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His larger arm raises above me, and the officer below watches as Daniel grasps one of the curtains and pulls.

He kisses the crown of my head, making me forget about the officers.

I turn toward my tormentor, the man I want more than anything, just as he pulls the curtains closed, blocking out the men below and the real world that holds secrets and horrors that are easier to ignore within these four walls.

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Charlie

I watch as my breath skitters across Daniel’s naked chest. My finger runs over the bumps that soon follow.

His nipple hardens from my touch. I giggle when he playfully swats my ass.

I don’t know how long we’ve lain here, but it’s long enough for the sweat to have dried and the temperature to have dropped along with the sun.

I feel happy, my mind is empty, and a pleasant ache runs throughout my body, renewed from earlier.

After the officers left, Daniel explained that my friends had been found and that the police wanted to talk to me.

Panic filled me, but he was quick to distract me and make me forget.

Not that I had been in a rush to think about it. Instead, I had begged and pleaded for more, for him to push me harder, to grip me tighter.

But now in the calmness of the evening, my mind betrays me.

My body rises as he takes a deep breath.

A gentle knock sounds seconds before the bedroom door opens just wide enough for Michael to squeeze inside.

Glancing down at where Daniel’s wet cock lays on his leg, I feel my face blush and quickly tug the blanket up to cover his crotch and my hips.

Daniel’s eyes remain closed, but a smirk plays at the edge of his lips, and his hand moves from where it had been resting on my ass, caressing its way to my breast where his hand possessively covers it, as if Michael hasn’t already seen that and more.

He brought food again for the third time today. This time, it smells like lasagne. Yum. My mouth waters.

I try to sit up, but the hand on my chest turns painful as Daniel squeezes my breast.

“I think she’s hungry, bro. Seems you worked up an appetite.” Michael winks, settling into his seat from this morning.

Was it really just last night when I was brought here? It feels like days ago. But that’s not surprising when it feels like I’ve known Daniel for a lifetime.

Why couldn’t he be someone else? Anyone else.

I force the thoughts away, my new default setting.

Nothingness, numbness, peace.

Pulling the covers higher, I cover my nakedness until Daniel is satisfied enough to release me and let me sit up with the quilt tucked under my arms.

I give Michael a small grateful smile and edge the food tray closer. “It smells amazing.”

He shrugs casually. “When no one came down for dinner, I offered to bring it up. Besides” — his brow arches — “Mom was going to bring it up.”

Daniel chokes on a bite of food, coughing as I quickly pass him the glass of water.

“Careful,” I warn. “Small sips.”

I can hear Michael laugh, but I only have eyes for Daniel. His face is red from coughing, but his expression has softened. The way he looks at me makes my heart swell and my soul melt. He’s not used to being taken care of.

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