Pretty Little Things

by

Teresa Mummert

“All things truly wicked start from innocence.”

—Ernest Hemingway

Dedication: Mara, you have no idea how awesome you are.

Prologue

I was young enough not to understand that my life was different. Colin became the one person I could count on to protect me. He suffered for the both of us by carrying the burden of our secret.

We were the lucky few who got a chance to start over. A fake family, a new home, and a pretty little life built on lies. But while our lives continued to intertwine, we were put on very different paths. Now it was only a matter of time before they’d collide and the beast behind the beauty would be exposed.

Chapter 1 - Annie

I knocked on the office door that sat ajar as I watched Colin at his desk, his suit jacket off and sleeves rolled up, exposing the large cross tattoo on his forearm, as he stared at his laptop screen. His dark hair was disheveled, and a day’s worth of stubble shadowed his jawline. Beside his laptop was a black gun that was always within reach.

“Busy,” he snapped angrily, not bothering to glance in my direction as I glared at him.

“Good. I’ll stay out of your way. Don’t wait up.” I turned to hurry down the flight of stairs toward the second floor, but he called after me before I could make my getaway.

“Wait. Where the hell are you going?”

I rolled my eyes and groaned like a child as I slowly traipsed back to his office and pushed the door open. “Out with some friends.” His eyes ran up and down my body before he shook his head in disapproval, and his gaze dropped back to the computer screen.

“Not dressed like that. Go change.”

“You don’t get to tell me what to wear. I’m seventeen, and you’re not my father.” I folded my arms over my chest as my eyes narrowed, ready for a fight.

With a sigh, he pushed back his chair and slowly stood to his full six feet in height, making me feel impossibly small. He rounded the desk as he pulled up his zipper. That’s when I noticed the mass of blond hair from a girl kneeling behind his desk. Gross. He came to a stop in front of me, forcing me to tilt my head back. It was challenging to glare at someone from this angle and still look menacing.

“Change your outfit, or you’re not leaving.”

“Watch me.” I pivoted on my toes, my long blond curls hitting him in the chest. Two muscular arms banded around my waist, pulling my feet from the ground as he held me against him from behind.

“Annie, I’m a very fucking busy man,” he growled next to my ear. “Do not pull this bullshit tonight. This is not a fucking game. Change your clothes, or I will lock you in your room. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” I bit out between clenched teeth as he lowered me to the ground. To say Colin was overprotective of me was an understatement, but he was equally annoyed by my presence, which made dealing with him a constant game of Russian roulette.

“Asshole. You messed up my hair,” I muttered as I made my way down to the second floor and into my bedroom. I slammed the door loud enough to rattle the walls, but I knew he probably didn’t even hear it upstairs. That was one of the perks of living in such a large house. I glanced at my reflection in the full-length antique mirror across the room, running my finger under my lower lip to fix my smudged gloss. My hair was pale blond and curled perfectly down my back. I wore a low-cut purple V-neck T-shirt that hugged my curves and made my green eyes pop, paired with cutoff jean shorts that probably cost more than the average person’s week-long vacation. Well hidden and disguised was the credulous little girl that I used to be when we came to live in Connor’s house.

I pulled off my shirt and tossed it on the ground as I stepped inside my walk-in closet. Pulling out a sensible white eyelet dress that covered anything Colin would find offensive, I cursed under my breath. I slid my shorts down over my hips and kicked them off against the wall as a knock came at my door.

“Go away,” I yelled, and I heard the deep rumble of his laugh as he slowly opened the door and stepped inside my room. He had his hands shoved in his pockets as he looked me over in matching black bra and panties trimmed with delicate lace.

“I’m sorry. I have enough on my plate right now. With Connor sick, I have to pick up his work slack. I can’t be worried about you running around town looking like…” He gestured with his hands, and for the first time since I could remember, Colin was at a loss for words as he took me in.

“I’m just hanging out with some friends. You guys want me to blend in; this was me blending in. No one at school dresses like this.” I tossed my hands in the air, hating that at only nineteen he felt he could tell me what to do. He was taking his role as my pretend brother a little too far.

The loud clacking of heels on the wooden floor caught his attention, and he turned around to face bobbing head from under desk girl.

“I’ll just be a minute, and then we can leave. You mind grabbing my keys from the office?”

“Sure.” She smiled sweetly, her lips coated with a fresh layer of red, before disappearing up the stairs to the third floor. Colin turned his attention back to me, his jaw clenched in frustration.

“First of all, you wear uniforms at school. Second, you’re a Blakely now. You need to dress the part. This is a very small town, and people talk. We’ve spent years trying to blend in, and now you want to walk around looking like a whore just to prove you’re what? A grown-up?” His voice rose with every word, as did my temper. I crossed the room in large strides and poked my finger against his hard chest, but he didn’t budge from the doorway, and the shadows from my darkened room made the chiseled contours of his face even more menacing.

“You don’t seem to have a problem with the women you fuck dressing like whores. Why do I have to dress like a librarian?”

His hand was in my hair, fisting and tugging back ever so slightly, my chin titled up toward his face, which was now only an inch from mine. “If you don't dress like a lady, I will stop treating you like one, and that will be more fun for me than it is you, I promise.” He swallowed hard, and my lips parted in shock as I struggled to keep my breathing under control. It wasn’t a threat—it was a warning.

The hammering of my heart in my ears blocked out the sound of heels on hardwood, and it wasn’t until bobbing head from under desk girl gasped, “Colin?” that we noticed her presence.

“Sorry, sweetheart. Just teaching my little sister here a lesson on being a lady.” His body blocked her view of his hold on me as his eyes drifted to my chest. Then he pressed a kiss to my forehead, and his long fingers untangled from my hair. “Now I’ve messed up your hair,” he whispered with a smirk.

“I’ll be back.” He stepped away from me, and I watched in shock as his perfect smile was in place. Wrapping his arm around the girl, they descend the stairs to the first floor. I leaned out of my bedroom doorway just as he glanced over his shoulder at me and winked.

I slammed my bedroom door hard and grabbed the white dress I had chosen, cursing under my breath as I pulled it over my head and ran my fingers through my now knotted hair.

I hurried down the flight of stairs and out the front door, stopping as my eyes caught sight of Colin, his body pressed against the desk girl, pinning her against the side of his car as his mouth moved along her neck.

I hurried down the steps and turned right, away from him. The property spanned miles and was bordered by a six-foot privacy fence, but through the woods there was a place where a few boards were missing. That was where I was headed. Barefoot and angry, I stomped my way through the trees, hurrying before Colin spotted where I was going.

When I reached the fence, I slipped between the missing slats and into Jacob’s waiting arms. He smelled of smoke, weed, and sin. His hands slid around my lower back and began to creep down to my ass as he pressed his lips against mine. His body was thin but muscular like a swimmer. He was the only person in this town who didn’t treat me like I was a fragile ornament whose only purpose was for decoration.

“You taste so good,” he mumbled against my lips. I ran my hand over his dark hair, which was now long enough to always look like he’d just rolled out of bed. He pressed his lips against my forehead and pulled back to look at me. “Why are you dressed like a librarian?” His chocolate eyes were barely open under the weight of the drugs he’d consumed, and his lips twisted into a smile.

“Like you need to bother asking.” I rolled my eyes, instantly infuriated all over again at being treated like a helpless child.

“I wish you’d let me talk to that asshole.”

I took a step back and shook my head. Jacob and I had been seeing each other for three months, but no one else knew of our secret encounters. “I’d rather not subject you to his bullshit.” I rolled my eyes as my fingers gripped the front of his dark-brown vintage T-shirt that read “Ramones” across his chest. But what I really meant, and what we both were thinking, was that no one would understand us. I didn’t even know for sure what we were. Jacob had been a friend, and we’d blurred that line on more than one occasion, but I wasn’t stupid. Our lives were very different. I was a Blakely, and he’d grown up in the wrong tax bracket. There was nothing logical or permanent about us.

He tucked a blond curl behind my ear, and I leaned my cheek against his warm palm.

“I can’t wait to leave this horrible place and finally not have people telling me what to do.”

Jake chuckled as he ran his hand over the back of his head. His lips curled up in the smile that made my knees go weak. “It’s only horrible for one of us. You live on that side of the fence.”

“The grass isn’t always greener, Jake.” I stepped forward and pressed my body against his as I laid my head against his chest.

“I’m just trying to give you some perspective. You don’t have it that bad. And you know I have the greenest grass in town.” His fingers slid into my hair, and he held me tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

Jacob wasn’t the type of boy who was looking for a long-term relationship. He knew what to say to make me smile, and I pretended I was the only one he said them to.

“My dad is working late tonight. That girl who went missing a few weeks ago was found behind that run-down gas station off of Maple Street. We could watch a movie.”

“You make crime sound so sexy,” I deadpanned as I laced my fingers in his, and we began to walk out of the woods.

“Having a cop for a dad has its occasional perks.”

“Like him looking the other way?” I sniffed the air, letting him know I could smell the pot all over him.

“If you ask me nicely, maybe I’ll share.” He winked, and the butterflies took flight in my stomach as we crossed the dirt road beside the field and made our way up his back porch steps. Jake’s father was the local law and also an alcoholic who suffered from depression and a heavy hand, according to Jake. I’d never had the misfortune of meeting him and was happy to keep it that way. I had my fair share of dominant assholes in my life.

I stood inside the kitchen as Jake closed the door behind us. My eyes wandered over the mountain of unwashed dishes in the sink.

“You should really have someone do those.”

“We can’t all afford hired help, princess.” He lifted my hand and pressed his lips against the back. I pulled my hand free from his and rolled my eyes.

“Don’t call me that.” I folded my arms over my chest as he chuckled, his fingers running through his messy dark hair.

“Aw…did I hurt your feelings?”

I turned my head away from him. “Please. I’d have to care for you to hurt my feelings.”

“Ouch. Can I kiss it make it better?” He placed his fingertips under my chin and turned my face toward his. I couldn’t contain the smile that spread across my face when I looked at him. “Is that a yes?”

He leaned forward slowly, his gaze falling from my eyes to my lips before he kissed me, softly. His mouth moved against mine, and I placed my hands on his chest as my lips parted. I pulled back, opening my eyes as I gazed up at him. “Is this why you brought me here? Just so you can try to get in my pants?”

“You’re not wearing pants.” He smirked as he took a step back and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the living room. “I’m picking the movie. That teenage drama shit put me to sleep last time. Happily ever after is for fairy tales and the delusional masses.”

“Hell on Main Street kept me awake for two days. I pick.”

He sat down on the couch, propping his foot up on the coffee table next to a stack of manila folders. He patted the cushion beside him, and I grinned as I sat down, our sides pressed together.

“I’ll let you choose if you smoke with me.”

“You know I don’t like that stuff. It makes you stupid.” I laughed, my hand over my mouth as he scowled at me.

“This coming from the girl who is in a guy’s house, alone, in the middle of the night, and no one knows where you are?”

“Aw…” I grabbed the remote from the cushion beside me and turned on the television, flipping through the channels while Jacob stretched his leg to dig in his jeans pocket for his cigarette pack.

“What are you doing?” I asked as I tucked my hair behind my ear and continued to change channels.

“We had a deal, remember?”

“You can’t smoke in here.” I glanced down at the joint he had just pulled from the pack and shook my head. “Your dad is a cop. What if he comes home? My first time meeting your family is going to land me in jail.”

He shrugged as he placed it between his lips and lit the lighter. I folded my arms over my stomach as I shook my head, which was now enveloped in a cloud of smoke.

“Come here.” Jake’s fingers slid along my jaw, turning my face to his as his mouth inched closer to mine. I let my lips part as he slowly exhaled, his smoke pouring deep into my lungs.

I held in my breath as my chest began to burn, and I coughed, a giggle escaping me as Jacob’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. My cheeks heated under his gaze as his tongue rolled out over his lower lip.

“What?” I asked, my head tilted as I watched his eyes study me, feeling a blush creep over my cheeks.

“I feel like I’m corrupting you.” He shook his head, but his gaze settled on my legs and slowly drifted upward. I smoothed my hands over the skirt of my dress, feeling naked under his scrutinizing gaze. But this was what I’d been wanting, someone who didn’t want me to be perfect.

“I’d have to be innocent for you to corrupt me.” My fingers grasped the hem of my skirt, and I slid it up my thigh an inch, watching as the column of his throat jumped from a hard swallow. He placed his hand over mine, lacing our fingers before pulling it to his face and pressing a soft kiss to my skin.

“You’re such a tease.”

I felt oddly comforted by the fact that he didn’t want to use me to get in my pants, and I didn’t need to be a mindless bimbo like all of the other girls in town. I leaned my head against his shoulder as he took the remote from my hand and flipped through the channels. “Let’s do something for your birthday. Let me make you a cake or”—he laughed—“buy you a cake or something.”

I smiled at his thoughtfulness. “I wish I could, but I’m having dinner with my family.” The truth was I wasn’t even sure anyone remembered, but to say it out loud was too embarrassing.

He pressed his lips to the top of my head, and with a heavy sigh I let my eyes fall closed.

The next thing I remember was waking up, my mouth tasting like it was full of cotton. Jacob was lying sideways, his legs off the couch, and I was resting my head on his chest.

“Shit!” I pushed up from him, wiping the hair from my face.

“What? What’s wrong?” He pushed up on his elbows and rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand as he blinked away his exhaustion.

“Shit. Shit. Shit. What time is it?” I combed my fingers through my messy hair, my eyes darting around the dark room. The television was now playing a workout infomercial. “I have to go.” I pushed against Jake’s legs to move him out of my way so I could get off the couch without straddling his body.

“Let me walk you.” He yawned through his words as he sat up, resting his elbows on his knees as he shook his head.

“No. Go back to sleep. I’ll be fine.” I turned to leave, but his fingers looped around my wrist, and I almost tumbled backward onto his lap. “Jake, I have to go.”

“I’m walking you to the fence.”

I twisted around to look at his face, which was illuminated by the television. He wasn’t in the mood to argue, and neither was I. “All right. Hurry up.”

Jacob pushed from the couch and put his hands on my hips from behind as he guided me from the house and out to the old field. I laced my fingers with his and gazed up at his beautiful face in the moonlight. He made my heart stop and race at the same time. The hard lines of his jaw, nose, and cheekbones made him look like he was carved from granite. His eyes looked black as coal, a stark contrast to his pale skin.

“When are you coming to see me again?” he asked, his eyes searching over my face.

“Depends on whether or not I get caught sneaking in,” I laughed, but it was out of nervousness. I was not in the mood for Colin’s bullshit. If he found out I was sneaking around with Jacob, I’d never hear the end of it.

I slowed as we reached the fence, not wanting to leave his side.

“Come see me tomorrow.” He tugged on my hand, turning me to face him.

“It may be a few days.”

He nodded as he gazed out to the fence. “You want me to walk you to your house?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s private property. I’m the only one who ever goes in those woods.” I gripped the front of his Ramones T-shirt and pressed my mouth against his, letting my lips linger. As I pulled back, Jake’s eyes slowly opened, and he grinned his heart-stopping crooked smile, his dark eyes hooded.

“I’ll see you later.” He ran his hand over his hair, causing it to stick up in every direction.

“Bye.” I waved as I slipped through the hole in the fence and disappeared into the trees toward my home.

Chapter 2 - Colin

I drained my double shot of Jim Beam down my throat, the burn long gone and replaced by numbness an hour ago. I looked down at my watch, but it was too dark to see the time, which was probably for the best because it would only enrage me further. It was three in the morning last time I’d checked. Annie hadn’t called or texted, but her best friend Mara, whom she was supposed to be out with, had stopped by four hours ago looking for her.

When I heard the doorknob turn, I sat holding my empty glass in the formal living room, veiled in shadows. She stepped inside, walking on her tiptoes as she shut the door behind her, flinching as it clicked loudly into the lock and echoed throughout the cavernous space. She tiptoed to the stairs and grabbed hold of the banister.

“Is this fun for you?” I asked, and she jumped, grabbing her chest as she turned toward the sound of my voice, her eyes narrowed as she searched me out.

“Could you be more dramatic?” she whisper-yelled, not wanting to disturb Connor from his sleep, even though his room was on the third floor and he slept like the dead.

“More dramatic?” I asked as I pushed to my feet. I hurled the glass across the room, and it connected with the inside of the living room wall, shattering into the darkness. “That better?” I asked, arms stretched out at my sides as I walked toward her.

Her hands went over her face reflexively, and as she lowered them she stared daggers at me. “I don’t have to listen to you.”

“That so? Where were you?” I hurried toward her angrily. My filter had disintegrated with each drink, and now I was dangling from the edge of aggression.

“None of your business,” she snapped and took off up the steps to avoid me, slipping and coming down hard on her knee, the cracking sound enough to cause me to flinch. She let out a cry of pain as she clutched at her leg, her body splayed on the staircase like a broken doll. This is what happens to girls who get too close to me.

I took the first three steps in one stride and lifted her effortlessly into my arms to carry her up to her room. “Fuck, Annabel,” I groaned as we made it to the darkened hall above, and I kicked open her door with my foot. She cried, her tears wetting my bare chest. I laid her in the center of her bed and brushed the hair from her face, causing her to flinch and clutch her cheek.

“You hit your face?” Through the moonlight coming in through her window, I could see her nod, and the shadow of a forming bruise was already evident. “Hold on.” I hurried back downstairs and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer, wrapping it in a red dish towel. When I made it back to her room, she was lying on her side, her hand on her face. I pulled her fingers away and pressed the ice pack to her cheek. She flinched, but her hand slid over mine to hold it in place. I stood up and sighed as I ran my hand over my dark, short hair.

“Thank you,” she whimpered, sounding years younger than seventeen and more like that girl I had met a lifetime ago.

“Don’t thank me yet. You’re still going to tell me where you were.”

“I was out with friends.”

“You need to trust me and let me protect you. It’s my job.”

“I don’t need you to protect me, Colin. I just want you to leave me alone.” She rolled farther away, and the pain of her words hurt worse than a physical blow could inflict.

“Because you’re so good at taking care of yourself? Look at you? You just kicked your own ass.”

“I don’t need to protect myself,” she bit back, her feelings hurt from my implication that she was helpless.

That was it. That’s what I was waiting to hear. She had met someone, and I had no idea who this guy was, and the fact that she smelled like marijuana did not get by me. The once perfect and innocent Annabel was falling from grace, hell-bent on proving me wrong about who she was. “You can continue to pretend that our life before we moved here was all just a bad dream. I wish I had that luxury. But I know exactly what happens to girls like you who think they are invincible.”

“Yeah? What’s that?” she challenged.

“I prove them wrong.”

She rolled over halfway to face me in the dark. “Go away, Colin.”

I stared at her shadowed silhouette for a moment before forcing myself to leave the room, pulling the door closed behind me but not latching it. My room was directly across the hall, and I slipped inside, leaving it wide open. I slid my dark suit pants down and kicked them off, falling onto my bed in only my gray boxer briefs. I could hear Annie’s muffled cries from across the hall, and it killed me inside that I couldn’t help her, that I couldn’t trust myself.

When her sobs subsided, I was able to drift off into a nightmare-filled sleep, plagued by memories of a youth spent in hell. I was thankful Annie was able to block it out enough that she could project the appearance of functioning normally, but I knew it ate her up inside as much as it did me. I would gladly hold the weight of our troubled past if it meant she would have a normal future. Watching her slowly throw it away killed me inside.

I watched as Taylor’s hand came down hard across Marie’s cheek, and the sound of her grunt echoed in the large room as she fell to her side, catching herself on her hip and hands. Her strawberry blond hair covered her tear-soaked face. He straightened his tie and cleared his throat as he looked over at me. “Disobedience will not be tolerated.” I nodded and watched the girl, a few years older than me but half my size, lie helpless and sobbing on the floor. It was a scenario I’d seen play out dozens of times. It no longer fazed me. It was the way things were. Every story was different and the same. This girl was a runaway who prostituted herself out in order to score drugs. I didn’t know why Taylor even bothered bringing her in, but she fit the profile—blond hair and green eyes laced with flecks of gold—and he was becoming desperate to bring validity to his visions. The church was growing restless.

You either accepted the rules or you were beaten into submission, and Taylor was very creative with his punishments. I carried the scars on my flesh to prove it. “Pay close attention, boy.”

I nodded once and waited. He grabbed Marie’s arm and jerked her to her feet, giving her a second to regain her balance. I was sure that by morning her hip would be bruised, and simple acts such as walking would be difficult.

At fourteen, I was now being taught the inner workings of the church in order to prepare me for the day I would take Taylor’s place. All encounters were videotaped for church records, something I never batted an eye at because it was just the way it was. To say my upbringing was unconventional was an understatement. The Descendants of God was a country-wide organization, and I was living at the epicenter and learning directly from our founder himself, Taylor Woodward.

He unfastened his belt as Marie wrapped her arms around her waist, sobs ripping from her chest.

“Don’t hit me.” Her pleading fell on deaf ears. I was no longer swayed by other people’s pain. My empathy had long evaporated with every scar I received. Bad things didn’t just happen to bad people. This was a fact.

He reached out and ran his thumb over her cheek to wipe away her tears. “Shh, I wasn’t going to hit you. Praying isn’t the only thing you will do on your knees around here.” Her gaze fell lower, and she watched as he undid his pants. I glanced at the red light on the camera that sat in the corner of the room atop a tripod and kept my expression unreadable, not wanting Taylor to see how much this still bothered me when he reviewed the tape. The only thing worse than the depraved acts I was forced to witness was having our leader deem me useless. I’d seen what happened to those who didn’t conform, and I wasn’t ready to meet my maker.

I awoke to my mattress being nudged. My eyes flew open, and I stared up at Annie’s messy, wild hair from a night of restless sleep. She was wearing one of my white undershirts, and it fell to midthigh. Mascara was smudged under her eyes from a late night.

“What’s wrong?” I groaned as I blinked back the harsh sunlight that poured through my window. Annie’s blurry image slowly came into focus. She held out a bottle of water and two pills in the other hand. I grabbed my covers and pulled them up, suddenly realizing it was morning and I was only in my underwear. The evidence of my twisted, fucked-up past was painfully hard, and control was something I lacked when I needed release. “Fuck, you could have knocked,” I snapped.

“You could close your door if you want me to knock.” She laughed as she set the bottle of water on my bare chest. The cold made me jump, and I sat up, my head thumping with the sudden movement. “Here.”

I held out my hand, and she dropped the pills into my palm before tucking her hair behind her ear and sitting down on the edge of my bed with one leg tucked under her.

I swallowed them down and drank the bottle of water in one long sip. Her eyebrow rose as she watched me and shook her head. I rubbed the heels of my hands over my eyes and looked over at her, taking in the purpling of her cheekbone on her otherwise perfect porcelain skin.

“Shit,” I groaned and reached out to run the pad of my finger over the mark, but she pulled back and swatted my hand away. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I’m fine.” Just like that she shrugged it off as if it had never happened. Had her face not bore the mark of the encounter, it would have been erased from her memory entirely. That was what I envied about Annabel. She could block out anything that caused her pain and live in a bubble of contentment. That was why our new life suited her so well. She was a chameleon with a self-imposed dementia.

I shook my head as I sat up farther and ran my hand over the ridges of my abdominal muscles. “Is Grace making breakfast?”

Annie snorted and then laughed at herself. “She did an hour ago.”

I groaned, and she rolled her eyes.

“I woke up late too. I had her save our plates, but you may want to get dressed. Amanda stopped by. You’re welcome.” She grinned and pushed from the bed.

“Fuck.” I fell back and pressed the palms of my hands against my eyes as she left the room. I felt like shit, and I probably looked worse. “Take off my damn shirt,” I yelled after her.

I pushed from my bed, glancing at the full-length mirror on the opposing wall. Working out had become one of the few ways to deal with my growing aggression, and the results were proof that I harbored a lot of rage. My muscles were cut, and I barely had any excess fat, but I still wanted to be bigger, stronger. I was glad my scars only marred my back, and I wasn’t forced to look at the physical manifestation of my sins and my early reluctance to obey Taylor.

I turned on the radio and sang along to “Outside” by Staind as I shoved down my boxer briefs, kicking them off on the floor. I made my way into my bathroom, turning on the light above the sink but leaving the one in the shower stall off to spare myself the harsh light. The water didn’t take long to heat up, and I slid under the spray, closing the fogged glass door behind me.

I dumped liquid body wash in the palm of my hand and rubbed the soap over my chest and down my stomach as I begged for the adrenaline of my nightmares to subside. My hand dipped lower, knowing there was only one way to make those memories fade, and I wasn’t proud of that fact. I gripped my dick, squeezing hard as my hand slid slowly up and down my length. I rested my forehead against the damp sandstone tile and closed my eyes, hoping I could find some sort of release.

The song ended, and waiting for the next to start was quickly killing my mood. Nine Inch Nails faded in through the speakers that were embedded above the shower stall, and I began to stroke myself faster as I pictured small, perky tits with light-pink pebbled nipples. I licked my lips as I focused on the faceless vision, my eyes traveling down a tight stomach while my fingers slipped over my head and back against the base of my cock. I panted, water droplets falling from my lips as I imagined it was swollen pink lips wrapped around me, sucking as my fist gripped her hair, tiny moans in the back of her throat vibrating and nearly sending me over the edge as I pushed her closer, touching the back of her throat with my dick.

“Ah…” I groaned over the music. I imagined her moaning my name, begging for me to come in her pretty little mouth.

“Colin?” Annie’s voice came from inside my room.

“Fuck,” I growled, but I was too close to be able to stop myself as my stomach muscles tightened.

“Colin?” she called again as she got closer, and it sent me over the edge.

“Fuck, Annie,” I panted as I came, struggling to catch my breath as I stared at her emerald eyes through the fogged glass door. She didn’t move for a moment, her lips parted in complete shock and breathing as erratically as me.

“Your shirt,” she whispered as it fell from her fingertips, pooling at her feet, and her eyes locked on mine.

“Leave,” I barked. My words jarred her, and she ran from my room.

I took my time drying off and getting dressed, not wanting to look Annie in the eye after what she had witnessed. I couldn’t get the image of her out of my head.

I stumbled down the stairs in a black T-shirt and jeans, greeted by Amanda at the base of the steps. We’d been seeing each other for a few weeks. I kissed her cheeks as my eyes searched out Annie. She was standing in the doorway of the dining room wearing the low-cut purple V-neck from last night. Her blatant act of defiance struck a nerve deep inside of me, and she knew it. She was fucking with me.

“I’d watch for pieces of glass in your eggs. Grace isn’t very happy with you,” Annie teased, and I was relieved she wasn’t traumatized by what she had witnessed moments before.

“I told your sister I’d help her cover up that bruise after we ate. She really shouldn’t be allowed to walk in heels.” Amanda stood on her toes to kiss my cheek as I glanced behind me at Annie again, with her tarnished complexion and her still bare feet from last night.

“Just don’t paint her up. She doesn’t need all that shit on her face.” I tried to keep the harshness from my tone, but when it came to Annie, my judgment became clouded.

Amanda smacked my chest playfully, but she always wore more makeup than I liked. Most of it stemmed from her being self-conscious. Not that it mattered. She suited my needs.

I walked around Amanda and sat down at the large, ornately carved dining room table that looked like something right out of a castle. Connor was frivolous with his cash, something I would have to spend years correcting should his fortune ever get handed down to his pretend children.

Grace set my plate down with more force than necessary as she narrowed her eyes, accentuating the crow’s-feet in her olive skin.

“Grace,” I called after her as she retreated into the kitchen. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. It slipped.”

“Mm-hmm,” was all she said as she disappeared. At nearly sixty years old, she had no patience for my bullshit. Her snow-colored hair was pinned up in a neat bun. She wore a gray dress made out of what looked like burlap, with a white apron tied around her waist. I’d never seen her in anything else.

The woman must have aged twenty years from putting up with our bullshit. Connor had hired her only a week after he took us in; never having children of his own, he wanted Annie to have a woman around. Grace was more of a grandmother figure, and she played the role like one off a sitcom.

Amanda sat down beside me, her denim skirt riding up her thighs as she stole a piece of my toast and took a bite. Her hair was even blonder than the last time I’d seen her, and I wondered how many more trips to the salon before it was whiter than Grace’s. “I love that shirt,” Amanda said to Annie. I couldn’t help but laugh as I glanced over at her, and she winked, proving her point about my choice of women.

I folded my hands in front of me and looked to Annie, who dropped her fork on her plate and clasped her hands together, annoyed but knowing better than to say so. This was a ritual that carried over from our past and was so ingrained in who I was that I would continue to do it, regardless of my feelings, or lack thereof, toward the commune.

“Dear Lord, thank you for this wonderful food and shelter you have provided us. We ask you, Lord, to help Annie fight back against the evil staircase and to protect her from any other inanimate objects that may bring harm her way, and Lord, please bless her with some clothes that actually fit her.”

“Asshole,” Annie groaned, and I tried to fight back a smile, clearing my throat as I opened my eyes. I shoved a bite of scrambled eggs in my mouth, relieved that Grace hadn’t actually put any glass shards in my food, although I couldn’t have blamed her.

I could hear Connor coughing off in the distance as he made his way to the first floor, the stairs creaking under his expanding weight. We glanced back at him as he entered the dining room, taking a seat at the head of the table. My eyes drifted over his charcoal suit, and I shook my head. “You’re going to work?” I asked, knowing he was too sick, but the man had priorities, I had to give him that.

He cleared his throat as Grace brought in a mug of coffee and set it down in front of him. “Thank you, dear.” He picked it up and took a sip before his eyes landed on mine. “Someone needs to pay for all of this stuff. I have cases that are piling up.” But I knew he had become obsessive with his work when his wife had passed away nearly twenty years ago. He had confessed to me one night, not long after we arrived, that helping others helped ebb the guilt from not being able to do more for her as cancer slowly destroyed their lives.

“It wouldn’t kill you to take a few days off, Connor. Enjoy life a little.” I took a sip of my orange juice, my head still throbbing from my hangover. I’d tried, unsuccessfully, for months to get him to take a vacation. He deserved it for putting up with us for the last few years. The man was a saint. I wanted to help him in any way I could, but he wouldn’t budge.

“I’ll be in Jackson for Annie’s birthday. I need you to keep an eye on the house. Don’t let things get too out of hand.” He changed the subject as the girls continued to eat their food.

“I’m sure Grace will keep everyone in line. No one can put the fear of God into someone like she can,” I joked.

“Except for you.” Connor was expressionless as he glanced at me over the rim of his cup, and my eyes narrowed. He didn’t know the half of it.

“I don’t get paid nearly enough for that task,” Grace teased as she sat in one of the empty chairs with a bowl of oatmeal for herself and a freshly sliced peach on a saucer. “I’ll be going with him to make sure he’s getting plenty of rest and taking his medicine. I better not come back to a mess, ya hear?” She took care of Connor like he was her husband, but their relationship was strictly platonic, even though it would do them both some good to enjoy life a little. Still, it made me smile to know she was spending extra time with him, even if it was because of the flu.

“We’ll keep the party low-key. Just a few friends.” I laughed as I shook my head, knowing it would be out of control. Everyone at Annie’s school, West Haven Private Academy, was dying to get inside our house, as well as everyone from Dyer Public.

“What party? I don’t want a party. I’m not leaving this house until my bruise goes away. I look hideous.” Annie rolled her eyes as she scrunched her nose.

“Oh, honey. You have to have a party. The town will be talking about it the rest of the year. The Blakelys are royalty.” Amanda was grinning as she clasped her hands together in front of her teal polo shirt. No doubt she was thinking of the day I would ask her to marry me so she could be one of the elite. She would be waiting a long fucking time. She was oblivious to the circumstances that had brought us into this lavish estate or the endless line of women who filed through the door.

“The party is happening, and you don’t need to worry about leaving the house because we’re having it here.” I raised my eyebrow at Annie. She glanced up at me and looked back down at her plate. Her cheeks tinged pink next to the purple mark. I knew she had thought we had forgotten.

“What happened to your face?” Annie looked at me before looking to Connor, who was leaning toward her, his elbows on either side of his plate. He was just as overprotective of her as I was, and I was glad I wouldn’t carry the burden of keeping her safe alone.

“I slipped going up the stairs.”

“You are as graceful as a newborn fawn,” he joked, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes as his gaze fell to me questioningly. It was a fair judgment on his part. He cared for us equally, but I could take care of myself.

“Being chased by a lion,” she muttered as she glared up at me, and I shook my head, trying not to laugh.

I cleared my throat as I pushed my eggs around my plate. “I thought you needed to go to Jasper for the Raymond case? It’s a slam dunk with the doctor’s deposition.”

Connor looked up at me, his eyes settling on Amanda momentarily. “This is a…private matter.”

I sat straight up as I clenched my jaw and avoided Annie’s questioning stare as I shoveled a bite of food into my mouth. I swallowed hard as I chose my words carefully. “I should go with you. I can’t learn the business if you don’t let me tag along every once in a while.”

Connor laughed nervously as he wiped his mouth with the crimson cloth napkin. “You need to be here for Annabel’s party. It’s a big day. You’ll get your chance soon enough.” He smiled warmly over at Annie, who had her eyebrows drawn together. “Well, I should get my bags together. Grace?” He coughed as he pushed his chair back.

“I’ll be right up.” Grace collected her dishes and carried them into the kitchen as I ran my hand roughly over my jaw. “Ya’ll better go on and get ready. You don’t want to be late for church. God sees everything.” Even knowing about our past, Grace refused to let us blame God. From the first day she arrived, she told us stories from the Bible and how God had given her so much even though we were her only family. Her positive outlook in even the bleakest situations baffled me, but I admired her for it.

“Wouldn’t want that.” Annie rolled her eyes as she stood and stretched. I’d never met a girl as stubborn as her and so dead set on being defiant; it was almost adorable if it wasn’t so damn infuriating.

“I’ll grab my makeup bag from the car.” Amanda stood and bounded down the hall to the front door.

“You’re not going to church in that outfit.” I drummed my fingers against the wooden table as she got up and walked behind me toward the stairs.

“Who’s going to stop me?” she whispered as she continued by.

“Annabel, wait.” She paused as I pushed from my seat and walked toward her, sipping my orange juice as I approached her. “We need to clear something up.”

Her eyebrows pulled together, and I knew her mind was replaying her walking into my bathroom because her cheeks flushed and her gaze fell.

“What I meant to say was change your fucking clothes now.” I tilted the glass toward her, and she shrieked as the cold liquid soaked through her shirt onto her skin.

“You son of a bitch!”

Thirty minutes later, Annie came from her room in a sensible white button-up blouse and black pencil skirt. Her hair was curled perfectly down her back, and there were no traces of the bruise on her face.

We drove my car, a black 300S, to the church. It was just Annie and me. Amanda wasn’t very religious, and I preferred this time to be just the two of us. Church in the South was very much a social event, and our presence was always required to represent the Blakelys.

Annie’s fingers ran over the leather cover of her Bible as she stared out the window, watching the world going by, determined to give me the silent treatment. I reached up and turned down the volume of the radio. “You want to talk about the elephant in the room?” I asked. She raised an eyebrow as her gaze fell to my lap.

“I’d hardly compare you to an elephant,” she deadpanned.

I laughed as I shook my head. “Now you’re just being cruel.”

“I learned from the master.” She blushed and turned her gaze back to her window as I turned the radio back up. We drove a few more blocks before turning into Holy Trinity’s gravel parking lot. I put the car in park and turned to Annie, who was still lost in thought.

“Hey.” I touched her leg, and she jumped. “You all right?”

“Yeah.” She tucked her hair behind her ear with a nervous smile. “I still don’t really like these places.” She shrugged, and I smiled sadly at her.

“This is a long way from the commune.”

Her eyes searched mine before she nodded.

“Good girl. Let’s go.” I got out of the car and rounded the front of the vehicle, pulling open Annie’s door. I held out my hand, and she slid her fingers against mine as I pulled her to her feet.

I put my hand on the small of her back as I guided her toward the door. We were greeted warmly by everyone we passed. Inside, the church was small but air-conditioned and well maintained. I preferred this to the megachurches you see on television. This was more personal, hands on, although not to the degree I was used to.

Annie and I slid into the back pew as she clutched her Bible on her lap. “You forgot your book.”

“Never.” I tapped my finger on the side of my head and winked. She shook her head and suppressed a giggle as the other members found their seats. I cleared my throat to keep myself from laughing as I nodded hello to Shelly Kline. She’d had her eye on me for a year, and it took everything I had to avoid her advances.

“She likes you,” Annie whispered a little too loudly, and Ms. Baker turned around to give us a disapproving glare.

“She’s not my type.”

The service was short and to the point. The preacher spoke about sin and redemption. Before I knew it, we were back on the road speeding toward home.

“Do you believe all of that?” Annie asked, and her gaze cut to me.

“Believe what?” I asked, my eyes focused on the road ahead.

“That sins can just be wiped away? That you can do anything you want and there are no real consequences as long as you ask for forgiveness?”

There was a pregnant pause as I thought over her question. Was she asking for herself? Was she contemplating committing a sin, or was this about acts committed against her? “Some things are unforgivable, little one.”

Her eyes narrowed, and I felt her gaze burning into me. “Do you still…believe in God?”

I looked over at her angelic face, the innocence still lurking beneath her toughened outer shell. “Yes.” I reached for the radio and turned up the volume to end our conversation.

“She’s the one, Colin. She’s the one who came to me in my vision.” Taylor was wildly animated as he dug through the pile of papers on his desk, searching for something.

“You say that about all the new girls.” I tried not to sound bored, but this conversation was getting redundant, and I was growing tired of our monotonous routine. Taylor would bring a new family into our church and force them to live by his standards, only to molest and abuse their children.

“This one is a pretty little thing. You’ll like her. Her name is Annabel.”

He spent years trying to mold me into him, but he only succeeded in wearing away at my conscience until sick and twisted perversions were the only thing that made me feel at all. It didn’t matter to me in whose name I acted.

“She is yours. A gift from God himself.”

Chapter 3 - Annabel

When we returned to the house, Connor was gone, and I assumed he went to his local office to take care of a few things before he left town. I pulled the pearl earrings from my ears and dropped them on my jewelry armoire before unbuttoning my blouse, not being able to get the pretentious clothing off fast enough. I preferred to accentuate my features, not hide them.

I hated going to church every week because it brought back the parts of my past I liked to pretend didn’t exist. A time when I held hope for the future and trusted in humanity.

“Colin, I’d like you to meet Annie. She’s the one I was telling you about. She’s a pretty little thing, isn’t she?” Taylor had his arm around me, and it made me feel uncomfortable, but it would have been impolite to shrug out of his grasp. “Her mother is feeling ill, so I thought it best to get her out of the house so she doesn’t get sick as well. Why don’t you show her around?”

“Yes, sir,” he said with a bright grin. I smiled over at the boy who was much taller than I was and probably a few years older. His dark hair hung into his blue eyes as he looked at me skeptically. Taylor disappeared, and I chewed on my lip as I waited for the Colin to say something. His grin faded and was replaced with a menacing glare, a coldness that made a chill run down my spine.

“All the shelters full?” he snapped, and I flinched as I glanced down at my filthy hand-me-down outfit Taylor had given me.

“We didn’t have a choice.” The feeling of fear that settled in my gut was only growing stronger. Something wasn’t right about this place. When we were brought to the commune, it was only supposed to be for the weekend, but my mom had gotten sick from food poisoning four days ago and was still not doing any better. This was the first time I had been out of the main building since she became ill, and it was like stepping into another world.

“You always have a choice. Well, you did.” His eyes looked me over before he went back to fixing the broken leg of a desk.

“N-no,” I stuttered as I tucked my hair behind my ear, my fingers getting caught in a knot.

He glared up at me skeptically before shaking his head and going back to his project.

“H-how long h-have you been here?” I asked, hoping that this boy would be of some help.

“As long as I can remember.” He sighed as his hands began working again. “Because my mother was a whore. She slept around, found Jesus. Not at the same time.” His sarcastic remark while saying something so sad had caught me off guard.

“You believe that? That she was…a whore?”

His angry blue eyes met mine. “Have you even read the Bible?”

I tucked my dirty blond hair behind my ear and looked down at the wooden floor. “Some.”

“How’d you meet Taylor?” He stood up, stretching his back as he groaned, and I tried not to stare at the crisscross pattern of raised pink scars that covered his flesh from his shoulder blades to the edge of his pants.

“Mom met Taylor at that church soup kitchen on Fowler Street.”

He nodded. “Homeless.”

“N-no. We volunteered on the weekends.” I took a deep breath, trying to slow my thoughts so I could stop stuttering. It was a horrible nervous habit that was exacerbated by fear.

He turned to face me, his eyebrows drawn together as he took in my appearance. “This is a first.”

“He told us we could volunteer here and help others get on their feet.”

“I believe he meant get you on your back.” He rolled his neck against his shoulders and let out a guttural groan.

“What? What is that supposed to mean?”

He looked over at me, emptiness in his eyes. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

I pulled down the zipper on the back of my skirt, shoving it over my hips and stepping out of it as it puddled on the floor. I walked into my expansive closet, and my eyes danced over the racks of clothing all organized by color.

I grabbed a pair of black shorts and a matching tank top to lounge around the house in. It usually took me a few hours to get out of the mental funk church put me in. Ice cream and a good movie usually did the trick.

I pulled on my clothes and walked out of my closet to find Colin lying on my bed, his shoes on my brand-new comforter.

“You could at least take your shoes off. You’re going to get dirt on my bed.” He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Little Orphan Annie.” He shook his head as he pushed from my bed with a smirk on his face, his charcoal suit pants and white button-down wrinkled. He had the cuffs unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows, revealing the expansive cross tattoo down his inner right forearm.

“What movie are we watching?” he asked as he stopped in my doorway and grabbed the frame over his head.

“You’re going to grace me with your presence? Surely you have some child to steal lunch money from or perhaps a puppy to kick around.”

He winked and sauntered off into his room as he laughed. I shook my head and ran my hand over my comforter to make sure there were no dirt marks left behind from his shoes.

Colin always knew how to get under my skin. He got some sick sense of enjoyment from it because he knew he was the only person who could hurt my feelings. I’d learned to overcome, adapt, and adjust to anything thrown at me…except for him.

I made my way down to the first floor. I walked through the hallway by the dining room and was turning right at the kitchen when Colin’s voice rang out from behind me.

“Buttered or unbuttered?” he asked, and I turned to see him shirtless, still wearing his suit pants, but the button was undone, and they rode low on his hips, revealing the V of muscles that disappeared below the fabric.

“What?”

“For the movie.” He held up a bag of popcorn as he leaned back casually against the counter, a knowing smirk on his lips.

“Yeah, whatever.” I spun around and headed into the media room. I looked over the bookshelves lined with movies, my eyes dancing over the spines as I read the titles under my breath. We had a collection of thousands. I stood on my toes as my fingers slid over the cases. Long fingers wrapped over my hipbone, causing me to jump back against Colin’s bare chest.

“You scared me,” I huffed.

“If I had a dollar for every time I elicited that response from a woman.” He put a tumbler glass to his lips and drank back a thick amber liquid. I nudged my elbow into his stomach to make him take a step back.

“Not something to be proud of. How many of those have you had?” I asked as I looked up at him over my shoulder.

“Not nearly enough.” He tipped it to his lips again and drained the last of it from his glass before setting it on a side table without a coaster. I tried not to cringe at the watermark it was going to leave on a table that probably cost a small fortune.

“Let’s watch”—his long fingers slid over the movie cases—“this one.” He pulled out the case for Flowers in the Attic.

“Seriously? No.” I took the movie and shoved it back in its spot as my entire body felt hot. Why was he acting like this?

“What’s wrong with a little brotherly love?” he joked as he leaned closer to my neck, his breath tickling my skin as his mouth ghosted over the sensitive flesh. I closed my eyes, breathing in the smell of his No. 1 cologne.

“You are not my brother.” I sidestepped away from him as I focused on finding something to watch. I normally chose something romantic, but I knew that wouldn’t fly with Colin around. I still had to try.

“How about this?” I pulled out Sweet Home Alabama, and he looked like he was going to be physically ill. He grabbed another case and pulled it out as he raised an eyebrow, challenging me.

“The Borgias?” I sighed dramatically as I stuck my movie back on the shelf. “I’ll just go read a book or something.” I started to walk away, but he grabbed my wrist, stopping me. I froze, slowly looking over my shoulder behind me as he pulled me back to him, the playful smirk now gone.

“Pick something.” His hand fell to his side, and he walked over to the large brown leather couch and sat down in the center next to his bowl of popcorn. I was getting whiplash from his rapidly changing moods.

I studied the titles, trying to find something I hadn’t seen before, but I knew no matter what I chose I’d be struggling to pay attention with him at my side.

“You should really put some clothes on.” His eyes ran slowly up the length of my legs.

I looked down over myself. I was perfectly covered, and it wasn’t like I was going to be leaving the house. “You should put some clothes on,” I replied dryly, and he chuckled softly as my eyes drifted over his chest and down his abs.

Chapter 4 - Colin

I watched Annie’s finger slide across the spines of the movies, and occasionally she would stretch up on to her toes, making her legs look miles long even though she was only about five foot five. The fact that I still didn’t know where she’d been going or who she’d been seeing weighed heavily on my mind, and I wasn’t above some harmless flirtation to get the information I needed from her. I could say I was worried about her safety, but jealousy was what fueled my inquisition. No one should be putting his hands on her.

She finally held up a case with her lower lip pulled between her teeth as she waited for my approval.

I nodded, not bothering to see what she chose, and she hurried to put the disc in the Bluray player before walking back toward the couch. I patted the cushion next to me, but she sat a foot away, her bare legs pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them.

“What’s this about?” I asked as she put her cheek on top of her knees, her face toward me.

She shrugged and reached for the popcorn. I pulled the bowl away as she glared at me, reaching farther as she stretched over me before pulling her arm back.

“I asked you a question.”

Her eyes locked on mine, challenging me before she reached again.

“Fine. Take it.” I set the bowl on my lap, and she fell back into her seat and reached her hand into the bowl to grab a handful. I relaxed, stretching out my legs and tucking my hand behind my head. The movie began, and the warmth of the alcohol was settling deep in my stomach and spreading throughout my body, but it was doing nothing to numb the thoughts that crept to the forefront of my mind. They were always present, haunting.

“It’s about this psychic in a small town, and she starts getting visions about a girl who’s missing.”

I smirked; even as defiant as she was, she still always listened to me one way or another. My cock twitched in response to her obedience.

“Sounds boring. I may need to find other ways to entertain myself.” I felt her gaze cut to me. I sighed as the opening of the movie seemed to drag on, but Annie was absolutely entranced and lost in the unraveling mystery. I pulled out my cell phone and began to scroll through the contacts, stopping on Leslie. I clicked the call button and stared off at the television as it rang, waiting for her to answer.

“Hello?” she answered with a thick Southern drawl.

“It’s been a while. Have you forgotten about me?” I asked as I pictured her bent over my desk as I took her from behind, her long, honey-colored ponytail wrapped around my fist.

“Like that’s possible. I’m in Texas.”

“That’s a shame. I was looking for some company.”

Annie groaned and turned up the volume on the television as her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t look my way.

“I’ll be back early next week. I could drop by.” There was a hopeful eagerness in her voice. None of these girls gave me the thrill of the chase, but at least they didn’t mind when I got a little too rough.

“I’ll already have replaced you by then, sweetheart,” I joked, and Annie glared at me, causing me to laugh. I pushed up from the couch and walked into the hallway to get away from her.

“That’s not funny,” Leslie shot back as I paced the floor, running my hand over my hair. She began to ramble on about visiting family and how her uncle was ill and not expected to make it. I didn’t give a fuck about her problems, her hopes, or her dreams. She served a purpose, and when she didn’t satisfy that urge any longer, she would be gone.

There was only one constant in my life, and that was Annabel. Her appearance was similar, but she couldn’t be more different from those girls. Even as she tried to prove otherwise, she was still the innocent one.

I plopped down on the couch next to her, our sides grazing each other as I rolled my eyes and focused on the movie. She adjusted herself like she was going to move away, but she stayed by my side.

I tried to shelter her from it as much as I could, but after the shower incident, it was all I could think about, weaving its way through my subconscious.

She was still clutching her knees to her chest, and I reached to the end of the couch and grabbed the red woven throw and laid it over her. She gave me a sideways glance but pulled it over her as she put her legs down.

“You can be pretty nice sometimes when you want to be,” she said, and I laughed, running my hand over my hair.

“The problem is I don’t want to be.” I studied her profile as she reacted to my words, her pink lips parting slightly and her chest rising a little farther and faster. That brought my gaze lower, and I turned to look at the television, closing my eyes as I pushed the thoughts from my mind.

The fog that had taken up permanent residence in my conscience as a child was now back in place, blinding me from the consequences of my actions. We always had a choice in life. I chose to give in to the darker side of my soul. The side that gained satisfaction from control. The side that was on the brink of starvation, waiting, biding its time until I was able to feed it again. It craved the wrong.

I did it all for the greater good, but now I wasn’t sure what that was and if I could really justify it as anything other than pure evil.

“She isn’t like the others.” The muscles ticked over my jaw as I clenched and unclenched my fists.

“What do you mean? Of course she is.” Taylor glanced back at me over his shoulder before continuing to type away at his next sermon on his laptop.

“She’s not.” I slammed my open palms down on the edge of his desk, bent over and glaring. This was wrong. This was all wrong from everything he had taught me. His eyes met mine with a warning glare.

Physically Taylor was no match for me, but mentally he had whittled me down to the same depraved, heartless creature he was. I looked up to him for guidance, and he fed my hunger—a hunger that he had helped create. His fingers stopped moving against the keyboard, and he eyed me intently.

“She scares you?” he asked rhetorically, and I stood, shaking my head as I paced the floor, my hands fisted in my hair.

“Nothing scares me.” I glared over at him, but he simply sighed and relaxed back in his seat, ignoring my thinly veiled threat.

“Perhaps I chose the wrong son,” he mused, and I felt the familiar boiling rage begin to simmer inside the pit of my stomach. Taylor liked to pit the boys of the church against each other. He got a sick thrill from watching us commit unspeakable acts to compete for his affection. “You don’t find her attractive, is that it?” He pulled off his brown-rimmed glasses and tossed them on the desk in front of him.

“She’s a good person. She doesn’t deserve—”

He cut me off as he stood, his face shacking in anger and turning red. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!” His words echoed in the small space. “Is it my fault that she has deceived you?”

“No, sir,” I responded without hesitation.

“Then find out what her transgressions are. That is your job. If you ever question my decisions again, you will be on the street.” He sat back in his seat, his hand smoothing over his dark, greasy hair as he expelled a heavy breath. “Don’t let her fool you, son. That is the devil working.”

I nodded and pulled open his office door, propelling myself into the cool night air. I bent over, my hands on my knees as I struggled to gain control over myself. This girl was playing me, toying with me.

I headed across the dark field with a mission. I was going to find out what it was that Annabel was hiding.

My eyes opened at the familiar sound of heavy breathing. They fell first to the television, where a woman stood wearing only panties, being pursued by a man. Next I took note of Annie’s heavy breaths as she focused intently on the sexual encounter unfolding on the screen. She hadn’t yet noticed that my eyes had opened, and she did nothing to hide her curiosity.

I watched with her, scrutinizing her response to force and violence as she slowly raised a few kernels of popcorn to her mouth. But her reaction wasn’t one of repulsion and fear—it was fascination. The idea of her accepting and not batting an eye at the kind of things that made me hard scared me and thrilled me at the same time. I knew whatever she had learned about relationships was knowledge gained from seeing me satisfy the darker side of my soul. Even after we escaped from Taylor, she never really had a fighting chance.

I told myself protecting Annabel was the right thing to do, but it was also penance for the person I was. I needed her good to balance my bad, and she needed me to keep her safe. I was all she had left. Connor and Grace could never understand. Annabel herself had barely skimmed the surface of what she was involved in, and I wanted to keep her in the dark for as long as possible.

“What are your plans for the day, little one?” I asked, and she startled.

“I have a report I need to finish on the adverse effects of corporal punishment used on children.” I laughed and shook my head, my eyes going back to the television. “Yeah, so that will be fun. But if Connor and Grace aren’t back, I can always skip school tomorrow.”

“Not a chance.”

“I wasn’t asking.”

I looked over at her, her eyebrow raised in challenge.

“You had a private tutor.”

“I had antisocial tendencies and a habit of challenging authority.” I laughed as the credits rolled on the screen in front of us.

“I don’t doubt that.”

We fell silent as we both sat, unmoving. “So this guy…” I let my voice trail off.

“He’s just a guy.” She shrugged as she pulled on a loose thread on the blanket.

“Is he a good guy?”

“Are you?” she shot back.

“That’s a loaded question.” I stood up, stretching, and when I looked down at her, her smile fell. “What?”

“Did that hurt?”

I sighed as I thought of the marks that covered my back. “Don’t.” I walked over to the shelves of movies, scanning the titles. I didn’t know if it bothered me more that she was asking about them or that she looked upset over my injuries. I was no one for her to feel sorry for. While I’d received them for not doing what I was told, I’d earned them by following through with the orders. But answering that question perplexed me. If you take a child and never show him affection, any attention received is positive in his eyes. Coupling that with the twisted abusive behavior and dominance that was instilled in me so young, I learned to derive gratification from receiving pain as well as giving. It was a release, a way to atone for my sins.

She stood and walked up to my side. My scars should have been a warning to not get close to someone like me, but Annabel saw my dominant side as a reflection of my overprotective nature toward her. My eyes closed as her hand ran softly over my back. Her featherlight touch on my own wounds more painful than when I had received them.

“Annabel, stop,” I bit out, but she continued on, her fingers trailing over the raised welts. My body stiffened, not wanting someone to give me affection I didn’t deserve. It turned my stomach, and for once I was completely thrown off guard. So I did what I knew best, and I instilled fear in her.

“I said fucking stop,” I seethed as I grabbed her by her shoulders and slammed her small body against the movies, causing the shelves to shake. Her green eyes were wide with fright, and now I was the one desperate to touch. Her fear was palpable, and while I knew I was pushing away the one person who even remotely began to understand me, it was for her own good. She didn’t have to understand as long as she listened. But listening to me was something Annabel rarely did anymore. She’d become too comfortable in my presence, and now she ignored the alarms that would set a normal person on edge. That was what terrified me about her seeing this guy. I had no idea what kind of person he was, but I knew Annie wouldn’t be as cautious as she should be.

“Annabel…” I rested my forehead against the case, my body hovering over hers, caging her in with my arms on her shoulders. Her name came out like a plea for help.

“I-I’m sorry.”

I lifted my head and looked at her. The fear-induced stutter let me know I had succeeded in making her understand.

I took a step back from her, running my hand along my jaw before turning and leaving the room, desperate to put distance between us.

Chapter 5 - Annabel

I was left in shock. Was my touch that repulsive to him? I quietly climbed the stairs, glancing over at Colin’s door, which was closed, music blaring from inside. I entered my room, grabbing my laptop and sitting down on my bed to work on my report.

The topic of physical punishment to children was heavy, but anything that would take my mind off my life was a welcome reprieve. I began typing and forced myself not to look up from the screen when Colin left his room, slamming his door and hurrying down the steps. The front door slammed next, and I sighed as I jumped from the jarring sound, glancing up to notice he hadn’t locked his door.

I chewed my lip and entered another query into the search engine, my finger tapping the back key as I typed out “Descendants of God.” The screen immediately flooded with links, and I clicked the top one, a news story with the first picture of a girl who was beaten until she was unrecognizable. I closed the window and focused on the task at hand.

My report grew from a few hundred words to several thousand, and my stomach rumbled from hunger. I glanced out of my doorway, noting that Colin still hadn’t returned. Where the hell could he have gone in such a hurry?

I saved my paper and set my laptop on my bed, thankful that at least the house was empty. I left my room, pausing to look at his door, but I hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen.

I grabbed a dish of Grace’s macaroni salad and set it on the counter while I grabbed a fork, eating directly from the container. Tears stung my eyes, and my throat grew thick with sadness as I recalled my mother’s macaroni salad that she always made for any event or holiday. We didn’t have any extra, but we always had what we needed and helped others as much as we could. She was a good and decent woman who would have done anything for anyone.

I replaced the plastic lid and stuck it back in the fridge, my hunger squelched. I climbed the stairs, stopping to look back at the front door before taking a slow step toward Colin’s room. I paused, my heart racing as if he would burst through the door at any second. When the house remained silent, I grabbed the handle and turned, my eyes closed in a silent prayer that I wouldn’t get caught. The door opened, and I shoved it, staring at his clinical, pristine room. His walls were white and the bed a deep blue that matched his curtains. I tiptoed across the beige carpet and pulled open the heavy wooden nightstand drawer. Inside were a notepad and pen, an empty prescription bottle, an open box of condoms, and a broken watch. I closed it and turned around, glancing at the other furniture. The antique dry sink held several glass decanters and tumbler glasses.

I slipped inside his bathroom and glanced around, my cheeks heating from the memory of him inside it when he was doing unmentionable things to himself. I pulled open the cabinet under the sink, which held extra bottles of body wash and shampoo. I sighed as I stood up and let the door close. There was nothing good in here. That was when I heard the front door and heavy footfalls on the steps as a woman giggled.

There was no way to leave his room without being seen. I glanced around, panic setting in, and I was unable to think. I pulled open the shower door and slipped inside, pulling it closed just as they entered. From the mirror in front of me above the sink, I could see two figures enter the room. Colin turned around and was looking behind him. Shit. I had forgotten to close my bedroom door. His door closed behind them with a thud, and my heart beat wildly against my chest.

I watched through fogged glass and darkness as Colin pulled his tan shirt over his head. The female had light hair that faded to brown underneath. She was wearing tight jeans and a tube top, and she was definitely not Amanda. I watched as he shoved her back onto the bed, and she laughed, crawling back farther as he came down on top of her, his mouth on her neck. Her hands crept over his shoulders, and he grabbed them, pinning them over her head and holding them there with one hand. His other slid over her chest and down to her jeans as he undid them and tugged them down over her hip as she bucked against him.

Placing my hands over my mouth to keep from gasping audibly, I watched with wide eyes as he ordered her to keep her hands over her head so he could remove her pants. There were no whispered words and affection. Colin looked down at her like she was his prey and he was ready to attack. He slowly undid his jeans as she gazed up at him.

“Roll over,” he barked, and the girl obeyed without hesitation, pushing up on her hands and knees, her top still in place. Colin didn’t even bother getting completely undressed. He reached inside his dark boxer briefs and gripped himself in his fist, stroking beneath the fabric as he looked down at her. My entire body felt warm as I watched, holding my breath.

He pulled himself free from the confines of the fabric, still stroking as he grabbed her hip and positioned himself to enter her from behind. My hand fell from my mouth, down over my small breast, squeezing it under my palm as Colin leaned over her, his hand sliding over her chest as he whispered something in her ear. She turned her head and smiled, and he straightened his body, pulling open the side table drawer and grabbing a condom. He bit down on the corner of the wrapper, tearing open the package. I watched in amazement as he slid the thin plastic over himself, rolling it down his length. I was shocked at the size of him, and so was the woman. She gasped as he slid inside her, and she cried out with pleasure.

The fogged glass was making it difficult to make out details, and as he grabbed her hair, pulling her head back, I stepped forward to get closer to the glass. The door clanked against its latch, and I jumped back against the sandstone tile, pressing my body into the wall and hiding myself in the shadows.

The gasps from his visitor turned into moans, and the sound of flesh hitting flesh in a steady rhythm filled the air. I only hoped he was gentlemanly enough to walk her to the door when it was over so I’d have a chance to get back to my room without being seen. I stared at the large tiles for what seemed like an eternity, my palms slick with nervous sweat as I waited for them to finish. Finally, with a growl and a cry of pleasure, the room fell quiet.

“I can leave my number,” she purred, and it sounded like she was getting dressed.

“No need,” he replied, and I cringed for her at the rejection. A few more words were exchanged, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying before footsteps grew farther away and the front door opened and closed.

“Are you going to come out, or do I have to come get you?” Colin called out, and I squeezed my eyes closed, wishing I could disappear. I held perfectly still, hoping by some miracle he was talking to some other crazy idiot hiding in his room. “Little one…” He drew out the endearment, and I groaned as I stepped forward and opened the shower door. I ducked my head, unable to look him in the eye as I made a beeline for the door.

“Annabel,” he said, and I froze beside his bed. “Look at me.”

I slowly lifted my chin and looked down at Colin, who was wearing his jeans, button undone, and lying across his bed, arm tucked behind his head. He looked relaxed, and a hint of a smile played on his lips.

“Um…sorry…I was looking for…”

He raised his eyebrow as he waited for me to finish my lie, but I was at a loss as I stared at his body, covered in a thin layer of sweat, the guttural moans still fresh in my mind. “You’re making a habit of this,” he stated, still not looking the least bit bothered as I squirmed.

“Sorry.” I turned to leave the room but stopped. “How long did you know I was in there?” I glanced over my shoulder, and he smiled widely, revealing his perfect teeth, dimples settling into his cheeks. I felt myself turn ten shades of red as I left his room, pulling his door closed behind me.

I sat on my bed and pulled my laptop open and began typing furiously to rid my mind of what had just happened.

I didn’t stop until I was yawning and forcing my eyes to focus on the screen. I saved the document and set my computer on the stand next to my bed, falling back against my pillow.

Colin stumbled in the door of his cabin, and I hurried to his side to help him. I wrapped my hands around his arm, but he pulled from my grasp, angry at me.

“What happened?” I asked. He looked ill, and he was covered in sweat.

“I’m fine.” He trudged over to his bed and lay facedown across it. Long, thick wounds across his back wept blood.

“Who did this to you?” I rushed to his side, my hand hovering above him, afraid to touch his fresh injuries. He groaned but didn’t answer. I hurried into the bathroom and dampened a washcloth, adding soap.

“What are you doing?” he asked, raising his head, but his eyes were hooded, and he seemed slightly disoriented.

“I’m going to take care of you.” I climbed onto the bed on my knees as I looked down at his injuries. Very carefully I rubbed the washcloth over him. He inhaled sharply, his body stiffening under my touch.

“You shouldn’t help me,” he moaned, but he didn’t move, and I continued to clean him until all of the blood was gone.

“What kind of person would I be if I didn’t help you?”

His eyes blinked open. “You would be like me.”

I awoke to the sound of the annoying buzzing of my alarm clock next to my head. I swung my arm out, feeling for it and gasping as my fingers landed on someone else’s. My eyes flew open as the sound ceased, and I was staring up at Colin, who did not look pleased.

“That’s the third fucking time it’s gone off.” I groaned and rolled away from him and felt for the floor below my feet.

“Why are you in my room?” I asked as I stifled a yawn.

“Interesting question coming from you,” he mused.

“Do you need something?” I glanced over my shoulder at him, taking in the stubble along his jaw.

“I need you to get ready so we can leave.”

“You’re going to have to give me some privacy.” I rolled my eyes and pushed from my bed as I made my way to my closet, feeling like I hadn’t gotten any sleep. I pulled one of my uniforms from the hanger and tossed it on my bed.

“Five minutes.” He turned and left the room, leaving the door wide open.

I groaned, mumbling expletives under my breath as I shoved it closed and pulled off my black tank and shorts.

I was ready in ten minutes, and Colin was standing outside my door with his arms crossed over his chest. I finished buttoning my white shirt, leaving it untucked over the gray plaid skirt. I opted for a high ponytail, not wanting to take the time to curl my hair. My bruise was fading, so a dab of concealer and a quick coat of mascara and I was ready to start the day.

“Those uniforms should be against the law,” Colin mumbled as he followed me down the stairs in a white T-shirt and faded jeans. He pulled open the front door, taking my book bag from my hand as he waited for me to walk out in front of him. I slowed my pace as he walked casually to the passenger side door of the 300 and pulled it open for me. I slid in, careful not to expose myself in my skirt, which I had rolled a couple times at the waist so it wouldn’t be as long. Colin shook his head as he closed the door after me, but for once he didn’t scold me for my fashion decision.

Chapter 6 - Colin

It took everything I had not to force her to fix her fucking uniform, but I didn’t have time to argue with her. We were running late, and I needed all the time I could get to work on Connor’s cases to get them organized and ready for his return.

With his health, he was barely keeping up without my help.

“Did you finish your assignment?”

“Yeah,” she answered but didn’t elaborate.

“I’m curious as to your conclusion.”

“My thoughts on corporal punishment?” She glanced over at me, and I knew she was thinking about my scars. “I think it’s horrible.”

I turned down Whitaker Street toward town. “It’s not always a bad thing. I know why you think that, but sometimes it can be used for…pleasure.” My eyes cut to her, and she had her fingers knotted together on her lap.

“I don’t see how you can say that after what was done to you.”

I fought against a smirk. Was it really possible that she didn’t understand just how twisted and fucked up I was? When all this was said and done, would she be able to make it out of everything unscathed?

“I’m glad you don’t understand.” I pulled onto Chaplain Drive and into the parking lot of her school. The parking lot was nearly empty. She pushed open her door to hurry inside.

“Annabel,” I called after her, and she turned, bending down to look at me. “Your bag.” I grabbed the strap of her Coach messenger bag and held it out for her.

“Thanks.” She smiled and closed the door. I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel as I waited for her to cross the lot and enter the school.

I drove downtown to Connor’s office to grab a few files. As I entered, I winked at the receptionist, who was busy answering the phone.

“Bentley Law,” she answered, but she placed her hand over the receiver and whispered to me, “Welcome back, Mr. Bentley.”

The office reminded me of home, lots of oversized ornately carved mahogany and natural stone tiles. I grabbed the stack of files from the top of Connor’s desk, pausing when I caught a Post-it note with the letters “D.O.G.” written across it. Descendants of God. I picked up the folder and glanced over my shoulder before flipping it open. I slid it under the pile in my hands and decided to take it back to the house so I could read through it without prying eyes around.

“Rachel, can you forward my calls to the house?” I asked as I walked back into the lobby. She smiled, nodding once as she continued with her call.

I tossed the folders onto the passenger seat and hurried back to the house, my curiosity getting the better of me. I pulled out my cell and hit the speed dial for Connor.

“You up to no good?” Grace asked without even saying hello. She followed her question with a rich laugh.

“Always,” I replied as I slowed to a stop at a red light. “How is Connor feeling?”

“He’s still in bed. The coughing kept him up most of the night.”

“Will you have him call me when he wakes? I have a few questions about a case.”

“I will do that. Is the house still in one piece?”

“Of course.”

“And Annie?”

“Annie is also in one piece.” I laughed, turning into our long driveway.

We said our good-byes, and I ended the call. I grabbed my work and made my way inside and up to the third floor. The next few hours blew by as I immersed myself in the files.

Before I knew it, it was time to get Annie, and I had hardly gotten anywhere. I leaned back against the door of my car, soaking in some of the hot Mississippi sun as I waited to for Annie to come out of her school. A cluster of girls walked down the front steps, and I smirked as they giggled, looking over at me. My eyes were drawn to Annabel as she walked down the steps, alone. Her face lit up when she saw me, but she turned when a boy called her name. I took a step from the car, not sure if he was bothering her. She laughed, her hand going against his chest, and I struggled to keep my feet planted.

She continued walking toward me, her ponytail swaying behind her with each step. I fixed a smile on my face and walked her to her side, pulling open the door. My eyes locked on the boy who’d just been talking to her. He stared back for a moment before looking to the ground. Bitch. Satisfied by his submissive response, I rounded the front of the car and got in next to her.

“How was your day?” I asked, my eyes dancing over her face.

“It was school.” She rolled her eyes as she reached for the radio. I grabbed her hand before she could change the station. She pushed her teeth into her lower lip as I held it for a fraction of a second longer than necessary.

“This is a good song.” I turned up the volume as Hinder played.

“I can’t wait to get my own car.”

“I like driving you around. Makes it easier to keep an eye on you.”

“I don’t need you to watch my every move.” She rolled her eyes.

“I like watching you.” I saw her fight against a smile as she looked out her door window.

“You could at least let me drive.”

“I’m a driver, not a passenger.”

Chapter 7 - Jacob

I was beginning to lose my mind. I was stretched out on my bed as I bounced a tennis ball off the wall.

My stomach growled, but I refused to leave my room until he left. I didn’t need another lecture about how I was an embarrassment. Smoking a little weed wasn’t that big of a deal. All he had to do was flash his stupid tin badge, and all of my problems disappeared. It made me hate him even more. Just sweep everything under the rug, and no one bats an eye. I threw the ball with a little more force, and it bounced off to the other side of my room, hitting my dresser before rolling under my bed. I couldn’t wait to get out of this fucking hellhole.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath as I groaned and sat up, my hands gripping the edge of the mattress. I looked over at the full-length mirror across the room. My skin was pale from barely leaving the house for the last few months. Without my shirt I was still muscular and lean, but I no longer looked as healthy. Dark circles marred the underside of my bloodshot eyes. I pulled down my maroon starter cap low on my head to hide them.

I glanced past my own reflection to the corner of the window that was visible behind me. I could see the trees off in the distance. I shook my head and ran the heels of my hands over my face.

“Smokey the bear,” I chuckled to myself as I dug into my jean pocket and pulled out a bowl that was already packed full of weed. I pushed from the bed and crossed my room quietly, listening for signs of movement. The house was silent. I slipped on my sneakers but didn’t bother with a shirt. It had been humid for days, and I could use a little bit of sun. I shoved the bowl back in my pocket, feeling around for my lighter and cigarettes before heading down the steps and out onto the back porch. I stretched my arms over my head, gripping the porch roof with my fingertips.

I twisted to my left at the sound of a female voice and grinned as I caught Natalie stepping off her porch, her cell phone to her ear.

“Nat,” I called over to her. My voice was deep, and the sound carried. She stopped, startled, but shook her head as she said something into her phone. I couldn’t help but grin. She had a crush on me but pretended she hated me. That is until we were alone. Then she couldn’t keep her hands off me.

“What do you want, J?” she asked as she walked closer, her arms folded over her chest and her face screwed up in anger.

“Where you flying around to now, little Nat?” I pulled the cigarettes from my pocket, knocking the pack against the heel of my hand to knock one loose. I stuck it between my lips and squinted into the sun as I dug for my lighter.

“Stop calling me that. If I bug you so much, why did you call me over?” She tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder as she glared up at me from the steps below.

I took a deep drag as I stuck the lighter back in my pocket, slowly breathing out a cloud of smoke toward her. She waved it away dramatically as she coughed. While she was distracted, I took the time to look over her long tan legs.

“I didn’t, sweetheart.” I flicked my ashes and adjusted my hat.

“Whatever. You’re dumb.” She rolled her eyes and shifted her weight from foot to foot like she was going to walk away. I knew she was waiting for me to stop her or apologize, but I loved frustrating her. She looked so damn cute with her cheeks flushed pink and her nose wrinkled up in disgust.

My stomach rumbled, and I ran my hand over it, wondering what Dad had inside to eat. I watched Nat’s eyes follow my fingers as I moved lower, stopping at the waistband of my boxers. I paused my hand, watching her. After a moment she realized she was staring, and her eyes snapped up to mine, wide with embarrassment. I couldn’t help but laugh at the look on her face when she realized she had been caught.

“Why don’t you put some clothes on?” Her head tilted to the side as she pushed her hip out. I loved how thick her country accent grew the madder she became. Nat had only lived next door for a few weeks. After her dad was laid off from some factory back in Arkansas, her whole family had moved in with her aunt, making my less-than-legal habits harder to conceal.

“Who would you drool over if I did that?” I winked at her as I pulled another drag from my smoke.

“You going to the Blakely party on Wednesday?”

“What party?”

She shrugged. “Annabel Blakely’s birthday. It’s going to be huge. I might stop in. You should come with me.”

“You want to hang out with those pretentious assholes?”

“Her brother is hot,” she said with a smirk, and I rolled my eyes. Nat thought everyone was fucking hot. “You shouldn’t smoke.”

“Why is that?” I cleared my throat as I gazed over her head to the wheat field, trying to imagine what Annie was doing right now and why I was the last person to know about her party. It had been three days since I’d seen her, and I was getting worried. We never went more than a day or two without seeing each other. Maybe we weren’t as close as I thought.

“It will kill you.” Her voice cut off my thoughts, and I clenched my jaw to fight off an ignorant retort. Nat’s grandpa had died from lung cancer a few months back. Not even I was cruel enough to open that old wound. I flicked the cigarette by her onto the old dirt road that was now covered with fresh gravel.

“Well this has been fun…and slightly depressing. I gotta run.” I walked down the steps, intentionally bumping my shoulder against hers as I passed.

“Where are you going?” she called after me as I stepped into the field. I didn’t bother turning around as I put a hand in the air to wave.

“Hunting a bear.” I smiled to myself as I pictured her rolling her eyes and shaking her head in frustration.

I could have invited her along. It would have been nice to have some company, but it felt wrong to bring strangers there. This place was a secret, a promise I was going to keep for Annie.

Sweat covered my body instantly under the overbearing summer sun. My heart began to race the closer I got to the tree line. I needed to see her today.

I walked the worn path to our tree; with a missing branch and bulbous trunk, it resembled a bear sitting up. I sat down in the grass, leaning against the trunk and letting the bark dig into my back. I pulled my bowl from my pocket and took a hit. The smoke filled my lungs, and I let my eyes close as I held it in until my chest burned from the lack of oxygen. I coughed, forcing myself to pant for air, escalating my high. I dumped the ashes into the grass as my eyes went unfocused, and I pictured Annie climbing through the fence in one of her short dresses.

I drummed my fingers on my leg as a song I couldn’t name played in my head, and I waited. I fought the urge to smoke a cigarette, knowing Annie hated the smell, but soon my impatience won over, and I pulled the pack out of my pocket. Why wouldn’t she invite me to her party? Why was she so damn adamant about keeping me from meeting her family? I always thought she was ashamed to be seen with me, but now the nagging feeling that she was seeing someone else crept into the back of my mind. It had been months. How long would it take before she realized I wasn’t going anywhere?

I lit the cigarette and was only able to take a single drag before the fence board ahead moved. I pushed to my feet, stumbling slightly, and held the cigarette with my lips. I grabbed the board and set it to the side. Annie smiled, and I grabbed her hand to help her step through the hole. Her hair was blonder than usual due to the summer sun. She wore it braided to the side, and it lay over her shoulder. I dropped my cigarette and stepped on it quickly so I could pull her into my arms, not caring if I caused her designer clothes to be soiled by the smell.

“I was worried.” I squeezed her tightly, and her arms wrapped around my neck.

“I told you I wouldn’t be able to see you for a few days, and you know I had church this morning.” She pulled back to look me over, and her eyes narrowed as they landed on mine, which were no doubt bloodshot.

“I forgot.” I laughed as I picked up her braid and tugged on it. She took a step back and folded her arms over her chest as her eyebrow rose.

“You forgot about me?”

“Not you. Never you.” I smiled crookedly, and she struggled not to smile back. “You know you’re my favorite person.”

“Well, maybe if you put God first you wouldn’t be such a heathen,” she teased.

“One imaginary friend at a time. I’m still not entirely sure you’re real.” I winked, and her cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment.

“I don’t understand you sometimes.” She shook her head, causing some hair to fall loose from her braid, framing her face.

I tried not to frown at her statement. “You’re the only person who understands me, Annie.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Now I’m dramatic?” I put my hand over my heart, stumbling to the side. “I’ve waited days to see you. Right here.” I pointed to the tree that looked like an old grizzly. “I’ve sat in the lap of a bear.”

She giggled as she cocked her head to the side. “Liar.”

“OK. I waited for you here.” I patted my chest over my heart. “Forever.”

Her blush deepened as she tucked the loose hair behind her ear, her gaze dropping to the ground between us.

“But I’m always going to have to wait, aren’t I?” I took step closer to her, closing the gap between us. She sucked in a quick breath as her eyes met mine.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Her eyes narrowed.

I stepped forward as she shook her head. “Why didn’t you tell me about your party?”

“I didn’t know about it.”

“You sure you just didn’t want me there to embarrass you?”

“Where is this coming from? I’m not like you. I don’t know how this is supposed to work.”

Her words cut through me, and if it were possible, my heart would have crumbled inside my chest, reducing me to nothing. That would have been more kind than having to look her in the eye and try to mask the pain she had just inflicted.

“You’re right.” I laughed sardonically and took a step back. “You’re absolutely right.”

“Jacob, please don’t be upset with me. That’s not what I meant.”

“Explain it to me, Annie.” My voice rose as I let the anger that haunted me like a shadow creep back in. Growing so comfortable with Annie had left her to take the brunt of my anger. I had no one else.

“My life is very different from yours.” Her voice was so quiet I barely heard her words.

“Yeah, no shit. Why do you hang around with someone like me anyway? You want to save me?” I don’t remember my feet moving, but I was in her face, looking down at her as her eyes filled with tears. “You pray for me? Is that it? Am I your good deed to get into heaven?”

“Please don’t make fun of me.” She swiped her fingers over her cheek to wipe away a tear that had fallen.

“Don’t make it so easy,” I snapped back between clenched teeth, the brim of my hat nearly touching her forehead.

I turned around and began walking through the trees, needing to distance myself from the one person who could make the pain go away.

“Jacob,” she called after me. My feet were moving, but my heart had stopped. “Please don’t leave this way.”

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the pain laced in her words. It killed me that I was hurting her, but my pride wouldn’t let it go. “There are plenty of girls who wouldn’t mind holding my hand in town.”

“Is that what you want? You want to be my boyfriend?”

“No. It’s not.” I was being cruel, but I was pissed off at my father, and Annie was the only other person I had, so naturally she bore the brunt of my anger. The thought of someone so special to me being too embarrassed to be seen with me killed me inside. “This is the only way it can be.” I didn’t turn around because I knew if I saw her face I’d never be able to walk away. “Have a nice life.” I began walking, blocking out everything as I made my way out of the trees and across the field. I pulled a cigarette from my pack and lit it. I wasn’t being fair. I couldn’t expect her to understand where I was coming from. But that was part of the problem. Her life was so easy.

As I reached the dirt road, I noticed Nat sitting on the steps of her porch, her long tan legs stretched before her in shorts that shouldn’t be legal.

“Do I even want to know what you were doing out there?” she called out playfully.

I glanced over my shoulder at the trees and began walking toward her porch. “You really don’t.”

Her tongue ran out over her lower lip, causing it to glisten in the sunlight. My body reacted, and for the first time it wasn’t accompanied by guilt. I always knew Annie was too good for me, but knowing it and hearing it were too different things.

“You want to hang out?” I asked, pretending I didn’t notice her eyes widen. She was the polar opposite of Annie. I wanted to prove to her that I was good enough for someone, or at least prove it to myself.

“My place?” I motioned with my chin toward my house, and she smiled before pushing up from the porch and dusting off her ass with her hands.

“Your dad home?” She gazed up at me through her long lashes with a smirk. I leaned closer to whisper in her ear.

“Just you and me, sweetheart.” I winked as I took another drag from my cigarette, watching her teeth dig into her bottom lip.

I couldn’t keep my eyes from the tree line as I walked back to my house. I didn’t know if Annie was still there, lurking in the shadows, or if she had gone back to her perfect world where she could be sheltered from people like me. I flicked my butt onto the road and placed my hand on the small of Nat’s back as we climbed the stairs to my house. If she was watching, I wanted her to know that not everyone felt like I was beneath them.

When we got inside the kitchen, Nat looked around, not sure where to go. I pulled open the freezer and grabbed my dad’s bottle of Jack Daniels, holding it up for her to see. She nodded, and I grabbed the soda to chase our shots.

“So,” Nat said as she walked over to the counter and leaned against it as I poured our first round. “Why the sudden change in attitude?”

I didn’t look up at her as I swallowed back the lump forming in my throat. I grabbed my glass and poured it down my throat before refilling it.

“Just a shitty day.” I held up her shot for her, and she took it from my hand as her eyebrows pulled together.

“You’re not gonna get all serious and cry are you?” she joked before drinking back her shot. I rolled my eyes, hating that the one person who would understand wasn’t here. I held up the glass of soda, and Nat drank it down greedily. “God damn. Now that was strong.”

“Don’t say that.” The words tumbled out before I could stop myself. Nat laughed, and I could feel the familiar anger begin to surface.

“Don’t say what? You have got to be kidding me.” She rolled her eyes as I refilled my glass.

“This was a bad idea.” I drank, slamming the glass down a little harder than necessary.

“Hey…come on. I’m sorry. I’ll behave.” She stuck out her lower lip and held her shot glass out to be refilled. I sighed as I poured the amber liquid, sloshing it over her fingers. She emptied her glass again. “What’s wrong?” She had somehow moved closer, and her side was now against mine as she leaned over the counter.

“It’s nothing.”

“I’m serious. I want to know.” Nat placed her warm hand on mine, curling her fingers around mine.

I turned my body toward hers as I took her in through blurred vision. “You think I’m a bad person?”

“What?”

“Never mind,” I groaned and pulled my hand out from under hers. I began to walk around her, but she placed her hand on my bare chest to stop me.

“No. I just mean…How could you think you’re a bad person? I know you like to pick on me and whatever”—she rolled her eyes—“but you were there for me when my pap died.”

I glanced down at her hand and back to her eyes. She wore minimal makeup, but her eyes popped under thick mascara and just the hint of color on her eyelids. “You needed a friend.”

“Well, now you need a friend.” She shrugged as our bodies inched slightly closer. I placed my hand over hers on my chest, pressing it against my heated skin.

“I can’t be fixed,” I said, feeling my heart ache at just the thought of Annie. My gaze fell to her lips, slightly parted as her breathing grew more rapid. She took my other hand and placed it over her own heart, her chest rising and falling rapidly as my palm pressed against the top of her breast.

“Let me try,” she whispered as she pushed up on her toes and pressed her lips against mine. I slid my arm around the small of her back and pulled her body against mine as her hands moved up my neck.

The next hour was a blur of sweat-slicked skin and shaky fingers as we explored each other’s bodies. The night faded to black soon after, as did my soul.

A kick to my leg woke me, and I opened my eyes, trying to focus and take in my surroundings. I was lying on the couch, alone thankfully. I sat up with a groan as I wiped my hand over my mouth, desperate for some water.

“Late night?”

I nodded, grabbing my hat from the floor and pulling it on my head.

“It’s three in the morning. You should head up to bed.”

I nodded again as I stifled a yawn. “You just getting home?” I asked as I glanced around the living room, wondering when Nat had left but thankful she was gone.

“We had a breaking and entering over on Walton and a runaway.” I heard him groan as I climbed the stairs to my room. I fell onto my bed facedown, not bothering to pull down the covers. My head thumped as flashes of last night came flooding back to me. I closed my eyes and forced myself to forget what Nat and I had done. I was right. I couldn’t be fixed.

Chapter 8 - Annabel

“So what is it? You’re a slut, a junkie, your momma forcing you to turn tricks to feed her habits?” Colin asked as he brushed by me, coldness in his eyes.

“What? No. None of those things. I swear.” I tucked my wild honey-blond hair behind my ear as I looked to the ground.

He eyed me suspiciously, and I shrank under his accusatory glare. “It’s got to be something.”

“M-my mom…wanted me to learn to help others in need,” I stuttered, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole.

“You’re telling me that you were pulled off the streets and brought here? Kidnapped?”

“Oh God.” My hand flew over my mouth as my heart leapt into my throat. I knew something was wrong. “He’s not going to let us leave, is he?”

He sank down in the chair in front of me, his chin in his hand as he stared at me for an uncomfortably long moment. Why was it bothering him so much that I wasn’t a depraved junkie? And why wasn’t he upset, scared, and wracked with panic right now?

“You can’t even spit out a goddamn sentence. You made it too easy for him.” He shook his head angrily. “Here we don’t pray for the weak—we prey on the weak.”

“Are you staying in bed all day?”

I yawned and stretched before glancing over my shoulder as I lay facedown on my bed. Colin was leaning against the doorframe, his head cocked to the side. “Don’t you ever knock?”

“Close your door if you want me to knock,” he chuckled as he sauntered into my bedroom. “People are going to start showing up soon. Get ready.”

“I don’t feel like it.” I rested my chin on my fist as I stared at my headboard, still wallowing in self-pity over my fight with Jacob. I’d texted him several times asking him to come to the party, and he’d reluctantly agreed, but now I was worried about him meeting my family. Colin’s fingers wrapped around my bare ankle, and he began pulling me toward the foot of the bed.

“Damn it! Let go of me.” I clutched at the comforter as he continued to drag me down the mattress, causing my shirt to ride high on my stomach.

“A lot of work went into this party.” He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me from the bed as I kicked at him and struggled to pry his arms off me. “So stop acting like a spoiled bitch and get ready.”

“You’re such a jerk!”

He carried me toward the bathroom and put me down inside the shower stall, blocking the doorway as I pounded my fists against his chest.

“This isn’t funny. Let me out of here.”

“There’s the easy way,” he said, and with a wicked grin he reached forward and turned on the water full blast. “And there’s my way.”

“You asshole!” I pressed myself against the sandstone tile as I struggled to get out from under the cool spray, the oversized white T-shirt I was wearing and my dark-blue panties getting soaked. “I’m still wearing clothes.” The thin fabric clung to my curves, and I knew it immediately had become see-through. My teeth began to chatter, and I gripped either shoulder trying to keep warm.

His gaze drifted over my body as he laughed. “I told you to stop stealing my shirts.” He narrowed his eyes as they settled on my bruised face.

I turned my back to him and peeled the wet fabric from my skin, tossing it over my shoulder as hard as I could. He caught it as it hit his chest, never breaking eye contact.

The doorbell rang, and I jumped, nearly slipping as it startled me.

“You have fifteen minutes.” He closed the door to the shower and disappeared.

Chapter 9 - Colin

I greeted Amanda at the door and took the large wrapped present from her hands, kissing her on the cheek.

“It’s a dress. I thought Annie might want to wear it tonight.”

“Tasteful, I hope.” I looked into her deep, artificially blue eyes.

She gave me a look, and I laughed as I closed the door behind her.

“Where is the birthday girl?”

“Showering. I was just about to run through myself.”

“I see that.” She glanced down at the wet spot on my shirt. “Want some company?” she asked, a coy smile on her lips, her eyebrow raised.

“Come on.” I began to climb the stairs with Amanda behind me. “Set the water. I’m going to put this on her bed.” I carried the package into Annie’s room. I could hear the water still running, and there was a pair of dark-blue panties on the floor outside of the stall.

I dropped the box and closed her bedroom door behind me as I crossed the hall. The water was running in my own bathroom, and Amanda was inside. I stared at her naked silhouette through the fogged glass as I pulled my shirt over my head and slid my jeans down to the floor.

I stepped in behind her, my cock stiff as I pressed it against her ass with a groan. The last few days had been nothing but stressful. Connor had barely called, and I was on edge for tonight. I needed to relieve some tension.

“Let’s get dirty, and then we can get clean.” I gripped her hips and pushed against her. “Put your hands on the wall.” I ran my lips over her damp shoulder.

“I want to face you.” It was a little late to be modest given the things I had done to her in the past, but she played the part of willing victim well.

“I want you just like this,” I whispered against her ear as I pulled back on her hips, bending her at the waist. “Don’t take your hands off the wall.” With one hand holding her, I grabbed my cock with the other and positioned myself against her bare entrance. I pushed slowly inside her as I panted against her wet blond hair. She moaned as I pulled back, nearly sliding out of her before slamming against her, hard. She cried out as I pulled her hips back with each rough thrust. Gripping her harder, I used my other hand to cover her mouth, muffling her cries, and her teeth scraping against my flesh only fueled my desire.

I rested my forehead against the top of her head as I held her still, fucking her fast. My breathing was ragged as I struggled to rid my mind of all other thoughts and focus on coming. I wasn’t the type for soft and gentle caresses. I liked angry, violent fucking, and Amanda only wanted to please me. That was why I put up with her mindless bullshit and shallow personality. My feelings for her were as much of an illusion as my public persona. It was easier for me to fuck a stranger than to share my feelings with someone I loved—not that I was even capable.

I growled, gripping hard enough to bruise as I thrust into her one last time, coming hard inside her as her walls gripped me and she found her own release. I struggled to catch my breath as my hand slipped from her mouth and down over her throat as I pressed a kiss into her damp hair.

“Did I hurt you?” I asked between heavy breaths as I brushed her hair from the back of her neck and placed a kiss in between her shoulder blades.

“No.” She was equally breathless.

We washed ourselves quickly and engaged in minimal small talk as we both got dressed for the party.

“It’s a shame your dad couldn’t be here,” Amanda called to me from the bathroom as she fixed her makeup in the mirror.

“Yeah, it is.” I slipped my shoe on and stood to look over myself in the full-length mirror next to my closet, and I saw the reflection of the monster I was raised to be in Taylor’s commune. I hated that part of myself that still lurked below the surface, begging to be let out to play, and I struggled against the demented urges daily.

Amanda came to stand next to me, her hand on my stomach as she smiled at our reflection. “You look handsome.”

I gazed over my dark jeans and black polo shirt. I was in no mood for a suit, and tonight was about making Annie comfortable. Amanda was wearing a black strapless dress that barely covered her ass, and I tried not to let my possessive nature take over. I’ve never been good at sharing my toys.

“Where’s the rest of your dress?” I asked as I ran my finger along her exposed upper thigh.

“I like to keep you jealous so you won’t ever forget how good you have it,” she said with a smirk as she walked to the bedroom door.

I groaned, hating that I had to deal with her little games. “I’m going to grab Annie’s present. I’ll be right down.”

“All right. I’ll go see if she needs help getting ready.” With a smile she left, and I blew out a heavy breath, running my hand over my hair. I turned to face my walk-in closet as I heard Annie and Amanda talking in the hall.

I turned on the light and walked through the racks of clothing to the back where a mahogany dresser was built into the wall. Bending down, I pulled open the bottom drawer, wiggling it free from its track and pulling it all the way out to set it on the floor. The small space below the drawer was where I kept things I didn’t want Grace finding when she cleaned the house. It was all that remained aside from the nightmares and Annie. There were a few old photos, and I smiled as I picked one up of Annie and me. I was always taller than her. Our hands were linked together as she smiled weakly, but her eyes told of heartache, and I wore an angry scowl. The day this picture was taken was seared into my memory.

“It’s not her,” I repeated again to Taylor, who was pacing the floor.

“How do you know if you haven’t tried?” He bent down to my eye level, gripping the arm rests of my chair.

“She’s not a sinner; she’s just a victim of circumstance. She said you forced her to come here.” Trying to hold a rational conversation with an irrational person was frustrating, to say the least. I’d lost my grip on reality years ago, but I still understood the basic concept of right and wrong, even if my actions didn’t reflect that.

“So tempt her.” His eyes were wild behind his thick brown frames and devoid of all reasoning. “She trusts you.”

“I’m not you. I can’t do it.”

The back of his hand came down across my cheek, and in an instant my chair flew back against the wall. Then I was standing, towering over him as he took a step back.

“If you ever touch me again, you will be meeting God a lot sooner than planned.” Any compassion I had felt for this man in all of my years had vanished in that singular act of betrayal. He should be proud. He’d raised me in his image, and I’d grown to exceed the monster he was. All I wanted in that moment was to spill his blood, bathe in it. I rationalized it in my mind—so many others would be saved by sacrificing one.

“Colin…Colin…you need to listen to me. We’ve worked for years.” His eyes fell closed as he shook his head, his hands extended toward me looking for mercy. Where was his mercy for those girls?

“I won’t do it.” I swiped my hand in the air in front of me, finalizing my decision. As I turned my back toward him, his hand fell on my shoulder.

“Then I’ll find someone else.”

I slowly turned around, murderous rage coursing through my body. There was a steely, determined look in his eye, and I knew he wasn’t bluffing. It was only a matter of time before something happened to Annabel, and her blood would be on my hands. I had to buy us some time. There were too many of them. I left his office and hurried across the field, anxious to get back to Annie. I’d left her in my cabin studying Bible verses. Being one of Taylor’s favorites had its perks, and that included privacy.

When I opened the door, I was immediately filled with a sense of calm seeing her lying across my bed reading, oblivious to the deals I was making with the devil himself to keep her safe. Every day we grew a little closer, and slowly she’d begun to trust me, opening up and telling me stories of her life outside the commune. It fascinated me to hear how she was raised by a single mother because her father had left them when she was only a few months old.

The Bible, a book that I had learned to use as a guide to immorality, brought her comfort as she worried about her mother and her own safety. I lay down beside her on my stomach, glancing over her shoulder to see what passage she was reading. She no longer recoiled, but turned her head to smile at me. That was when I did something that to this day I couldn’t explain; I kissed her. It was a chaste kiss on the lips, but it was anything but innocent, at least on my end. I rationalized it as testing how much she trusted me, but the thrill of someone looking me in the eye and not being afraid, for her to smile when I walked in the door—it was addictive.

I set the pictures back in the corner and pulled out a tiny box. I flipped the black velvet lid open and looked down at the old cross necklace my mother had worn until the day she had died. It was a present from my father.

Still, it was the one thing that had a true connection to my past, to a time when I still had some semblance of a conscience. After she passed away, my innocence was lost with her. It was only fitting now that at the age she could officially act on her own, I gave Annie this symbol of our past to remind her of what our freedom had cost us, what freedom truly meant.

I slid the necklace into my pocket and replaced the drawer before turning off the closet light and closing the door behind me. I left my bedroom and made my way downstairs to where Amanda and Annie stood, giggling as they chatted about the impending event.

Annie was wearing a simple white dress that flowed to just above the knee. It was strapless, but the snowy color made it seem innocent and virginal, the polar opposite of Amanda’s dress.

“Little Orphan Annie, all grown up.” I smiled down at her, wondering how she had somehow managed to make it to adulthood in one piece. I continued to descend the stairs as she shook her head.

“You think you could stop calling me that now?” she replied dryly as she folded her arms over her chest.

“Not a chance, little one. You look beautiful.” I pressed a kiss into her hair, and she rolled her eyes.

“At least not when the guests are here?”

“I make no promises.”

Amanda bumped my arm with hers and laughed. Being an only child, she thought the way I picked on Annie was hilarious. Of course she had no idea that we weren’t related and didn’t even know each other until a few years ago.

I left the girls to gossip as I went and checked on the caterer. The doorbell began to ring shortly after, and guests filed in. My eyes danced over the crowd. Everyone who was anyone was here.

“I’m going to make sure my door is locked,” I said to Amanda, who stood in the doorway. The last thing I wanted was some asshole trying to fuck his girlfriend on my bed. I said hello to everyone as I passed by in the crowded hallway. Luckily, no one had ventured upstairs yet. I pulled my keys from my pocket as I hurried to my room. I glanced around, making sure no one had slipped inside, before twisting my key in the lock I had added to ensure my privacy.

I rushed from my room, plastering on a smile as I casually strolled down to the first floor. Casey and Mara stood just at the bottom and I shot them a wink as I greeted them.

“You guys seen my sister?” I asked as I rounded the banister.

“You’re not even going to talk to me?” Casey laughed flirtatiously as she pushed her long brown hair over her shoulder.

“I’ll be back. I promise.” I put my hand over my heart as I walked backward a few steps down the hall before turning around and shaking my head.

“Hey, man.” Shawn grabbed my hand and pulled me in for our shoulders to bump. “Friday night at my place.”

“I’ll be there as long as you aren’t drinking vodka,” I called over my shoulder as I continued through the growing maze of people.

“That was one time, man.” He shook his head, and I focused my attention on finding Annie.

I stepped into the dining room and through the kitchen before I heard her laugh from the entertainment room. I grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge and twisted off the cap, tossing it into the trash. I took a long pull, nearly emptying the bottle as I walked across the hall and under the staircase. The entertainment room was decorated like it was New Year’s Eve, and it was packed full of people from every corner of town. Annie stood in the center of the room surrounded by her friends, with a boy to her left. She stiffened at his side when she saw me, and her laugh was strained, her smile not reaching her eyes.

I looked him over as I slid between Maggie and Jess, looping my arm over Jess’s shoulders, trying my hardest not to show how pissed off I was. I’d never wanted to give in to my darker side as much as I did at that moment.

“There you are. I looked for you earlier, but you must have been hiding.” Annie’s cheeks were tinged pink, but she wore a smile on her face.

“You must not have tried very hard.” I took another drink from my bottle and held it up to show that it was empty. One of the caterers took it from my hand as she muttered under her breath. “So who is your friend?” I smiled as my eyes locked on his. He was wearing a faded blue Pink Floyd T-shirt and ripped baggy jeans. Clearly he didn’t get the memo about a dress code.

“I’m Jake,” he said as he ran a hand over his shaggy hair. I titled my chin up in acknowledgment but didn’t introduce myself. There was no need. He wouldn’t be staying long. The waitress held out a new bottle of beer.

“Thank you, beautiful.” My tone was clipped as I took the bottle and drank a sip.

“This is my brother, Colin,” Annie chimed in.

“Nice to meet you,” Jake said as I whispered into Jess’s ear that her pink lace bra was a good choice. Being taller than most of the girls around here had its advantages.

“I’m sure it is,” I replied as I caught Annie’s pleading stare. I rolled my eyes and pulled my arm from around Jess. “You want a drink?” I asked in the nicest tone I could manage.

“Sure. Sounds great, man.”

I motioned for him to follow me to the kitchen, and we made our way through the crowd.

“Have I seen you around before? Football game or church?” I was feeling him out.

“No. I’m not much of a sports kind of guy, and I go to Dyer Public.”

“Ah…” When I reached the fridge, I pulled open the door and grabbed a bottle of beer. “I wouldn’t think you needed any alcohol. Is your high wearing off?”

“I’m sorry?” he said as he took the bottle from my hand, confusion on his face. Perhaps he had killed any brain cells that should have alerted him to who the fuck I was.

“You will be if you go near my sister.”

“I’m not sure where this is coming from, but Annie is my friend. She’s eighteen and doesn’t need anyone’s permission.”

I stepped forward, towering over him by several inches. I lowered my voice to keep our conversation private. “She always did have a soft spot for the less fortunate. Empathy was never my thing. You should leave.”

“I’ll leave…when Annie tells me to go.” He glared at me before stepping out of the kitchen and back into the crowd. Mouthy little shit. I wiped my hand over my jaw before slamming the fridge door closed. I had to tread lightly with this little prick because of Annie, but that didn’t mean he could do whatever he wanted. One way or another, he would leave her the fuck alone.

Chapter 10 - Jacob

I took a sip from my beer, wishing I could beat the living hell out of Annie’s brother. The piss water he drank made me cringe, but I’d gladly drink it down just to spite him. Whatever happened to good old American beer? I spotted Annie in a group of girls as they laughed, oblivious to our little meeting. My fingers looped around her arm, and I pulled her from the conversation, momentarily distracted by the softness of her skin.

I knew just showing up was a bad idea, but everyone from my school was here, and there shouldn’t have been any problem blending into the crowd.

“What is it?” she asked, a smile still on her face as her eyes searched mine. I realized I would be playing right into his hand if I upset her at her birthday party, but I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me. He may have the wealth, but I had Annie’s attention.

“I just didn’t get the chance to tell you how beautiful you look in the dress.” I glanced down, taking in her slender frame as her hips swayed lightly under my gaze.

“I feel like an idiot, but Colin’s girlfriend got it for me.” She rolled her eyes, putting me more at ease. She wasn’t like Colin or the rest of these people. There was a nervousness about her that inflated my ego.

“The fact that you have no idea makes you even more incredible.” My words were rewarded by her cheeks flushing as she ducked her head and looked up at me through her lashes. “You want to go for a walk or something?” I asked, leaning in for only her to hear. She looked around the party before nodding. I grabbed her hand and pulled her farther from the crowd.

“Come on. I know where we can go.” She tugged me by the stereo system that was in the back of the room. Behind it was a door. She glanced over her shoulder before opening it and waving me through. With a laugh, she followed and shut it behind us.

“I can’t see shit.” I laughed as she flipped on a switch, and I had to shield my eyes from the blinding light with my arm.

“How about now?” She tugged my arm, pulling me into the center of the room.

“Now you’ve blinded me.” I chuckled as I blinked away the spots in my eyes. I glanced around the room, which was full of boxes.

“What do you think?” she asked, worry marring her perfect face.

“It looks like a storage room.” I sighed as I took another look around like I had missed something.

“Not the room. The party. Are you having fun?”

I shrugged as I ran my hand over my jaw and glanced down at the beer bottle Colin had given me. “Of course. Everyone is really nice. Thanks for inviting me, even after I was such a dick. I had no right to flip out on you like that.”

“It’s already forgotten.” Her smile brightened as she leaned against the wall, her hands tucked behind her back. I took a small step closer to her.

“Good, because I’ve been dying to kiss you.” I stepped closer, looping my hands behind her back. “You’re worth it.”

“Jake, someone could walk in.” She laughed as she pressed her lips against mine.

“Let them.” I looked over at the closed door, knowing it was only a matter of time before someone discovered the birthday girl missing, and I hoped it wasn’t that prick Colin. “Maybe you could come over later?” I asked as I scratched the back of my head and stepped back from her.

“I hate these stupid parties.” She slipped her right foot out of her heel and held on to the stack of boxes beside her as she slid off the other. Her purple pumps lay on their side next to her, and she went from matching my height to the top of her head coming eye level.

“You should enjoy it. All of these people came to see you.” My voice trailed off as she stepped forward, and only a few inches remained between us.

“They didn’t come for me. They came to see for themselves how much money my family has.” She shook her head, her wild blond hair framing her face. “They came to judge.”

“I’m here for you.” I reached out, hesitating before tucking her hair behind her ear, my fingertips skimming over the shell as she made a face. “But something tells me you don’t let them see the real you.” My arm froze midair as we stared at each other.

The door opened, and both our heads snapped to look at Colin as his eyes narrowed. His anger wasn’t directed at me, and I instinctively took a step in front of Annie. “I should let you get back to the party,” I called over my shoulder as I looked him in the eye. I turned to face her when he didn’t move from the doorway. “I hope you have an amazing birthday. I’ll see you later? Tonight?” She nodded fractionally. The adrenaline spike that was coursing through my veins escalated as I placed my hands on either side of her face and pulled her lips against mine. It was brief and innocent, but the softness mixed with the undeniable electricity would forever be burned into my brain. I’d kissed many girls, but something about her sweet innocence amplified the emotions that swirled around us tenfold. She was different. I turned back around, glaring at Colin before my shoulder bumped against his on my way out of the door. I hoped that whatever big brother macho test I was being put through, he would respect my ability to stand up to him.

I kept my eyes downcast as I wove through the crowd, my hands shoved into my pockets.

“You leaving already?” Reagan asked, her chest pushing against mine as she stepped in front of me. It was like every girl from our school had shown up just to glimpse how the other half lives.

“I have shit to do.” I avoided her eyes as I looked around her to the front door.

“I need some brown sugar. My step-monster found my stash.” Her eyes were pinned, and her hands trembled as she pushed her light brown hair over her shoulder.

“Where’s Nat?” I glanced around the endless sea of bodies. I was hoping that I could find her and convince her to keep what we had done together just between us.

Reagan shrugged as her head cocked to the side, waiting on my response. “You’re the only juggler left after last month’s bust.”

I lowered my voice as I glanced over my shoulder to the room I had left Annie in with Colin. “Stop by later and I’ll hook you up. Just keep it hush. I don’t want bedbugs swarming.”

Chapter 11 - Annie

Colin looked pissed off as he stared me down. I squared my shoulders, ready to take the brunt of his attitude.

“He’s just a friend.”

“That the friend you’ve been sneaking off to see?” he asked as he ran his palm over his jaw.

“What does it matter?” I asked as I slipped on one of my heels. Colin stepped forward and grabbed my arm to help me steady myself as I put on my other shoe.

“He’s not a good guy, Annie. He’s a fucking druggie, and he looks too old for you.”

“He’s not a druggie. He smokes a little pot. So what? He’s funny and sweet.”

“Listing off his good qualities isn’t going to sway my opinion of him,” Colin said.

I looked down at where he still held my arm. He released his grip as I shook my head. “No one is ever going to live up to your ridiculous standards. Just don’t tell Connor. He won’t understand.” I lifted my head, looking into his angry blue eyes, pleading with him to keep my secret.

“I don’t understand.” He shook his head. “Just don’t lie to me anymore. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“While I have you alone…” He stepped closer to me, towering over me as a mischievous smirk played on his lips. “I have something for you.”

He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small box. I looked up at him as I took it from his hand and slowly opened the lid. Inside was a silver cross.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

“It’s beautiful.” I ran my fingers over the delicate filigree carving over its surface.

“Let me put it on you.” He pulled the thin chain from the box. “Turn around.”

I turned on my heels and lifted my hair from my neck. Colin’s hands went around me as he slid the cold metal across my skin.

“This was my mother’s.”

My breath caught in my throat as my fingers reached up to my chest, and I slid them over the cross. He hooked the clasp, and I spun around to look up at him, a million questions on my lips. He smiled down at me, and his eyes went to the necklace.

“Beautiful,” he said before clearing his throat. “Now go have some fun. I have to find Amanda.”

I smiled up at him as I walked out of the door and was immediately greeted by guests.

The party was in full swing, and the music was loud enough that it drowned out the many conversations. I stopped the nearest waitress and took a glass of wine from her tray as I looked around, wishing Jacob hadn’t left so soon, but I couldn’t blame him. I would leave too if I could. I thought that idea was over as I took a drink from my white wine. It was bitter and dry like chewing on a piece of tree bark, but I drank it down anyway. If I was going to party, I was going to try to enjoy it.

My heart was feeling lighter now that I had made amends with Jacob, and Jacob meeting Colin was not nearly as bad as I’d imagined.

Chapter 12 - Colin

Amanda wasn’t hard to find. She was loud and the center of attention in the formal living room, a crowd of girls around her, hanging on her every word. Her hands moved animatedly as she talked, the wine in her hand dangerously close to sloshing over the edge of her glass. I’d upgraded from beer to scotch, and it flowed like water as the hours ticked by. I couldn’t get my mind off Annie’s new friend. The idea of letting him walk out that door in one piece was eating me up inside.

My cell vibrated against my leg, and I pulled it from my pocket, my heart rate accelerating as I saw Connor’s name scroll across the screen. I motioned to Amanda that I was going upstairs to take the call. She nodded and smiled brightly as she continued to entertain our guests. I answered and hurried up the first flight of stairs.

“Any news?” I asked as I made my way down the hall and up the third flight of stairs.

“Dead end.” Connor sighed, and there was a rumbling on the other end as he tried to suppress a cough.

“How long is this shit going to go on?” I snapped as I walked into my office, my hand dragging angrily over my hair.

“As long as it takes, Colin.”

I dragged my hand over my face with a groan, thankful the alcohol was numbing my anger, but it wasn’t enough. “Keep me posted.”

The floorboards creaked behind me, and I spun around to see Annie standing in the doorway, her body swaying slightly under her own buzz. I ended the call and shoved the phone back in my pocket.

“What are you doing up here?” I asked in a clipped tone. What I really wanted to know was how much she had heard.

“Who was that?” she asked, her chin in the air.

“That was Connor. He wanted to know how your party was going.” I walked toward her, my hands shoved in my pockets.

“You’re lying.” She folded her arms over her chest angrily as she blocked the office doorway. I grabbed her shoulders and easily moved her out of my way as I went toward the stairs.

“Go enjoy your party, Annabel. I’m not in the mood for your shit right now.”

“Actually, I was just leaving.”

I stopped and slowly turned to face her. She took a small step backward as her confidence shrank under my gaze. “Not now, little one. Just go back to your party and hang out with your friends.”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“Colin, I’m an adult now.”

“Hardly.”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you,” she retorted angrily, and I struggled not to laugh.

“It’s not safe. It’s the middle of the night, and I’m not going to trust some half-baked prick to keep you safe.”

“That prick cares about me.”

“I don’t?”

She didn’t answer, and I swallowed back my anger as I took a hesitant step closer to her. “Come here. I want to show you something.”

She looked at me skeptically for a few seconds before she nodded. I walked down the flight of steps to the second floor, glancing over my shoulder at her as I unlocked the door to my bedroom. I pushed it open and stepped aside, waiting for her to enter. She crossed the room, turning around as she reached my bed.

I stepped inside the doorway and grabbed the glass decanter of whiskey that sat atop an antique dry sink. I poured myself a drink and held up the bottle for Annie to see. She nodded, her lower lip pulled between her teeth as she sank down on the edge of my bed.

Chapter 13 - Annie

I hated that Colin and Connor were keeping secrets from me. It made me feel more alone than ever. The only person who seemed to care about me at all anymore was Jacob, and I had nearly destroyed that.

I stared at Colin’s back as he poured our drinks, not speaking.

“I’m sorry I was being such a bitch. I just hate that you never tell me anything. I’m not a child anymore. If something is happening, I have a right to know.”

Colin hung his head as he leaned with both hands on the wooden stand. “It’s not that simple.”

“Yes it is.”

He turned to face me, a drink in each hand, sadness on his face. He held a glass out to me, and I took it with a small appreciative smile. I sniffed as I raised it to my mouth, scrunching my nose at its harsh smell.

“Breathe out, drink, then you inhale,” he said before pouring his drink back like water.

I expelled all of the air from my lungs and tilted the glass back, fire burning its way down my throat as a drop of amber liquid slid over my lip and down my chin. Colin wiped it away with his finger before it could hit my stark white dress.

I gasped, hating the flavor of the alcohol more than the bitter wood taste of the wine. “That doesn’t make it any better,” I said with a laugh as my body immediately began to warm and my lips went numb. Colin took the glass from my hand and set them both on his nightstand.

“It takes practice.”

As my laugh subsided, I looked over at him. He still looked troubled. “What did you want to show me?” I asked as I blinked my heavy eyelids, my tongue feeling thick.

“I wanted to show you that I do care about you.”

“What?” His voice sounded muffled as I squeezed my eyes shut before forcing them wide, the room blurring around me.

“Shh…I’m sorry.” His hands were on my shoulders as he lowered me onto the mattress. “I couldn’t risk you screaming and our guests hearing you.” He tucked my hair behind my ear, and I couldn’t even lift an arm to protest. “It’s just the pills that I take to help me sleep through the nightmares. It’ll wear off by morning.” His warm lips pressed against my forehead, and the bed moved beside me. I listened to his footsteps grow distant, and then his door closed. The faint click of a lock registered in my mind before dreams took over.

I slid down to my knees, the hard wooden floorboards causing them to ache instantaneously, but the pain was welcome as the rest of my body felt numb. I glanced up at Colin, who smiled sadly as he dropped to his knees beside me and grabbed my hand in his, clutching it painfully tight at his side. We let our eyes fall closed, and Taylor began to say a prayer at the front of the church for my mother.

“Dear Lord, I ask you to turn this weakness into strength, suffering into compassion, sorrow into joy, and pain into comfort for others. May your servant trust in your goodness and hope in your faithfulness, even in the middle of this suffering. Let him be filled with patience and joy in your presence as he waits for your healing touch.”

“I need to see her,” I whispered, and Colin’s thumb slid over the back of my hand in warning to not speak. I pictured my mother’s vibrant smile the day we came here, full of hope and wanting to help others. It had been three weeks since I had seen her. She had suddenly fallen ill shortly after we arrived, and now she was resting in the main house. It killed me inside not to be able to comfort her. Taylor said her condition was improving, but he didn’t want to expose her to any other illnesses.

When the service ended, Colin pulled me to my feet, and my knees shook, threatening to give out from under me. He looped his arm around my waist and guided me toward the door.

We left the overcrowded building and made our way slowly across the meadow, the hot Mississippi sun blaring down on us and causing my stomach to turn from the sudden influx of heat.

“I need to see her, Colin,” I said now with more authority in my tone.

“You’ll never get inside Taylor’s house, and if you do, you might not come back out.” His voice was laced with worry, and it jarred me coming from someone who seemed to fear nothing.

“I’ll try to check on her for you, but I have to figure out a way to gain back some of Taylor’s trust first.”

“Why doesn’t he trust you?” I stopped walking and turned to face him.

“Because of you.”

“Can I have a moment with you, Colin?” Taylor called from behind us, and I jumped, gasping audibly.

Colin looked to me before heading back toward Taylor. “I’ll catch up with you at the dining hall,” he called over his shoulder, and I waved as I continued toward the old barn.

Chapter 14 - Colin

I groaned, turning my face into my pillow as I tried to escape the memories, but I had drunk way too much last night and was unable to wake myself.

“The time has come, son.”

I tried to hide my sneer as he called me son.

“I need more time,” I replied, knowing he was losing faith in me and was growing restless with my hesitation. We walked toward Morgan Hall, our own cafeteria, which was nothing more than an old barn that had been fixed up to include a kitchen. Picnic tables lined the inside of the building, and nearly every seat was filled. Our church had grown exponentially over the last few weeks as members from other factions had traveled here to witness what Taylor was calling the Living Testament.

“I had another vision last night.”

I furrowed my brow. He stopped, smirking as he placed a hand on either shoulder. “Tonight is the night.” He laughed with joy, and my heart fell into my stomach. I thought I would have a few more weeks to figure out a way to get us out of this mess.

I looked across the room, and there was Annie sitting at the end of a table, looking down at her food. “She’s not ready. She needs her mother. She’s sick with worry and hasn’t eaten in two days.”

“She needs guidance, discipline. If she is not doing something she should, you make her.”

“Yes, sir.” I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat. I glanced back over at Annie, who looked up, hopeful that I could somehow save her from the man beside me who was playing God.

“Tonight.” He patted my shoulder, and my feet moved underneath me, but my mind had checked out. I had seen, participated in what went on behind closed doors in this place. I couldn’t subject Annie to that. She trusted me, and I knew how unworthy I was of that trust, but I was all she had. I knew her mother was probably dead the first day she stepped foot inside that house and didn’t come out. What did that mean for me and Annie if we didn’t help carry out his self-fulfilling prophecies? What would happen to her if I refused and someone else took my place? She wasn’t safe with or without me.

“You mind if I join you?” I asked, and she smiled weakly. I nudged her leg so she would scoot over and make room.

“There’s a special service tomorrow.” I ran my damp palms over my khaki pant legs, hating that I my usual confidence had wavered. Her eyes danced over the strangers who sat in front of us.

“I’m sure…it will be great.”

I forced a smile as she dipped her spoon into her soup. “Do you want to go over the lesson tonight?” I asked as I looked over my shoulder to Taylor, who was smiling proudly.

“Sure. I’d like that. I need all the help I can get.”

“I know.”

I rolled over, my arms banding around her waist as I jolted from my sleep. I blinked a few times before looking down at Annie sleeping beside me. I let go of her and rolled onto my back, rubbing my hands over my face.

Annie groaned and rolled toward me, throwing her leg over mine as she snuggled against my side.

“Annie,” I whispered, brushing her hair back from her angelic face. “Annie.”

“Hmm,” she mumbled and snuggled deeper. Her body stiffened, and she slowly looked up at me before pulling away to the other side of the bed.

“You asshole! What the hell is wrong with you?” She clutched the blanket to her chest even though she was still wearing her dress. I sat up as she looked at my bare chest. I groaned, throwing off the sheet to reveal I was wearing a pair of black pajama pants.

“I just slept in here to make sure you didn’t wake up and freak out.”

“Freak out? Why would I freak out? Not like you drugged me and locked me in your bedroom.”

“Quit being so fucking dramatic. You were going to run away. I stopped you.” I padded toward my bathroom and turned on the sink, splashing cold water on my face.

“Run away? I’m eighteen years old. I can do whatever the fuck I want.”

I glared over at her, and her mouth snapped shut. “I said I was sorry.”

“No you didn’t.” She stood up, her fists clenched at her sides.

“It was implied.” I rolled my eyes and began to brush my teeth.

“I want answers, or I’m gone. You can’t stop me.”

I looked over at her again and shook my head. We both knew I could stop her if I wanted to. She glanced over at my bedroom door as if daring me to chase after her. I stretched my neck before spitting into the sink and rinsing out my mouth. I stretched my arm across my body, grabbing it with the other to loosen my tight muscles.

“What are you doing?”

“I could use a jog. You go ahead and do what you gotta do.” I laughed as she glared back at me.

“You can’t be serious.”

“Deadly serious.”

“I’m not playing around.”

“That’s good, little one, because this isn’t a fucking game.” My tone was forceful, and her shoulders slumped as I spoke.

“I’ll take my chances. I’m not going to stop seeing Jake,” she replied defiantly.

I looked up at the ceiling, trying not to let my anger get the best of me. She had every right to be pissed off, every right to fucking hate me. I deserved it. I was the reason this was all happening to her, but it was better than the alternative.

“That’s enough.” I hung my head as I gripped the edges of the sink so tightly my knuckles turned bone white.

“This is my life, and I won’t live in fear of them…or you,” she said as she walked closer in her rumpled dress and bare feet.

“Then you won’t live very long at all, will you?” When my eyes met vibrant emerald, I had to swallow back the lump in my throat.

“So be it.”

“Then I’ll take you away from here myself. We’ll give up everything. We’ll start over again.” I clenched my teeth, hating that this was going to be the only way to keep her safe.

“What about Amanda?”

“What about her?” I couldn’t look away, sadness gripping my heart in my chest and suffocating the life from me.

I turned my back to her and reached inside my shower stall, turning the water to ice cold.

Chapter 15 - Annie

My head throbbed from the alcohol I had drunk last night. With a groan, I descended the stairs and glanced around at the quiet mansion. The lights were off and the curtains drawn, sparing me from the painful sun.

My white dress was wrinkled, and my freshly dyed blond hair was a knotted mess. I struggled unsuccessfully to run my fingers through it as I staggered toward the kitchen to get a glass of water.

Amanda was loading the dishwasher, and she shook her head as she looked me over. “You could use a shower.”

“You could use a home,” I shot back as I pulled open the fridge and grabbed a bottle of Evian from the top shelf. I looked over her pleated white skirt and matching fitted white polo. She looked like she’d stepped out of a magazine ad for tennis. I was already on edge and pissed off from Colin. I didn’t want to deal with anyone else.

“Please don’t start with me today, Annie. I am in no mood.” I could tell from her clipped tone that she and Colin must have fought last night. “Where is Prince Charming? He said he’d be ready by the time I got here.”

“Not my day to watch him. You have plans?”

“The usual. Why don’t you go freshen up, and then we can go grocery shopping.” She smiled mischievously as she placed a coffee mug into the washer. She turned to wink at me, and I rolled my eyes, knowing Colin was never going to let me go after the talk we had this morning.

“I’m not feeling so well. I think I’ll go shower and take a nap.” I glanced over at her as she continued to do the chores and smiled to myself. If she was half as close to Colin as she thought she was, she wouldn’t be doing the manual labor.

I hurried upstairs, careful not to jostle my stomach. My bedroom had been repainted only two weeks ago at Connor’s insistence; he thought I needed something more mature. The smell of the deep chocolate paint still lingered in the air, and I held my breath as I made my way to my bathroom to escape the fumes. I grabbed my cell phone and texted Jacob to come meet me in an hour at my house. I was dying to see him, and I wasn’t going to let Colin dictate my life.

Leaving my clothes in a pile on the floor, I stepped inside the shower and let the hot water wash away the ache from my muscles. I scrubbed my body quickly. I was anxious to get something to eat and help settle my upset stomach. I stepped out into the steamy bathroom and grabbed my chocolate-colored towel hanging on the hook next to the shower stall and wrapped it loosely around my body. Wiping my hand over the fogged mirror, I gasped as a face appeared behind my reflection.

Colin’s arm went around my waist, and he gripped my hip, preventing me from inhaling as the other hand came over my mouth. I struggled against his grasp as he held me tightly against his body.

“Shh, don’t make a sound.” I froze as I stared at his reflection. His face was half masked by my wet hair, the blond a stark contrast to his brown. “Listen,” he whispered into my ear, and a shiver ran down my spine. I could hear Amanda talking to a man just at the bottom of the steps. She didn’t seem to be in any distress, but the idea of a man being in this house after Colin’s sudden worry triggered an alarm inside me. My pulse raced as I gazed into his tormented blue eyes in the mirror. He slowly began to pull his hand away, and I nodded, letting him know I wouldn’t make a sound, but he didn’t release his hold around my stomach as his other hand fell to my damp shoulder.

“Who is it?” I whispered, turning my head slightly toward his, my eyes landing on his lips before traveling up his face. My mind struggled to process what was happening as I fought against the thumping inside my head from my night of drinking. “Oh no.” My mouth fell open. I listened to the muffled voice below as Colin’s face hardened. Jacob had shown up early.

“That asshole from last night?” he asked between clenched teeth.

“He’s harmless.” I knew I had messed up. His arm fell from my waist as he reached between us and pulled a black gun from under his suit jacket. He pulled back the slide on top, and it sprang back into place. I spun around and pressed my back into the sink as I looked it over in shock. “What the hell?” He shrugged off his deep gray suit jacket, which was now damp from my body, and rolled his neck from side to side.

“Compared to whom, Annie?” His arm extended as he held the gun out to me on its side for me to take. My fingers wrapped around the cold metal. I didn’t miss his look of disappointment as he spoke. “If you’re basing his threat level off of me, your scale is fucking skewed. You should know better by now.”

“You’re being irrational.”

“Promise me you will use this if necessary.”

“Starting now?” I jabbed, and he fought against a smirk.

“Sometimes we think we know someone, but we don’t really know them at all.” He swallowed hard as he tossed his jacket onto my pile of dirty clothes. Over his shirt he wore a black holster that looped over his shoulders where the gun had been concealed against his ribs. “Help me.” He turned his back to me, and I reluctantly reached up his nearly six-foot frame and pulled the straps from his shoulders, removing the holster from his back. When he turned to face me again, he pressed his lips to my forehead, and I let my eyes fall closed, knowing that trusting him was my only choice. His hand slid into my hair, and the pad of his thumb trailed lightly over my cheekbone.

“He’s my friend,” I mumbled, trying to reason with him.

“Well, your friend doesn’t take a fucking hint.”

“That’s not funny.”

“I’m just going to be less subtle than the last time we spoke. I don’t trust him. You stay put.” I was left gripping a gun against my chest, holding my towel in place, and wondering if this was the day the past caught up with us.

“Colin,” I whisper-yelled after him, but he was gone.

I listened to his footsteps descend the stairs as I clutched at the aching heart in my chest. What was I doing?

I rushed into my closet, setting the heavy gun on my dresser as I grabbed a pair of jeans and a tank top. I pulled on my underwear, not bothering with a bra as I threw the rest of my clothing on. As I rushed from the room, I froze at the top of the stairs, gazing down at Jacob, who stood just inside the door, a cocky smile on his face. Amanda stood to his side, and Colin was below, his back facing me as he turned his head to look up at me, a serene smile on his face.

Everyone seemed calm as I slowly walked down the steps to what felt like my execution, careful not to dislodge the weapon from the back of my jeans as I cursed myself for bringing it along. But that look in Colin’s eye terrified me. When most people would get flustered or lose their cool in a perceived dangerous situation, he seemed relaxed and at home.

“Hey, Annie.” Jacob ran his hand through his messy dark hair, and my gaze flicked to Colin, whose muscles ticked over his jaw.

I smiled back at Jacob as I stepped down beside Colin. “Hey,” I replied nervously, tucking my wet hair behind my ear. Colin’s arm went around my waist and against the gun I concealed below my shirt. He looked down at me, a ghost of a smile on his lips when he realized that I had brought it. Guilt turned my stomach at the challenging look in his eye. When you’re at the end of your rope, it doesn’t matter if you’re one inch off the ground or one hundred.

“So…you didn’t come by last night. I was worried.” He put his hand on his chest, and I looked down at my bare feet, not wanting to focus on his bloodshot eyes. The smell of marijuana and cigarettes hung heavy in the air around him.

“I don’t think that’s wise, Jake.” Colin laughed sardonically, and I knew he was well aware of Jacob’s state.

“I promise I’ll have her home before dinner.” He glanced around the entryway. “My dad’s a cop, so…not like you need to worry.” He turned to me. “Is your dad home or something so I could talk to him?”

“A cop?” Colin stiffened beside me, and the metal from the gun dug into my lower back. I stood up straighter to compensate as I tried to figure out a way to get us all out of this situation alive. At least he knew that I hadn’t told Jacob why I was here.

“He’s out of town. I’m in charge.” Colin smiled down at me, his eyes dancing with a twisted power that made me recoil.

“I think it’s nice. She should spend time with her peers. It would be good for her,” Amanda chimed in, a bright smile covering up her dim mind. Dumb as a box of fucking rocks. Way to pick ’em.

“How old are you, boy?” Colin’s gaze locked onto Jacob, who shoved his hands deep into his jean pockets. If this was going to be a pissing match, I wish they had the decency to let us ladies step out of the way first.

“Old enough.” Jacob’s eyes narrowed as he looked Colin over. “How old are you?”

I grabbed Colin’s belt at the small of his back to keep him from taking a step forward. He could have easily pulled from my grasp, but he did me the small favor of stopping himself, at least for the moment. “Jake is eighteen,” I spoke up. “He’s only a few months older than I am.” I tried to keep my tone even. Colin cleared his throat as they stared each other down, neither backing down, and the temperature rose about ten degrees.

“So…” Jacob nodded his chin to Colin, and I knew he was taking note of the fact that we were polar opposites of each other. Colin was tall and athletic with dark hair and blue eyes. I was a good half a foot shorter, thin, and blonde. Honestly, Colin and Jacob looked more alike.

“I have to help clean up from the party.” I kept my face expressionless, something I’d learned from Colin. Jacob nodded as his eyes ran over us, and he rubbed his hand over his jaw. That was my moment. I could tell Colin to fuck off or let him continue to run my life. I was playing blind to the facts, and no one else was willing to budge. I did what I could to quickly defuse the situation.

“Yeah, whatever. I just wanted to talk. Maybe later?” Jacob looked hurt, and I wanted to tell him I wasn’t avoiding him, but explaining the truth seemed impossible. My pretend brother is a sociopath who likes to control every aspect of my life because he thinks I need to be watched like a child.

“Yeah…maybe.” I smiled as I stepped toward him and out of Colin’s grasp. Amanda pulled open the door, and Jacob took a step back, stumbling over his own feet.

“Can I stop by tomorrow?” he asked as I continued forward.

“If I’m not busy, I’ll come see you.” I smiled, but inside I felt like I was dying. “I’ll be around.”

Jacob stepped toward me and hooked his arm around my neck. I froze, hoping he wouldn’t reach lower and find the gun. He was just being an ass to get under Colin’s skin because they didn’t like each other, and the ugly truth hurt.

As he pulled back, I forced a smile, slowly closing the door on him, on us.

“Amanda, give us a minute.” Colin’s eyes narrowed as I turned to face him. “In fact, go take care of your shopping. Annie won’t be able to join you today. The house is a disaster.” She looked like she was going to interject, but instead she walked around us and out the front door. Coward. I knew she was never a match for him. We stood, frozen in time as we waited for the sound of her car. I thought about opening the front door and running after Jacob, but what would be the point? Neither of us was any match for Colin. My eyes dipped fractionally toward the knob, and he smiled.

He took two large strides toward me, and his hand circled my neck, pinning me hard against the glass. He pushed against my trachea, but with controlled pressure so as to not cut off my air supply completely. He was making sure I understood who was really in control. His forehead fell against mine, and the mint of his breath was all I could smell or taste.

“You have no idea what you’re doing.”

“I’m sorry.” I tried to shake my head, but my movements were restricted by his hold.

“You will be, sweetheart,” he threatened in that dark, gravelly voice I had heard from the doorway of his office when he was with Amanda. I sucked in a ragged breath, and the gun dug into the top of my backside as I pressed against the wood. His nose skimmed along the line of my jaw, and my heart stopped. Colin was a predator. He enjoyed the thrill of having power over others. It was engrained in him as a child, and while I didn’t know the depths of his depravity, I knew enough to be worried.

“W-why are you acting like this?” My voice cracked as I spoke, and I saw a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

“It’s who I am. It’s who I’ve always been. I’m just finally letting you see it.” He closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

“N-no it’s not.” I pressed my lips together in a firm line when I realized I was playing into his hand. I couldn’t be the victim with Colin. I couldn’t show weakness.

“Little Orphan Annie.” He tucked my dampened hair behind my ear, and his tone made me shiver. “I had you all wrong as well. Look at you. Just another druggie slut like all the rest.”

My anger rose as the defiant streak inside me decided to show. I tilted my chin up toward him and straightened my spine as my hand slid behind me and gripped the gun. “I’d rather take my chances out there than be held captive by another monster.”

He pulled back, smirking as he looked over me. “That’s what I am to you?” He laughed sardonically, and I knew I had offended him, but I didn’t care. “I’m more like your God, the center of your tiny little world. You should be on your knees begging for my forgiveness right now, you ungrateful little bitch.” His words came out in a hiss, and he seemed to have had a break from reality.

“I think Amanda has that covered.” Anger coursed through my veins, fueled by hate and carried by the naïve belief that Colin cared enough for me not to hurt me. But this wasn’t the Colin I knew. This version predated the boy who’d risked everything to save me.

“Annabel…” His vacant blue eyes glanced over my shoulder at the fogged glass behind me before settling on mine. “You really should learn when to shut that pretty little mouth of yours.” His thumb skimmed over my lower lip, pulling it down fractionally, which seemed to distract him momentarily.

“I’m not scared of you, Colin,” I said through clenched teeth.

He slid the palm of his hand down my throat to my collarbone, his fingertips running over the strap of my tank top. “Why is your heart racing?” His fingers moved down my ribs, and my lips parted as my head began to spin. He continued his painfully slow path over my hip bone and around to the small of my back, leaving goose bumps in the wake of his touch and pulling my body against his. It was only then that I realized how much he enjoyed this evil side of himself. His fingers covered mine as he grabbed the gun I had gripped in my hand. Leaning down, his lips brushed over the shell of my ear. “We both know you’re not going to shoot me, so you might as well let go.” With my cheek pressed against his and our bodies interlocked from our power struggle, it was causing every nerve ending in my body to hum.

“I hate you,” I whispered as I loosened my grip on the gun, and he slowly pulled it from behind me.

“No you don’t, little one. But you should.” He turned and walked up the stairs. I was breathless as I leaned my weight against the door. What in the hell had just happened?

I was frozen, unsure of what to do next. My world was crumbling around me, and I had no idea whom to trust. I could still feel the ghosting of his fingers running over my body, and I squeezed my eyes closed, desperate to rid my mind of the memory.

That was when I heard a loud crash, and my head snapped up to the top of the stairs. I jumped on the first step but hesitated, not sure what was waiting for me. Colin had an unmatched temper, which I knew all too well. I took another step and another, my heart accelerating with each move closer until I was gripping the banister at the top.

Chapter 16 - Colin

I couldn’t think clearly. What started out as protecting Annie had taken a turn, and now I didn’t know if someone needed to protect her from me. One thing I knew was that Jacob fucker was lying to her, and I needed to find out how big of a threat he posed to her. Either way, the results would devastate her. I grabbed the dry sink and pulled it, causing it to crash to the floor and the glass decanters to break and spill open. The rage started in the pit of my stomach and radiated through every nerve ending of my body. It was exhilarating, freeing to let loose the monster that lurked inside me. I’d kept it dormant for far too long. I did it for her, but now she was slipping from my grasp, my gravity, and I was spiraling out of control into the unknown.

“Colin?”

My chest was heaving with anger, but I stilled at the sound of her voice, giving me a brief moment of clarity. Of course she was frightened. I’d practically molested her against the front door as I threatened her. What the fuck was wrong with me? How could I keep her safe if she was afraid of me?

“Can I come in?” she called out, and I shook my head, hating myself because I knew I had no choice. I knew I would let her in, and once she saw the real me, I would destroy her…enjoying every second of it.

“Please?” Her voice was breathy and the fear evident. I was still half hard from pressing her against the door, and now she was sending me over the edge of sanity.

“Come in,” I said, my voice harsh and low from my explosion of anger. She should know better.

The door opened, and her eyes danced around the room, taking in the carnage. The bed was the only piece of furniture left untouched. Her eyes met mine, but instead of fear, they were filled with sadness. Somehow that was worse. I sank down on the edge of my bed and hung my head in my hands. She took a few steps closer.

“Don’t,” I warned her, and she stopped abruptly. “I’m leaving,” I said as I struggled to calm myself. Maybe they would follow me, and she would have a fighting chance.

“You can’t leave. Who’s going to keep me safe?”

I looked up at her, my hands still suspended in the air. “Who will protect you from me, little one?” How could she not understand, not see the animal that was before her? She was the only person on the fucking planet who didn’t have that nagging voice inside her head telling her that danger lurked around the corner.

“You won’t hurt me, Colin. I trust you. Besides, what happens if Taylor comes looking for me?” Her eyes pleaded with me for a rational response, but there was nothing left.

“I’m going to find him first.” I pushed to me feet, determined to leave before I snapped and really did something I would regret. If you cut off the head of the snake, the body will die.

“You can’t do that.” She put her hand on my chest to stop me, searing my flesh beneath my shirt with her touch.

“You haven’t left me with any other choice.” I grabbed her sides to move her out of my way, but her sharp intake of breath paralyzed me.

“I’ll do whatever you ask. I promise. You can’t leave.”

I bent down, my teeth clenched. “I wouldn’t say that if I were you.” My gaze fell to her chest, and my fingertips pressed into the soft flesh over her ribs, suspended between right and wrong. Her breathing was as erratic as mine, and our lips were nearly touching, sustaining each other’s lives with the hope that we would give in to our carnal wants.

“I’ve spent my entire life trying to make sure you didn’t have to face our past.” It was my last ounce of strength as I struggled not to throw her down and commit unspeakable acts. But I was posturing, intent on convincing her as well as myself that I wasn’t hollow inside, that somewhere in me was a morally just human being whose motivations didn’t center on my own demented sexual gratification. It was all a lie. Every fiber of my being wanted her.

“Anything.” Her voice was breathy, and her eyes fell to my mouth as she spoke. I knew what she wanted, and my cock stiffened in response against her as she begged and pleaded for me to give in. There was never a question when it came to women, but Annie was different. I was able to find restraint in her perceived innocence, even if only momentarily, a fleeting second in time where her safety took precedence over my desires.

“You have no idea what you’re asking.” My lips brushed against hers.

“I know,” she breathed and pushed her plump, soft mouth hard against mine. I tightened my grip on her waist as I let my tongue push over the tip of hers, struggling for control. I slowed my movements, begging for the strength to stop what was happening.

Pinning her body between myself and the wall, I lifted my mouth from hers just long enough to look into her eyes. Nothing but desire stared back at me, the innocence overshadowed by my demons. I had corrupted her. My lips found hers, my kisses rough and full of need. If she wanted what I had to offer, she would learn the hard way that she was making a mistake. The beast inside me took over all rational thought as I slid my right hand down over her hip bone and along the inner crease of her thigh. Her eyes searched mine as her mouth froze, the fabric of her jeans rough against my fingertips.

“This what you wanted, little one?” I asked as I slid my hand toward her center, pushing the seam of her jeans against her. “Tell me to stop,” I pleaded as my hand moved back and forth against her. Her hips rolled forward, begging for more. She was no longer the innocent girl I needed to protect.

“It’s not like I haven’t done this before.”

Her words ignited an anger inside me that I’d never experienced. My hand slid over her thigh and gripped tightly below her ass as I lifted her in the air, shoving her hard against the wall. The pressure of my weight colliding with hers knocked the air from her lungs. “If you ever”—I pushed against her, and she moaned—“talk about fucking someone else, I will hurt you in ways you didn’t know were possible.” I thrust my hips forward, and she gasped, giving me a chance to bite down on her lower lip, tugging it gently. I sucked hard on the delicate flesh, loving the sounds that emanated from the back of her throat. Her nails scratched across the base of my neck as we deepened our kiss.

“Oh my God.” Amanda’s voice caused me to freeze as I slowly turned my head to the doorway. With her mouth hanging open in shock, she shook her head in disbelief, her purse falling to the floor as time froze.

“Fuck. Amanda.” I had no idea what I was going to say to her as I slid Annie down until her feet touched the floor. I ran my hand roughly over my hair as I looked to the ground between us, begging my depraved soul to feel some semblance of remorse so my apology would sound convincing.

“Don’t.” She disappeared into the hallway, and when my eyes met Annie’s, my heart shattered in my chest. She was silently pleading with me to make this right, but I had no idea how to take back what we had done, and I didn’t want to. But that look gutted me, and I knew I had to stop this from unraveling our lives, if only to get the opportunity to touch the milky softness of her skin again. Once again, my entire world would shift on its axis for those beautiful big green eyes.

“Amanda, wait!”

Chapter 17 - Annie

It took me a moment to process what was happening. I lurched for the door but stopped as soon as I stepped into the hall. Colin’s body heaved with heavy intakes of breath, his broad shoulders rocking with each gasp. He slowly turned to face me, his angry expression causing me to take a step backward. It morphed into anguish as his hands ran over his short hair, and he looked up to the ceiling before his eyes settled on mine again.

“Where…where is she?” My hand went to my chest, silently pleading with my own heart to slow its pace before it thudded out of my chest.

He glanced over his shoulder and back to me.

“She’s gone?” I whispered the words as if saying them any louder would make it all real. He swallowed hard as he nodded, his hand rubbing over his jaw where she had hit him.

“She’s going to destroy everything.” His voice was thick with regret because we both knew she was, in fact, that stupid.

“She…” I gasped, putting my hand over my mouth. “She…” My body trembled as I struggled to come to terms with what was happening. Everything we had built, the perfect lies were falling apart around us.

“This was a mistake, Annie.”

My heart clenched in my chest from his rejection. In three long strides, he was in front of me, and I was gazing up at his menacing face. “You should have let me leave.” He gripped my arms painfully hard, and my body shook with each word he spoke.

“You’re blaming me for this?”

“No. I blame myself for everything that has happened to you.” The column of his throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.

“You saved me, Colin. You’re not a bad guy.”

He flinched as he took a step backward, as if my words had caused a physical blow. He reached behind me, fisting his hand in my hair and gripping tightly as he pulled me against him, causing me to cry out in shock. His lips were against my ear. “Do you know what it is that I did for the Descendants? Do you know how many young little girls like you that I beat, fucked, and humiliated? Do you have any idea how badly I’ve wanted to do that to you since the day we met?” His grip tightened with each word. “You still want me inside you? You still think I’m a good guy?” He let go, causing me to stumble forward and catching myself on the banister.

“You were forced to do those things,” I choked out.

“But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.” His voice cut off as he swallowed, and his eyes glossed over. I felt like I was going to be physically ill. My hand splayed over my stomach as I struggled to take in the truth behind who Colin really was.

What if he was telling the truth? What if he wasn’t just trying to scare me?

“Annie,” he whispered, his eyes searching mine, and I saw something I never thought I’d see. Colin was regretful, and it was killing him to admit to me what he had done.

I gripped the top of my tank top until my knuckles turned white. I felt like I was suffocating, drowning in guilt as I turned away from him. “I should have never let you touch me,” I whispered as tears stung my eyes. Had I not gone into his room, my entire world would not be crumbling.

“It won’t happen again.” He stepped closer, and I could feel his ragged breath blowing against my hair as I stiffened. “I’m so sorry.”

I turned to face him, and the idea of Amanda screaming what she’d seen from the rooftops paled in comparison to his revelation. But I wasn’t scared of him; I was scared for him. He gripped my forearms and hauled me against his body, his arms tightening around my back to hold me upright as my legs threatened to give out from under me.

“I’ll make this go away,” he whispered into my hair, his lips moving against the top of my head. “I’ll disappear. Everyone will blame me. Tell them I forced myself on you. It’s not a stretch from the truth.”

I pulled back to look him in the eye. The usual mask he used to hide his emotions was gone, and I saw nothing but sincerity, regret, and anguish. I couldn’t imagine ever having to truly fear him. “I know you won’t hurt me,” I said with conviction.

“I already have. I’ve ruined everything for you.”

I slowly turned around and gazed out over the top of the stairs. His arms fell from around my waist. “Maybe she won’t tell anyone.”

“She will.” He swallowed hard and slowly descended the staircase as I waited at the top, his broad shoulders blocking the light from the window of the door.

“I need to leave before Connor returns,” he said quietly, glancing over his shoulder at me. I was frozen, paralyzed with fear.

“Come here,” he called up to me, his voice devoid of emotion.

I walked down the stairs, not sure how I didn’t stumble and trip over my own feet.

“Hey.” Colin’s fingers rested under my chin, and he angled my gaze toward him. “It’s going to be all right. I promise.”

“OK.” I knew that I was probably in shock, but the numbness was a welcome relief from the painful heartache I had experienced moments before.

His fingers fell, and he shook his head. “Be good, little one.”

My fingers went to the silver cross around my neck as he pulled open the front door and left without a backward glance.

Chapter 18 - Colin

I shifted gears as my car sped down the highway, my mind focusing on Annabel. Flashes of blond and green would forever be seared into my mind.

Having her in my arms was almost as gratifying as what I would do in the past…almost. The thought of sharing my dirtied and depraved acts with her…unspeakable. I could feel it starting in the pit of my stomach and radiating like a shock wave throughout my body. I wanted the anger, the control, and questionable morals. I wanted it all now, and it was killing me to fight against it, but she was worth the struggle. To have her blindly agree to the unknown because she trusted me was something I never thought possible.

Breathe in.

The feel of her honey-scented flesh against mine. Just the thought caused my heart to palpitate and the world to shift on its axis and center on her. I could still feel it, taste it.

Breathe out.

Pulling golden curls from her face, running abusive fingers over her bruised facade. She was so much stronger than I could ever be. It took far more guts to stand tall in the face of fear than to intimidate the weak.

Breathe in.

She looked at me like she could see the person I was meant to be, not the twisted manifestation of Taylor’s sick perversions. She believed, when I had given up hope, that I could be saved.

Breathe out.

I had to use any last ounce of logic and morality to leave her behind, give a fighting chance to the defenseless. She would be fine. No one would question the assertion that I’d forced her. This was the only way it could have ever ended with us. I deserved to be exposed for what I really was. She could finally be free.

Breathe in.

I stepped on the gas, trying hard not to think of Annie being comforted by Jacob. There was no denying that he was the lesser of two evils, but the very thought killed me. I had finally gotten to taste what I could never have. I’d gotten to see what my life could have been had I been the hero in her story.

I would gladly relive every whipping I had received. The pain was a comforting balance, but this ache, this dull, crippling death of losing her was too much.

Chapter 19 - Annabel

I awoke with a gasp, sitting straight up in bed. I glanced around the dark room, pulling Colin’s blue comforter to my face and inhaling the lingering smell of his cologne. I thought about taking one of his sleeping pills, if only to be able to spend some time with him in my dreams. But I was too afraid he would return and I would miss him.

His world was chaos, and his once pristine room now reflected the inner turmoil he had suffered all these years. I grabbed my cell phone from his night table and sent Connor another text to add to the dozen I had already sent. Connor was on his way back, putting aside business to come to my side, but I knew that if Colin didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t be.

I got out of bed, needing to keep myself busy until exhaustion took over. I got out of the comfort of his bed and turned on the light, taking in the damage. I began picking up the pieces, slowly restoring order to his life.

I wished I had followed him, forced him to take me wherever he went. I would have happily left this all behind, but instead, I was the one left behind.

Three hours later I had put his space back together; the only thing missing was him, along with my heart, which he’d carried since the day I stepped into his cabin. I sat on his floor clutching one of his worn T-shirts in my hands as I slowly drifted off.

“Wake up, Annie.”

My eyes fluttered open, and I blinked back my exhaustion. “What are you doing?” I asked as Colin gripped my hand. The column of his throat jumped as he swallowed hard.

“I need you to do something for me.” His voice was thick with unspoken sadness.

“What is it?” I was completely alert now, worried that something had happened and Colin was tasked with telling me the awful news. “Did I do something wrong? Am I in trouble?”

“No.” His grip tightened as his eyes searched mine, and he sighed. “Do you still have the bag with your mother’s things?” he asked.

“Yes. Under my bed.”

He nodded once as his fingers slid from mine, and he dipped his head, reaching under the bed and pulling out my small, dirty book bag. He unzipped it, the sound loud in the quiet of the night. He dug around inside, pulling out the few possessions I had left. He held up a pill bottle, turning it around in his hand, and his eyes narrowed as he struggled to read the label in the dim moonlight.

“This will do.” His eyes met mine. “Do you trust me?”

I was confused and scared.

“We don’t have much time, Annie. Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

The corner of his mouth turned up with a small measure of satisfaction, but it quickly vanished. “Taylor is coming.”

“What? Why?” Was he going to kick me out in the middle of the night? Where would I go? I wanted to leave more than anything, but the thought of being put out in the middle of the night, alone, was too much. I was still scared of monsters that lurked under my bed, oblivious to those that looked me in the eye.

“Annie.” He shook his head as he pressed against the side of the mattress. “Taylor is playing God. He thinks you and I are meant to be together.”

My cheeks heated, and I looked down at my rumpled white sheets. Colin was handsome and strong with a defiant streak that rivaled mine.

”Please just trust me.” He held out two pills in the palm of his hand. I took them from him, my eyebrows pulled together questioningly.

“I don’t want you to remember me this way.” He shook his head, his dark hair falling into his eyes.

I swallowed hard and nodded my head, not understanding what was going on, but knowing that Colin would never betray me. I dropped the pills into my mouth and swallowed hard.

He stood up, towering over me as he pulled his plain white T-shirt over his head and let it fall to the ground next to his feet. “Take off your shirt.”

“What? No. You’re out of your mind!” My voice rose as I clutched my sheet to my chest, shaking my head.

“Annie, I promised, and I meant it. Trust me.” He enunciated each word as his hard gaze bore down at me, but I wasn’t sure he trusted himself.

I watched his hands fall to the button of his khaki pants as I gripped the edge of my “Descendants of God Commune” shirt and pulled it over my head, careful to keep the sheet from falling and revealing my chest. My breathing was coming in heavy pants out of fear and embarrassment.

Colin shoved down his pants and kicked them to the floor. “What else are you wearing?” His words were barely audible, but the weight of his guilt was evident.

“My…my underwear.”

He nodded as he glanced at the closed door behind him. “Keep them on. Close your eyes.”

“What? Why?”

“Annie, I’d like for you not to see what a naked guy looks like yet. You’re too young.”

My eyes snapped closed. I couldn’t argue with him there.

“Keep them closed.” He lifted the edge of the sheet, and the cold air hit my side, causing me to shiver. The bed dipped under his weight, and I held my breath. His large, warm palm splayed across my belly and I froze, but my head felt foggy, and the warmth of his touch spread to the tips of my fingers down to the ends of my toes.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his voice pained. “It’s the only way it will look believable.”

My heart sank at his explanation. He pressed his hot lips against mine, and I felt like my body melted into a puddle beneath him. He pulled back, and my eyes slowly opened to see him smirking above me.

“I told you to keep your eyes closed.” He touched the tip of my nose with his finger.

As he said the words, my eyes blinked heavily and fell closed. I struggled not to smile, the pills making it hard to conceal my growing infatuation with Colin.

“Do you understand what it is he wants us to do?” Colin’s voice was deep, pained by guilt.

“I know what sex is, Colin. I’m not a child.” I laughed, but he didn’t make a sound.

“We are not going to do that. But he needs to think we are. He needs to think we’re together. Do you understand?” His fingers slid against my skin subconsciously.

“Yes.” My voice was breathy, and I didn’t even recognize it.

Slowly he climbed over me, nudging my knees apart and settling in between them, holding his weight above me on his elbows so our bodies didn’t touch.

“I’m going to kiss you again.”

I nodded, my body weightless as the pills swam inside my veins. His lips were against mine again, moving but no words being spoken. I mimicked his movements, pushing my mouth back against his, my chest rising and falling rapidly, my bare breasts brushing against the hot skin of his chest.

He panted, his tongue running over the seam of my lips, and I let my mouth fall open as his body sagged lower, nearly against mine. He groaned, and I could feel his body tense as he struggled to go slow.

I heard the latch of the door spring open, and I tried to turn to see who had entered, but Colin grabbed my chin with his arm farthest from the door, his body coming down on mine as he only held himself on one elbow.

I whimpered into his mouth as I felt his hard length against me. Knowing that we were being watched made my stomach turn.

Colin felt my hesitation, and he mumbled against my mouth, “It’s just us. Just us. Only us, little one.”

I pressed my mouth back against his, my hands on his chest. I slid them up over his collarbone and held on to his muscular shoulders as his hips slowly pressed harder against mine, but he held back as if he didn’t trust himself.

I nodded against his mouth, and he repeated the action. I knew he would have to move more than he was to make it look like we were actually having sex, but he was more concerned with my comfort.

I rocked my hips back against his, and he inhaled a sharp breath before his kisses grew harder. My fingers slid to the back of his neck into his short dark hair, and he groaned, rocking against me again. The sound of the door clicking again as our unwanted guest left barely registered as I rolled my hips again, warmth spreading throughout me, stemming from where we touched. He pulled his mouth from mine, and my eyes slowly opened, searching his, hooded from lust and drugs. His fingers dug hard into the flesh over my shoulder, and his jaw was clenched.

“Please don’t move, Annie. I’m not going to be able to stop myself.” Slowly he pulled his body from mine, shaking his head. He sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers fisted in his hair. I sat up, the sheet pulled over my chest, and I slowly reached out to touch his shoulder. He jerked away from my touch, his eyes wild with anger. “Don’t…please don’t…”

Chapter 20 - Jacob

I dipped my spoon in my mac and cheese as my dad buttoned up his black work shirt. He grabbed his gun from the counter and slid it into the holster on his hip before pulling his cap on his head, his eyes on me questioningly.

“You think I could stay home? I could clean up this shithole.” I was willing to say anything to get out of having to go to class, but we both knew I wouldn’t follow through.

“You have school today, Jake.”

“It’s one day, and it’s not like I’m going to miss anything. These fucking idiots know less than I do about history. It’s a fucking travesty is what it is. You should call our congressman, or at the very least write a strongly worded letter. Who’s that news anchor with the nice tits?” I ran my fingers through my chestnut hair in an attempt to tame it. I was overdue for a haircut, but I hadn’t had any complaints from the girls at school.

My dad sighed and shook his head. “If your mother was alive…”

“Forget it.” I cut him off as I pushed back my chair to stand. “I’ll go to school and become another mindless fucking drone.” I grabbed my bowl and tossed it into the sink, causing it to clatter loudly against the mountain of unwashed dishes, another sign of my mother’s absence. As I retreated back to the hallway, I heard the front door creak open and then close, and I knew I was finally alone.

My mother had died nearly a year ago, but I still didn’t believe she was really gone. Things between my father and me were strained at best. I used to look up to him, couldn’t wait to be him. Now I couldn’t wait to get away from him. He didn’t care like I did. My mother deserved better.

I pulled on my sneakers and glanced out the bedroom window. I stood frozen, lost in thought and still half-baked from my morning high as I watched the large yellow school bus pull up at the curb down the dirt road that led to our house. My gaze flicked to movement in the wheat field as the bus pulled off without me on it. I narrowed my eyes at what at first glance looked like an animal, and then I realized it was a person. I turned and hurried from the room and down the stairs, nearly falling a few steps from the bottom. The screen door slammed loudly behind me as I took off across the field toward Annie. Her long blond hair swirled around her as a breeze picked up.

“Hey,” I called out as I got closer. She was walking through the honey-colored wheat, and her face snapped up to meet my gaze, but she didn’t say anything. I slowed to a walk, eyeing her cautiously as I approached. She looked out of it like she was in some sort of drug-induced trance. “Annie?” I called again, and she stopped walking but didn’t turn to face me. Her hair looked unbrushed and wasn’t meticulously curled like it usually was. “What’s wrong?” I asked as I tucked her hair behind her ear to reveal dark circles under eyes that were hooded from exhaustion.

“It’s been a long week.”

“Yeah, I get that. You haven’t answered any of my calls. I came to your house, and your dad blew me off.”

“My brother left.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” I chuckled, but my smile fell when she glared at me. “Did something happen?”

She shook her head as she glanced out over the field and my phone vibrated and chirped in my pocket. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen, cringing when I saw Nat’s name. I shoved it back in my jeans quickly.

“Annie, some people at school have been talking. There’s a rumor.” I ran my hand through my hair, wishing I didn’t have to say the words out loud.

“What rumor?” Her eyes searched mine, and I felt like I was pouring salt in a wound.

“Some people are saying he…uh…he attacked you.” My phone chirped again, and I bit out a curse.

“What? That’s insane. He would never.”

“I just thought you should know.” I pulled her into my arms. I wanted to believe her, but her brother had never seemed right when it came to her.

“I’m glad you told me, but it’s just his ex-girlfriend. They broke up right before he took off,” she explained as we walked toward my house. I pulled out the bowl, and we each took a few hits before going inside to watch television and space out. My phone went off three more times before we settled in on the couch.

“Just answer the damn phone already,” Annie groaned as she relaxed back. I reluctantly pulled out my phone and opened the messages. Nat was wondering why I had skipped school. I replied to her quickly saying I didn’t feel well.

“Who’s that?” Annie asked, craning her neck to see the screen. I closed out of the message and shrugged my shoulders.

“Just a friend.” I relaxed next to her, my pulse racing from my high and I was growing paranoid.

“A friend?” She quirked an eyebrow and I could see her questioning gaze from my peripheral vision.

“Just this girl, Nat.” I rubbed my palms over my thighs and cleared my throat, hating how far away the kitchen was. My mouth was growing increasingly dry and it felt like I had swallowed a cotton ball. “She’s just a friend.”

“I’m just a friend,” she countered and I groaned as I tried to focus on the television.

“So why are you giving me the third degree over some messages?” I laughed nervously as she looked out at the screen.

“I’m not. I was just curious.” We fell silent and I hated myself for not finding her earlier in the week. Instead, I took it as a personal insult when she stopped coming around. Nat was there when she wasn’t.

Chapter 21 - Annabel

My entire world seemed to be flipped on its axis. The last few days had changed everything and even Jacob wasn’t immune to the destruction. Part of me wanted to be sad and even jealous of this girl, but I had no right. I had kept him at arm's length, and I had no right expect him to sit by and wait for me to figure all of this out. My heart couldn’t hold any more pain after Colin left, and right now I just needed a friend.

I nudged him with my elbow and his mouth curved up in a smile, but he fought to hide it. I did it again and he glanced over at me, shaking his head as he held up the remote and turned the channel.

“I’m not above tickling you until you pee yourself.”

“Gross.” I leaned away from him but couldn’t hold back the laughter that bubbled up from inside of me. At least for a few minutes, while my judgment was clouded, I could smile and forget about my life outside of this house.

“Yeah. My dad sleeps on this couch,” he replied with a chuckle.

“Shh…turn this up.” I leaned forward, fighting against the drug-induced haze. Jacob laughed as he held the remote away from me, and I had to smack him on the chest to grab it from his hand. He leaned in to kiss me, and I ducked away from him to focus on the television.

The news was flashing a picture of a young blonde with large green eyes who had gone missing, and I gasped.

“She kind of looks like you.” Jacob stated the obvious as he took a drink from his soda.

“Taylor.” I whispered his name like a curse. He was still around, still lurking.

“Who?” Jacob asked, and I shook my head, turning up the volume.

She’d only been missing for twenty-four hours, which gave her a fighting chance of still being all right. My mind went to Colin. Was it possible that he had gone back to Taylor?

“My dad was working a case like this a few weeks ago.” He relaxed back in his seat and put his foot up on the glass coffee table.

“I should get home. It’s getting late.” I stood, swaying as I became lightheaded.

“Already? You said you were going to hang out.”

“Connor will freak out. He’s been extra worried with Colin taking off.”

He reluctantly stood up and stretched, clearly unhappy that I was going. I felt like a jerk for blowing him off, but Colin had once risked everything to save me, and I wouldn’t hesitate to return the favor.

“Are you mad at me or something?”

I sighed as I looked him over, hating that I didn’t care more about who he had been spending his time with. I knew he would be relieved and hurt if I admitted that to him.

“I’ll come over tomorrow. We can skip together.”

“Yeah?” He eyed me, and a grin spread across his face. “It’s a date.”

Jacob walked me to the fence, and as soon as I slipped onto my property, I took off full speed through the trees. I pushed the thought of having to face Taylor from my mind. I knew if I could find Colin, I could get him to come back.

I hurried up the front porch steps, panting as I opened the door and slipped inside. I instinctively glanced to my left, hoping he would be in the formal living room, lurking in the shadows and waiting to tell me he was worried about me. But the room sat as empty as my heart. The house was dark, and I slipped off my shoes and crept upstairs. Colin’s bedroom was straightened; no evidence of his destructive explosion remained. I had spent many nights curled up in his bed, calmed by the fading scent of his No. 1 cologne. I’d run my fingers over anything he might have touched in hopes of figuring out where he may have gone. There was nothing to go on, no remnants of our past anywhere. It was like we had never existed until we moved in with Connor.

I walked back into the hall, and my eyes went to the third-floor steps. The office. I took them two at a time, pausing as I made it to the doorway. This was my last hope of finding him. He hadn’t returned any of my calls or messages. I turned on the light and stepped inside. The desk had a few folders on top of it. Flipping them open, I realized they were for unrelated cases. I glanced around the room, hoping something would stand out. The file cabinet had locks on each drawer, and the coffee table that sat in front of a brown leather love seat only held magazines. I rounded the desk, cringing at the memory of the girl on her knees. I pulled open each drawer, groaning when I was met with only office supplies. Shit. My shoulders sagged as I walked back to the light switch before eyeing the copy machine. I flipped the lid up, but there was nothing in it. I hit the button to print the last scan, and out came an address and the letters “D.O.G.” scrawled across the top in Connor’s handwriting.

I glanced around the office as I tried to come up with a plan. I’d been driving Connor’s car to school when I actually felt up to attending. I didn’t allow myself to have a second thought. I hurried down the steps and into Colin’s room. His gun was still on top of his dresser in his closet. I carried it across the hall to my room and tucked it into my book bag. Next, I grabbed my laptop and googled directions. It was about forty-five minutes away, just outside of Jackson. That was plenty of time to find Colin and convince him to come back to me.

It was killing me not to leave immediately, but the last thing I needed was someone realizing I was gone and reporting the car stolen. I lay down in my bed and stared up at the textured white ceiling as I recalled the last day I was face-to-face with Taylor Woodward.

“There you are.” Taylor’s hand came down on my shoulder. I looked around for Colin, but he had been busy all morning with tasks Taylor had given him. “I’ve been wanting to catch up with you, see how you’re adjusting.”

“I-I’m doing well. Colin has helped me a lot.” I took a deep, cleansing breath so I would stop stuttering. “How is my mother?”

He looked down at the floor before his eyes met mine. “That’s one of the reasons I came to see you. Have a seat.”

I sat down on Colin’s bed. I spent almost all of my time in that tiny cabin as opposed to the large single-room women’s bay that offered no privacy. Taylor sat next to me, and I slid away from him fractionally. He placed his hand on my knee, and a shiver ran up my spine.

“Your mother had a long struggle, but she was having trouble keeping anything down. I called in a specialist, who prescribed her medicine, but her body couldn’t fight anymore, and she passed away.”

“What?”

His grip on my leg tightened, and I suddenly felt like I might vomit. “That’s not possible. Food poisoning doesn’t last for weeks.” I was trying to make sense of what he was telling me, but I couldn’t wrap my head around the news.

“Are you saying I’m a liar?” he asked, his head cocked at an angle, and a challenging glare in his eye.

“N-no. Of course not.”

“Because if that’s the case, perhaps you staying here isn’t the best idea.”

Oh God. My mother was dead, and now I was going to be kicked out on the street. I felt dizzy.

“I really need to see Colin. Where’s Colin?” I rubbed my hands over my eyes as I struggled not to break down.

“Colin is with his girlfriend.”

My heart stopped, ripped from my chest.

“Didn’t you know?” he asked, and I shook my head, tears unabashedly streaming down my face now. “It’s all right. He’ll be back later. I’m here now.” He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug that pinned my arms to my sides as he pressed a kiss to my temple, pushing me onto my side and his weight coming down on top of me.

“What are you doing? Stop it!” Panic set in, and I screamed Colin’s name at the top of my lungs until a hand that smelled of mildew covered my mouth. I struggled in his grip, kicking my foot repeatedly into his shin as I lay on my side, immobilized.

Finally, like an answered prayer, the door flew open, and Colin blocked out the sun as his frame filled the doorway. His eyes were wide, and he lunged at Taylor, prying him off me. I scrambled to get out of their way, rolling onto the floor and gasping for air.

Colin was on top of Taylor, his fist pummeling into his face and blood soaking into the blanket.

I could hear myself screaming, but I sat frozen, watching in horror as Colin turned into a monster. Finally, my words got through to him, and he paused, his hand still in the air ready to hit again, his breathing ragged. He glanced down at Taylor, who lay unconscious, and then Colin’s eyes were on me again.

“Did he?” He looked me over. Assessing me.

“I’m OK. I’m OK,” I cried, and he pushed from the bed and gathered me in his arms, squeezing me so tightly I couldn’t draw a breath.

“Did you…d-did you kill him?”

“Not yet.”

“What if someone comes? Oh God. What’s going to happen to us?”

He pulled back, his large hands on either side of my face. “No one will hurt you. I promise. But we need to go.”

I nodded, but my body didn’t move. Colin spun around and reached under his bed, pulling out my small bag, which contained my only remaining earthly possessions. He grabbed a few of his own things and shoved them inside before taking my arm and guiding me to the doorway.

We ran across the grassy field to the main house. I kept a lookout as Colin slipped inside, grabbing a set of keys from a hook on the wall. He grabbed my hand and pulled me from the house. Our escape was a blur of sadness and fear, the adrenaline carrying me when my limbs were too tired to move on their own.

Colin tried three keys before the padlock on the gate that lined the property popped open. We slipped out and stopped at an old beige Cadillac. Our eyes met, and he smiled, for once catching a break.

“Get in.” He smirked, and I rushed to the passenger side, flinging open the door and diving in.

We drove for nearly a half hour until the car began to buck and lurch.

“No, no, no, no,” he muttered as we drifted off to the side of a desolate road. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” He slammed his hands against the steering wheel with each curse. He fell silent, and his heavy breathing was the only sound in the car. “We’re going to be fine.”

I wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince me or himself.

“What about your girlfriend?” I asked, hating how my chest tightened just saying the word.

“What?” He looked around as if thinking and then laughed to himself. “Annabel, there is no one else. You are all I have.” He held my gaze until the sound of an engine in the distance caught our attention. “We have to flag them down.” He opened his door, but I reached across the seat and grabbed his hand.

“You can’t. What if it’s one of them?”

“If it’s one of them, there are two of us.”

I nodded, knowing we had no other choice. He hopped from the car and waved his hands in the air. The car, a shiny black sedan, slowed and pulled off on the shoulder ahead of us. Colin glanced at me before walking toward the car. An older man wearing a suit got out and glanced back toward me. Colin spoke to him for a few minutes before the man nodded, and Colin waved for me to join them.

That was how we met Connor Blakely and how he became the most famous lawyer in Mississippi by exposing a cult in the heart of Dixieland. But he was careful to keep us out of the story.

By the time it was raided, Taylor was long gone, and he hadn’t surfaced since that night.

Chapter 22 - Jacob

“If you fail, then we failed as parents,” my dad spat angrily as I slumped over on the couch.

“School isn’t important, and I think it’s time to throw in the towel on this one. I’m a lost cause.” I shook my head and laughed as my high settled deep into my chest. I dug my pack of cigarettes from my pocket and knocked the box against my hand.

“Don’t smoke in this damn house,” he yelled as his face turned red with anger. I glanced up at him through heavy eyelids. My father’s shirt was only half tucked in, and the bags under his eyes made him look twenty years older than he was. I watched as he slowly fell apart, much like me. The man who was once my childhood hero was now nothing more than a shell of his former self. My mother’s death and the downward spiral of his son had worn him down until he no longer functioned.

My head was spinning with my visit with Annie last night. I was anxious to get to spend the entire day with her and find out whether she was upset that I had been talking to Nat. I scrubbed the heels of my hands over my eyes, hoping to sober myself.

“What do I have to do to get through to you?”

I stared up at my father with blurred vision, waiting for him to stop lecturing me so he could leave for work and I could call Annie.

When I didn’t respond, he shook his head and walked out of the back door angrily.

“Thank fucking God.” I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and texted Annie to let her know she could come over. I got up and walked to the door, staring across the field. I pushed open the screen door and flicked my cigarette out onto the dirt road.

I slipped on my sneakers and walked toward our “bear” tree, hoping to catch her on her way over. When I reached the fence and still hadn’t received a reply, I decided to slip through and continue walking through the trees on her property.

As I walked up the steps to her porch, I smoothed my hands over my shirt before knocking on the oversized wooden door. After a few seconds an older man answered, causing me to take a step back.

“Hi, um…I’m looking for Annie.”

He eyed me for a moment. “She’s in school.”

My eyes narrowed as I scratched the back of my head. “Are you sure? She…uh…said something about not feeling well and wanted me to take her homework in.”

He walked by me, coughing into his fist, and went down the steps of the porch. I followed behind him as he walked to the garage and opened the door.

“The car’s gone.” He glanced from the garage to me again. “Where is your uniform?”

“Shit…” I shook my head.

“You have one minute to tell me where she is, or I’m calling the police.”

“My old man is the police, and I don’t know. She was supposed to meet me. We were going to spend the day together.” My gut turned as I realized she must really be upset with me.

Pulling a cell phone from his pocket, he dialed a number, his eyes fixed on me.

“Is Annabel with you?” There was a pause before he spoke again. “There’s a boy here saying she was supposed to come see him today and never showed. My car’s gone.” There was another pause, and I shifted my weight from foot to foot.

“I’ll call the school.” He held the phone away from his mouth. “When was the last time you saw her?”

“Yesterday. She was watching the news and was acting weird about some girl who went missing that looked like her. She left and promised she’d come back today.” I conveniently left out the part about Nat, guilt gnawing at me.

“Call your father. We have a problem.”

Chapter 23 - Colin

She was supposed to be safe. Now she was walking right back to Taylor because of me. I slammed the car in drive and took off down the road, the tires squealing against the asphalt.

I hung up the call with Connor after explaining about the address I had found in his file. I dialed Annie’s number and listened to it ring, holding my breath as I waited to hear her voice, but it went to voicemail.

“Fuck.” I slammed my hands against the steering wheel as I yelled. If something happened to her, I couldn’t live with myself. I hit redial and held the phone to my ear, flying down the road with no concern for my safety. It transferred to voicemail again, and I hung up as I sent a text to her telling her I was coming for her. I still had a twenty-minute drive to think about how badly I had fucked up.

The miles drifted by painfully slowly, and by the time I had reached the old, dilapidated farm house, I realized I didn’t have my gun or any way to defend myself, but one look at Connor’s car in the driveway and I knew I had no choice but to go in. I threw my car into park and got out, storming toward the front porch without bothering to close my door behind me. The property had no fence or outbuildings. If Taylor was here, he was alone. I pulled open the door and glanced around. The furniture was old and mismatched, and garbage littered the floor. A sound from the second floor got my attention, and I took the stairs three at a time. I glanced at the three doors in front of me.

“The prodigal son returns,” Taylor called out from in front of me, and I walked cautiously toward the open door. “Isn’t this a pleasant family reunion?”

My eyes went to Annie, whose hands were tied behind her back. Her feet were also bound, and the rope running up her back held them together as she lay on her side on a filthy single bed. Her face was red and damp from crying, and blood oozed from a cut on her forehead. She was still clothed, but her tank top strap was torn and her jeans unbuttoned.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed, and my heart cracked. I took a step forward, and Taylor waved the gun at me, forcing me to stop. I looked to him, his hair slightly longer and graying along the sides, but other than that he was the same sick son of a bitch he was before, only now he didn’t have an army of followers to hide behind.

“She’s not sorry yet, Colin. But she will be. We were just waiting for you to show up. It’s not a party without you. You remember, don’t you?”

“Shut up.”

“That’s no way to talk to your father.” He ran his palm over his dingy, yellowing shirt.

Annie’s eyes widened, and my stomach rolled as the truth was exposed.

“Shut up,” I bit out.

“You never told her? I raised you better than that. Your mother’s necklace was a nice touch.”

I glanced at the silver cross that hung from her neck onto the bed. Taylor smiled as he reached down and ran his finger over her collarbone, tracing the silver chain. She squeezed her eyes closed as a sob ripped from her chest.

“Don’t touch her.” I swallowed against the lump in my throat as I held up my hand to him. “It’s supposed to be me, remember?”

Taylor stood, cocking his head to the side as he thought about my words. “All this time you’ve had her.”

“I couldn’t let her go.” My gaze darted to Annie and I could see that she was now questioning me, and it killed me inside. “I knew…” I summoned all of my courage to speak the vile words he was waiting to hear. “I knew one day we would find you again.”

“You left on one hell of a parting note,” he said skeptically.

“I couldn’t let you have her. She was mine.” The words made my physically ill and the pain in her eyes radiated throughout my entire body.

Taylor’s tongue ran out over his lips as he smiled. “Then let’s not keep her waiting.”

I held both hands up to show him I wasn’t going to harm him as I stepped closer to the bed. “I want to untie her first.”

“No,” he snapped as he squared his gun. “She stays like this.”

“Okay.” I nodded and took another slow step towards her until my shins pressed against the mattress. This was my punishment for all the things I had done wrong. I was naïve to think that saving Annie would wipe the slate clean. Now I would have to hurt the one person I cared about to protect her. “Annie,” I sank down to eye level with her, her eyebrows pulled together and pleading with me to help her.

“Please help me, please,” she begged, and I forced myself to not show any emotion.

“I told you I wasn’t the good guy, little one.”

“Colin.” I’d never heard her sound so small and fragile, and I knew her fear wasn’t just for Taylor anymore.

“Idle hands do the devil’s work,” Taylor called out with a little too much enthusiasm. “You’re stalling.”

I stood up and my hands went to the button of my jeans as the cold metal end of the gun pressed into my arm. “I’m savoring the moment.” I’d hoped the police wouldn’t be so far behind me, but I knew there was never any saving me.

All the years I was worried I would rub off on Annabel, but it was she who had changed me, and now I would betray her. That is when I saw it, the familiar red light of a camera perched on top of a tripod beside an old broken dresser. If none of us made it out of this room, at least the truth would.

“Have you filled Annie in on what really happened to her mother?” I asked, and I couldn’t look her in the eye even though she already knew the truth.

He laughed from behind me, the barrel of the gun slipping from my flesh. “She put up a good fight.”

Annie began to mumble a prayer under her breath, her words coming so rapidly I couldn’t make them out.

“Your mother prayed just like that before I sent her to meet her God.”

“Say it. Tell her what you did to her.”

“I sacrificed her for you. I got her out of the way so Annabel could be yours.”

“Where is she buried?” I asked, my jaw clenched as I struggled to maintain my composure.

“Why?” he asked skeptically.

“So I can show Annabel what happens if she doesn’t obey me.”

Annie’s voice grew a little louder, and she kept her eyes closed tightly.

“She wasn’t buried.” A wicked laugh escaped his throat. “It’s very expensive to feed so many mouths. We made do with what we had.”

“What about my mother?” I turned to face him, and his smile faded.

“She didn’t share our vision.”

My eyes narrowed as I looked to the gun and back to his face. He raised it slightly. He could get one shot before I had my hands around his neck. It would be worth it. This is the way it should have ended that night at the commune. Annie should have been the only one to walk away, and now it was time to right that wrong of our past. As if reading my mind, Taylor turned the gun to Annie.

“You think she is worth dying for? Is it worth her death to get revenge from me?”

I looked down at the beautiful broken girl, shaking and terrified.

The sound of sirens crept closer, and I watched Taylor's eyes dance around the room, his hand shaking under the weight of the gun.

“You won’t make it out of here alive.” I wanted my chance to kill him myself. If I didn’t act now, I wouldn’t have the opportunity.

“I’m at peace with that, son. I’m ready to meet my maker…but I’m taking one of you with me.” He took aim back at me.

“Police,” called someone from below.

Taylor turned the gun on Annie and pressed it against her forehead. “You go out there.”

I searched her beautiful green eyes, red-rimmed and swollen. “If you hurt her, I’ll take my time, make you suffer. I have a very good imagination.”

“You always did.” He grinned, and I wanted to lunge across the room. “Go,” he whisper-yelled, pressing the barrel harder against her skin and causing her to whimper.

“Come out with your hands in the air,” someone called out. I raised my hands in front of me and turned to walk out of the room. I stood at the top of the stairs as they barked orders. I slowly descended, and a few steps from the bottom I was grabbed, and handcuffs snapped hard against my wrists.

“You son of a bitch.” Jacob came through the door, his fist cocked back. He swung, connecting with my jaw before another officer was able to restrain him. The taste of copper filled my mouth. “You fucking sick son of a bitch!” He was pointing at me, screaming.

“He’s upstairs. He has a gun pointed at Annie.” My eyes locked with the cop who had just finished putting on my cuffs.

“Who?” Jacob looked as helpless as I felt.

“My father.”

“Take him,” he told another officer, and held out his weapon as he made his way to the second floor.

Annie cried loudly, and Taylor began to quote scriptures as the cop demanded he lower his weapon. I sat on my knees, hands restrained as I tilted my head toward the ceiling and began to say a silent prayer for her safety. It was the first time I had ever said the words and hoped that someone was listening. I didn’t deserve redemption, but Annabel was innocent. She deserved mercy.

When the gunfire rang out, I could do nothing except hang my head, my world ending in the moment she screamed. A growl resonated from deep inside my chest, and crippling pain from my heart breaking left me paralyzed. Jacob yelled and struggled against the other cop, and time seemed to slow to a near standstill. I couldn’t breathe or move until I heard her cry, and I inhaled, pushing to my feet and stumbling up the stairs in a daze.

Chapter 24 - Annabel

“Shh,” Colin whispered, and my eyes fluttered open as he lifted me into his arms. We began moving toward the stairs, and I placed my face against his warm chest, his heart thudding rhythmically beneath my touch, and I let my eyes fall closed again.

The police were questioning him, but he stared down at me, unable to speak, and his silence spoke volumes. He slowly lowered me to the floor, and an officer began untying my wrists and ankles while he cradled my head from the hard floor, my clothes spattered with his father’s blood. I glanced over at the red cuts like rings around his wrists from the restraints he had worn moments ago.

“I want to hear her say you weren’t a part of this.” Jacob was seething, and I couldn’t blame him. I knew how this must have looked. Colin swallowed hard, his eyes swimming, and I knew he was blaming himself. I shouldn’t have lied to him about coming to see him, and I should have made sure he knew I wasn’t upset at him. Had Taylor succeeded in killing me, Jacob would have carried that guilt for the rest of his life. The secrets had to end.

“It wasn’t him, Jacob. He saved me. Twice.” As my hands were freed, I looped them around Colin’s neck, clinging to him as if he was as vital as the air in my lungs.

“The rumors.” He took a step back, dumbfounded.

“We’re not related,” Colin spoke up, but his eyes never left mine.

“That explains why you didn’t bat an eye about Nat.”

“Jacob…” My voice trailed off, unable to stop my mind from racing.

“Jacob, that’s enough. We need to take their statement.” His father put a hand on his shoulder, and Jacob nodded, confusion marring his face.

I didn’t even remember the trip to the police station. Jacob came with his father and even though I knew he didn’t understand, he refused to leave until he was certain I was going to be alright. Everyone was treating me as if I was going to crack under their stares, but I was numb and it felt incredible to not feel.

I recounted the story of my short-lived time at the commune as everyone watched me, wide-eyed and mouths agape. I refused to let go of Colin, and even Jacob sat on my other side and held my hand.

Everyone had heard about Taylor on the news when his commune was raided, but it was big news to have it brought to their doorstep.

Colin opted to tell his story behind closed doors, and I reluctantly pried my fingers from his, immediately feeling empty from his lack of touch.

Jacob squeezed my hand painfully tight and it felt like my bones might snap, but I welcomed feeling anything, even if it was pain.

“I should have known something was wrong,” Jacob said to no one in particular.

“How could you have known, Jake? I didn’t tell anyone.” I shook my head. “None of this is your fault.”

“It’s not yours either.” His eyes met mine.

“I know.”

“Do you?”

I didn’t respond, and he pulled me against his chest and hugged me tightly.

“If he would have hurt you…” He whispered into my hair, and I smiled fractionally. It was nice to know that even with all of our secrets being revealed, Jacob wasn’t going anywhere. He was willing to accept me for who I was, even if it meant we would never be together. I pulled back and wiped a tear from my eye.

“So, this Nat girl?” I raised my eyebrow, and he laughed as he shook his head.

“She’s not you.” His smile fell, and there was a pregnant pause as we looked at each other.

“She nice to you?”

“Yeah. Nicer than I deserve.”

“You’re a good person, Jake. You just need to see it for yourself.”

“She’s,” he laughed, “constantly ragging on me for smoking.”

“Good.” I nodded as I grabbed his hand again and laid my head on his shoulder. “I’d like to meet her sometime.”

The sound of a throat clearing caused me to jump. I gazed up at Connor’s smiling face. “Can I have a minute alone with my daughter?”

My heart leapt in my throat at him calling me his daughter. He was a great man and there were no words for what he meant to me, but this was the first time he had called me daughter without it protecting a lie.

“You know they all know now,” I said as I pushed to my feet.

“That doesn’t mean we aren’t family anymore, Annabel. It’s just changed a little.” I stepped into his arms, and he hugged me tightly. Another set of arms wrapped around me from behind and I knew from the smell of baby powder it was Grace.

“Sweet girl.” She cried as they cocooned me in their love. Connor pressed a kiss to the top of my head, and as they released me, his hand curled around hers.

“I’m good at keeping secrets, Annie, but come on.”

I bit back a laugh as they looked at each other with affection. “How long has this been going on?” I asked.

“It’s been a crazy week for all of us,” Connor laughed, and it turned into a cough. Grace placed her hand on his chest as she overworried about his health.

We spent hours with the police and Connor by our side, retelling the horror story that was Colin’s life, omitting some of the more horrific details.

When all was said and done, we were allowed to go back to Connor’s so I could shower and sleep. I scrubbed my skin with nearly scalding hot water for what felt like an hour to rid my flesh of any trace of blood. Colin leaned against the sink, not wanting to leave me out of his sight, and I was grateful. He respected my modesty and kept his gaze downcast. I dried off and pulled on jeans and a tank top so I could go down to the kitchen and eat a salad. He took the seat next to me at the large table but did not eat a bite, his hand resting on my thigh as if to make sure I was really there.

The entire situation had exhausted me, and I felt like I could slip into a coma. Colin lifted me into his arms, cradling me as we made the trek back to my room.

He laid me down on my bed, and I rolled to my side as he pulled the comforter over my body.

“Sweet dreams.”

“Wait,” I called after him, and he stopped in the doorway, turning back to me slowly. “Please don’t go.”

“I wasn’t going anywhere.” He pushed the door closed and took a seat in the leather wingback chair next to the door.

Later I awoke, covered in a thin sheen of sweat as I gasped for breath. I sat up and threw my covers off my legs.

“You all right?” Colin leaned forward out of the shadows.

“Did I wake you?” I asked, pushing my hair from my face as I struggled to slow my heart rate, terrified that he somehow knew what was playing in my mind.

“You were having a nightmare. I was worried.”

“It wasn’t about…Taylor.” I looked over at him as confusion marred his chiseled face. He stood slowly and walked toward my bed.

“What was it about?” he asked as he sat down on the end of my bed, never breaking eye contact. I watched the column of his throat move as he swallowed hard, the realization that I remembered something from our past dawning on him. “Annie…” His voice trailed off as he reached out and ran the pad of his finger along the length of my eyebrow. “Tell me.”

I looked down at my lap as I wove my fingers together. “That night…in bed.” The images that plagued my mind were too embarrassing to speak out loud.

Colin expelled a heavy breath as he rested his head in his hands. “Jesus Christ, Annie.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” He shook his head as he looked over at me in shock. “It wasn’t your fault. You’re the only person…” His breathing was heavy, and he sounded like he was on the verge of a panic attack. “I’ll never forgive myself.” His voice rose with each word.

“I’m sorry.” But I wasn’t feeling scared; the familiar warmth in that memory had settled over me. I felt safe.

He looked terrified. “I can’t lose you.” He shook his head.

I pushed forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face against his chest. “You won’t. I promise.” I squeezed him tightly. His body froze for a moment before he slowly lifted his arms and wrapped them around me, his palms sliding across my spine.

“I don’t know what I would do if I lost you,” he whispered into my hair before pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

Pulling my cheek from his chest, I slowly looked up at him. He lowered his face toward mine but hesitated, his sweet breath whispering across my lips. I stretched toward him and pressed my mouth softly against his, nodding to let him know that I wasn’t going to change my mind. Slowly, I climbed onto his lap, straddling his waist.

“Aghh,” I panted as his length pressed against me. He pulled down on my body, adding more pressure between my legs.

“There’s no one to interrupt us this time. You need to tell me no now if you don’t want to do this.” His voice was thick and gravelly. I rolled my hips as his hand went into my hair and fisted. “Not like this.” His arms tightened as he moved me farther up the bed, lying down on top of me. The length of his hardness pressing against me set my body on fire. His mouth was on mine again, kissing me with a forcefulness I had never experienced. My lips felt swollen and tender against his as his fingers trailed up my side, pushing my tank top up and leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. His thumb rolled over my nipple, causing it to harden, and I pushed my chest into his touch as he rocked against me.

My fingers gripped his muscular shoulders, my nails pressing into his flesh. “I want this. I want you.” I moaned as he lifted his weight slightly to pull my shirt up farther, so our naked flesh touched.

“Patience, little one. I want to take my time with you.” He trailed kisses along my jaw to the sensitive spot just below my ear. “I want to taste every inch of you.” The tip of his tongue ran over the shell of my ear as he whispered, “You’re such a pretty little thing.”

“Don’t…don’t say that,” I panted, pushing against his shoulders.

His lifted his head and looked me in the eye, his face somber. “You remember a lot more than you let on.”

Chapter 25 - Colin

I could see the fear in her wide eyes as she looked up at me like a deer cornered by a predator, hoping its insatiable hunger would be overpowered by a sudden moral justness. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t turn me on. The things I’d experienced as a child had changed me. It wasn’t an excuse; it was a fact that I’d had come to terms with a long time ago. I wasn’t proud of my overwhelming desire to control, manipulate, and dominate. But I enjoyed it. Still, I was torn when it came to Annie. I wanted to protect her, just not as badly as I wanted to fuck her.

Own her.

Possess her.

“Annie…” I began to lift myself off her, desperate to gain a little distance and hopefully some clarity. “This is a mistake. You’re not the type of girl…” My voice trailed off at the memory of her pressed against my bedroom wall. My gaze fell to Annie’s naked chest as her heavy breathing was causing it to rise and fall rapidly. My cock strained against my jeans, and my evil thoughts were winning against the good. They always did. Annie raised her hand and tentatively touched my chest, warmth spreading across my skin. I grabbed her wrist and pinned it beside her head as I dropped my hips back down on her, causing her to gasp in shock. I couldn’t make love to her. There was only one way I could take her, and she deserved so much better.

“You have no idea what you’re doing.” I skimmed my nose along her jaw as I breathed in the sweet honey smell of her skin. “Please don’t let me do this to you,” I whispered, my lips moving against the soft flesh of her neck. I could feel her pulse racing, and it only amplified my desire for her. I wanted her to fight, to tell me not to do these things, but it wouldn’t stop them from happening. It was inevitable. I closed my eyes; the forbidden nature of our encounter was something I had dreamed about since the day she had caught me in the shower, and if I was honest, since our lives first intertwined. It was always meant to be this way. She was always meant to be mine.

“You don’t want me?” she asked, and my eyes snapped open at the sadness and need in her small voice.

“You have no idea how badly I want you. You’re all I want, but you deserve so much more.” It was almost painful to say the words out loud. “I want you to stay pure. You’re an innocent, untainted soul.” I brushed my nose against hers. At least if she fought against me she would be a victim and not an accomplice to my immorality.

“I’m not innocent, Colin.” She took her free hand and slowly slid it over her breast as she looked me in the eye, her teeth grazing her lower lip. I let my eyes skim lower, watching as her trembling fingers slid over her creamy skin. I knew I no longer had a choice. I was going to take her, and I hoped I’d be able to control myself enough not to hurt her, although the damage would be done either way.

“You don’t know what you’re doing to me.” I released her wrist and sat up with my knees on either side of her body. My hands fell to the button of my jeans, and her eyes followed. Her hand stilled on her chest as she watched me warily.

“I trust you,” she said as I slid my zipper down slowly.

“Don’t.” I pushed my hand down beneath my boxer briefs and gripped my hardened cock in my fist, a shuddering sigh escaping my lips.

Annie lifted up on her elbows, her eyes questioning as she met mine under dusty lashes. I was curious to see how far she was willing to go to prove to me that she could handle this—that is, until she realized she deserved better. I ran my hand over her soft blond curls, letting the silken strands slip through my fingers. “What’s wrong?” I twisted a lock around my finger and closed my fist.

“I just…” Her voice trailed off, and her gaze went unfocused, second-guessing herself. It was something I’d seen a dozen times before. It wasn’t as easy for others to accept the darker side of themselves. Most liked to cling to the notion that hesitation still marked the presence of morality. Deep down we were all just selfish animals. We liked to take…or be taken. Annie had learned very young that sexual acts weren’t always consensual or out of want, but her ultimate enjoyment of what we were forced to do had shaped how she would forever view sex, view me.

I tightened my fist and pulled down gently, angling her head up to mine as I sank closer to her face. “Do you want me to take away your choice?” My voice was low, thick with desire.

Her eyes darted to the side, but I didn’t miss the wave of shame. I gave a more forceful tug with my fist, and her eyes flicked back to mine. “Little one.” It was a natural part of who she was. That was why she struggled to play the role of popular rich girl. She wasn’t a leader; she wanted to follow. She wanted to hide behind her resistance in order to mask her guilt.

I inched my face closer, her heavy breaths blowing over my lips. “Lie down,” I growled as I pulled backward, bringing her head to the pillow. I let my boxer briefs slide back over me as I reached for the button of her jeans. I glared at her, daring her to tell me to stop. It was the grown-up version of the game we’d played all those years ago.

Her fingers slid over her stomach, covering the button in a feigned attempt to stop me. I knocked her hand away as I slid the zipper down, revealing pale yellow cotton panties. “You’ll have to do better than that.” I traced the edge of her underwear with my finger, pulling down the fabric slightly.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” She grabbed my wrist, and I smirked as I gripped either side of her jeans at the hips. I yanked hard, nearly pulling them completely down and exposing her. She struggled to push my hands away, raising her hips slightly, which only aided me in undressing her. I pressed my lips gently to the smooth exposed flesh just above her mound, taking my time in unwrapping the gift she was giving me. She whimpered, and her hips stilled as she ran her fingers through my hair, her eyes closed.

“I want to taste you.” I slowly pulled the jeans down farther. Her hands covered her pussy, still concealed by her underwear. I glanced up her body, breathing in the scent of her secret lust as I pulled her hands away and softly pressed my lips against the thin fabric. Trust was important in the dangerous game we were playing. It normally took weeks or months, but Annie and I’d had a lifetime. “Shh,” I breathed as her body shuddered, the air of my words cooling the sensitive wet flesh beneath the cotton. I pressed my lips against her again, and she writhed beneath me.

I grabbed her pants and pulled them down forcefully, tossing them on the floor. She brought her legs together to hide herself. I placed my palm on her belly and slid my hand up between her breasts, revealing in the feel of her rapid heartbeat. “Take your shirt off.” The tips of my fingers slid under the fabric still bunched under her neck. I slid farther up and over her collarbone, gripping her throat slightly. “I told you to do something.” She lifted her hands, never breaking eye contact as she pulled it over her head, her blond curls splayed out against her pillow with her lips parted. “Good girl.”

Her breath hitched, and I made a mental note that she enjoyed being praised. Amanda had a taste for being called vile names and told how worthless she was. I guess coming from her side of the tracks it was an adventure to lie down with evil. Even if Annie blocked out most of the past, it was the positive that she craved, forever seeking out reassurance that she was a good person. It was a sick twist of the human psyche that I’d learned to exploit so well.

I slid off the bed and pushed down my jeans and boxer briefs before climbing over her, nudging her knees apart and settling between them. My painfully hardened cock pressed against her damp underwear.

“Do you remember that night?” I asked, my voice low and gravelly with lust. I rocked my hips against her, and she moaned, her eyes falling closed as her tongue ran out to moisten her lips.

“Just like this,” she whispered, and I lowered my mouth next to her ear.

“I was so worried about you,” I confessed as I rocked my hips again, pressing my length against her clit. “But I could feel how damp your panties were. Just like they are now.”

She inhaled a sharp breath, and I couldn’t help but smile as her eyelids fluttered but didn’t open, much like that night together. “And I knew you were enjoying it as much as I was. It was the first time anyone had wanted me.”

Her hips pushed against mine, but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. This night had been a long time coming, and eventually the past would catch up to us. It was only a matter of time. I rocked my hips, pressing hard against her as I groaned. “I wanted you so badly.” My voice trailed off as we built a steady rhythm. “I hated myself for wanting to rip your panties off you.”

Her face turned so our cheeks were pressed together. “I never hated you.”

I pushed myself up on my elbow and slid my hand down the silky skin of her stomach, running the pads of my fingers over the edge of her panties. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth as my fingertips dipped below the fabric, sliding over her soft flesh with featherlight strokes. “I know you don’t hate me, little one.” I moved in small circles over her clit before slipping between her folds and pausing at her entrance. “You love me,” I rasped as I pressed inside her, rewarded by a soft moan as her lip was released from her teeth. She moved herself against my hand, and I watched in awe as this beautiful creature writhed with pleasure from my touch. I slid a second finger inside her, and she was incredibly tight. I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to take her, but it wouldn’t stop me from trying. I needed her more than I needed my next breath.

I pushed farther inside her, twisting my fingers and bending them slightly to hit all the right spots as my thumb ran over her clit.

“And you?” she panted, and I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“What about me?”

Her eyes fluttered open, and her gaze seemed to reach the depths of my blackened soul. “I mean…do you love me?”

I was used to operating with no conscience, and lack of emotion had kept me from second-guessing decisions that a weaker man would have to contemplate, but this was new for me. For once I was consumed with something other than emptiness or anger, and it scared the hell out of me. When the realization hit me, I was filled with something else—fear. Fear for her, because I could never love anyone more.

“How could you not know?” I rested my forehead against hers. Her body began to buck, but I didn’t want her to come without me inside her. My hand stilled as I inhaled deeply, drowning in the honey scent of her flesh.

All things in my life began and ended with Annabel. My world had always centered on her, and now it had manifested itself into an obsession that was finally going to be my reality. It was overwhelming, all consuming.

I felt euphoric; a drug-free, lust-induced haze washed over me. My fingers looped around the side of her panties, twisting before yanking hard. The fabric bit into her flesh before giving way and tearing, leaving nothing between us.

I pressed the head of my cock against her, and her legs fell open wider. I ran my thumb over her eyebrow, and the nervous look on her face relaxed.

“I want to hear you say it, little one. Tell me you love me.” I trailed kisses over her jaw, and she tilted her head back, giving me access to her neck.

“I love you, Colin.”

I pressed harder, the head of my cock slipping inside her. She cried out, and I knew I would have to force myself to take it slow, but like anything that had to do with Annie, it was hard for me not to lose control. Her whole body tensed beneath me, and I struggled to calm my breathing as my hand slid around the base of her throat.

“You lied to me,” I growled, fighting the urge to push all the way inside her.

“I didn’t want you to know.” The corners of her lips tugged down as she struggled to not fall apart beneath me. My fingers flexed against her flesh, her pulse vibrating underneath. “I thought you would think I was too naïve. It’s embarrassing.”

“Knowing that I’m the only one who will ever be inside you is the best gift you could have ever given me.” My teeth grazed her jaw. “But it’s going to hurt.”

Her body jerked as she held back a sob. “I’m scared.” Shame washed over me as my cock twitched in response to her fear.

“Shh…” I ran my finger over her lips to quiet her as I pressed my mouth against a salty tear that slid over the apple of her cheek. I pushed harder, but I stopped as she tensed. My mouth found hers and she slowly relaxed, getting lost in the moment. I pulled back, pushing my head inside her again, repeating the process until her hips began to rock with mine. I groaned as I pushed farther, my hand grabbing the underside of her thigh and squeezing. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled as I thrust harder, and she cried out. I growled in response, hating myself for deriving pleasure from her pain. Her arms looped around my neck, and she held my body flush against her own.

“It’s OK, Colin. I can take it.” Her whisper welcoming the darker side of me was all it took for me to lose all self-control.

“Fuck,” I growled as I filled her. She gasped, her grip on me tightening as I held still in order for her body to adjust to mine. I was panting, desperate to come inside her and claim her as mine. That moment was the first time it crossed my mind that we hadn’t used any protection. I’d never had to worry before. The women I had lain with were always on birth control. “Fuck,” I mumbled, not sure I would be able to stop now.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice small and scared as if she had somehow upset me.

“We didn’t use anything,” I panted. “Protection.”

“I…I take the pill. I have since I was sixteen.”

I raised my head to look her in the eye, unable to keep the accusation from my tone. “Why?”

“For…you know…my period. To regulate it.” Her cheeks flushed a beautiful shade of rose as embarrassment washed over her.

“Thank fucking God.” I began to move slowly inside her, her thighs squeezing against my hips. As I felt her muscles relax, I began to move faster and push deeper. My fingers tangled in her hair, and my hand curled into a fist. “Fuck,” I moaned as I began to take her the way I had envisioned since that night together at the commune.

I was hard and rough, uninhibited passion. The silver cross necklace I had given her pressed between our bodies, digging into the flesh of my chest. I pressed my lips to hers and fucked her mouth as I did her body. Her pussy tightened and released, milking my cock as her entire body began to vibrate below me.

“I love you. I love you so much,” I repeated the words over and over as she let go, and we both tumbled over the edge of ecstasy together, into the dark abyss of our unknown future.

She winced as I slowly withdrew from her, blood and come smeared over her inner thighs. I loved the idea of her full of my seed, her body secretly carrying around a part of me.

“Don’t move.” I pushed from the bed and made my way into her bathroom. I grabbed a brown washcloth from under the sink and turned on the water, letting it run a few seconds until it grew warm. I dumped some honey-scented body wash from her shower onto the rag and ran it under the water until it lathered up over my fingers.

I quickly ran it over my cock and cleaned the traces of her ascent into womanhood from my body. I tossed it aside and repeated the process so I would be able to clean her as well.

As I walked back to the bed in the dark, the sight of her naked body in the moonlight caused me to begin to harden again. I knew it would be a while before she was able to handle anything more, but it didn’t stop my mind from wandering.

I slid between her legs and slowly pushed them apart. I ran the washrag against her inner thighs, and she looked down at me, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

“You are so beautiful,” I whispered into the night as I climbed up the bed. “Sit up,” I commanded. She pushed herself up as she watched me with uncertainty, and I knew she had to be sore. I slid behind her, my legs on either side of her body as I lay back against the headboard. I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back against my chest. “Do you hurt?”

She shook her head but didn’t say anything. I slid the warm washcloth down her stomach and between her legs. Her back bowed as the cloth brushed against her sensitive clit. I squeezed the rag, and a few drops of water ran down my fingers and over her as I continued to slowly clean her, my hand moving in circles. Her hips began to push against my hand, and my cock grew harder against her ass.

“Mmm…” I closed my eyes as her hips continued to rotate against me. “Get some rest. You’ll be sore tomorrow.”

Epilogue - Colin

Obsession by definition is a persistent, disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling. It suits what Annie and I had perfectly. Her voice carried the whispers of my subconscious. Her breath gave me new life. Her submission gave me purpose. There must be goodness to counter evil in order to accurately gauge the weight of the sin. She was my hope, my reflection, my everything.

I pressed a kiss to Annie’s forehead before leaving the room quietly, not wanting to disturb her from her sleep. I felt light and relaxed, but I knew I was depleting that from her. I knew I was going to use up her goodness until I drained her dry and there was nothing left. The idea made my stomach turn, but I was like a junkie needing his next hit. Annabel was my drug of choice.

Crave.

Use.

Crave.

Use.

Destroy.

My heart palpitated, skin flushed and my eyes dilated, trying desperately to take in everything that she was. The beginning and end of all things. The logical side of my brain, the small part of my subconscious left sober, knew it was limerence but it didn’t matter. I craved her just the same.

If I could make her happy, keep her safe, I would redeem myself. I ran my hands roughly through my hair, hating the convoluted path my thoughts were taking. I should be happy, but all I felt was worry in the depths of my stomach that I would somehow take this precious flower and crush her in my palm.

Winning her heart was only a victory for myself. I knew that. But I would try. I had to try to rid my mind of the cancerous past so I could give her the future she deserved.

I paced the floor for hours as I struggled to control my inner demons. They should have died along with my father, but I could still feel them clinging to my soul. Love wasn’t an easy fix. It would take time for me to overcome and change, adapt for her. I sat at the dining room table, empty glass in hand that still held a few lingering drops of whiskey. The stairs creaked under Connor’s weight as he cleared his throat.

“I didn’t think you’d be up,” he said as he walked around me and into the kitchen. He returned with a glass and his gaze fell to the nearly empty whiskey bottle. I picked it up and filled out glasses as he sat down at the head of the table.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Death of your father will do that to you.”

I slid his glass to him and he nodded in appreciation. “That was a long time coming. I only wish it was me who pulled the trigger.” I took a drink, my gums long numb.

“To justice finally being served.” He raised his tumbler before drinking back the amber liquid without flinching. I shook my head, anger with no direction consuming me.

“Where is the justice for Annabel? Her life is ruined. She can’t go back to school.”

“The day I found the two of you along the road, I knew I had to help you. The look in your eye when you told me about Annie was something I had seen in my own nearly twenty years ago. I wasn’t able to save Charlotte, but I knew I could help you save Annabel.”

“Charlotte had cancer. You couldn’t have done anything.”

“That may be, but your situation wasn’t much better. You risked your life for her. I knew there would be a day when you both would stop fighting what was between you.”

“Annie could be saved…” I shook my head as I poured the rest of my drink into my mouth.

“When she needed you, you were always there. You are not your father.”

“I’m not the hero either.”

“I bet she would say differently.” He raised his eyebrow as he spun the glass in his fingers.

“She doesn’t understand.”

“Doesn’t she? She came face to face with Taylor. You had a choice, and once again, you chose her.”

“He ruined me, Connor. He destroyed me.”

“That’s not true, and you proved it again. What is really scaring you, Colin? We both know you would die before you hurt her, so what is really plaguing you?” He leaned forward against the table.

“I can’t give her what she needs.”

“What is it she needs?”

“Love.” My eyes met his and my vision blurred.

“You don’t think what you feel for her is love?”

“I have no idea.”

“Is her face what you see when you go to bed, what you dream of when you sleep?”

“Since the day I met her.”

He smiled and his gaze fell as he thought. “I don’t think that’s your problem at all. I think you’re scared to let her love you back.”

“She deserves better.”

“Love…” He ran his hand over his chin and relaxed back in his chair. “Let me tell you something, son, that I should have told you a long time ago but was too stubborn in my own right to understand. Love isn’t something you can take. You give it, and if you’re lucky, it is given to you. You deserve to be happy.”

“Do you really believe that, knowing what all I have done?”

“If I didn’t you wouldn’t be sitting at this table with me. I may be old, but I would have done whatever needed to be done to keep that girl safe. But you were just a child yourself, Colin. This isn’t your burden to carry.”

I hung my head as I thought about his perception of me. It baffled me that a man that I respected so much could look at me and not see a monster. It was then that I realized I was nothing like Taylor. He never felt any guilt or remorse. He took from people until they had nothing left to give but their lives. I could never do that to Annabel.

Epilogue - Colin

My body ached and I rolled over, groaning as my hands splayed over empty sheets. My eyes shot open and I looked around the empty room. Colin was gone. My heart began to race as panic set in. Had he left me now too, now that I no longer had to worry about his father? Sitting up, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and pushed my knotted blonde hair from my face.

“I thought you were gonna sleep all day,” Grace called from my closet, startling me. She walked into the main room with clean clothes in her hands. “Aspirin is on the night stand.”

I looked to my side, and sure enough, there were too small white pills and a bottle of water. I popped them into my mouth and greedily gulped down the water as Grace sat my clothes on the foot of the bed. I cringed as I pulled the sheet further up my chest, wondering if she knew what Colin and I had done together last night.

“Where is Colin?” I asked trying not to sound worried.

“He left a few hours ago. I’ll get breakfast ready.” She walked towards my bedroom door.

“What do you mean he left?”

“He went with Connor to the office. He said he would try to be back before you woke.”

“Oh.”

She smiled and shook her head as she left my room and slowly made her way down the stairs. I hopped from the bed, grimacing at how sore I was and tiptoed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. I stared at myself in the mirror, not looking any different than I had yesterday, but I felt like a completely different person. The cloud that hung over our heads had now lifted.

I washed as quickly as I could and pulled on my clothes, grinning as I heard Colin and Connor downstairs. I rushed down, my cheeks blushed, stopping short of throwing myself into his arms.

“Don’t hold yourself back on my account,” Connor laughed, and I felt my skin grow deeper red. Grace entered the dining room and set two plates on the table before giving Connor a look. “We’ll let you have a minute.” They left the room and Colin motioned for me to take a seat. The stoic expression on his face was killing me. Had I done something wrong? Was last night not as mind blowing for him as it was for me?

He took the seat at the head of the table and picked up his fork, pushing scrambled eggs around before looking up at me. I dropped my fork with a loud clatter.

“All right. Just say it. Spit it out already.”

He laughed, his smile showing in his eyes. “You’re wearing one of your own shirts,” he said with amusement.

“You told me not to wear yours anymore,” I joked back, the tension easing.

“They're yours. Everything is yours,” His voice was deep and gravelly. “I’m yours.”

“It’s about time you figured that out.”

“I have something to tell you,” his smile faded and my heart sank once again. “Taylor wasn’t only good at taking; he also was very good at saving.”

“What do you mean?” I pressed my teeth into my bottom lip, leaning to the side, my body still so sore.

“When they searched the farmhouse, they found a lot of money.” He swallowed hard, his eyes downcast. “The police are considering the case with the Descendants of God closed. The money goes to his next of kin.” He glanced back at me, guilt marring his perfect face. “It’s yours.”

“What? I don’t want your money.”

“It’s not my money,” he spit out each word as if it made him physically ill. “You deserve it.”

“I wasn’t the only one who went through this, Colin.”

“You’re the one who isn’t guilty, Annabel. I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve you.”

His words cut through me, and my hand went to my chest as if I’d been physically wounded. “Colin…”

“I’m not going anywhere if you don’t want me to, but you’re in control now. The money, your life, and us. If you ever want to leave me, I won’t stop you. I need to know you understand that.”

“I understand,” I whispered, but imagining Colin handing over control of anything was a lot to take in.

He stood, dropping his silverware, and walked towards me, fear in his eyes. He stopped in front of me, and I stood as he took my hand in his, his thumb rubbing over my skin lightly.

“It is my job to protect you. I never had a choice. Just like I had no choice but to love you. I will spend every second of the rest of my life undoing every wrong that was brought upon you. If I can make you feel loved, my life will have purpose. You loving me in return would be a blessing, not a necessity.”

My knees went weak and threatened to give out from under me at the weight of his confession. “How could I not love you, Colin?”

His blue eyes swam with uncertainty, and I wanted to make him feel as safe as he had made me feel from the moment I had met him. He had always been the strong one for the both of us and it was time for me to carry some of that burden. “I don’t need you to protect me or fix my life.”

He shook his head and I grabbed his chin with my free hand to force him to look me in the eye. “The only thing I have ever feared was losing you. I love you.”

His lips pressed against mine painfully hard until my lungs begged for a breath.

People say that money doesn’t buy happiness. Those are the people who have struggled and been to the edge, desperate to tip over to end the suffering, but have somehow found the courage to pull back and fight another day.

True happiness was losing everything so you could appreciate its value when you earned it back.

We were fighters. The ones who were preyed upon while weak who came back stronger, fighting our way back to ourselves. As the days ticked by, Colin and I were inseparable. Friends came by to offer support and to hear the true story of the Blakeys. We offered them a watered down version of our past and put the rumors to rest as to what was going on behind closed doors in our home.

But there was one last thing standing in our way of moving on.

I stared at my reflection in the full length mirror, barely able to recognize myself under the makeup. The off-white lace dress hugged my curves and stopped mid-thigh. My legs went on for miles as I balanced atop of my four inch sandstone colored heels that only made my tan look richer.

“You look beautiful.” I glanced past my own face to see Colin smiling while leaning casually against the doorframe in his black Armani suit with narrow matching tie. I grinned nervously, pushing my curled blonde locks over my shoulder as I looked at his nearly empty glass of amber liquid.

He pushed from the frame and began to saunter towards me. “You’re not wearing your necklace.”

“I had trouble with the clasp.” I tugged at the hem of the dress, trying desperately to hide some of my exposed flesh. I’d only ever dressed in skimpy clothes to get his attention. Now it just seemed silly.

Colin set his glass on the entry table inside of my room and grabbed the thin silver chain with matching cross from beside his glass. He swept my hair over my shoulders so it cascaded in large curls down my chest. “It’s a big day.” He was still smiling but I knew better than to read anything from that. He was nervous. He looped the chain around my neck, and I fumbled with the cross, my fingers sliding over the delicate carving across its face.

He positioned the clasp at the back of my neck before sliding my hair back, his fingertips brushing along the base of my neck and over my shoulder, causing me to shiver.

“You’re nervous.” He retrieved his glass and held it in front of my waist from behind me. “This will help.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“You need to relax.”

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to take yours.” I smiled coyly. He pressed his lips to my cheek and held the glass up higher.

“Tonight is a celebration.”

My fingers wrapped around the glass, and I pushed all of the air from my lungs before tipping it to my lips and letting the harsh liquid burn a path down my throat.

“Good girl.” He took the tumbler back and walked over to my bed, grabbing my small clutch purse that matched my dress. His arm extended, and I took it from his hand.

“Where is Connor?”

He smirked as he looked me over. “Grace made him leave early so they would get a good parking spot at the church.”

“Is she expecting a big turn out?” I joked. “Family and friends, right?”

His palm pressed against the small of my back urging me forward. I reluctantly left the safety of my bedroom and carefully navigated the stairs to the first floor. Colin opened the front door, and I breathed in the humid summer air. His car was parked just below the porch, and he opened the passenger door for me. I slid in as gracefully as possible without exposing my undergarments. I watched Colin make his way around the car before sliding into the driver’s seat next to me.

“Is it far?” I asked, the alcohol sloshing in my stomach as we pulled away from the porch.

“No. It’s only a few miles out.” He turned up the volume to the radio, and I listened to the guitar’s sad, haunting melody as I stared out the window. The driveway stretched on forever, but once we cleared the large iron gate, we were out of civilization. I took a deep breath as I clutched my purse so tightly my knuckles turned white.

The two lane road was lined with trees and power lines. There were very few houses, but most looked shabby and small compared to Colin’s home.

We pulled off onto Summer Lane. The road was flanked by large ornate stone pillars. We pulled up next to several other equally expensive cars and I could feel Colin’s eyes on me when he put the car into park.

“Are you ready?” I looked out at the small gathering of people before looking back to him. “For a long time.” The butterflies took flight in my stomach.

He placed his hand on my thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze before opening his door and circling the car to open mine for me as well. I took his hand as he helped me from the seat. I smoothed down the front of my dress and looped my arm through his.

An older gentleman in a sharp navy blue suit stopped us. He looked to be about twenty years older than Colin. “Congratulations. If you kids need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thanks, Jim. I appreciate it.”

“That goes for you as well, Annabel.” I nodded.

As we made our way to the small church where I had spent so many Sundays with Colin, my nerves turned to excitement. His hand clutched mine as we made our way up the narrow aisle. Everyone turned in their seats to watch us as we approached the front. People stood along the walls, and there wasn’t an empty seat in the building.

I opened my purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper that I had spent the entire night writing all of my feelings down on. We turned to look at the group of people who had come to show us their support.

“We want to thank you all for coming here today." Colin's strong voice resonated through the sanctuary. "I know this isn’t conventional, but nothing about our lives has been to this point.” There was a small rumbling of laughter, and I smiled as I glanced up at Colin. “Today we get a chance to reclaim our lives and, literally, bury our past.” I glanced behind me at the mahogany casket that contained Taylor’s body. “With the death of Taylor, we can sleep soundly knowing the monster we feared is not lurking in the shadows. But I’ve come to realize he wasn’t really a monster at all. He was just a man. A sad, sick man who can no longer hurt anyone. He didn’t win. We get to rebuild our lives and come back stronger, and we will do it together.” Colin was grinning down at me as he mouthed I love you.

“I’m proud to announce that, with your blessing, we will be opening the Blakely Community. You all will have a safe place to rest your heads and the support system you need to move on with your lives.” I held my breath as I scanned the faces of Taylor’s surviving victims. Slowly they began to clap and cheer as they rose to their feet. Colin wrapped his arms around me and lifted my feet from the ground.

Spending Taylor’s money on ourselves hadn’t seemed fair, when his cruelty had reached so many others. It would be a long road, and we would all have to pitch in to make it work, but it was a start.

I was young enough not to understand that my life was different, but not everyone else was as fortunate. We would protect each other. We would help each other shoulder the burden.

We were the lucky few who got a chance to start over. A real family, a new home, and a beautiful life built on strength and perseverance. While our lives were brought together as victims, we stayed together as survivors. It was only a matter of time before our tragedy became a story of hope.

Content

Pretty Little Things
by
Teresa Mummert

Prologue

Chapter 1 - Annie

Chapter 2 - Colin

Chapter 3 - Annabel

Chapter 4 - Colin

Chapter 5 - Annabel

Chapter 6 - Colin

Chapter 7 - Jacob

Chapter 8 - Annabel

Chapter 9 - Colin

Chapter 10 - Jacob

Chapter 11 - Annie

Chapter 12 - Colin

Chapter 13 - Annie

Chapter 14 - Colin

Chapter 15 - Annie

Chapter 16 - Colin

Chapter 17 - Annie

Chapter 18 - Colin

Chapter 19 - Annabel

Chapter 20 - Jacob

Chapter 21 - Annabel

Chapter 22 - Jacob

Chapter 23 - Colin

Chapter 24 - Annabel

Chapter 25 - Colin

Epilogue - Colin

Epilogue - Colin