“Mom and Dad think we’re lazy, spoiled, and entitled,” he says like he’s reciting a list.
“That’s right, darling, good. Mommy and Daddy haven’t given us money in a long time. But we have very expensive tastes, don’t we?”
“We really do.” Collin grins and rubs the back of his head.
“So here’s the deal, my dear.” Hannah looks at me with a sideways smile. “We need money. And you’re worth a million. So I figure, we’ll sell you back to your daddy and make out like bandits.”
“We’re splitting it,” Collin says.
“That’s right, splitting it right down the middle.” Hannah grins at me.
“No,” I groan. “Why?”
“I just told you, dear. Aren’t you listening?” Hannah sits in a chair across from me. “You don’t know what it’s like, living in their shadow.”
“Who?”
“Them.” She snarls the word and makes a face. “The five chosen ones. The good cousins. The special ones. All because their father is the head of the family. It disgusts me. They’re not worth the time.”
“You mean… Brent and his siblings?”
“Of course she does, silly,” Collin says and sits next to his sister. “I hate those pricks. They used to pick on me, did you know that? Especially Lora. She was awful.”
“But… she’s younger than you.”
He makes a face. “Exactly why it was so bad.”
“Don’t worry, darling.” Hannah ruffles his hair. “You’ll get revenge soon enough. We get this money and you can buy whatever you like with it. Right, darling?”
“Right,” he says, nodding.
“So listen.” Hannah crosses her legs and cocks her head. “I want you to know it’s nothing personal. I mean, you seem perfectly fine and everything. I don’t have a vendetta, you know. I just want to get paid and you’re the biggest score in this filthy house.”
“Brent won’t let you do this.”
“Of course he won’t. That’s why I’m not going to let him find out. He’s too busy prowling the grounds right now to notice.”
“What about… my security?” I frown at them. “I have security. They’ll notice.”
She waves that away. “I sent them off. Told them the big head bitch needed them elsewhere.” She cackles. “There are perks to having the last name Lofthouse, you see. Even if we are the black sheep of the family.”
“But…” I work my jaw. “Please. I can give you money.”
“No, you can’t.” Hannah sighs. “Listen, dear. I only took the hood off because I felt bad. I’m not a monster, you see. I have feelings. I can empathize with your situation. Your daddy wants you and he’s a big, bad man. But you’re worth so much money. So I suppose I can’t help myself.”
“If you’re not a bad person, you won’t send me to him. That man… he wants to sell me. That’s all I am to him.”
She shrugs a little. “What can I do, dear? I can’t do a thing. You’re going back and I’m getting paid.”
“Wait. Please—”
Collin stands up. “We really are sorry. Just so you know.”
I stare at him like he’s insane. He smiles at me and brings the hood back over.
“Wait, no, please—”
He shoves it over my head.
“Sorry,” he says.
Blackness descends.
“Now, this is the hard part,” Hannah says. “We need to get you out of here. So you can either play along, like a good little pet, or Collin here will smash your head. Hopefully you won’t die, but one never knows. Your father didn’t say he needed you alive.”
“No,” I groan. “He needs me alive. I can’t do anything for him if I’m dead.”
“Sorry,” Collin says again, his voice close.
“I’ll play nice,” I say quickly, heart racing. “I’ll be good. Just please. Don’t hurt me.”
“Good pet. Collin, darling?”
I feel him grab me and lift me again. I can’t see a thing as we walk, my body jostling. I don’t scream out as we move through hallways. I hear doors open and shut. I hear footsteps on the stairs, I hear voices down a hall. I want to scream but I’m so afraid big, dumb Collin will smash my head and kill me by mistake. The hood over my face makes everything instantly more horrifying and I can’t bring myself to scream.
Another door opens and I can smell fresh air.
“Almost there, dear,” Hannah says. “Doing so good. So proud of you, dear.”
We bounce down a rough path and reach something. Collin stops and I hear a car door open.
“In you go,” he says and gently shoves me into the back seat. My leg bashes against the door and I gasp in pain. “Shit. Sorry.”
I moan as he shoves me over and slides in next to me. He slams the door shut and I hear someone climb into the front.
“Ready, darling?” Hannah asks.
“Yes. Let’s get this over with.”
The engine starts and the car pulls away from Lofthouse Manor.20Brent“What do you mean, you fucking lost her?”
I stare at the stone-faced security guys, my jaw hanging open. Patricks glances at Johnson, who just nods.