Oh my god. Adrenaline starts pumping through my system as panic sprints through me all at once. What’s he trying to do? Get me killed?

No. As it turns out, what he wants is much worse than that.

“I’ve been thinking that I would like to see it.” He turns his body toward mine, staring at me through half-lidded eyes. “In real-time. Now. In front of me.”

My body freezes in shock and horror. It’s not possible. This can’t be happening. I’m stuck in some ugly nightmare. I have to be. This can’t be real life. Things like this don’t happen in real life. My eyes dart around, landing on Colt and Nix, back and forth. One of them is going to burst out laughing any second now. Then all of them will start laughing. They’ll tell me this was all a joke, a way of humiliating me a little further. I wouldn’t even be upset. I just want this to be a joke.

Instead, Nix nods. “Fine.”

“Yeah, sure.” Colt still won’t look at me, but he nods.

No way. No freaking way.

There’s deep satisfaction in James’s voice. “Good. I would hate to have come home early for no reason.”

CHAPTER 23

Colt stands, waiting in front of me. If anybody wants to start laughing, now would be the time to do it. I’m still waiting, still hoping, even though every passing moment makes it less likely that I’m getting out of this.

“Get up.” His voice is flat, like he’s left every ounce of humanity behind. He takes me by the arm when I don’t move fast enough and hauls me to my feet. I’m expecting somebody to yell gotcha and laugh at me. Why aren’t they laughing?

James unbuckles his belt and takes his time about sliding it free before handing it to Nix, who stands behind me and takes my wrists in one hand. I guess I’m too deep in shock to try to fight. All I can do is stand still, frozen in terror, disgust, and disbelief. This is actually happening. They are really going to go through with this, aren’t they? Nix cinches the belt tight enough that I grit my teeth against a pained gasp.

“On your knees.” Nix doesn’t wait for me to move. His hands are on my shoulders, shoving me down onto my knees. The sound of Colt’s zipper being lowered catches my attention, and from the corner of my eye, I see him taking himself out of his shorts. He sits down, and Nix sits beside him, also freeing himself.