He turns, reaching out for me but his face is scrunched in pain. “I would do it all over again.”

“No,” I cry, standing and turning. I run towards the door.

“Pippa!”

I charge out and past the other slaves who are mostly ignoring my outburst. I reach the door and bang my fists over and over on it. I scream and yell until a guard opens the door and glares down at me.

“Take me to him,” I cry. “Take me now!”

“Pippa don’t!” Rainer yells from the bathroom, but he doesn’t make it to me in time.

The guard pulls me out of the room and slams the door shut, locking it.

I have no idea what my plan is, but I won’t leave my friend in pain.

Not when he saved me.

CHAPTER EIGHT

NOW – Pippa

“Oh God, Pippa,” Sofie cries, wrapping her arms around me the moment I step in for my shift at work a few nights after the night with Liam and Michael.

She’s been trying to call me, but I’ve just needed some time alone. I’m not angry with her—not even close. I’m angry with myself for trying to get out of my comfort zone when I should have just stayed the way I am. I’m just burdening everyone with my constant need to be protected. I’m tired of it.

“It’s okay,” I say, patting Sofie on the back.

“No, it’s not okay.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” I assure her.

“It was, I invited them to sit down.”

I pull back and stare at her. “You didn’t know they were those sorts of people, so it isn’t your fault.”

She nods, but her eyes are welling with tears.

“Honestly, Sofie.” I smile. “I’m fine.”

“Okay,” she whispers. “Promise we can still be friends?”

“Absolutely. What jobs have we been given tonight?”

“You’re taking rooms 345, 349 and 362. They’ve just checked out.”

“Okay,” I say softly, hanging up my purse. “Better get to it.”

Four hours later, I’m finished. I clean the toilets to waste the last few hours of my shift. When I’m done, I find Sofie and tell her I’ll give her a call on the weekend so we can try again. I don’t know if I’m going to do it—not because I don’t want to, but because I’m scared of how it’ll go. I have no idea how to interact with other people, and I can’t stand up for myself at all. How am I supposed to join in when I have no idea how?

Just as I reach front reception to add my hours, I see a tall, dark body leaning over the desk. I notice the Joker’s Wrath patch right away and watch in slight horror and slight fascination as Tyke turns to face me. He smiles, big and broad, and the receptionists all stare at me with their mouths open as he walks over and wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Hey, little one.”

“Ah, hey Tyke. What are you doing here?”

“Had nothing to do. Thought you might want some company.”

“Ah, sure.”

“You finished for the night?”

I nod, walking over and giving the receptionist my hours. She’s still staring at Tyke, but takes the sheet off me with a nod, not in my direction. Tyke turns us both and leads me out the front door. “It’s late. Are you sure you want to do something?”

Tyke nods. “It’s only ten, Pip. The night is still young.”

I frown at him, and he laughs. “Come on.”

“Okay, but my car is here.”

“We’ll come back and get it tomorrow. Jump in.”

He opens the door to his SUV and I hesitate a second before climbing in. I don’t completely understand why he’s here, but I’m not about to pass up the chance to hang out with him. Even if our last encounter was . . . awkward. He’s obviously forgotten about it, so I will, too.

I climb into the car and watch as he slides in the front passenger seat. I feel safe with Tyke, warm and at ease. He flashes me a quick smile, and then takes off. We glide through the streets with ease. I have no idea where he’s going to take me, so it surprises me when he brings me to an old deserted park.

“I used to come here when I was a kid,” he tells me as he turns the car off.

“It’s . . . beautiful.”

And it really is. It’s old and rustic. The swings are rusted and the slide is an worn, metal one, but it has an edge to it, a feel of home. I get out of the car and walk towards it, sitting carefully on one swing. Tyke joins me, sitting on the other one.

“So, how’re you feeling tonight?” he asks me.

I shrug. “Fine.”

“Pip,” he says with a warning tone.

I sigh. “I’m confused. I just don’t know how to be different, Tyke. I don’t know how to be the girl they all want me to be. I want to make friends, I want to go out and have fun, but I honestly don’t know how. The very idea terrifies me.”

“Shit, darlin’, I had no idea,” he mutters. “You should have told me you were struggling to get out.”

“And make you think I’m weaker than you already believe I am?”

I close my mouth quickly, because those words weren’t meant to leave my lips. Tyke is off his swing in a second. He comes over and curls his fingers around the chains of mine, staring down at me. His eyes are intense and a little hurt. “You think I believe you’re weak?”

“Don’t you all?” I say, turning my face away. “I know how you all see me and you’re right, because it’s the way I am.”