Chapter 1
The belt buckle struck the bedside lamp before it struck me, and the sharp metallic crack sounded like a gunshot in the quiet of the hotel suite.
We had checked into the Whitmore three hours earlier, straight from the airport, still carrying the smell of sunscreen and ten days of Hawaii. My suitcase stood open on the bed, bright dresses spilling over the edge, a folded stack of photographs of us pretending to be happy tucked into the side pocket. During the trip, Derek had complained about my clothes, corrected the way I spoke to waiters, and asked twice, with increasing specificity, for access to my bank account.
I had mistaken control for insecurity.
The belt corrected that mistake.
"Now that the honeymoon is over," Derek said, wrapping the leather around his fist, "you need to learn the rules of being a wife."
I did not scream. I unbuttoned my loose travel shirt and let it fall onto the hotel chair.
His grin widened. "Good. Obedience makes everything easier."
Underneath, I wore a black compression top and boxing shorts. I reached into my suitcase, pulled out red training gloves, and tightened the straps with my teeth.
May you like
"Perfect timing," I said. "I need a training partner."
Derek laughed so hard he nearly dropped the belt. He knew I worked at a neighborhood gym; he believed I handled memberships and wiped down equipment. He had never asked why my knuckles carried old scars, or why the framed photograph in my office showed me holding a national championship trophy over my head at twenty-six.
