“I’m a man of certain tastes, Mia.”

I shivered at the cold steel of the blade, swallowing thickly as Ryan dragged the dull side of it against my cheek.

Ryan’s midtown penthouse apartment was the entire top two floors of a building — all glass walls looking out over the twinkling city lights. It’d be beautiful, in another situation.

One where I wasn’t tied to a chair in his living room while he breathed down my neck and teased a blade against my skin.

“Now,” he said. “I know where you’ve been, and who you’ve been with.”

He shook his head, eyes narrowing as he moved in front of me and leveled them at me.

“You know, some might call you damaged goods, but me? Well, to me, you’re not.” He smiled wickedly as he twirled the blade in front of my eyes. “Well, not yet you aren’t.”

“You let me the fuck go.”

He grinned. “A kitty with claws, I see.”

“Fuck you.”

He sucked on his teeth, making a “tsking” sound.

“I thought they’d break you in, those three. Guess they failed.” He chuckled to himself. “Guess they weren’t man enough.”

“Believe me,” I smiled sweetly at him. “They’re definitely man enough.”

He leaned down, eyes level with me. “I know those three shits have certain tastes — certain darker tastes.” He growled. But trust me.” He leaned forward, and I shriveled from him as his lips drew close to my ear.

“Trust me when I say their tastes are nothing compared to mine.”

The blade slid over my skin again, making me shiver.

“Is your thing talking me to death?”

His eyes narrowed as he whistled. “You really want me to make this hurt don’t you?”

“You’re still talking.”

I knew I was pushing him, but I also knew I didn’t care. Because I’d figured something out about myself, there in that house with Oliver, Ash, and Erik. And as strange as it sounds to have learned it through submission, and giving up control, it’s the truth.

I’d learned a strength I’d never known I had.

I learned about that hidden part of me, deep inside — the part of me that was stronger than I ever knew I was, and the part of me that gave me a power I’d never known.

It was also the part of me that refused to cower to men like Ryan Cunningham.

“You know,” he hissed, leaning close and hefting the knife. “I think we’ll start with your tongue. And then?” He smiled sickeningly as he traced the blade down over the font of my shirt, down lower as his other hand stroked the small bulge in his pants.

“Then we’ll have some real fun.”

There was a whirring sound in the distance, something mechanical and chopping that came through even over the distant sound of the city below. Ryan’s brow furrowed, when there was a knock at the door.

“I’m still occupied in here,” he bellowed.

The knock came again, and he hissed as he whirled again. “What?”

Two men rushed in, looking grim. “Mr. Cunningham, sir!”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, what is—”

“There’s a helicopter approaching the building.”

Ryan frowned. “What for? I didn’t call any—”

“It’s not ours, sir, it’s—”

The glass wall behind us overlooking the city suddenly shattered under a hail of bullets as Ryan and the other man screamed and dove for the floor.

The helicopter pulled up, hovering even with the shattered window.

And my jaw dropped.

It was them.

More men poured into the room, guns blazing. Oliver and Ash returned fire from the open doorway of the helicopter, scattering the men as bullets raked the walls.

In the chaos of the moment, I lurched to one side, slamming over onto my side and feeling the wind knock out of me. But I also felt my arms slip free of the ties holding me. I scrambled, kicking free of the ties holding my legs as I made a dash for—

One of Cunningham’s men suddenly hefted a large pipe onto one shoulder and leveled it at the chopper.

I froze.

Not a pipe.

A rocket.

Oh God.

The explosion deafened the room, shattering the shelves behind the man as the rocket thundered out of the launcher. The helicopter jerked up, pulling hard away, but it was too late. The tail erupted in fire as the rocket clipped it, fire and shrapnel ricocheting through the shattered windows as the chopper started to veer up and spin.

And then I did what I swore I wouldn’t in front of Ryan.

I screamed.