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I swear, if he does, all is forgiven.
Thal forces me into a grimy room, the floor covered in dust and debris. My heart pounds violently as he pushes me towards an old metal chair.
“Sit.” His voice cold and devoid of any emotion.
I hesitate for a moment, but the look on his face tells me that there’s no point in resisting. As I lower myself onto the seat, Thal pulls out a roll of duct tape from his pocket and starts binding my wrists together. The rough edges of the tape scrape against my skin, causing it to sting.
“Please,” I say, my voice trembling, “you don’t have to do this. I’m not going to run.”
“Anyone ever tell you, you talk too much?” Thal finishes with my wrists before moving to my ankles. He tapes them tightly to the chair legs, ensuring there is no chance of escape, leaving my legs splayed open, causing the feeling of vulnerability to heighten. Squirming against the restraints, feeling them bite painfully into my flesh, fear and panic surge through me as I realize how truly helpless I am.
“Let me go!” I scream, thrashing in my chair. The more I fight, the tighter the tape feels around my limbs. “Please, Thal!”
“Enough!” he growls, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look him in the eyes. His icy blue gaze bores into me, making me feel even more exposed than I already am. “You think your pleas will save you?”
“I-I don’t know.” Tears stream down my cheeks. “I just want to go home.”
“Home?” Thal scoffs, releasing my chin and stepping back. “To your quaint little home where you and Ciarán play house.”
My breath catches in my throat at his words, and I can feel the walls closing in around me. The darkness of the warehouse looms heavy, suffocating me with its oppressive presence. In that moment, I understand the depth of my situation and the danger I am truly in.
“It’s not like that,” I whisper, desperation saturating my voice, “I barely know him.”
That catches his interest. “Well, he is in love with you, Tinks, so here you are. Aren’t you the lucky one?”
“It’s Summer.”
He frowns. “Yeah, I know. It’s fecking roasting in here.” He looks around in disgust.
“I mean my name, you dick,” I snap in growing frustration. “It’s Summer.”
His gaze lands on mine again. “Say that again.”
“Summer.”
“Nope, the other thing.”
Hesitating as I try to recall what I just said, I purse my lips. “Dick?”
“That’s the one. Say it like you mean it. Call me a dick again.”
“You’re a dick,” I hiss, not having any qualms about saying it like I mean it.
He chuckles. “Look, Summerbell. Your fate isn’t up to me,” he says, giving me a weird nickname that seems to create some sort of enjoyment for him. “It’s up to Ciarán.”
My heart lurches at the mention of his brother. What does he want with Ciarán? And how could he possibly think that using me as bait would bring him closer to his goal?
“What’s with you two anyway?”
“You don’t need to know the ins and outs. All I need from you is your presence and for you to shut up. Unless you want to call me a dick again. That I’ll accept.”
“Dick.” The mutter comes without me even thinking about it.
He snorts. “I can see why he’s fallen for you. You have this soft shell, but fecking hell, you’re a firecracker underneath, aren’t you, Summerbell? Bet you’re a real tigress in the sack.”
At the mention of sex, my blood runs colder.
Thal reaches out, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. I flinch, instinctively recoiling from his touch, but there’s nowhere for me to go. He leans in closer, his breath hot against my skin, and I can’t suppress the shudder that courses through me. His hand slides up my arm, his fingers tracing the curve of my shoulder. My heart races as I struggle to maintain my composure.
