Page 159 of Love Me

“It took me years to change my strategy.” A shudder rocks her, and a tear falls down her cheek.

“Your father…”

“Shh, he will understand. You had to survive.”

Her eyes find the camera. She pulls me back into the room and hurries back to the bed.

“You’re my daughter. I want you to laugh in their stupid faces so they know nothing will break you like nothing broke me.”

It’s incredible how I thought I’d found a puppet but in reality a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“I can’t wait to talk. I need to learn all about you, Celine. The grown you. When we get out of here, we’re going on a vacation as a family,” she says, delight blossoming in her voice. “Promise me.”

It’s all so surreal. The door opens, and my mom looks at Felix with glassy doe-like eyes.

“Felix, take her away. She makes me uncomfortable.”

He smirks at her, his face transforming into a victorious one. I almost throw up in my mouth. He’s a sick bastard. I am sure it has been hell, but she survived. She’s my new role model. I will endure, like her, and spit in their faces. They won’t win.

She leans in to kiss him. Every fiber in my body coils up.

He looks at me with a cockiness that makes me murderous.

“Your wish is my command, my love. I’ll come back the second I am done with work.”

“Yes, hurry. I miss you terribly when you’re away.”

He shoves me toward the exit. I steal a glance over my shoulder when he lowers his face to me and says, “Cassandra doesn’t know who you are. She forgot everything. She’s mine. Just mine.”

“I actually feel sorry for you. You could only get her by playing with her mind and body.”

“Ah, a conscience. I knew you’d poison Kaden with that saccharine love. That is why you had to disappear. And you came back, but this time I won’t fail.”

“You’ll never win.”

“We’ll kill you and erase all traces of you as if you were a mere bug.”

“Bring it on.”

I spit in his face as we arrive at a set of double doors. They slide open to a room full of equipment. A woman and two men wearing white lab coats fuss around with the machines.

Felix pushes me toward a metallic chair. Caleb goes to the fridge and takes something out of it. Another syringe and a tremor shivers down my spine.

“Sit,” Felix says.

“But of course, Uncle.”

I plop down. Every time I make him react, it fills me with great joy.

“She is so undisciplined. But we’ll show her manners do count,” Caleb says.

Metallic bands wrap around my neck, wrists, and ankles. I want to shift, but squirming in the seat would give them satisfaction and I refuse to do that.

“We’ll play a little game,” Caleb says, rubbing his hands together.

“I love games.”

“This stupid girl. Increase the dosage.”

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