Page 104 of Piece Us Together

As Nolan moaned at the response. As Hunter and I traded wicked smiles.

It was all adrenaline and lust and a warmth inside my chest. It felt safe in the room.Ifelt safe. Even the ever-growing anxiety I’ve had about the very real, very terrifying possibility that I’m falling in love with him had been pushed to the back of my mind, forced away by Hunter’s demand for me to be present and fully in this with him.

It was working, until it wasn’t.

Until I moved to the side of the bed, wanting to watch as Hunter took the first turn.

Then I wasn’t in Hunter’s house anymore.

With a flicker and a phantom kick in the chest, I was in a renovated warehouse. There were shards of glass and bodies on the floor. There was blood spraying and slaves screaming.

There was Carter—Carter, Carter, where is, there, there he is, safe, he’s safe, leaving, out the door, with Ace now, have to keep moving, have to help, have to help a slave—

A slave bound to a bench, hands and knees, a blindfold keeping him blind to the massacre around him as he shakes violently in fear and confusion.

Nolan.

Oh god, Nolan.

“Stop.” It’s quiet. I can barely hear it myself. I watch Nolan. We’re back at Hunter’s. He’s moaning, whimpering, lips moving wordlessly as he prepares to make a guess.

Lips moving wordlessly as he fights to ask for help.

The word. There’s a word. Red.

Say it.

I have to say it.

I can’t get it out.

I feel frozen.

I have to get to him. I have to help him. It’s my job to rescue him.

But I did rescue him. Months ago. I saved him. I fell in love with him.

Then I brought him here.

I let someone do this to him again.

I fucking helped them do it.

The nightmare from last night comes back in a sickening splash of red.

Your fault.

It’s your fault.

I hear Hunter say, “Maison?”

I snap my gaze to his. My body is shaking. I think I might throw up.

He keeps a hand on Nolan’s back as he steps toward me, like he’s comforting him during the pause. Reassuring him.

Like he isn’t the sick fuck who put him there in the first place.

His eyebrows are pulled together, his other hand reaching out to me. I jerk back. “Red.”

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