You Are Mine Little Sister (by Syra Tucker) novel Chapter 198

I kept my head bowed as sobs ravaged my body. He stayed silent, and I didn't need to look up to know he was watching me. Studying my ruin. Measuring my misery.

I was so scared. So terrified of him. But above all I hated him. Hated him for what he did to me.

My crying thinned to quiet broken gasps before I finally heard his voice.

"You have every right to be upset." The calmness in his tone felt almost cruel in its indifference. "I'll take every blame you throw at me. Won't try to stop you from crashing out. But you'll eventually forgive me, Rali, because you can't hate me forever."

Fresh rage detonated inside my chest.

The son of a bitch.

"I won't!" I screamed, my voice hoarse and feral. "I'll hate you until my last breath, you evil thing! I'll never ever love a man like you!"

He still didn't seem affected by my words. He was too closed off. Too untouched. And that made me hate him even more.

"Food will be brought to you soon," he said, already turning away. "Get some rest."

My legs trembled as I forced myself to my feet. "Let me go!! Please!"

He paused with the door half-open, the light from the hallway cutting across his frame. For a second, he stood with his back to me. Then he tilted his head slowly and looked at me over his shoulder.

"We'll be together, Rali Hayes. We're meant to be."

I saw it then, clear as firelight in his cold eyes. An obsessed man who had lost his sanity and was gripping the only thing he believed kept him grounded.

Me.

I held his stare until he finally turned away and disappeared through the door.

.......

By the next day, when he brought my food, he unchained me. I was surprised since I'd had to eat like an animal with my hands chained the previous day.

We didn't say a word to each other until he left.

Like anyone in captivity, I thought of escape. But yesterday, I discovered there were cameras in the room, even in the bathroom. So he was always going to be watching me. Planning an escape would be useless.

As the hours stacked into days, memories began to seep back in. His face. His voice. His hands. Things we had done. Things I had felt.

"You killed my parents," I told him on day three when he brought me lunch and had turned toward the door to leave.

I stood behind him, my small hands balled into fists.

"You knew you did, yet you kept quiet and just kept using me."

I'd remembered that during the night. Remembered the confrontation I had with him in the bar.

He gave me his back and kept silent.

"I can't believe I ever loved you. I hope I never remember completely."

He turned then and looked at me. He didn't seem offended in anyway.

"It's fine if you don't remember, Green. We'll just create new memories."

I shook my head the way you would at someone beyond saving. "You're delusional."

"Maybe." he shrugged. "But just remember, there was a time you didn't hate me the way you did."

"I was a fool!"

My chest burned like it was full of wildfire.

"You'll love me again, Rali Hayes. It's fated to happen," he said with all certainty.

He washed the hair so delicately and perfectly you'd think he'd been doing this before And he was right; the shampoo did smell like bubblegum. It was soothing and so good.

Done with the hair, he did something even more unhinged. He took me to the tub and bathed me. I tried to protest, of course. But there was only so much resistance a body could muster when its hands were chained and its will was already fraying.

Afterward, back in the room, he finally removed the restraints.

"What did you do to the Twins?" I demanded. "You lied to me about getting them arrested. Did you even catch them at all?"

He moved to the wardrobe and pulled out a set of clean clothes.

"I didn't lie about them being in custody. It's just not the police's." He threw the clothes at me. "Put them on."

"So... you killed them or what?"

"They're getting what they deserve."

I glanced up at the ceiling. "You know I find it funny you're hurting others when you've literally done worse to me. Those monsters deserve death, but you're not in any position to deliver it."

He crossed his arms, leaning against the dresser. "I know I did worse. But that's the point; I'm the only one permitted to hurt you."

My face fractured in disbelief. Seriously?

"Put the clothes on," he repeated, his tone clipped, all business.

God I hated how commanding he was. I hated even more that I was powerless beneath it.

I turned toward the bathroom with stiff steps.

"I've seen you naked more times than most people watch p**n." The words struck me like a slap across the back.

"Get changed."