“You want to be strapped down for me, Piper?”

“I’d rather be home, to be honest, Caleb.”

“You don’t feel at home here?” he asks, tilting his head to the side.

“Let’s get on with this. You’re boring me now.”

Caleb’s smile grows wider and wider.

Sick asshole.

“Sure. We can go ahead and get started if you like.”

The sooner it starts, the sooner it’s over. Like going to sleep early on Christmas Eve. Except when I wake up tomorrow, I’ll still be in hell.

“Do whatever you want, Caleb,” I say, clenching my trembling hands.

Get that under check; he can’t know how petrified you are.

I close my eyes and blow out a breath as if I’m getting comfortable, about to take a nap. You will be fine.

For some reason I don’t think I’ll be sleeping while I’m in here. Unless I pass out.

Don’t think about that!

“Oh, Piper, I plan on doing what I want. Isn’t that right, Lucie?”

Lucie doesn’t reply, but she grips the straps tight in her hands and whimpers through clenched teeth.

I don’t want to look at her again because her eyes are haunted. Right now, I need to be able to pretend that everything is okay. And it is because this version of me is stronger.

“Get on with it, Caleb,” I snap, turning his attention back to me. Lucie has had enough, and honestly, I owe her for not giving her the chance to run.

Sure, she would be dead by now if she’d run, but that wasn’t my choice to make.

“Oh, Piper, I think you’re my favorite so far.”

“Why? Hasn’t there been anyone else unafraid of you?”

He steps closer. I can’t see him because my eyes are firmly shut, but I can hear the quiet footsteps and feel his presence.

“You’re not afraid of me?” he asks, his voice light and playful.

He’s crazy.

“No, Caleb, I’m not afraid of you,” I repeat.

It’s a big fat lie. If he were to check my pulse right now, he would know the truth.

“Well, let’s see if we can change that, shall we?”

I slow my breathing as my heart races faster. He’s going to go in harder on me because he thinks that I’m not scared.

Caleb moves to the side, and I hear the clanking of metal. The buckle on the strap? A hand clamps around my wrist.

You’re fine, you’re fine, you’re fine.

Leather. Caleb wraps the strap around my wrist and pulls it tight. My hand judders as he buckles the strap. Next, he wraps a strap around my head and tightens it across my forehead.

I swallow.