“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 ass**le! 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 f**king 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 f**k 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 f**king 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 f**king 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 ass**le 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 f**king 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 f**king 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 f**king 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.