I froze, my heart doing a wild, erratic flip against my ribs.

"Go to the bathroom, and wait for me," he repeated, his deep voice carrying a quiet command that vibrated straight down to my toes.

For a second, my mind went completely blank. Images of what he might do to me in that vast, marble-lined bathroom rushed through my head, making my body react before my brain could catch up. But then the reality of the situation hit me like a splash of cold water.

I was still recovering. My legs were still sore from being pinned against the iron bars hours ago, and as much as my body...