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“Where are you, little lamb?” The sound of Remy’s voice makes me shiver.
The forest is dark and silent. Luckily, I thrive in the shadows. I can easily stay here forever if I need to, and I see better in the dark than they do. I’m quiet as a church mouse as they continue down the path.
After a few minutes, I quietly veer back onto the dirt path toward the house, moving hastily through the yard. It won’t take long for them to realize they are chasing a ghost. I just need to make it to Tommy’s bedroom where my knife is hidden, and I can even the playing field.
I’m not sure why I stashed it there. Maybe I knew I’d need it someday. It’s the last place they’d expect me to go right now.
The yard is dark and empty, with only the remnants of Bax’s burning fire, down to embers and ash. If I can make it downstairs to Tommy’s room, I can lock them out. Let them break down the door with brute force if they want me so badly. Perhaps they will sleep this off, and when they are ready to make love to me like gentlemen, we can reconsider the conversation. If they come near me tonight in the state they are in, I will stab them.
The door is open, just as I’d figured. I slip inside, closing it softly, and pause to get my bearings. Inside the house is cold and unwelcoming.
A voice speaks out from the shadows. “They’re going to kill you, you know.”
I jump and find my breath realizing it’s only Lucy standing in the hallway, in her nightgown. “What did you say?” I hiss.
She steps out of the shadows, fully revealing herself to me. Her eyes are twisted, and they are fixed on me. Since I got here, she’s been keeping her distance, and I can sense the animosity.
She runs her hands through her hair. “Maybe not tonight, or tomorrow, but they will kill you, Diana. There is simply no other way.”
I let out a breath and glare at her. “You don’t know that. They don’t seem like they are in a rush to kill me.”
A smile tugs at her lips, and I can sense the madness in her eyes. “My family has served the Vitals for decades. Their darkness knows no limits, and they get worse with every generation. This family is the root of all evil that resides here. We’ve seen what happens to the pretty girls they fall in love with. You will soon see your end.”
I fold my arms, refusing to believe it. I’ve seen the softer side of both. They love me, I know they do.
She continues, “Tonight, one of them will mark you, and that mark signifies his allegiance to the Order, and his unwavering devotion to the dark lord they worship. You’ll see.”
My knees grow weak. “How do you know all this? I thought only the sacrifices or members were privy to the truth, and you don’t seem to be either. Besides being their servant, what else are you to them?"
She blinks at me, her eyes cold and dead. “My great-grandmother was a sacrifice…but she survived it. She rose from the ashes and became her lover’s mistress instead. They kept it a secret for years, and she went on to have his children. Each descendant of hers are bound to a different oath to serve the original bloodline. It was the price we had to pay to live. We serve, or we die. I’m nothing more than a slave.”
“Jesus,” I whisper.
“There is no Jesus here. Your prayers won’t work in this house. Trust me, I know—I’ve been praying my whole life.”
Little does she know, prayers don’t work anywhere.
I chew on the side of my cheek, and she grins. “Remy may be interested in you now, but I’m the one he will end up with. They always do, eventually. Now, you’d better hide, Diana…they are coming for you.”
I watch as she slips into the dark, and I’m convinced that everyone who lives in this house is insane.
DIDI
Lucy’s words still bother me as I shut the door and turn the deadbolt before descending the creaky stairs to the basement. As I pass through the beaded curtain, a cool draft hits my skin, and I sense I’m not alone.
The lava lamp flickers on, and two shadowed figures come into view. My eyes adjust to the red light emanating from it. How is this possible? I would have seen them if they beat me here.
“You’re mine, little lamb.”
My free hand flies to my mouth. “Remy.”
I barely have time to scream before he’s on me, his body pressed hard against mine, pushing me against the wall. I’m helpless beneath him. As he pulls my hands up, he locks them around my neck and digs his dick against my center. “What were you talking about up there with Lucy?”
Did he hear the whole thing?
“How did you know I was going to come down here?”
“I’ve been watching you for months, Diana. I know every thought in that pretty head of yours before you even have them.” A shiver crawls down my back, and a cold wind stings my face.
