When she no longer looks ready to scream the city down, I remove my hand from her mouth and tuck her hair behind her ear.
“Are you jealous, baby doll?”Murder shines from her green eyes.I lean down and whisper in her ear.“Don’t be.I’m all yours.”She shivers and pushes against my chest.I nip her ear and enjoy her sharp breath against the side of my face.“And you’re mine, Audrey.”
Without warning, she twists and ducks out from between me and the pillar.I chuckle and push my glasses higher on my nose.Hunger and hatred war in her eyes as she tracks the movement.When a child screeches a few feet away, she straightens her shoulders and glares at me.
“I’m not your baby doll.You can’t own me, Brennan.I’m a human being living a full and happy life without you.”My stomach clenches at the vehemence in her voice even as misery and fear shine from her depths.“Leave me alone,” she demands.
Itskand cross my arms over my chest before leaning in to whisper near her temple.
“You can run, but you can’t hide, baby doll.I’ve found you and I’m not letting go,” I vow.
When I lean back and study her face, her blank expression inspires the first twinge of fear in my soul.She lifts tortured eyes up at me and stares.
Without a word, she slips away and weaves through the crowd with her head down.
I hurt her.I don’t know what I did to trigger the hopelessness in her eyes, but she runs away from me as quickly as she can.
I’ll make it right.I don’t care what it takes; I’ll do anything to ensure my delicate little stepsister runs to me for safety like she did when we were kids.I’ll protect her.Cherish her.Worship her.
After I punish her for teasing me.
I’ll infiltrate her life and win her heart back.
I pull my cell out of my pocket and send several texts as I stroll away from the church.
Now that I know she’s in New York City, I won’t hold back.My father can’t hide her from me anymore.
There’s no escape for her.
Audrey Tripp is mine.
Only mine.
Chapter 3
Audrey Tripp
The warring scents ofdisinfectant and decay invade my sinuses, adding another layer to my misery, but I push through the discomfort and walk deeper into the building.Although older, smaller, and further from the city than my mother’s current facility, it’s the best of all the ones I’ve looked at today.
It’s also more expensive, but I’ll make it work.Somehow.
If I had more time, I could look for something cheaper and closer, but my ex-stepfather’s threat pounds through my cotton-packed skull.I spent a sleepless, worry-filled night curled up in the corner of my bed with my tablet in my lap and my blanket over my head.
The couple in the apartment above me got into a knock-down-drag-out fight around one a.m.while the drunkard on the other side of the flimsy wall snored so loudly the guy living on the other side of him kept shouting in annoyance.A baby down the hall cried around three, but the mom responded so fast no one yelled at her.My fabric fortress muffled the chaos and soothed my inner child.Even though I know putting a blanket over my head doesn’t offer me more safety, it makes me feel less small.
I don’t hide under the covers often, since it dredges up too many memories, but after yesterday’s upheaval, I needed whatever comfort I could find.
Charlotte Reed, the Director of Nursing, stops beside the front desk and turns to face me.
“And that concludes the tour.Do you have any questions or concerns?”she asks.
“I’d like a few minutes to look over the packet you gave me,” I say.
Her understanding smile eases the ball of angst lodged behind my sternum.
“Of course!Would you rather sit in the receiving area or a private room?”she asks.
After a moment of consideration, I gesture to the cozy seating area across from the front desk.
