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Staying in that house with her would cost me my life because I know there’s no way anyone from Cerberus would allow me to get within ten feet of her, and I can’t show her my monsters if I’m dead.
Another time, I vow in my head as I leave.
Chapter 7
Alani
Was I technically kidnapped?
I wanted a little adventure in my life, but this may possibly be a little more than I bargained for.
I watch him as he leaves the house, and I feel like I can breathe once again, the sense of smothering gone right along with his presence.
I hate the tears on my cheeks. They’re proof of how weak I am.
I can’t manage to pull my eyes from the doorway as I’m untied. He took all four of us, kept us tied to chairs for hours, and these men just let him walk out of here. If I were to call the police, which these men clearly aren’t, they’d threaten to lock me up. They’d call me crazy.
I know referencing a movie is ridiculous, but the bad guy ends up on the floor with a steel-toe boot on his neck at a minimum. He doesn’t just get growled at by the man who is obviously in charge and then allowed to walk away.
I stand, my hands trying to work out the soreness in my wrists caused by those stupid ropes, as Ayla approaches. I have so many questions, but I’m not certain she’ll bother to tell me the truth. She’s been lying to me for months. Despite knowing that I’m safe now, I’m left feeling a little insane for wishing I had the opportunity to leave with him.
Guilt swims in Ayla’s eyes as I look toward her, stepping around the woman who untied me from the chair. She can’t even approach me, but I guess keeping her distance is better than stepping up and spitting more lies.
I’m all for someone doing what they want with their life, but she didn’t have to lie to me about it. I’ve been alone for months, spent the holidays with a friend because of what she’s been doing. It’s been a hard pill to swallow these last couple of days, realizing exactly where I fit in her life when I’ve been the center of it since our parents’ deaths.
A million things are happening around me, and I don’t know where to focus my attention. Staring at the door would produce nothing. The guy is too smart to come back into the middle of this shitshow.
A man who looks like an older version of Landon is pressing a palm to his chest, preventing him from going after the guy who took us.
The second Blaine is untied, he’s in front of me, wrapping his arms around me. I’m hit with a wave of guilt because I’d much rather him not touch me at all. The man is trying to be my friend, and it pisses me off. It makes me a complete asshole. My arms stay locked at my sides, my eyes once again darting to the front door.
Relief fills me when he finally takes a step back, only for it to ramp up again when the female who untied me steps back in my field of vision.
“Alani?” she says, her voice low and trusting. “You’re safe now. We need to get you to a hospital for evaluation. If he—”
“He didn’t,” I snap. “Nothing happened.”
Technically, we were held hostage, but other than the burn of the ropes on my skin, the man did nothing despite having hours’ worth of chances to do as he pleased.
I swallow down the regret, knowing that level of wickedness has no place in my life. Shame for wishing tonight was different heats my cheeks, and I hate that others are standing around witnessing it.
I lock eyes with my sister, needing to deflect that emotion.
I step around the woman trying to make sure I’m okay and walk closer to Ayla.
“I guess I have you to blame for all of this?” I snap. “This has something to do with all the twisted shit you’ve been involved in?”
Ayla looks likes she swallowed glass. Her mouth opens as if she’s going to explain or lie some more, but no sound comes out.
“Your sister was abducted from the parking lot outside of your dorm building,” some guy growls at me.
The words make me freeze as Ayla grabs the arm of the man who seems to hate me for some reason, but it doesn’t keep him from speaking.
“She was abused, tortured, fucking raped, countless times, to fucking protect you.”
I shift my eyes from his, back to my sister’s, my head shaking because that can’t be true. My chin trembles, fear, and self-hatred threatening to take over. Ayla doesn’t argue, doesn’t deny what he’s said.
“Ayla?” Her name is a plea, a way of begging it all to be a lie,
