Page 4 of A Twisted Gift

“No!” Marissa grabs me, pulling against Danny and Benjamin’s hold on me in vain. “I won’t let you.”

“Should I auction you off instead?”

Marissa freezes, her face going pale. “You wouldn’t.”

“If you keep acting like this, that could change. Don’t make me install a lock on your bedroom door, too.”

She gasps, the hurt on her expression so strong that it makes my heart pang. “If you do this, I’ll never visit you again. You’ll be dead to me.”

“Don’t forget that my name is still on all your accounts, my dear. All it’d take is a single phone call, and you’d be ruined. Financially devastated in a matter of minutes.”

Her hold on me goes slack, and she steps away, hanging her head.

Father turns to my brothers. “Take her upstairs. I’ll inform the guards at the gate not to let Marissa out until after the auction.”

She sputters. “What? But—”

“Quiet,” he shouts, the harsh word echoing through the garage. Father rarely yells, and I’ve never seen him direct any amount of anger at Marissa. Is it possible I’ve just missed it in the past?

Danny and Benjamin pull me away, but not before Marissa mouthsI’m sorryin my direction.

Upstairs, Danny sighs as he leads me into my room. “If you wanted to escape, you really should’ve come to us, Raina. Not Marissa.”

“W-what?”

“Dad trusts us more. Come on, you know that,” Benjamin says.

“Wait, are you saying—are you saying you’ll help me?”

“You think we’d let Dad sell you? Seriously, Raina? We’re not monsters.”

“Oh, thank you!” I throw my arms around Benjamin’s neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I don’t want to be auctioned off. I—”

The words die in my throat as I realize Danny is laughing. A second later, Benjamin joins him, and I rip myself away from him.

“Stupid, naive Raina. Always so trusting, aren’t you?” Danny rolls his eyes. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Tears fill my eyes, but before I can get a word out, they slam my door. The lock slides into place a moment later, and their laughter seeps through the walls as they head back downstairs.

With a sob, I throw myself onto my bed. I cry into my pillow to muffle the sound, scared that if I make too much noise, Father will come in and yell at me—or worse.

Not for the first time, thoughts of putting my hands around his neck and squeezing the life out of him fill my mind. It used to be more of an idle pastime, an escapist fantasy, but sometime in my teens, the idea took hold of me.

I’m not stupid enough to try it. Father is too strong, and what would I do if I managed to kill him?

Maybe I could find Erik.

But he’s gone. After Father tore us apart, I never saw him again. By now, he’s all grown up, and he probably forgot about me years ago. Besides, I’d never survive out there on my own.

Years ago, I attempted to run away. One of Father’s men caught me trying to climb the wall and dragged me back inside. Once Father found out, he scolded me, saying the woods are full of wild animals that’d tear me to pieces.

We’re in the middle of nowhere for a reason, you stupid girl. Even if you managed to get out, you’d be dead before you ever found someone who’d help you—ifyou could find someone willing to take you in.

Hopelessness seeps into my thoughts until they’re as dark as the night sky. He’s selling me. Father isactuallyselling me. Does that mean I’ll be taken from here? It’s the only thing that makes sense, I think.

My stomach turns as I realize that I might never see Marissa again. That I could be bought by someone even more cruel than Father.

Is it too naive to hope I’m sold to someone kind?

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