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My stomach sinks. I have an inexplicable urge to avoid upsetting Frank. “Give me a few minutes,” I call out, keeping my eyes on Nick as I work my tongue over the tip of his cock, sucking in the bit of pre-cum that squeezes out.

Nick gathers my hair in his hands, his eyes continuing to turn to that dangerous color. The shift in him gives me pause. “Lying comes so easy for you, doesn’t it?”

I chew on my bottom lip, teasing him, coaxing the Archer out, because the Archer is the part of him that gets me off the most—even if Nick is the version I’m falling for. “Maybe,” I murmur.

He arches his dark brows. “Such a little tease. You want him to come out, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” I taunt. “Nick is too gentle.”

He rolls on top of me, grabbing my hands, bringing them above my head. “Are you sure?” His eyes turn from teasing to something so much more sinister.

I arch my back, and a warmth rushes my spine. “Yes, I’m sure.”

He kisses my neck, lapping and sucking with an intensity that sends a jolt of pleasure through me. Then, he rolls off me, grabbing his gun and bandana, and holstering them onto his back. “Get up, Layla,” he commands.

I lift my head. “What? Why?”

He grabs my feet and pulls me to the end of the bed, then hoists me over his shoulder. I’m utterly helpless at how quickly he can move me. “Nick, what are you doing?” I ask, clinging to him upside down.

“You want punishment to feel better? Well, you’re about to get it. I’ve clearly been too lenient.” My heart leaps. I’ve pushed him too far. “I warned you, baby.”

He marches past Frank and out the front door, his hand still pressed on my rear. He heads by the fire pit, around the garden, and directly to the shed out back, hidden among the trees. Fear smacks me in the face. Not the shed. Anywhere but the shed…bad things will happen in that shed.

Shit…shit. “Nick, please. Don’t bring me there.” I punch and slap him, but it’s no use, his body is like a steel wall. He kicks open the shed door. My stomach churns at the sight of stained blood on the floor and the various pointy tools lined up against the wall. All four corners are thick with shadows. A single rope hangs from a bar across the roof.

This is where he is finally going to slaughter me. A dark sludge flows through me, like hell is wrapping itself around my veins.

“Nick, please,” I beg as he gently sets me down. “I didn’t mean it.” His eyes shadowed, showing only the scarred side of his face.

He keeps me anchored with one hand and grabs a rope with the other, wrapping it around my wrists, binding them together. “I kept warning you, wildling, but you don’t listen. I told you not to call me that name in my house. Now he’s out, and there is no putting him back.”

I cry out as he grabs the rope and hoists me up. Three heaves and he has me dangling from the steel bar, my feet a foot off the floor. My head and neck hang heavy.

He stares up at me as if admiring his work and pulls down my sweats, leaving me vulnerable. I try to wiggle, but the bindings around my wrists are too tight, even the smallest twist sends shooting pains into my shoulders. He grabs a hunting knife and slices my shirt off, then takes his time cutting off my underwear, which snaps off, leaving me completely naked. My mind is stunned at the familiarity of this place, almost as if I’ve been here before. Which also explains my irrational fear.

My nipples pebble as Nick walks around me. “Nick,” I beg, “please don’t hurt me.”

He takes a step forward and runs his hand down my side, slipping his fingers into my wet cunt. “I haven’t even started hurting you yet, wildling.” I moan as he shoves another finger inside me, then slaps me. A jolt of pleasure washes through me. “Do you want me to keep going? You said you wanted punishment, baby.”

I gaze down at him through my lashes. I shouldn’t want him to keep going, but my body is desperate for touch. Starving for any sort of physicality. It’s like I’ve had no human contact in weeks and my body and mind are begging for any scraps I can get. “Please,” I beg. My insides throb as he circles my clit with his thumb, pressing down on it in the most delicious way. My body is already so close to the edge, my orgasm building. Especially when he walks over and grabs a small table saw.

It’s sickening how much it turns me on.

He laughs in a way I don’t recognize. “I told you you’d end up begging me.”

He holds the saw with one hand, then runs his teeth over one of my nipples, sucking on it, nibbling on it. Taking his time as he moves his tongue down my breast, kissing my stomach. He steps back and glides the saw over my skin, up my belly, tracing the curve of my breasts. Every nerve on my body is electrified, even a single touch causing so much pain. One slip and this saw will sever through my skin, but somehow, he’s making this orgasmic. I hang my head and spread my legs as he walks around me, dragging that saw across my body, tickling me with the blade.

“Nick,” I moan, desperate for him to finish. My mind is in ecstasy, and I can hardly keep my eyes open. He doesn’t answer, and I lose myself. My eyes flutter open to find him staring at me. He’s going to leave me like this—begging him to hurt me and leaving me in a way he knows terrifies me. Utterly alone.

He pulls his bandana up, covering the bottom of his face. “Let me remind you, wildling, you won’t survive out here with me, and I won’t let you leave me. If you run, I hunt, and when I hunt, I usually kill.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “I’m not going to leave if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ll never leave you.”

He slides his hand down my leg, squeezing my calf muscle. “Yeah, you will, baby. Maybe not today, but you will try eventually. You’ve been a really good girl, Layla, but remember what happened the last time you fled. The next time won’t be as pleasurable.”

My breath stalls completely as he moves toward the door. My body is hot and sticky, the small scrapes from the saw stinging. “How do I know you’re coming back?”

He pulls his gun bag over his shoulder, then steps up and cups my face. “If you’re going to survive me, baby, you’re going to have to trust me.”