Hideaway

Although she is secretly Damon’s younger half-sister, Nikova Banks (most often referred to simply as “Banks”) first appears in Hideaway as an anonymous girl in a confessional booth at the local cathedral, six years before the main events of the novel. During this earlier moment in time, she overhears Kai confessing all of his misdeeds—from his various manipulations of women to the lies that he told his parents. Rather than being frightened or offended, Banks is intrigued by Kai’s raw honesty, and the two feel an immediate and mutual attraction. Kai, sensing their innate chemistry, reaches through the screen and places his hand on her neck, fixating on the contrast between her seeming innocence and the sexual desire that she tries to conceal. 

Years later, Kai encounters Banks on the side of the road alone. She refuses his offer of help and disappears with a group of tough-looking men. Before she goes, she toys with Kai, letting him know that she remembers him, and she also mocks his past behavior on Devil’s Night in order to send the message that she isn’t intimidated by him. Kai and Banks eventually have sex in the confessional in which they first met, bringing their sexual bond full circle.

Banks is secretly the daughter of Gabriel Torrance, and she grew up without phones, friends, or much access to the outside world. She learned early that women in the Torrance household are only valuable as tools or toys, and she knew that she deserved more than that. To protect herself from her abusive environment, she adopted a tomboy persona, binding her breasts and concealing her feminine looks. Banks didn’t want to be a woman in a world where women were used, and so she shaped herself into something else.

Banks’s upbringing is defined by neglect and the need to survive; her mother used drugs and had very little money, and her father, Gabriel, has always been indifferent and abusive. The only person who truly noticed Banks was Damon, her half-brother, who took her in when he discovered that she was being neglected by her mother. Damon’s version of love is possessive and controlling, but Banks has relied upon this connection because it is all she has ever known of love. She stood by Damon through the abuse that he endured from his mother years ago, and in return, she is now one of the few people he truly trusts.

However, meeting Kai complicates Banks’s bond with Damon, as Damon grows deeply jealous. As Banks spends more time with Kai, she begins to see that it is possible to be loved and valued, but not controlled; however, she remains deeply entangled in her obligations to Damon. This struggle is tested when she finds herself alone in an abandoned hotel with Kai and his friends. The longer that Damon is away, the more intensely attached Banks grows to Kai. She ends up marrying Kai without really agreeing to do so, but in the end, she realizes that he is exactly the partner she needs. When his house is attacked, she fights to protect it, and this gesture shows that her loyalties have changed. Banks makes the difficult decision to choose Kai over Damon—not because she stops loving Damon, but because Kai shows her the true meaning of freedom. As she realizes, “Now it felt like my lungs could hold an ocean. I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to do anymore” (466).

Damon is a complex and dangerous character who plays a significant role despite his physical absence throughout most of the narrative. Damon’s strong influence on his half-sister, Banks, is omnipresent and tangible. To further complicate matters, Kai wants to find Damon in order ensure that Damon will not reveal his darkest secret (Kai believes he killed Damon’s mother). Six years ago, Damon was finishing high school and already deemed a serious troublemaker, exhibiting antisocial tendencies. His father had him attending weekly sessions with a priest, though this did nothing to help the underlying issues he was facing. In an echo of his name, he is likened to a “demon” in the story, and he shows a tendency toward extreme violence and takes sadistic pleasure in watching others suffer. These dark inclinations are also evident in his violent past, as when he tried to kill Rika. 

When Hideaway begins, Damon is missing, having disappeared after trying to murder Will, one of the other “Horsemen.” Both Kai and Banks theorize that Damon is living on the 12th floor of the Pope Hotel, but they later discover that he is splitting his time between Pope Hotel and the Delcour, and he is always one step ahead of Kai and Banks. Damon’s obsession with Banks highlights his possessive nature, and he goes to great lengths to hide the fact that he and Banks are half-siblings. He also isolates her from the world as much as possible, maintaining an unhealthy level of control over her existence.

Banks’s love for her brother runs deep, and she describes him as an “exquisite nightmare” (116). However, Damon consistently undermines her self-worth, convincing her that she is unworthy of love or affection from anyone, including Kai. Damon calls her “boyish” and “ugly,” negatively comparing her to more feminine women. He does this to prevent other men from becoming interested in her and to prevent her from pursuing them in turn. Damon repeatedly interferes with any potential relationship that Banks tries to develop with Kai, going as far as to claim ownership over her, saying, “No one else touches her. Not ever” (148). Damon’s manipulation of Banks is further complicated by the sexual tension that exists between them, the dynamics of which suggest either a twisted form of affection or a calculated performance to confuse others about their true relationship. Damon tries to convince her that she belongs to him and that anyone else who desires her is unworthy, and for a long time, his manipulation works. Banks remains painfully loyal to Damon despite his abuse and despite Kai’s clear intention to love her and care for her. Only at the novel’s climax does Banks finally start to see how free she feels to distance herself from her brother.

Damon’s actions have physical consequences as well, especially when he sets the dojo on fire in an attempt to hurt Kai. Throughout the story, Damon struggles with his past trauma, which includes years of sexual abuse at the hands of his mother. He kept this abuse secret for much of his life, but Banks was aware of it. To cope with the pain of his past, Damon used to have Banks whip him with a belt, further complicating their relationship and deeply traumatizing Banks. This pattern of abuse shapes much of his anger and resentment, as well as his cold and callous nature.

The culmination of Damon’s violent tendencies occurs when he attacks Banks and holds her at gunpoint. In this moment, Will intervenes, violently beating Damon and resolving his own anger over past injustices in the process. However, when Damon later saves Rika from a fire, his action surprises everyone and adds layers to his character’s complexity. Banks, who still loves her brother in spite of all that he has done, asks him if he loves her at all. He replies, “Love is pain” (465), leaving her with ambiguous feelings. In the epilogue, Damon closes the chapter on his mother by desecrating her grave, further emphasizing his hatred for her and suggesting that he is finally ready to move on with his life, though not necessarily in a positive way.

Michael is a character who exhibits an intense possessiveness toward his romantic partner, Rika. In the past, Michael and his friends systematically harassed and harmed Rika, but the two eventually fell in love and became a couple. Now, Michael plays a minor role in Hideaway, but his tendencies toward violence, control, and threats are sometimes featured in the novel. For example, after learning that Kai snuck up on Rika in order to “train” her, Michael threatens to rape Kai’s mother as a form of revenge; this scene is meant to indicate that Michael will always prioritize Rika over his friends. Michael confirms this fact later in the story when he admits that Rika comes first in his life. He also gets upset whenever Rika is put in harm’s way, especially when she goes to Gabriel’s house. Michael’s past actions indicate his lack of empathy toward others and his sinister acceptance of sexual violence when he is the one perpetrating it. Banks recalls a time when Michael snuck into her room and began touching her against her will before picking her up and taking her to the Pope Hotel for a party. Ultimately, Michael’s shifting loyalties and unpredictable nature eventually lead Kai to conclude that he may need to revoke Michael’s membership in their group, the Horsemen.

Will has a troubled past and tends to rely on substances to cope with his emotions. Struggling with addictions to alcohol and drugs, Will is often depicted as being either drunk, high, or hungover, and he is implied to be one of the more unstable members of the group. Despite his issues, Will is also highly reliable and loyal, and he understands many nuances that his friends seem to miss. For instance, when the others question why Damon stayed in the city instead of leaving, Will knew that Damon wanted to remain close to familiar places and people. Will has achieved this level of understanding for Damon because of their years of friendship, and he also shows empathy to Damon despite the fact that Damon once tried to kill him. Will also supports Banks in her quest to find her place amongst the group and with Kai. His most dramatic moment comes when he attacks Damon in the story’s climax, violently beating him while Damon submits to the punishment.

Rika is introduced as “the perfect victim” (2) because of her role in the first book of the series, Corrupt, in which the Four Horsemen hunted, harassed, and hurt her in a misguided act of revenge. Rika is now in a precarious and vulnerable position within the group, because although she and the others often insist that she should be an equal member, Michael feels that Rika is delicate and needs protecting. With her blonde hair, Rika stands out, and her presence has a direct effect on the group dynamic. Her insistence on being considered equal speaks to an inner strength but also reveals the presence of a ruthlessness that she shares with the male members of the group. Rika shows this same resilience when she stands up to Damon in the story’s climax.

Rika’s relationship with Banks is defined by jealousy. For a long time, Banks resents Rika, and this tension eventually leads to a fight between the two. This fight is ultimately resolved by sexual intimacy, as Banks feels that it is her right to “get even” with Kai by having sex with Rika. This moment represents a significant shift in the dynamic between the two women, who give up their rivalry and come to an understanding of each other’s complexities. They also begin to bond and work together.