“Fuck, you’re gorgeous.” I removed the clothespins from her nipples, loving the way she hissed air between her teeth from the sudden rush of blood. “Let’s try this again. What’s bothering you?”

She twisted her head to the side. Sensing how difficult this was for her, I allowed her that bit of space while I grabbed a towel from the galley.

“Do I need to get the ginger out?” I asked as I passed her the hand towel.

The frantic shake of her head was immediate. Even so, she took her time wiping my cum off her tits, and I knew she was stalling

“Babe, my cum isn’t the only thing you need to get off your chest.”

“I’ve been having dreams about Zach.”

I wanted to punish her ass into next Sunday upon hearing those words. “What kind of dreams?”

“The kind that…” She gulped. “They’re sick. I don’t understand them.” She shook her head. “Please, Rafe. I’m begging you. Let this go.”

“No fucking way in hell. You’re gonna tell me every last detail.”

“They’re sexual.” She nibbled on her lip. “He’s doing things to me.”

“What kind of things?” I asked between gritted teeth.

She closed her eyes but was unable to hide her pain. I gathered her in my arms and sent myself a swift kick in the ass for being such an idiot. She was trying so hard to obey me, and I wasn’t making this easy.

“Just tell me,” I said, softening my tone.

“We’re back in the tunnel. I’m upside down, tied up. You’re in chains. Nikki’s there—” Her voice fractured.

I slid a hand into her hair, grasping her by the nape. “Go on.”

“Zach’s taunting you, touching me…”

Her arms snaked around me, holding on tight, and I let out a sigh. The dreams had disturbed her deeply, and not because she still wanted Zach, but because he was a fucking lunatic that scared her.

Why I couldn’t get that to stick, I might never know.

Her quick intake of breath told me there was more. Afraid of rattling her further, I remained silent and waited.

“Call off the fight. Rafe, please. I’ll do anything. I’ll let you torture me with ginger, let you fuck me any way you want—”

“You’ll already let me do that.”

“That’s beside the point!” She shot me a seething glare. “Don’t do this, I’m begging you. Call off the fight.”

“I can’t. There’s too much at play here. Too much at stake. You have to understand—”

“I understand one of you is going to die!” She shoved against my chest, putting all her strength into untangling herself from my embrace. “And I don’t want it to be you.”

“You want Zach dead then?” I asked, raising a speculative brow. “Is that what you’re saying?”