Текст книги "Pretty Little Things"
Автор книги: Teresa Mummert
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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 10 страниц)
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.
