Page 117 of Savage Hearts

I came into my room and now I finally saw what was different.

A small pink box sat in the middle of my bed.

I watched it warily, poking at it with one finger, as if I was afraid that one wrong move from me would cause it to explode, killing me and everyone in the house.

It didn’t.

The wrapping was?—

Pretty.

I liked the slight glimmer in the pink that shone in the reflective light above. I even liked the red ribbon that held it together.

Whoever had left this for me had put a lot of thought into it. I didn’t know which brother this “present” was from or what it contained.

It wouldn’t be the first time I was fooled by a pretty package.

After a while, I left for the bathroom and got ready for the night.

It seemed like it was going to be just me again.

That was not disappointment settling heavily in my stomach from the thought.

It wasn’t.

My mind focused on the present while I brushed my teeth, as I washed my face, and even as I applied the moisturizer that Rachel had bought for me when I asked.

I stopped in front of the walk-in closet and looked back at the present once more before going into the closet to find something comfortable to wear for bed.

Silas still hadn’t given me back my underwear.

A part of me wanted to admit Ihadbeen jealous that day at the hostess blatantly flirting with him, even with me sitting right there.

But it felt like he would win somehow, and I wasn’t at the point where I wanted to show more vulnerable parts of myself to these monsters.

I found a black T-shirt and gray sweats.

I quickly changed and climbed into bed, grabbing the present when I could no longer avoid it.

My hands shook slightly as I unwrapped it, and I gasped when I finally saw what was inside.

Well, I didn’t have to guess anymore who’d sent the present, though this surprised—and embarrassed—me greatly.

I groaned and lifted the pink vibrator from the box.

It was pretty big, bigger than I imagined a vibrator to be. I pressed the button to turn it on, and for a moment, nothing happened, and then the thing started to vibrate.

I screamed and threw it against the wall, but now that it was vibrating against the hard surface, the sound seemed to be ten times louder inside this quiet house.

I didn’t want anyone to hear, so I quickly jumped off the bed and shut it off. I put it back inside the box, pausing when I found something white at the bottom.

It was a note that read:

Think of me when you use it.

I scowled at it and shoved the box, along with the note, under my bed.

I was not going to use it. And if he thought I was going to think about him…

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