Brendan was forcing her to make a choice. She could save whatever remained of her dignity, but Sterling would have to lose his on her behalf. She would have to doom him to save herself.

Brendan’s sadism knew no bounds. How could he be so heartless?

Deirdre sobbed. She felt faint spells, yet her heart was ironically much calmer than before. “It’s alright,” she said, her eyes as empty as her tone. “I’ll do it.”

The room cheered. It was what everyone wanted. Amid the revelry, though, was Brendan’s increasingly stormy expression. His eyes were cold.

“Do you understand what you’ve just said? You’re going to strip yourself clean and dance in front of a crowd of strangers. If you call Sterling, the most I’ll make him do is make him drink.”

The most he would do?

Deirdre smiled between her tears. To hell would she even believe that!

She would never believe him ever again.

How could she? When he told her he would never play favorites and stand behind Charlene without reason that nigh