feet and comes to my side, lightly wrapping an arm around my waist to snuggle into me. “Nothing I say seems to sink in.”
“We’re all wasting our breath.” Abi continues to stare at the carpet. “She’ll be gone soon. We’re better off getting used to—”
“Stop.” I warn. “Don’t talk like that. Ever. Do you hear me?”
They all react in their own defensive ways.
Nina nestles closer into me. Chloe weaves her arms around her waist, self-soothing. And Abi scowls, strengthening her resolve to distance herself from the emotional loss.
“We stick together. Always.” I stare at Abi until she meets my gaze. “Always.”
She winces as Nina nods against my shoulder, the room filling with silence for a few beats before Abi sighs. “Did you hear about Luther’s son?”
“Yes. And I think Luther left a few minutes ago to retrieve him, so we need to prepare.”
“For what?” Chloe asks.
“Anything.” I inch away from Nina so I can look her in the eye. “We all have to expect the unexpected. Sometimes visitors come and go without drama. But other times…” I let the sentence hang. They’ve already lived through enough torment to come to their own conclusions.
“What should we do?”
“Start tidying up. Make sure the house is clean. At least that way Luther won’t have an excuse for additional punishment.” It will also give my sisters something to occupy their minds.
“Fine.” Abi huffs. “I’ll vacuum.”
“I’ll dust.” Chloe pushes from the sofa.
Nina’s tired eyes turn my way. “I guess I’ll clean the bathrooms.”
“And once I get ready, I’ll tidy the kitchen.” I attempt to smile and hope I’m exuding calm instead of the nauseating anticipation twisting my stomach. “Don’t worry. We’ll be okay.”
They don’t respond to the placation as they leave the room. We all know a threat looms close. It’s only a matter of the severity.
I try to follow my own strategy to keep myself occupied as the sand in my mental hourglass dwindles.
I grab a pair of shoes. I do my hair, finger-combing the long strands into a messy plait. The make-up I put on is understated and simple. I don’t want to accentuate my features any more than necessary. Only enough for Luther to think I’ve made an effort.
I’m in the kitchen, wiping down the counter when the faintest sound of an approaching car brushes my ears.
“They’re here,” Tobias calls from another room. “My brother is here.”
I stalk into the living room, finding Abi, Nina, and Chloe frantically scrambling to pack their cleaning supplies.
“Don’t panic.” I maneuver around the coffee table, then the sofa, and squeeze by Nina to get to the curtains and gently glide them an inch aside. “Take a few minutes to breathe.”
I listen to my own advice and slow my inhales, expelling the air from my lungs gradually as Luther and Chris stride toward the house. But it’s the men climbing from the parked car who steal my attention.
They’re both tall, broad, with one man looking toward the house to reveal a face resembling Luther so closely it’s clear he must be the son.
My hatred is instantaneous.
No introduction is necessary to determine he’s the scum of the earth. Not when I’ve already heard enough whispers to know this confident man lazily strolling for the mansion doors is yet another monster.
“Go get Lilly.” I glance over my shoulder and meet Nina’s gaze. “Reassure her everything will be fine.”
She nods and quickly leaves the room, Abi and Chloe following behind her while I release the curtain to fall back into place.
The front door opens in the distance. Tobias greets them with words I can’t decipher before he rushes back down the hall in the opposite direction. Heavy footsteps approach, accompanied by murmurs from men without souls.
I toe off my shoes and creep across the room, listening, eavesdropping, and plaster myself to the wall beside the doorway. I hear disjointed conversation as they approach, none of which makes any sense. Then I spy a glimpse of Luther and Chris as they pass the living room and continue toward the back of the house.
Their guests walk by a few seconds later, and I stiffen at the malevolence ebbing from them. I can feel their malicious intent.
I wait for the footsteps to move farther along the hall before I attempt a peek around the doorway. The Luther lookalike is focused, eyes straight ahead, while his companion carries his menacing frame with confidence. He’s strong, his suit-covered frame hiding what I assume is a lethal body beneath.