Page 232 of Midnight Curfew

Everything tenses. They’re in here.

Opening the door, I walk in, seeing my father standing next to the bookcases, and I hear the singing before I even see her. My gaze flies to Anna-Katherine crouched between the couch and another bookshelf. Her knees are pulled up to her body, and she’s shrouded in darkness, her soft voice filled with tears.

“Anna-Katherine?” I say.

She crawls out from her spot, the look in her eyes frightened but a little hopeful that I’m here to save her. Her suspender is torn and blood trickles from the corner of her mouth.

Anger burns in my muscles. My father has slapped me a handful of times in my life. I never considered him particularly abusive—physically anyway. She must’ve had a panic attack when she saw him.

I inch forward. “Go find Dallas.”

She rises and takes a step.

“Sit!” he growls at her.

She stops, casting scared glances between us, and I gesture with my hand. We own a few firearms, and I wouldn’t put it past him to have one on him.

Anna-Katherine takes a seat on the edge of the couch, farthest from him, her head bowed.

“She used to be a good girl.” My father walks out from the shadows and into the center of the room. “Did you tell him how different you used to be?” he asks her. “How you used to moan for Daddy?”

Goddamn him. I dart my eyes to her, seeing her shrink more and more.

“She’s controlling you,” my father says in a stern voice. “And you need to stop letting her. She loved everything I did to her. She’s not a victim.”

I grind my fists together. “She was a kid who had never had attention from a man!” I howl at him. “You seduced her!”

She was fifteen when he started!

“And you should’ve seen her that night,” he coos. “She was the main event.”

My eyes burn. You son of a bitch.

He peers over at her. “You had fun with all of those men, didn’t you?”

She holds the arm of the sofa, pressing her forehead into it to shield her eyes. “Once upon a December…”

Her tinkling voice carries her away, and I keep mine steady, trying to sound like I have everything under control.

“Anna-Katherine, I’m here,” I say. “He’s trying to provoke us. Don’t let him.”

Shaking his head, he takes another step toward me, her voice continuing in the background.

“I want this finished,” he announces. “Where is it?”

What is he going to do? Kill us?

There’s only one thing my father cares about more than money. Legacy. I’ve gathered that he has a couple of illegitimate kids out there somewhere, but I’m the only son he claims, and he’s smart enough to know he won’t live forever. He won’t kill me.

But then he calls out, “Sophia?”

I glance at her as he keeps his stare locked on me.

“Do you love your brother?” he asks her.

“Don’t listen to him.”

“What would you do to keep me from hurting him?” he asks her.