Collateral Damage Read Online Free PDF Page A

need to be?" He reclined and gestured vaguely towards Vince. "Vincent will tend to you, tell you what is required, and see that you understand all the rules. No one else will touch you unless he or I allow it."
    Vince stepped forward, tension rippling along the muscles of his neck. "Cyrus—"
    "No. She is your first. I'd like to make sure you can handle her before I leave you the responsibility alone." The black-haired man, Cyrus, stood and took Alrik's hand.
    "Now, it's past your bedtime. Let's give Miss Reed and Vincent some time alone. Your lessons begin in the morning."
    "Can't Miss Reed come upstairs and tuck me in?" Alrik tugged at his hand and looked back at me. His bottom lip quivered. "Please?"
    Vince's fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. I had a feeling he didn't like Cyrus taking the boy, but, for some reason, he wasn't going to do anything about it.
    "You know she can't." Cyrus released Alrik and folded his arms over his chest.
    "You don't want to get her in trouble already, do you?"
    Alrik shook his head, hunched his shoulders, and followed Cyrus out.
    "That's just sick," I said as the door eased shut. I glared at Vince while he crossed the room and took Cyrus' place at the table. "You plan to use me to manipulate him?
    Does he know what will happen to me if he doesn't do what you say?"
    "Do you know what will happen to you?" Vince latched onto my wrist, tightening his grip when I tried to twist away. "He is safe and well cared for. Your concern should be for yourself."
    "I'm an adult. I'll recover from whatever you bastards decide to do to me." I sneered at him, feeling a little reckless. I wanted to make him snap—maybe then I'd have some advantage. "You should have saved the gang bang. All your subtle threats seem pretty weak now. After being raped by four guys, what's the worst a thirty-year-old virgin could do to me? More of the—"
    "Virgin?" He laughed. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
    "Cyrus said—"
    "That you were my first. I see." His loosened his grip and slid his hands down to cover mine. He stroked my knuckles with his thumbs, expression thoughtful. "I have enough experience to handle you, Nicole. Don't ever doubt that. You are simply the first to belong to me."
    "Belong to you?" I bit my tongue to hold back a laugh. "I guess you don't mind sharing your toys?"
    "I consider you more of a pet than a toy." He patted my hands and then stood.
    "And, no, I don't mind sharing."
    In the pretty room, with all the basic comforts, with the memories of pain fading to dull throbs, familiar self-recriminations assaulted me. I hadn't struggled enough. I'd made things too easy for them. If I kept it up, I deserved whatever I got.
    Thankfully, years of therapy effectively snuffed any impulsive notions that would likely get me killed. I needed brains more than guts right now.
    As Vince moved to leave, I realized I had no information to work with. I rose and shuffled around the table. "Wait! You didn't tell me anything! What are the rules?"
    He paused with his hand on the doorknob and glanced over his shoulder. "Stay."
    That was it, and he was gone. The door closed, and I stood a few feet away from it, listening for the click of a bolt. But it never came.
    I wasn't locked in. Was it a test? Did they think I'd be stupid enough to try to escape and give them an excuse to punish me? Or were they arrogant enough to believe I'd be too afraid to try?
    Patience. I inhaled and went to sit on the bed. After a span of silence, I decided to risk a quick shower, with my shoes jammed under the door because there was no lock.
    Scalding hot water beat down on me. I scrubbed up quickly, hardly noticing the fruity scent of the soap and shampoo overpowering the rank smell drifting up from the black and red muck flowing off my body and gathering around the drain. All clean, I dried off and then dressed. Before I left the bathroom, I undid my shoelaces, the closest thing I had to a weapon. My only hope was that they'd