Collateral Damage by Bianca Sommerland Page A

You're in Vince's room. Safe. You should stay.
    But the darkness . . . unnatural. Like being sealed in a great big box . . . I made a keening sound deep in my throat. I'd fallen into a freezer as a child. My father found me before I was in any real danger, but I'd been stuck there just long enough to develop a serious case of claustrophobia.
    I knew I shouldn't leave Vince's room. He'd warned me to stay wherever he put me. But I couldn't. I couldn't!
    My grasping hands reached a metal knob and turned. I flung the door open and fell into the dimly lit hall. On hands and knees, I crawled away before the gaping black space could swallow me whole.
    Across from the room, I sat with my back against the wall and counted exactly one hundred and twenty seconds. Then pulled myself together. I'm okay. I'm out.
    And I felt pretty silly for panicking. What the hell was wrong with me?
    Get over it. I told myself firmly. Now that you're out, go check on Alrik. Maybe you can . . . .
    A fabric whisper alerted me to a presence in the hall between Vince's door and Alrik's. I got to my feet, blinking and squinting until my vision cleared. Calm features, framed in thick, black waves. I retreated a few steps.
    Maybe you should go back to Vince.
    "Don't run away." Cyrus let his arms fall to his sides and stepped out of his slouched stance. "I won't hurt you."
    "Since when?" I let out a gaspy laugh. "You'll do whatever you want to me. We both know I can't stop you."
    "True. But I don't think you understand." He inched closer, stopping just out of reach. "I could make you not want to stop me. Just as Vincent does."
    "He doesn't make me do anything." I sucked my teeth, feeling pretty damned sure of myself. No way would I let Cyrus mess with my head. "So far, he's the only one who's made me feel like a person."
    "What a pretty illusion." Cyrus got so close I had to jam myself in a corner to keep from touching him. But then I was trapped. And too far from Vince's room to hope for a rescue unless I screamed. "Do you really believe it?"
    "Yes." I dug my nails into my palms. Cyrus could do anything he wanted. I wouldn't doubt Vince. "If I have to believe anything, I will believe in him. I trust him.
    He hasn't used me."
    "He hasn't?" He brushed his fingers over the hidden butterfly on my stomach.
    Pain burst over the wide wingspan, and I winced. "So you wanted this?"
    I hadn't, but then I had. Confusion brought a defensive edge to my tone. "Don't pretend like you care about what I want."
    "I wouldn't dream of it. But let me ask you this." He slid his hand down my side.
    "Would it be better for you if I manipulated you as Vince has? Because I could. I could make you crave all the depraved things I enjoy doing to a woman. I could pretend to care. Make you believe you were safe with me. Make you forget about escaping."
    "That's not what Vince is doing." My chin hiked up as I met his steady gaze. No way would I tell Cyrus I still planned to escape. Let him think Vince had me right where they wanted me. Stockholm Syndrome or whatever. "He's doing everything he can to make this easier on me."
    Sliding his hand along my side, Cyrus nodded slowly. "Perhaps. And perhaps I should do the same. Why not make things pleasant for us both?"
    That made me laugh. "You should have thought of that before you raped me."
    "It's not too late." He bent down and pressed his lips to my temple. "I've more skills than Vince. If I use them, you'll beg me to take you."
    My eyes shot to the door of Vince's room. All those skills—couldn't he sense my absence?
    Cyrus' face blocked the door from my sight. "You haven't even considered it, have you? He can read your mind—you know this."
    "And?" Shit. What if Cyrus can too?
    No, no, no. Reality was fucked up enough. I refused to acknowledge the possibilities. If I did, I would be trapped.
    "Do you want me to kiss you?"
    I snickered. "You're not serious."
    But as his lips hovered over mine, I couldn't help wondering what they'd feel like. A