intestine shift and squish around. Her head hung, the life having left her body in the midst of my sculpting.
My hands shook as I pulled the blade back out. If this were way back when, Rose would be on her knees right now, sucking me dry and finger fucking herself.
Plugging another flat iron in, I waited for it to get hot, then used it to cauterize my mark so it stood out better.
A burnt rubber smell filled the air as her flesh sizzled and blood popped like hot oil.
Running a hand over my chin, I stepped back and admired my craftsmanship before grabbing a comb so I could fix her hair up.
Chapter Fifteen
Past
I heard his heavy footsteps coming down the hall. Molly huddled closer to me, shivering from the chilled air coupled with fear. I gripped her freezing, pale hands in mine, counting the seconds before he arrived.
The two new girls sat on the opposite side of the room, far away from us. They thought we were like him. I didn’t blame them. In fact, they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. If I’d seen what they had I might have come to that same conclusion.
Molly and I were only permitted to wear white, vintage silk gowns, and our hair had to always be presentable. Our room was painted a soft pink, and our golden framed beds were of the best quality.
It wasn’t usually how people pictured two kidnapped girls living.
Con did his usual and paused three doors down, continuing to sing his twisted song. This was his thing, one of his methods of torment. He sang us a lullaby where we died at the end. When the doorknob slowly began to turn, the two girls grabbed hold of one another, as if that would protect them from him.
Poor things.
At first, I often wondered where he found his new toys, but after being with him for over six months I learned there was a pattern with him. He had methods to his crazy, and it had everything to do with me. I was his madness. I was the disease he fed off.
Con walked in with his charming smile in place, looking just as beautiful as he always did. Justin was right behind him, pausing in the doorway.
“Molly.” Con greeted her with a chin jerk, refusing to acknowledge me. I was still being given the cold shoulder for standing up to him the week prior. The bruise on my face was just starting to fade from his knuckles connecting with it.
“Hey,” he called gently to the new girls, crouching down to their level.
“Please let us go,” the older of the two pleaded. Molly and I both dropped our gazes to our laps.
This was always the worst part—when the girls begged to be let go. They swore they’d do anything for freedom. The things Con came up with never ceased to surprise me.
“We’re going to play a simple game first. If you participate, I promise I’ll let you go.” He crossed his right hand over his heart, oozing sincerity.
The girls eyed him warily, but both nodded their heads in agreement. I frowned over at them, biting my tongue.
Every time this happened, it was like being fed a spoonful of vinegar. They were me once. I was disarmed by the pretty eyes and pretty smile of a perfect liar.
“All right, we’re going to go to the dining room.” He stood up, holding out his hands to them. They each grabbed a side and allowed him to lead them out of the room, shooting Molly and me uncertain glances.
“Come on, you two,” Justin ordered, turning to follow his brother.
“Rose, I can’t,” Molly whispered, tears forming in her eyes. “I can’t watch him—”
“Shh, you know what will happen if he hears you.” I brushed the wetness from her cheeks, taking her face in my hands.
“We’re going to be okay,” I assured her.
It wasn’t a lie.
He may hurt us, play games that made us question our sanity, and make us prove our devotion to him, but he would never let either of us go. He said we were a family, and nothing was going to break that apart.
“Come on.” Standing, I reached down and clasped her hand again to help her up. She hung her head, walking slightly behind me with slumped shoulders and her chin tucked to her chest, utterly defeated by the knowledge of what was coming next.
When we entered the nearly empty dining room, the two girls were already sitting in old wooden chairs with