Chapter 2

I woke up on the cold patio tiles, rain still lashing down.

My arm was a useless, burning weight.

I managed to drag myself to the patio door. It was locked.

I banged weakly.

After what felt like an eternity, Vicky opened it, annoyance etched on her face.

"What now, Ethan? You' re getting water everywhere."

Chad appeared behind her, peering down at me. "He looks like a drowned rat."

"My arm," I gasped. "I think it's broken."

Vicky sighed dramatically. "Oh, for heaven's sake. Chad, be a dear and call Dr. Albright. Tell him to bring his strongest painkillers."

She didn't look at my arm. Her main concern was Chad' s trivial complaint about the lights not being set up for his amusement.

Dr. Albright, Vicky' s on-call physician, arrived quickly. He was more of a high-priced concierge than a doctor.

He barely glanced at my arm, pronounced it a severe sprain, and gave me an injection. "A powerful muscle relaxant," he said smoothly. "You won't feel a thing."

My body went limp. I could barely move, barely think.

Vicky watched, tapping her foot. "Well, is he going to be presentable for the party tomorrow?"

"He'll be fine," Dr. Albright assured her, pocketing a thick envelope.

As the doctor left, Chad leaned over me, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "You know, what you really need is a deep tissue massage. To work out those knots."

His fingers dug into my injured arm, and I gritted my teeth against the wave of nausea. I couldn't move, couldn't speak.

Vicky watched, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes, before she shrugged. "Don't break him too much, Chad. I still need him for errands."

She then turned and walked away, leaving me to Chad' s "care."

He grinned, his intentions clear. This wasn't about healing. This was about pain.