Madeleine never expected to find belonging in the sting of Hollis's belt, yet the coach's control fills the void left by years of foster care instability. She bends for him in the weight room's open doorway, the leather looped in his fist as the threat of the locker room watching hangs over every strike of the belt. The risk of being seen only sharpens the pull she feels toward the man whose command she has no wish to refuse.
With a rival's footsteps growing louder, Hollis tells her to hold her position, and the mirror shows exactly what could cost them both their careers and her sister's guardianship. The safety she needs demands more risk than she has ever dared, and she cannot bring herself to stop even as the corridor fills with the sound of approaching voices.
