Page 78 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

It’s not real.

This is all just another prank. They’re going to shove me under the showerhead, maybe wet my hair. A little roughhousing. That’s it.

They wouldn’tdare.

Would they?

A shiver chases through me, spilling goosebumps over my skin and hardening my nipples under my thin vest. Reuben tosses me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, knocking the air from my lungs and leaving me momentarily stunned.

By the time I recover, I’m already in the shower cubicle. The shower’s already on, steam churning into the air.

Too hot. It’s too fucking hot!

Someone’s chuckling under their breath. It’s fucking terrifying.

I wriggle and scream into my gag as loud as I can when Reuben grabs my hips and sets me back on my feet. When I tryto run, Zachary catches me with an arm and shoves me back. Cass grabs my cuffs and reels me in like a fish.

Water hits my hands, then my arms. It’s not as hot as I’d thought, but it’s warmer than I like. I struggle furiously, but that makes the plastic ties cut into my wrists.

That shit hurts, so I stop.

I could vault the wall again, but what would that help? I saw Zachary lock the door. The key is in the pocket of his slacks and?—

I peek around at the sound of a belt buckle. Zachary unhooks his belt. His penetrating green eyes catching mine when he looks up.

Thisisreal. Thisishappening. They don’t give a fuck about the consequences.

My knees sag.

I’d have landed on my ass if Cassius hadn’t caught my elbow and steadied me. “Aw…You done fighting?” he asks. “I was enjoying that.”

“She knows it will be over sooner if she doesn’t resist,” Zachary says as he steps out of his shoes. He slips his shirt over the top of his head without bothering to undo the buttons.

There’s a tattoo on his chest.

A coiling serpent. Fangs bared, ready to strike.

Oh my fucking God.

He steps out of his pants, baring white cotton boxers as plain as my own underwear.

Reuben steps away, turns his back, and slips off his own shirt.

This isn’t happening.

I shriek into my gag and try to jerk free from Cassius. Pain slices through my wrists, and a tiny rivulet of blood races down my arm. Water hits it, turning it pink and then invisible in a flash.

Apollo hangs back. He’s still chuckling, but he seems content to stand back while they…

Washme?

Shame bursts through me. My chest tightens painfully.

“You’re hurting her,” Reuben says.

My eyes fly back to him. I’d been watching Apollo, trying to plead with him. He doesn’t seem willing to participate, so it’s worth a shot, right?

But staring at him means I can’t keep an eye on the other three.

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