged helicopters for planes and planes for cars and crossed the country in record time to deliver her into strict isolation. She was alone. She was scared. But she was alive. And, for the moment, that pleased both my father and me. He made an unfortunate ally, protecting Sarah for his own perverted reasons. However, for the purposes of securing the company, I could think of no better partner, mentor, or veteran in a war against our own board. What should have become my board.

I sacrificed my interests to save hers. My life, my future, my empire—gone. Destroyed by an Atwood, just as I knew would eventually happen. And I would have signed my life over again. I’d never regret a moment of her safety. “This is more than earning his signature,” I said. “I need to know why Wescott is denying her.” Max snorted. “And while you’re asking all these questions, what am I doing?” “What you do best.” “And what’s that?” I didn’t look at him. “Helping the family.” His smile chilled me. “You mean, doing what I’m told?” “Yes.” “And how does bruising my fists help the Bennetts?” Max exhaled. “How does this make what we’ve done any less repulsive? Do you think Sarah will ever forgive you for that night?” “No.” “You think this will make her safer?” “No.” “Then tell me why you’re asking me to crack this asshole’s skull just so you can give Sarah’s inheritance to the board and hand the company right back to that fucking bastard.” Easy. It was the easiest decision I had ever made. “Because it means I’ll see her again.” The last memory I had of Sarah was her clutching at Reed as my father threatened her virtue. I didn’t say goodbye. I didn’t tell her how I planned to save her. She peered down at me from the helicopter, hand pressed against the glass, and then escaped from the danger that I forced upon her so many months ago. I had to see her, to know she was okay, to earn her forgiveness. If only to end the nightmares. In my sleep, my love for her twisted into heinous lust, and the things I did and the ways I hurt her satisfied a barbaric and primal part of me. My nightmares made me more like my father than any decision I made for the corporation, sacrifice I chose for the family, or evil I committed to avenge our name over our enemies. I would spend my billions, surrender my company, and abandon my future success for only one minute with the woman I’d betrayed, if only to ensure I hadn’t lost the one chance I had for happiness in this world. I didn’t wait for Max. I buttoned my suit and entered Wescott’s offices—a series of laboratories the entrepreneur financed with the billions he earned from his own ventures and trusts. A secretary texted on her cell as we approached, greeting us without looking up. I ignored her, and Max unplugged the console phone as she protested our entry into the office looming behind the oaken doors.

Roman Wescott laughed from behind his desk, ending his call with a widening smile. “No, no.” He waved to the panicking secretary, eager to help but unable to prevent Max from taking his rightful place at my side. “It’s okay. I’ll see them without an appointment.” “Yes,” I said. “You will.” Wescott nodded as his secretary closed the doors. “I hadn’t expected to meet with you today, but it isn’t like the Bennetts are required to follow social etiquette.” He tested me. It was a mistake. “I was under the impression my emails, calls, and invitations would serve as interest in a meeting.” “I’m a very busy man, Nicholas.” Wescott offered me a seat with an extended hand. It wasn’t a friendly gesture. His voice chilled like broken marble. “I’m sure you understand.” “I assure you, this matter will take very little time to resolve.” Wescott nodded. He offered a drink. We declined. “You want me to sign the Josmik amendment,” he said. “Yes.” “Strange.” Max said nothing. He waited for my order. But something in Wescott’s tone interested me. “Do you have an objection?” I asked. “Allow me to ease your concerns.” “Forgive me, but this amendment is quite bewildering,” he said. “Why would Nicholas Bennett storm my office and demand that I sign the very document that removes his family from power and awards it to an Atwood?” “You took no issue in signing your stock over to the Atwoods. Does it matter what happens with the Bennett Corporation once you’ve taken your investments elsewhere?” Wescott gestured across his desk. “It’s curious. Two Bennetts in my office, urging me to consider an agreement that will destroy their company. This goes beyond Daddy issues.” “I’m asking you to sign the agreement,” I said. “Simple as that.” “Why?” I wouldn’t explain my actions to anyone but Sarah. “It’s irrelevant.” “But it isn’t. Don’t tell me you’re doing this for the benefit of the Atwood girl.” “My motivations may differ from those of my step-sister.” “Step-sister? I doubt that’s how you think of her.” “We don’t have a lot of time to piss around,” Max said. “Sign the damn agreement so we don’t end our professional relationship on bad terms.” Wescott wasn’t threatened. He knew it would come to this. “Nicholas, a few months ago, you called this office to arrange a meeting. You were adamant about ending the Josmik Trust. You promised a new model for the corporation with innovation and research and development to drive our profits. You almost convinced me to void my portion and remain within the company. I might have believed in you.” He narrowed his eyes. “Was that all a lie?”

“The situation changed.” “No. It remained the same. Business as usual for the Bennetts. Cutthroat and ruthless and…” He nodded toward Max. “Violent, when the situation calls for it. I’m not an optimist, Nicholas. The world is full of darkness, and we’re fools if we deny that presence in our souls.” “Hardly relevant.” “Whatever happened between your family and Sarah Atwood only made her stronger. I’m glad for it, if only to have someone willing to end your reign.” He picked up the amendment, signing his name along the line. “I have no issue in awarding the girl what is hers,” he said. “Then why did you wait?” Wescott capped his pen. “She didn’t agree to my terms.” Sarah didn’t mention anything about terms. She told me he refused to sign. “What did you ask of her?” I asked. “It doesn’t matter now. I see that I was right.” He gestured to Max. “Had I not signed, I’m sure Maxwell Bennett would have negotiated in his own ways.” “I live to serve,” Max said. Wescott nodded. “Don’t we all? But this is the root of the problem, Nicholas. I had hopes for you.” “Don’t discount me yet,” I said. He pushed the contract to me. “I never meant to delay her fortune or deny what belongs to her. I didn’t sign this amendment because I knew, eventually, the girl would return the stock to you.” I said nothing though the implication burned. “I hoped someone could lead the Bennett Corporation in the right direction. That was why I sold. I thought you would be different, but you’ve proved my instincts were correct. I’m disappointed.” “Don’t be,” I said. “I won’t explain myself to you, and I’ll choose to forget your insults. You can believe me when I say I’m acting in the best interests of my family. I will do everything in my power to protect the ones I love.” “I don’t doubt that. I only question how you plan to protect them. You have always wanted to control everyone and everything. And when people don’t obey you?” He nodded to Max. “You send in the dogs.” Max lunged, but I stopped him before mistakes were made. “No matter your reasons, no matter your intentions, one thing is perfectly clear to the world.” Wescott leaned close, his voice low. “You would ruin others to protect your own. And that, Nicholas Bennett, is why you are no better a man than your father.”



My fingers curled around the barrel of the baseball bat. The knock rattled the chalet, each strike against the door echoing from the loft to the living room. I regretted the pleasant fire in the hearth. The smoke was probably visible. It didn’t matter how deeply I hid within the wilderness, even a cozy fire was irresponsible. The bat scraped off the floor, but I cringed as the steps creaked under my feet. I learned which stairs squealed during the month I’d spent hiding within the mountain chalet. I planned escape routes, planted weapons, and prepared myself for any and all danger. And I forgot it all in a single moment of panic. Another knock. Each bang slammed my heart into my ribs. Who even knew I was here? I checked the track phone. No messages from my step-brothers. No heads-up about a visit or a warning of danger. I hated how I shuffled toward the door, despised myself for slinking against the wall, and loathed every pathetic breath that puffed, scared and timid and wracked with the threat of my godforsaken asthma. I needed to breathe if I had any hope of defending myself. The forest was supposed to be beyond rural. Nearly empty. Still, I woke from a nightmare in the morning, kicked from the sheets, and collapsed with my inhaler. Something bad was going to happen. But something even worse would punish anyone who dared to attack me. The bat rose. I pitched the door open. A goldendoodle yelped, burst into the living room, and launched at my chest. We both went down, and Hamlet pinned me against the woven rug. I laughed, hugging the furry monster and scratching behind his ears as he licked, yipped, and tripped over himself to love me harder. The tears blurred my vision. Nicholas. I couldn’t speak. I struggled against Hamlet. Nicholas embraced me before I stood, hauling me from the floor and crushing me against his chest. I worried he’d squeeze until I broke in half, and I cried thinking he wouldn’t hold me tightly enough. His clean, masculine scent enveloped me in the familiar clutch of safety and possession. I dreamt of his eyes—longed for the golden warmth, relentless dedication, and absolute devotion that shattered my

defenses and left me so vulnerable for him, to him. His words rushed, resonating with a velvet confidence that trapped me within his control before I could even ask how or why he finally came for me. “I had to see you.” His voice warmed, dripping like melting wax and scorching me with the same heat. “I shouldn’t be here, but I had to see you.” His kiss silenced my questions and stole my protests. I was lost for a month. Alone and desperate, I attacked the shadows and hid from every light. I huddled in the cabin, too anxious to brave the ten mile trip into town for another box of cereal or a gallon of milk. One month of waiting in silence. Of isolation from the world. Of complete and total abandonment. Nicholas meant to protect me. He promised to free me from Darius and hide me until he foolishly gambled with my life, his company, and the stock I didn’t yet possess. He worked to save me from the board’s cruelty. And his father’s violence. A month I huddled alone, waking in fear and living in solitude. And all I wanted was Nicholas. His kiss revived me, thawing the parts of me lost beneath the layers of fear and aggression. I fell into his strength, tangling my arms over his neck, pulling my body against his. I’d never be close enough, not when the days and the miles had separated us for so long. I savored every brush of his lips and welcomed the greedy, flicking temptation of his tongue against mine. My hands dug into his suit jacket. “Are you okay?” He whispered, threading his fingers through my hair to study my face, my lips, my neck. He didn’t wait for my answer, bending to taste the silken skin of my throat. “Are you safe?” I nodded. I hummed as he suckled against the hollow of my neck. “Were you followed?” “No.” “I missed you.” “I shouldn’t be here.” Nicholas’s voice ground need against restraint, but even a Bennett’s willpower could be tempted. He reached for me, lifting me into his arms. “Why did you come?” “I couldn’t stop myself.” He carried me up the stairs, kicking the door the bedroom open and lying me upon the rumpled sheets. I blushed as pink as the pajamas. Nicholas pushed me onto the pillows before tossing his jacket on the floor. “You left me.” I raised onto my elbows. It only encouraged him. Nicholas pressed against me, pinning me between him and the bed. No better place existed than trapped beneath him, struggling only to shed the

layers of frustrating material between our desperate bodies. “You left me here all alone. You didn’t call me.” His kiss silenced my protest. “You didn’t come to see me.” His touch subdued my anger. “You didn’t even say goodbye.” He burned with an apology he’d never give. “I didn’t want anyone finding where we took you. I was obsessed with keeping you safe. I couldn’t let him find you.” He touched my cheek, gentle and cautious, as though I’d shatter from his first touch. I probably would. I’d crack into a hundred shards from his stare, a thousand fragments under his hands, and disintegrate completely the instant he loved me. The last time Nicholas Bennett dared to brush my skin, I was betrayed, bruised and nearly broken. Not every injury was visible. I survived, but the ache hadn’t. A part of me was stolen and destroyed. The destruction left behind couldn’t be healed alone. Too much time passed without him, too many nights spent reliving a terrible memory. I needed him. All of them. And instead, my step-brothers hid me to prevent it from happening again. To prevent worse. “I wished you would come for me,” I whispered. “I laid in bed and listened, terrified something would happen, that I’d be taken or hurt or killed before I could see you again.” “I don’t want you to be afraid anymore. I’m doing everything to keep you safe. You are my first and only priority.” He exhaled, his breath hot against my neck. “I’ll never forgive myself for what I did. I’d rip out my heart if you asked it.” I kissed him. “Don’t do this to yourself.” “I hurt you.” “Then heal me.” “I don’t trust myself.” That was easy to fix. I pushed upwards, capturing his lips with the promise I meant before the horror and the love I gave after. “I do trust you, Nicholas Bennett. I love you. And I missed you.” He groaned. “Me too. More than you could possibly know.” His fingers gripped the pajama top, and he pulled the little tank over my head, savoring the delicate swell of my curves with a silent appreciation reflected in a telltale smirk. His fingertips brushed pure magic over my flushing skin. His hand searched my body, teasing the tiny bud of my nipple with a gentle amusement. We both stilled as he traced lower, resting over my flat tummy. “Did you…” He didn’t want to ask. I didn’t want to think of it—a child conceived in an act that ugly and cruel. “Did you have your…?”

“On schedule, as always.” His expression hardened. “Good.” It was the first time he had reacted positively to the news. He stilled, imagining that day, those events, the pain. I took his hand, kissing those loving fingers that so delighted me with just a touch. It wasn’t just me affected by Darius’s cruelty. We needed this. We needed each other, to prove what had happened hadn’t destroyed us. We’d love each other and banish the memories back into nightmare. I pulled him down, welcoming his kiss with an encouraging murmur. A soft heat chased away any lingering hesitations. Our lips met once more. A promise. A vow. A devotion we hadn’t dared to admit and a love that survived pain and brutality, guns and monsters, greed and vengeance. We won. We were together. I had no idea how long we had, but it didn’t matter. Every second wrapped within his embrace passed in both heartbeat and infinity. His touch was greater than time, more powerful than even the fear of losing what little moments we had. I gasped, pained as his hands dared to leave my body to unbutton his shirt. We kissed in need. We touched in desperation. We savored in pain. We whispered our love in every breath because we feared we’d never have the chance to speak it again. Nicholas’s kisses traced down. He exposed my neck, murmuring as he studied my pale skin. “I’ve become accustomed to you in a collar,” he said. “Regretting my freedom?” His kisses graced where the leather once tightened, his lips pressing hard against the flushed skin that pulsed so quickly under his command. “You tell me, Ms. Atwood. Did I ever need a leash to take you?” “No. I bound myself to you,” I whispered. “My choice. Maybe my own foolishness.” “You understood where you belonged.” “With you.” Nicholas lowered his head, stealing the chance to slip the raspberry bud peeking from my breast into his mouth. “Always.” “Do you promise?” The roll of his tongue stiffened my every muscle. I arched into his mouth. He suckled, hard, drawing me deeper and savoring my sweetened whimper.

“I told you, Sarah. Every night when you returned to my bed and as I took you when the sun rose—you are mine just as I’m yours. I swear to you, nothing will ever keep us apart.” I bit my lip. “Except this.” “Only for now, while I make the plans,” he said. “It won’t always be this way.” “Concessions?” His kiss aimed lower. “One I will reward you for surrendering.” His fingers tickled at the waistband of my pants. I held my breath as Nicholas tugged them over my hips. He gazed at the part of me I fought so hard to forget during the month spent hiding from the world, hiding from the memory. His touch eased the tension tightening my thighs. He gently parted my legs, slipping between the softness with yielding kisses and gentle murmurs. “Don’t fight me, Sarah,” he whispered. “I only want to please you.” My breath caught as the first of his touches simply explored. He teased my presented body, and the rush of desperate slickness surrendered at his touch, his whisper. I gripped the sheets tighter, if only to ease the burst of pressure spiking through my core. It wasn’t dangerous or frightening. Every caress of his lips, every stroke of his tongue rewarded my slit with a delighted shiver of comfort, trust, and the mounting strain that I had suppressed in fear of the haunting memories. The only relief I offered myself came in bursts of frustration, waking between night and dawn, terror and fantasy. But this…his attention. The dipping of his tongue tasted my sweetness. Every flick and tremble belonged to him as he savored me like a rewarded lover. He suckled my clit, earning a wavering mew. The quick excitement stirred me too fast, too quickly. “Don’t hold back,” Nicholas said. “I plan on giving you everything you deserve, everything you can handle. Then I’ll delight you with everything more.” As long as it was him. As long as Nicholas delivered me there. I could handle anything, give anything, take everything just as long as it was Nicholas who stole me to that edge, teased me with the promise of his love, and then captured me within his arms as the swell stole my breath. I was lost in the aching instinct, trapped within a pleasure so raw and right I’d climb it again and again just to cherish the simple comfort of his possession. I twisted the blankets, calling his name and earning his excitement. His kisses became licks, and his tastes sheer feasts of my body. He tortured me with promise and tore me from the world and my sanity until my strength faded. I whispered his name as a delicate plea for more and a command to spare me the endless ripples of a blissful agony that bent me to his will. “I need you.” As though he couldn’t have read my begging, felt my aching, tasted my desperation. The honesty in my voice weakened as my body shuddered in a fragile crest once more. “Nicholas, please.” “I’ve dreamt of you whispering that to me.” Nicholas lifted himself from the bed, casting away his belt before I tensed in memory. “Every night, Sarah. I’ve wanted nothing more than to prove how much I love

you, how sorry I am for…everything.” “Don’t be sorry. Just be here. With me. Inside me.” If I had the ability to rise, I might have pulled him into my embrace, but the dizzying lust swirled my thoughts and surrendered me to his control. He preferred me that way—tamed and waiting. His weight settled over me, protecting me within the straining muscles and practiced strength. I gripped his shoulders and shuddered as the hardness of his chest mimicked what pressed against my core. His lips found mine. I gave him everything with no protest or fear, secrets or shame, pain or tension. I expected to dread the moment I was pinned under him. Instead, his touch warmed as a gift, and my body received his every penance. He slipped within me in a single stroke—and I met the sweet gold of his eyes with every shock, every surprise, and every delight of the first time he had taken me months ago. The world and its cruelties brought us together. Our love and devotion twisted the ugly into perfection. I filled with him, thoroughly, completely, and with such eagerness I wept at his touch. Our embrace was nothing like how we loved before. Not like when we hid at the estate and he mounted me with feral instinct and quick desperation. This was desire. Pure, uninhibited passion. All pretense stripped as he thrust within me, burying his sins and abandoning our fears. No submission, no ulterior intents, no pain. Just…whole. For the first time, for the first moments ever. We melded together in understanding and peace. His every stroke imbedded within me, proving and pledging and demonstrating his love. I murmured and arched, accepting all he offered with a shuddering bump of my hips. The deeper he plunged, the greater our devotion, the more serene the moment, the harder our crest and more desperate our joining. I cried out for him once, twice, three times, destroying myself with shivers and letting his strength rebuild me and brace me and take me again and again. I lived without his love for a month. I’d have to live without it again. Our movements rolled with a bittersweet sadness—a way to prove our words and offer every promise of love. We dulled the memories and replaced the bleak darkness with a burst light and tempted courage. In such a short time, Nicholas Bennett had become more than my captor or lover. He was my reason to live, my strength in the world, and the greatest challenge I had ever endured. His pleasure was mine, and my delights his victories, and with every shared breath and synced heartbeat, I abandoned my hope for a life beyond the Bennett’s control and instead wished for one where I would never again part from his side. His motions quickened, and the hardness in me grew. I gripped him, urging his movements, begging to grant him the same releases he freed within me.

His quickening pace and surging aggression wasn’t meant to frighten me. I wasn’t taken, but loved. He didn’t dominate me but worshiped everything that I was. Once I had been used. Now, I was adored, warmed, and cherished. Our bodies melded. My heart fluttered. I cried out. Nicholas kissed me as his length sheathed entirely within me, stealing my voice and silencing me with the same boundless passion that filled me with his endless heat, wanting, and grateful release. If my vision was lost within the burst of my delight, my breath forsaken in a quiet gasp, and my heart stilled in the clutching swell of our bodies, I’d have celebrated my last second of completeness that joined us as one. I wept and clutched at Nicholas, holding him tight against me as the stresses of the past month faded. He held me and whispered of his own fears, bracing me against him with a fierce kiss. He parted from me and gathered me close to cradle me to his chest. But the lazy moments spent with his fingers brushing my hair and his kisses upon my temple weren’t meant to last. I knew better than to hope, even if my voice could only whisper the truth. “Why are you really here, Nick?” He exhaled, his touch memorizing the angles on my face, the puffiness of my offered lips. “I saved your life today.” The trust. My heart beat faster. “Roman Wescott signed the amendment?” I paused after he nodded, lowering my head to his chest. “Now what happens?” “The board holds to their end of the bargain. In a few days, the agreement of sale will be prepared, and you sign over the stock from the trust. Then, they won’t have reason to hurt you.” “And you? You lose everything, Nick.” “I still have my original holdings.” His voice hardened. “And my inheritance.” “It’s not enough.” His grip tightened. “It is for now.” “You can’t overthrow him without a majority.” “And you wouldn’t live without the trade.” “It’s not a good sacrifice.” “I could say the same for some of yours.” Neither of us would win that game. “What about Darius?” I whispered. “Don’t worry about him.” The kiss to my forehead cured the fever but not the infection. It’d be easier for me if I knew where he

was, how to avoid him, what I could do to stop him. “How long do you expect me to hide?” Nicholas prepared for the question. He didn’t apologize. “As long as it takes.” “I can’t do this for much longer.” “You have to.” I leaned up, waving over the chalet. Though the little cabin crammed modern luxury in a small space, no amount of Jacuzzi tubs, granite countertops, or vaulted ceilings could compare to home. Wherever that was now. “This isn’t a life,” I said. “I’m not wearing a collar, but this isn’t freedom. I’m more a prisoner here than I ever was at the estate. There I might have been in danger, but at least…I had you.” I shrugged. “I had Reed and Max and…hope.” “Sarah, this is only temporary. I’ll save you from him, but you have to listen to me, you have to do as I say and trust me. Really trust me.” “I do.” “In this?” I no longer had to lie. “Yes.” “Then I’m asking you to stay hidden, just until the trust is dissolved and we’ll only have one man to control.” He shifted, easing from the bed and reaching for his clothes. My stomach pitted. “You’re leaving.” “I have to.” “Why?” He tugged on his pants, glancing at me with a gaze that might have scolded had he not shared the same heartache. “Anyone might have followed me,” he said. “Anyone might be wondering where I am. It’s selfish of me to even be here.” “They won’t miss you for one night.” “He will.” My heart would crush before I let another tear escape, but the pain stole my remaining courage. I realized he couldn’t stay, but I had no idea my moments with him would end so quickly. “Let’s run together then.” I followed him, slipping into my robe as he shook his head. “Nick, we have the money, the ability. We just leave it behind. Tonight. We can forget everything that ever happened. The kidnappings and the beatings and Darius. We can start new somewhere else and be together.” “And you’d let my father win?” “Nicholas, he’s already won. There is nothing else for him in this world. Let him rot in his wealth, and we’ll start our own lives, far from all this insanity.” “And Max and Reed?” Nicholas asked. I looked away. “Your mother? Your company? You could no sooner walk away from your responsibilities than I can mine.”

“So what then? You leave, and I stay in my prison? You surrender my only power over to your father, and then…somehow take over the Bennett Corporation without a majority or any allies on the board?” “And you stay safe.” Nicholas took my chin in his hand. “You listen to me and stay far from trouble. I’ll be back soon with the sales agreements, and then we can decide what to do. But I am not risking your life. You are everything to me, Sarah Atwood. And I would sooner imprison you in this cabin and bind you under lock and key than give him the chance to hurt you.” I believed him. That was the problem. I said nothing as he finished dressing. I followed him downstairs, earning a gentle nuzzle from Hamlet. He basked before the fireplace. “Thank you for bringing my dog.” “Thought you’d be lonely,” He said. “Reed’s gonna miss him, but you need him more.” My perfect night couldn’t end in such misery. I stepped into his arms and held him tight. “I’ll come for you.” He kissed me, brushing my lips with a promise that did little to ease my fears. “I promise.” He patted Hamlet and wished me a goodnight. The door closed. And my hopes fled with him. I collapsed on the couch and cradled Hamlet. He flopped over me, a fuzzy hug of pure love, but I wished for something more. The pit in my stomach only grew. I woke from a sweaty sleep with a start. Hamlet growled. Hamlet never growled. The knock came quietly, same as before. I pushed the dog from my lap, but eighty-pounds of stubborn goldendoodle was difficult to shift. I flicked at his nose and frowned. “Ham, it’s Nick. He came back. Get up.” He growled again. What the hell got into him? I retied my robe and thought of a clever I told you so to serve at Nicholas. I knew he’d want to spend the night in my arms. No one would miss him. No one would find me. And at least we’d be happy, if only for one night. I wrapped the blanket over my shoulders and bound to the entry, unlocking the bolt and sweeping the door wide—an invitation inside where it was warm and safe. Hamlet barked. The blanket dropped to the ground. It wasn’t worth screaming. No one would hear. Any breath I wasted would be one less I had to survive. My chest tightened, and my throat closed without a desperate gasp. I stared into the leering, malicious, and lust-shaded eyes of Darius Bennett. Darius stepped inside and shut the door. He switched the lock with a solemn click.

His voice struck like a punch to the gut, but he wouldn’t have to strike me. Not now. Not here. Not when I was so far from anyone who might have saved me. “Hello, my dear.”





Six Weeks Later Run. I groaned. Run. The last thing I wanted was another night searching for a motel that accepted dogs but wouldn’t lace Hamlet with fleas. It took long enough to find this one, but three nights in the same place was too risky. Run. Hamlet whined at me. Somehow, the bowl of kibbles was more appetizing than the burger. I picked at the bun. It tasted way too sweet, but the bread was better than the grey burger, limp and greasy and smelling like… I bolted to the bathroom. Like it wasn’t bad enough trying to escape from Darius Bennett without suffering through an endless flu. I didn’t know what was worse. The running or the exhaustion. The nausea or the headaches. Ugh. I wiped my mouth and grimaced as I stared into the mirror. Enough time had passed that the bruises faded on my cheek, but I still saw them. It was easier to run with the black eye. At least then, the hotel clerks didn’t ask questions when I ordered a room, paid in cash, and demanded absolute privacy. I slipped from the bathroom and tossed Hamlet the rest of the burger. It was too late to eat such horrid food anyway. The clock blinked close to one, but it wasn’t like it mattered. I sure as hell wasn’t going back to sleep just to suffer through another nightmare. Darius attacking me once was enough. I didn’t need to relive it again and again in my sleep. My cheeks wetted. I scoured my face with my nails. I spared no tears for Darius or his violence, and I tried not to weep for Nicholas. I didn’t have time to pity myself, not if I planned to ensure it never happened again. Darius had laid over me, destroyed my pride, and made the same promises as his son. He swore he’d return. And so I ran. I hadn’t stopped running, or hiding, or protecting myself. Even to tell Nicholas that I had gone. I shuddered. And I would never tell him what happened. My stomach heaved again. I groaned. It lurched every day since the attack. I hoped gaining some control over my life would calm it, that the disgust and shame might have faded. The night with Nicholas ended in horror, and I lost every promise of his love in the vile assault. I wanted to believe Nicholas could keep me safe. I wanted to use his strength to repair what Darius broke

within me. But I wasn’t about to depend on another for my safety. Not anymore. Not after… I rushed to the bathroom again. Hamlet whined from the bed before following. At least I had a traveling buddy. My lifelong friend helped to pass the time. He didn’t judge when I sat in a silent, dangerous rage or when I plotted my every revenge against a man I no longer had the courage to face. “Six weeks, Ham.” I patted him and counted the days since I ran away. Had it really been that long? That lonely? I remembered everything in perfect detail from that night. Nicholas’s touch. Darius’s grunts. I hugged Hamlet. “Six miserable weeks…” The nausea returned. Six. Weeks. Pin-prickles of panic raced heat and chills along the back of my neck, squeezing instantly into an attack that forced me to dive for my inhaler. It was a ridiculous thought, a stress induced fear that I had no time to indulge. I looked at the clock. Anxiety pulled me from the bed. I left Hamlet and worked up the courage to enter the first drugstore I saw. I tossed a twenty at the counter and hurried to the motel, slamming and dead-bolting the door behind me as though it would lock out all the terrible possibilities. The test wasn’t nearly as intimidating the first time I took one, even with my step-father and his sons all in audience to witness their failure. I tapped my fingers against the counter as the time ticked down. I threw up before I read the results. I already knew what it’d say. I braced against the wall, sliding to the floor. The test exposed my new, terrible, and impossible secret. Pregnant.

The End

Coming September 2015



I never understood my family’s desire for vengeance. The feud between the Atwoods and Bennetts existed for years. I thought we could end it. I was wrong. The only way to save my family, my company, and my farm is through blood. The only way to protect my child is in war. Darius Bennett will die for the sins he’s committed. And his sons will forever regret challenging me. Don’t miss the thrilling conclusion of The Legacy Series—Join Lana Grayson’s mailing list and be the first to know how the war will end....

Other Works By Lana Grayson: Warlord – Anathema MC Series #1 Trapped... For twenty-one years, Rose Darnell desperately searched for a way out of the Anathema MC, but the only thing more dangerous than the desecrated club is the rival chapter manipulating Rose into starting a war. Bound to a world of bloodied knuckles and drug money, Rose is determined to use her musical talent to escape her abusive father and overbearing brothers. A chance audition would free Rose from the outlaw 1%, but her brothers ensnare her within Anathema’s shadow. A rival club threatens Rose, and only Anathema’s President, Thorne Radek, can protect her from the bloodshed. Betrayed... A traitor lurks within the brotherhood, and Thorne will burn the world to scorch the rat. When an innocent diva with baby-bunny eyes and dark secrets needs his help, Thorne volunteers to protect the girl and secures his ultimate bait to lure out the traitor. Thorne may be the only man who ever distracted Rose from her music, but his obsession with the club's betrayal endangers the one woman easing his desire for vengeance. Helping Thorne find the traitor will damn more than the club. It will tear Rose's family apart...

Exiled – Anathema MC Series #2 Excommunicated… Exiled from the Anathema MC, Brew Darnell escaped the bullet only to face the unforgiving solitude of the road. With no future before him, Brew battles his past and vows to protect the one he loves the only way he can—by hunting the man who destroyed his family, devastated the Anathema MC, and betrayed every promise he ever made. Saved... Trapped in an abusive relationship with a sadistic biker, Martini Wright learned to manipulate, controlling her boyfriend’s temper with a wink and a smile...until she’s traded as collateral to a rival MC. Her captor, Brew, has never trafficked a woman before, and Martini intends to exploit his guilty secrets to escape. Caught in the middle of a gang war, Brew and Martini fight a dangerous attraction—a second chance to heal from the mistakes of their past if they can confess the terrible truth. Redeemed... Brew failed his family before, but Martini can still be saved. With redemption delivered at the edge of a blade, Brew must choose who to rescue—the one he already lost...or the love he never deserved.

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Acknowledgements Oh, my goodness gracious. This book was dark! I have to thank the people who kept me sane while writing it. The pinky swear from Takeover is still in effect—please, no one tell my family what I’m writing, lol! First off, to all of my readers, thank you so much for all the support, love, and enthusiasm for this series. I’ll admit it, I love hearing the hate for Darius! I never expected something I wrote could impact people so much. It’s amazing, and I am forever grateful to have the opportunity to share my work with you. Stick with me guys! We’ve got a lot of Bennetts to get through! And my husband. These acknowledgements always read the same when it comes to him. Dishes? Done. Dinners? Made. Obsessively outlining and reiterating every major plot point in the book? Tolerated. These books simply aren’t possible without him. My beta partners and writing buddies: Jess, Kaylee—you guys come through for me every time and make me sane. Thank you so much for taking the time to help, listening to me scheme, and for just being totally awesome. Kelley, you are my number one, and I love you to bits. You cannot possibly know how much it meant that you helped me with this book. Your support is unrivaled, and I am so grateful for your friendship. I also want to thank my AMAZING cover artist, Rebecca Berto. It’s like, I just throw photos at her, and she makes instant magic. And Jesey and the rest of the crew at Sassy Fab, thank you so much for taking me on. I threw you into the middle of this all, but Jesey, you’re absolutely on the ball and so helpful. Thank you for the support and guidance! Alright guys. Everyone has to strap in. We have one more book in this trilogy. Can we handle some more of the Bennett Men? …I think we can. ;) Lana [BЯ]