Page 119 of Runaway Bride's Guide to Love

He shakes his head. “I had some money troubles.”

“Come on…” I say under my breath, starting to rock back and forth. I reach for Emmett’s hand, squeezing it because I need something to keep me grounded as we watch and pray that Duncan is the fool we know he is.

Nadia takes her pointy nail and starts tracing it up and down his cheek bone. He leans into her touch. It’s like I’m watching him be cast under her spell. “Money problems? But you’re so rich. You told me about all the money you had.”

“I am,” he lies. “Just had a rough patch.”

“A rough patch? What happened?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing I want to get into.”

“Fuck,” Simon grits out. “He’s not opening up enough.”

“Give her time,” Maeve says. “We knew this wasn’t going to happen in the first five minutes.”

“That’s okay,” Nadia says as she starts to lead him to the bed. “I know how to make everything better.”

“Do we need to be subjected to this?” Quinn asks. “Our eyes didn’t do anything wrong. And Ainsley shouldn’t have to see this.”

Ainsley shudders. “No one should have to see this.”

I hold my breath and clutch Emmett’s hand while wrapping my other through his arm as we stare at the monitor. Nadia’s directing Duncan to undress as she snaps her whip against her hand.

“On the bed,” she orders. Her change of tone is immediate and intense. But it seems to light something in Duncan as he immediately listens.

“Good boy.”

Crack!

We all flinch at the sound of the whip hitting Duncan’s bare ass. I must say, the sound quality Kaos has is top-tier.

“No,” Duncan mewls as Nadia cracks him again.

“No?” she asks. “That’s not our safe word.”

He shakes his head. “No, I haven’t been a good boy.”

Crack!

“Oh really?” she asks, walking around him and tipping his chin to look her in the eye. “Do you need to tell me about it?”

He nods. “Yes. I’ve been so bad.”

Nadia goes back to her assumed position. “Tell me. What bad things did my good boy do?”

Everyone goes still in our room. No one is breathing.

“This is it,” I whisper. “Please God let this be it.”

Crack!

“I used information from my company to buy stocks.”

Crack!

“Is that all?”

He shakes his head, which earns him another whip.

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