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“Home. Well, kind of. It was my dad’s hunting cabin.” Nick looked around. “Do you like it?”

The gloom from the edges of my vision had lifted enough for me to be able to make out the rough stone walls and the many, many taxidermied heads displayed on them.

“It’s—something,” I muttered.

Nick leaned forward and grabbed my chin.

“Don’t be a bitch, or else I’ll stop being a good host,” he warned.

I attempted to push him away, only to find my arms were trapped. I was tied to the chair with rope. Of course. Why could I never be kidnapped by inept men? Why were they always annoyingly thorough?

“Why am I here?”

“Why not? My brother, the fucking simp, had all kinds of ideas that maybe you two would end up together, after he blackmailed you into fucking him a few times. He was obsessed with that video, watched it night after night.”

“What a romantic,” I sighed, trying to sound sarcastic but failing miserably. I had the taste of blood in my mouth, and it was doing absolutely nothing for my state of mind. It was a visceral reminder of last year. A time machine of sorts that threatened to plunge me into darkness.

“Right. You see, I’m more of a realist.”

Of course, Drew Preston was Nick’s older brother. I’d worked that much out already, and fucking forgotten it when it mattered. Great. Well done, Selena. Smart.

“You can’t be implying that your brother is any better than you, surely?” I couldn’t keep the contempt from my voice.

Nick snorted. “He’s a fucking pussy is what he is. I went after you to prove to him how women are. Whores, all of them. You were supposed to fall over yourself for the chance to date a Hellion.”

He crouched before me. “But you, dumb bitch, couldn’t even get that right. Of course, I didn’t know you were fucking your stepbrother at that point.”

I held my tongue. What was the point of talking to him? He was insane.

“Tell me the truth… is it for the money, or because he actually knows what to do with that horse’s cock?”

I blinked at Nick. I could just picture Brody’s face at hearing that Nick had been peeping at him in the locker room.

I laughed. I couldn’t help myself. I was too scared, and tired, and too done with everything. No matter how hard I tried, I always ended up here, one way or another.

Nick sneered at me. “You’re laughing at me, whore?”

Then his hand was flying across my face.

I let my head hang in the wake of his sharp slap. My cheek burned, but the pain made my thoughts clearer. Weirdly, goading him made me feel more in control.

Ha.Brody would hate that line of thinking, but I couldn’t deny it.

“Let’s see you laugh now,” Nick snarled.

I lifted my head and pinned him with my burning eyes, shrugging as well as I could with my arms tied to the chair.

“I’ve been slapped harder by cheerleaders on their periods. If you’re going to slap me, stop being a little bitch and put your back into it,” I muttered.

Nick reared back. I took fleeting pleasure in his shocked face.

Then he stood, hands curling into fists. He hurled one at my face, and I had no way to dodge it.

Pain exploded across my cheek as he made contact, and darkness rushed back in.

Oh, well. At least I don’t have to listen to him talk anymore.

When I woke again, Nick was gone. I allowed myself a long groan and blinked to clear my eyes. Cool air brushed my chest, and I glanced down in a panic to see that my top had been cut open.