Page 7 of Pretty Monsters

"You are lucky you're worth more to me unmarked."

Digging his fingers into my upper arm, he starts to drag me through the house, and I'm certain once I am put in my room, I won't be leaving again until I find out what makes me so valuable to him.

Two figures step out of the shadows, one of them is my ghost and the other is my long lost brother. I recognize the similarity of our features and the crooked smirk he wore the last time I saw him driving away.

"Father, why are you dragging Raven through the house?" It's the first time in years I've heard Lucien's voice. No longer does it hold the in-between awkwardness of a boy becoming a man. Now it rumbles with a quiet danger.

My ghost tenses up. I'd like to think it's out of concern for me, but I think it has more to do with a hatred of my father.

Father shoves me hard, and I tumble into my brother. Lucien reacts quickly and keeps me from falling to the floor. Very subtly he moves me until I'm standing behind him. My ghost shadows his movement and stands at my back.

They move like a unit. Without a single word or gesture I can detect, they have caged me between their imposing forms.

"Take her to her room and make sure the dumbass I've got watching her room doesn't let her out again."

Lucien nods, and any hope I held flies away. He won't help me escape this gilded prison.

"Of course. If you'd like I can guard her room myself," he offers.

This seems to appease the tyrant. "Good thinking, son. I only have to hold her until tomorrow."

"What is going to happen tomorrow?" Lucien asks.

"I'm having a party tomorrow night to announce I'm entering the gubernatorial race."

"Why does Raven need to be guarded for the party?" Lucien pushes.

"Not that it's your concern," Damien huffs, "but there are deals that must be made to ensure the political machine works in my favor."

"And the cost of this machine?" Lucien asks.

"I've arranged for Raven to marry George Campbell. In return, his corporation will finance my campaign and influence the other major players."

"Campbell? Isn't he like fifty?" my brother asks. His voice is quiet, but I detect an edge to his silence.

My father shrugs as if the age of the man he plans to hand me off to, without even telling me, is of little significance to him. "George, Jr. is in his thirties. Not that it would matter, this is a business deal."

"She's your daughter," Lucien pushes.

"And she'll do her duty for this family as you always have. Would you have her be treated special?"

Lucien tips his head. "Of course not, father. Since this deal is obviously important I'll bring Sin with me to stand guard."

My father pats Lucien on the shoulder, and I feel Lucien's muscles coil in reaction to his touch.

"I'm glad I can depend on you, son." Father departs back down the hall.

"Let's go upstairs," Lucien orders.

Woodenly, I let the two of them guide me back up the stairs. Images of overweight, sweaty old men dance in my head. I've only ever dated one boy, secretly of course, and tomorrow my father expects me to agree to marry a man I've never met?

The human mountain stands at the end of the hallway once again. I'm not sure what he's guarding exactly since it's fairly clear they know I'm not in my room.

"Thanks, Joe, you can go ahead and go. Damien wants us to keep an eye on her until the party tomorrow," Lucien tells him.

"Of course, sir." Joe's steps echo down the hall and then the stairs as he descends.

Lucien leads me into my room, only he and Sin don't leave me alone as I have been for three days. They close the door behind us, and I see a warning in Lucien's eyes to stay quiet.

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