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Haley’s cheeks heated and she ducked down to suck the

thick smoothie out of the straw. She nearly choked she took

such a big gulp. Electrical currents raced through her

bloodstream. Why the hell wasn’t the thought of being tied up

in a basement and having unspeakable things done to her by

Claire a turn-off? Why didn’t it make her curl into herself in

fright?

“No,” she agreed quickly. “No one does that in real life. I’m

at Claire’s mercy in an entirely different, much more boring

way.”

Elva huffed. “In this case, boring is good.”

“We should come visit!” Amy nearly screeched, making

Elva and Haley wince. “Just to make sure you’re okay. But

also to check out the digs. Apparently, she has a nice place.”

“It’s far out of the city. An hour away, and that’s not

accounting for traffic.”

“So? We’ll come on the weekend. She didn’t say you

couldn’t have people over. Don’t ask,” Elva advised. “We’ll

just show up. She can’t tell you no then. We’ll pack a bag for

the beach.”

“The water’s frigid right now,” Haley countered. “But it’s

going to be July soon. It will warm up shortly, I’m sure, at

least a little. Plus, she has a boat.”

Amy’s eyebrows shot up. “This place is sounding better and

better with every passing second. Is there a pool?”

“Actually, no.”

“Oh well. I’d like to see where you’re staying. It sounds

freaking nice, even if you’re not there by choice.”

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Elva said, reaching for Haley’s

hand and clasping it. “I’m really, really glad you’re okay in all