Provoke

I stepped out of the bath, grabbing a towel off the rack. I wrapped the soft material of the towel tightly around my body. After drying my hair and my face, I walked out into the living room just as Mace walked towards me, carrying two glasses of wine. I raised my eyebrows.

“What?” he asked. “I drink wine.”

“Isn't there any beer?” I smirked

“That's not the point,” he said, narrowing his eyes. He took a sip and raised his eyebrows.

I chuckled. I set my glass down on the coffee table. “You want to know what Tim had to say before you stormed out?”

He winced. “Look, I'm sorry about that. I just needed to clear my head, you know? That’s why I came over—to say I’m sorry.” He paused for a moment. “And I might have been a little angry you showed him the video.”

“How else was I going to see if he could help us? Besides, it's not like he's seen you naked. He'd have no idea that was you,” I pointed out.

“That’s not the point,” Mace sighed. “How do you think it made me feel having him watch that?”

“How do you think

it makes me feel?” I asked softly.

He sighed, dropping his head into his hands. “I don’t know what else I can say, Leet. I love you, but you have to be ready to forgive me or nothing I say will make a difference.”

He was right. I did have to be ready. And I wasn’t yet. Would I ever be? I hoped so. I really did.

#

After Mace had left, I climbed into bed. It was only just after eight, but I didn’t care. I was just happy to be back in my own place. I stroked Marcus, who had decided he was sleeping next to me on my bed. I was okay with that; I liked having him around.

My phone rang. I reached for it, expecting either Tim or Mace.

“Hello?”

“Leeta.”

My blood froze. Ben. I had completely forgotten that I’d emailed him in the midst of my ‘I’m dating a rapist’ breakdown.

“Ben.” My voice came out kind of like a breathless gargle. I cringed, slapping my hand over my face. If there was someone I didn’t want to speak to right then—or ever—it was Ben.

“I got your email. I was surprised to hear from you. After the last time—”

“Yeah, let’s not go into the details, okay?” I said. I instantly felt bad about snapping. I had contacted him, after all. The fact that he was shocked to hear from me after he’d called me—his fiancée—to unchain him from the hotel bed his ‘friend’ had cuffed him to after robbing him was hardly surprising.

God, the image of walking into that room was something I never wanted in my head again. Unfortunately for me, it was hard to think about Ben without picturing him naked and cuffed to that bed with a belt clasped tightly around his neck and his dick in a cuckhold. I shuddered.

“You said you needed my help? Anything, Leeta. Whatever I can do . . .”

“No, I’m actually all good now, thanks.” I groaned internally, wanting this whole conversation to end. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this right now. Please. Forget I contacted you.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Mace

Parking in the visitor’s lot at the prison, I laughed to myself. Twice in one week? God, I must really be in trouble. But I wasn’t there to see Dad this time; I was there to see my brother.

And Dad couldn’t find out about it.

I went through security and was led toward the visitors’ area by a guard.

“Hey,” I said once we were out of earshot. I hadn’t met this guy before—bribing a guard you didn’t know was always a huge risk. “Say I wanted to meet my brother somewhere a little more private? Could you hook me up?”