Page 74 of Shiver

“Why did you kill our parents?” she asked, trying to make sense of the nonsensical.

He grabbed her pinky with his own and yanked hard. Pain shot through her hand. She cried out and tears filled her eyes.

“That’s all that happened,” he said through gritted teeth. “They said I broke your pinky. They said I couldn’t play with you anymore. But I couldn’t let them do that. You are mine. Mine!” He pulled her hard against his chest.

Fear, cold and sharp, snapped through her.

He lifted her chin, so she had to look at him, had to see the insanity alive in his eyes. “They had to be punished. Don’t you see? I couldn’t let them take you away from me. You were my Devy. I loved you. None of those other girls could ever be you. They tried, but they failed. They had to stop trying to play our game.”

“Oh, God,” she muttered.

“Come on, Devy. Smile for me, laugh.”

He twisted her pinky again and the tears spilled out of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. “But what about Tommy?”

“Tommy couldn’t have you. He thought he could. I know what he wanted, but he didn’t get the chance. I made sure of that.”

Devra swayed on her feet. The feel of him so close was suffocating. She pushed against his chest. “Please let me go.”

“You let that cop touch you. I saw you. He’s going to have to be punished for that. You’re both going to pay for that.” He clutched her jaw and squeezed. “You need to know, Devra, that you’re mine. No one can touch you but me. Do you understand?”

Horror and revulsion twisted inside her as the meaning behind his words hit home. “But I’m your sister.”

“That makes it more special. You were meant for me. I’ve been saving myself just for you.”

She was unable to comprehend how anyone could be so twisted. She looked into his dark eyes, but couldn’t see anything there. Not one speck of humanity, of feeling, of compassion, shone back at her. Just a black, empty abyss that made her blood run cold.

He pressed his lips softly against hers and her knees buckled. She would have fallen to a heap on the asphalt had he not lifted her up into his arms and carried her back to Riley’s Expedition.

They drove for an eternity, down one winding isolated road after another. Devra sat motionless, trying not to think, wondering where Riley was and what he was thinking.

He might never find her. He might never know that it wasn’t her. It had never been her. She bit back frustrated tears and tried to focus. She had to do whatever it took to get out of this situation. To get back to Riley.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

She looked over at Don, her brother, her own personal devil. “Where are you taking me?”

“Home.”

“My home’s in New Orleans.”

Something cold and angry moved in his eyes. “Your home’s with me. No one will ever take you away from me again. We’re going to live there with Mom and Dad, just like we used to.”

“Mom and Dad?” she squeaked.

He smiled. “They’re waiting for us. It’s time to go home now. All the fun and games are over.”

Devra went cold. What did he mean,they’re waiting for us?Suddenly, she was certain she didn’t want to know.

They pulled onto a gravel road that led deep into the forest. As the branches parted, a rundown small wooden structure came into view. She’d seen that house before—in the picture her mama had shown her and in her dreams.

An image teased her, flitting in and out of her memories. She knew what the inside of that house would look like, knew that the floors would gleam…

“I can’t go in there,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

“This is our home. This is where we’ll live from now on. No one will ever bother us here. I’ll take care of you, just like I used to.”

“You can’t keep me here. My parents know where I am. Riley will find me.”

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