The night before I’m supposed to be on set, I’m a bundle of nerves.

I’m sitting at the dining table across from Dax, my Chinese food untouched while my mind is all over the place. I wish I could stand up and walk out of this hellhole, but Dax has his eyes on me like a hawk every damn second. It’s disgusting, but he even accompanies me to the bathroom.

My cell phone beeps from his pocket signaling a message coming in. My stomach clenches as I watch him remove it and press a button for the smartphone to read the text out loud. His mouth is twisted as we both listen to the automated voice.

“Emma, this is crazy. If you really want to fire me then have the decency to tell me in person.”

Dax cuts it off by switching off the phone. “What a fool. He still doesn’t believe it’s over.”

Under the table, my nails dig into my palms as I clench my fists. Curtis had been calling and texting non-stop since Dax had written him pretending to be me, relieving him of his duties as my agent. I wish I could telepathically get my thoughts to him, alert him that I’m in danger. I pray he doesn’t give up in spite of Dax sending him endless texts from my phone, urging him to leave me alone.

A thought pops into my mind to comfort me. Knowing that Curtis is not a quitter, he might show up on set. As soon as I’m surrounded by people, I won’t hesitate to tell everyone who will listen what kind of man Dax Pierce becomes when the curtain falls. I’ll remove the makeup and allow everyone to get a look at the bruises on my face.

I won’t care if he attacks me in public. Actually, I hope he does, so his fans don’t doubt my story. I cannot wait to see his reputation come crashing down. But it’s not my intention to stop there. I’ll go to the cops and have him arrested. What he’s doing to me is a crime. Soon Dax Pierce will only be a memory on the movie screen.

“We should go to bed. You have an important day ahead of you. I want you to look well-rested tomorrow.”

Without a word, I get up and wash the plastic plates and cups. He no longer allows us to eat on normal plates after I had thrown a ceramic plate at his head. He’d ducked at the last second but he was furious. Yesterday morning, everything in the kitchen that could be used as a weapon disappeared and he had someone deliver a box filled with plastic plates, cups, and spoons for kids.

As soon as I’m done with the dishes, he grabs my arm and takes me upstairs, where he pushes me to my knees to do what he considers to be my duty. I almost gag as he plunges himself into me over and over again. My body sags with relief when it’s over and we’re lying in bed, his arms too tight around me.

“Are you excited about the movie?” he asks in the dark, his lips on the nape of my neck.

“Yes,” I mumble.

“Good. I want you to enjoy your last time on a movie set. Just promise not to betray me.”

“I promise.” I close my sore eyes. As I fall into a troubled sleep, I visualize how tomorrow will go. I imagine Curtis there and me running to him for comfort. He was right to mistrust Dax. He saw the darkness in his eyes when I was too blind or unwilling to.

***

DAX IS THE ONE WHO wakes me up in the morning and I stare at him, still shocked that he’s allowing me to be around other people. I wonder what punishment he has lined up for me if I double-cross him.

“Get ready,” he says. “You don’t want to be late on your first day. And put on a bit more makeup today.”

I can’t believe how stupid he is. As an actor he should know that whatever makeup I wear will be removed to create a clean canvas for the makeup that’s perfect for the movie. Maybe he just doesn’t care. Perhaps he’s convinced he has broken me enough to keep from exposing him.

“If people ask about the bruises, tell them it’s none of their business. If you dare say the wrong thing, I’ll kill you. And then I’ll murder your sister and cut her up into a thousand chunks.” He shrugs and bitter bile forms at the back of my throat. “She’s going to die anyway. I know her cancer is back. I heard your entire conversation when you called her.” He pauses. “You look like a mess. Go and clean up so we can leave.”

I’m silent as I drag myself out of bed, my heart inside my throat as I think of Christa. I’m desperate to get away from this monster, to be by her side at the time she needs me most, to spend her last few months with her. If she gets hurt because of me, I’ll never forgive myself. How can I protect her when I can’t even protect myself? I have learned the hard way not to underestimate Dax.

My body aches with each movement as I walk into the bathroom.

I consider taking a shower but change my mind. It turns him on when he sees me showering. Instead, I brush my teeth in silence and wash my face with tepid water.

When I turn to leave the bathroom to get dressed, he closes the door so we’re both locked inside. “We should shower together.” He starts to undress.

I recoil inside. I know what he wants from me.

“What are you waiting for? Get into the shower. We don’t want to be late.”

I start to unbutton my pajamas. With each button that slips through its hole, my teeth dig deeper into my bottom lip.

My instinct is to fight him but the consequences could be too hard to face. This is the last time, I tell myself. Soon I’ll be out of this house and he’ll pay for what he did to me. I’ll give him my body but not my soul.

He steps into the shower before me and starts lathering his body with soap. His erection makes me feel sore at the thought of him entering me.

I follow him inside but stand under the showerhead at the opposite end of the spacious marbled shower space.

I position myself under the shower without doing anything. Warm water sluices down my body. I wish it could clean the pain and the disgust from me.

“Want to know a secret?”

I don’t respond. Instead, I reach for the shower gel and squirt it onto my hand. It’s pine-scented like Dax’s favorite cologne.

“I lied,” he says.

I look up to see the smile on his face. It makes me go cold even under the hot water.

“You won’t be on set today.” He moves under the jet of water, tilts his head back as the liquid runs through his hair, darkening it.

“You can’t do that.” I rinse the gel from my hand and turn off the water.

“Of course I can. I can do whatever I want.” He chuckles. “I own you, remember? And I make the rules around here.” He fiddles with the taps and steps away from the water so only steam engulfs him. “Do you really think I’m that stupid? You think I’d give you a chance to betray me? No, sweetheart.”

“Fuck you.” The words come out in a rush, and my punishment comes before I can figure out a way to protect myself.

“Watch how you speak to me,” he barks.

A sharp scream shoots from my lips when the water coming from the showerhead he’s now holding hits my body. It’s hot, too hot, scorching.

I try to escape from the shower, to get away from him, but I slip and fall to the tiled floor. Dax drops the showerhead onto the floor. Then his hands are on me. He pulls me to my feet and pushes me against the wall. Before he can fuck me, I sink my teeth into his shoulder. He yelps and releases me.

I stumble out of the shower and grab the hair dryer since it’s the closest thing I can use as a weapon. I raise it above my head. “Stay away from me!” Scorching anger ripples along the length of my spine.

He jumps out of the shower and lunges at me. The hair dryer slips from my wet hands as I react with fear. Dax wraps his hand around my arm and pulls me to the door, unlocks it, and drags me out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, where he throws me to the floor. I whimper and make myself small.

“See,” he says, pacing the room. His movements cause his dick to swing from side to side. “I knew you would betray me. Now you give me no choice but to punish you.”