Ruins of Temptation (Corium University Trilogy 4)

I back away from the door, staring at it. Where the hell did Nash send me? He never did say, only that I would be safe here. He must have gotten his signals crossed because how could I be safe somewhere I’m locked in? Hell, if there was a fire, I don’t even think I could fit through the window to get out.

I go to the bed, quickly putting on the clothes left for me—a thin nightgown and a pair of panties.

Is this really happening? Again? My chest hurts to think of it, so I have to stop doing that. Obviously, something’s not right about this. I’m going to have to leave the second I get the opportunity.

When the lock clicks again, I grab the coat, prepared to flee if I have to. There’s more than enough money to get me someplace else. I only need to get out of here. I don’t know what this place is or why Nash sent me, but I don’t think he would mind me leaving now that I’m getting such a bad feeling about it.

The sight of Preston makes me almost collapse with relief.

“Oh, my god! I’m so glad you’re here. There must have been some kind of a mistake.”

He doesn’t say anything at first, closing the door behind him and leaning against it with his arms folded. “So you made it. Honestly, I wasn’t sure you’d be able to. Especially after the way my plan went to shit.”

I blink hard, staring at him. “Can we not talk about that right now? I’m a little more freaked out by what’s going on. Why did she lock the door on me? Where am I?”

“No, I guess he wouldn’t have told you.” He strokes his jaw, grimacing, and I can’t help but notice all the ways he and Nash look so much alike.

“Told me what? What am I missing?”

“Sweetie, this isn’t a safe house.”

“Okay, what is it? A halfway house or something?” That would explain why there are so many other people here.

“More like… well, let’s just call it what it is. It’s a brothel and a very profitable one. Some of the girls stay here all the time, while others pass through on their way elsewhere.”

No, this can’t be. “And Nash knew about it?”

“Why wouldn’t he? The family runs it. We have a lot of little businesses like this.”

“But why would Nash send me here? Of all places?”

He tips his head to the side. “Wow. I always heard you were sort of dim, but I didn’t know you were flat-out fucking stupid.”

I can’t help but recoil in horror. “Excuse me?”

“Excuse me?” he taunts before laughing. “My brother knew what he was doing. He told you to go here so you could earn the family money. What, did you think he actually gave a shit about you?”

“That’s not true,” I insist, but he only laughs louder. “It’s not!”

“Sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself. Anyway, you’re here, so you might as well get used to it.”

“No way. I’m not staying here!”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You are staying here. This is where you live now, and this is where you will service any and all men who come through this door. But don’t worry about it,” he adds, snickering when I gasp. “Sometimes, some rich guy comes through and decides he wants to buy one of the girls to be his personal sex slave. It could be a step up.”

He reaches for the doorknob, looking me up and down. “Get some sleep. You look like shit. Nobody is going to be willing to pay for you when you’re like this.” With that, he leaves me alone, and I’m too stunned to rush to the door before the lock is engaged again.

It can’t be true. It can’t be. Nash loved me, and I loved him. He wouldn’t have done this to me on purpose.

Would he?

I slide down the length of the door, landing in a heap on the floor as the world comes crashing down around me.

36

LUCAS

This is a goddamn nightmare. Just when I think I have everything in place, somebody has to come along and throw me a fucking curveball.

In this case, the somebody in question happens to be the daughter now facing me with defiance. “Do you want to tell me why there’s footage of you helping her escape?” I bellow at my daughter. I can’t control my anger, faced with the knowledge Aspen was the one who made this happen. “She was locked up for your sake!”

“That’s not true.”

“And do you think you’re in any position to know whether or not that’s true? I put her in that cell because of what she did. She set you up. You would be dead by now if things had gone according to plan!”

“But she doesn’t deserve to be kept in a cell like an animal. That was why I helped her. And honestly, if I never had to see her again, I wouldn’t mind. I don’t need somebody else’s death on my conscience, either, and we both know that would eventually happen if she stuck around here long enough. Rules or no rules.” She folds her arms, jutting her chin out in a way that’s far too reminiscent of my family.