Page 56 of Break

I blink as hazy memories cloud my mind, but they’re so unclear that I can barely make out any details. “She has black hair, like I do. We–We…”

“So much you don’t know, Hope.” He steps closer, reaches for my face, and I can’t dare myself to move. “But I’ll teach you. Like I’ve done before.”

Tears roll down. “Please, don’t. I won’t tell anyone you’re out. I won’t tell anyone what you did.”

“No one cares, Hope. They let me out.” His touch is cold to my skin. “Grab your keys. We’re going.”

I gulp and crouch down, grabbing the keys. But as I try to move up, he presses his hand on the top of my head.

“Look at me,” he says sharply.

With a deep breath, I tilt my head up and stare up at him. His hand grazes lower, trailing over my cheek to my lips. My stomach churns, pushing bile up into my throat and making me so nauseous that it threatens to make me dizzy.

“There is where you belong.” He forces my mouth open. “On your knees.”

His hand curls lower, wrapping around my throat, and he lifts me to my feet. He tears the keys from my hand and opens the back door.

“Be good now,” he whispers and tosses me in.

With a cry, I hit the seat on my chest, knocking the breath out of my lungs. A weak gasp breaks from me as I hear the door shut behind me, trapping me inside. I can’t move to fight my way out, anyway.

My body is cold. Fear has shut me down as I want to hide deep inside my mind like I’ve done so many times before.

With every blink, there’s a difference.

The car starts.

Blink.

We’re driving.

Blink.

Night falls.

Blink.

The car stops.

My nightmare is back.

It was never Dimitri, never Knox or Jaxon.

It was always him.

The man who calls himself my dad.

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