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“Dammit,” I muttered, realizing I’d forgotten the last detail of my nightly routine. I scowled as I sat up and reached for the handcuff, wrapping the soft leather around my wrist and securing it. Anger pumped through my veins, the revelation that I might never be free flooding my system. I pulled on the long chain attached to my bedframe. Before Dad left, we checked to make sure that I could move around in the room some but not walk into the bathroom or reach the mirror on the other side of the room … or anything else that might be dangerous. “I fucking hate you.” I could hate it all I wanted, but this was my horrible reality.
I flopped back onto my pillow and burrowed under my covers again. Clearing my mind of the day’s events and forcing myself to relax, I closed my eyes. “Not tonight,” I whispered to myself. “Not tonight.”
* * *
Twigs and leaves crunched beneath my feet as I fought to see through the darkness. Tears streamed down my face, strands of hair clinging to the moisture on my cheeks. Dogs barking in the distance propelled me faster, my breathing ragged with fear.
A large door suddenly stood in front of me. Safety. I was almost there! I pushed it open, my bare feet padding down a narrow hall instead of the forest floor. Where was I? I slowed, trying to recognize where I was. Voices reached my ears, and I tiptoed forward. I slapped my palm over my mouth, my attention landing on a naked young woman strapped to a table. My gut rolled, but I was rooted in place. The room shifted, then I gasped in horror. Turning to flee, a large hand grabbed my arm and jerked me backward.
“It’s your turn, little girl,” he said.
I bucked and kicked at him, but he was too strong and quickly overpowered me. A hard pressure tugged on my wrist, tethering me to something, but I wasn’t sure what.
* * *
My knees landed with a thud on the floor, jarring me awake. Tears prickled my hazy stare while my legs quaked, and nausea bubbled in my belly. I hunted for the trashcan I kept by my nightstand and brought it closer just in case I puked. Sweat trickled down my spine as I frantically searched around, identifying my surroundings.
“I’m in my rental near Whitmore University. I see my nightstand, dresser, lamp, and favorite novels.” I sucked in a deep breath, willing myself not to lose the contents of my dinner. Trembling, I pulled myself off the floor with my free arm, then situated myself on the edge of the mattress. I opened the drawer, located the key for my cuff, and set myself free. It was going to be a long night. I made my way to the en suite bathroom, and after washing my face, I returned to bed. This time, I turned on the television. No way was I going back to sleep and dealing with another night terror.
ChapterSix
Kane
When I left Madeline’s, I felt a little better, but it hadn’t brought enough relief. I drove around for another hour, my mind racing with a million possibilities. There was no way that the girl I saw at the party was the same one I knew years ago. The one I’d loved with every fiber of my being and had risked my life to save. The same one that had betrayed me.
I gripped the steering wheel of my car, the dark clouds rolling into my thoughts as I sifted through the memories. Whoever she was, she was stunning, but she couldn’t be my Lyndsay. Lyndsay had disappeared five and a half years ago, right after I’d helped her escape.
I love you. I’ll bring help and come back for you. I swear.
Slamming my fist onto the dashboard, I yelled, “You never came back for me!” With my pulse racing, I realized I should go to the society’s new home. If I was going to lose my shit, then I had no business driving a car. Plus, I needed to find out more about who the new cheerleader was. Ihadto be wrong.
I’d been told Lyndsay had died, but apparently, I’d been lied to because either Lyndsay showed up at the party tonight or she had a doppelganger. My nostrils flared in disgust with yet another broken promise.
My anger and fear tumbled around inside me, stirring up the memories I’d attempted to lock away long ago. Untilnow. My head and heart played a brutal game of tug-of-war between the love I had for Lyndsay at one time and the hate I felt for her now. One thing I understood, I had to learn the truth and fast. If Lyndsay was alive, then she had the power to destroy me and everything I’d worked so hard to accomplish. “Fuck that. I won’t let that happen. I’ll ruin her before she has a chance to utter a single goddamn word about my past,” I said aloud.
I massaged the back of my neck, trying to relieve the tension that twisted my muscles into a shit ton of knots. Before I drew any more conclusions, I had to dig into this girl first and then make a plan. It was imperative that I stay calm, and if the buried feelings erupted, I had to do everything I could to get in front of that explosion. It had the power to destroy me in its wake.
I drove up to the house used for the society, spotting the lights on in several rooms. The guys probably wondered what the hell had happened to me, but they would get over it.
My tennis shoes slapped the black asphalt of the driveway, then I climbed the steps to the entrance. I opened the door, my stress easing from my shoulders as my gaze swept the living area and kitchen. I inhaled slowly, reminding myself that these guys would do anything for me and vice versa. We were family. That’s what was important.
“Dog! Where you been?” Sterling asked, never taking his attention away from the large-screen television mounted on the wall where he and Remington were playing Call of Duty on the Xbox.
Remington rocked back and forth on the black leather sofa as though he were dodging real bullets rather than the ones in the game. He was pretty animated when he played, and most of the time it was entertaining as hell, but I wasn’t in the mood to watch.
I chuckled as I spotted the bags of chips and beer bottles all over the floor. It was good to see everyone settling in.
“I had some shit to take care of.” I tucked my keys into the front pocket of my jeans as I made my way to the refrigerator, where I located a beer. Twisting off the lid, I took a long drink.
The guys cheered and trash-talked, all of them glued to the game except for Anderson, who strolled toward me. He ran his hand over his short blonde hair, his grey-blue eyes intense. “The stack of applicants is on the kitchen counter. I’m happy to weed through them if you want.”
I quirked a brow at him. “You don’t want to school the winner of the game?”
“Nah. I would rather get the society operating smoothly.” He gave me a lopsided grin.
“So, no pussy all summer?” I slapped him on the back, then located the forms.
Anderson’s face paled. “You know my parents are super religious. Dude, don’t fuck around about it.”
