Hope comes in the shape of a knock on the door, so loud I can hear it from the basement. My hopeful eyes shoot up, but Parker yells for Marissa to get it, coming closer to me and pressing that now-familiar silver blade against my throat.
"Not a word," he hisses in my ear, and I whimper, listening to the conversation upstairs.
I hear the door opening, and Marissa's voice speaking next. "Can I help you?"
"Hello," a man's voice comes through. I recognize it instantly as my husband's voice. "Don't mean to bother you. Just wanted to let you know my wife has gone missing from the island. Have you seen anyone around here?"
"No, not at all," Marissa feigns ignorance. I start thrashing in Parker's arms, but he presses the blade closer. I feel it cutting my skin as I gasp against the gag in my mouth. "I'm just here on a romantic honeymoon with my husband."
"Shut the fuck up," Parker whispers in my ear. "You let him hear you, I'll fucking kill you both." I turn deathly still in his arms, the tears of humiliation burning my cheeks as they stream down my face. The conversation upstairs becomes muted, and we sit there for what seems like ages until I hear Marissa saying goodbye, and she comes down the stairs quickly.
"Didn't suspect a thing," she says triumphantly, her eyes feverish with the need to please Parker. "We're off the hook! He had no idea." Parker finally lets go of me, and I tumble to the floor like a sack while he walks over to Marissa, pulling her closer and pressing a kiss against her mouth. It's the first sign of affection I've seen him show her since that display on the beach, which I'm now sure was just for my benefit. Then he slowly turns toward me, and his eyes are burning with a new desire. My heart blackens with soot as I realize what he has on his mind.
"Now, June," he says softly, a grin splitting his face into a grotesque mask of horror. "It's time to play, wouldn't you say?"35ParkerMy blood is pumping with adrenaline. June is tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Marissa looks anxious but still victorious from fooling Kade into thinking we haven't done anything wrong. I'm fucking ready to get this game started.
"Take your clothes off." My voice echoes in the room, and Marissa obeys, peeling off her white linen dress to reveal inch after inch of toned, tanned skin. "Good fucking girl. Now come here and sit by me."
She does as she's told, settling on the floor next to me. I pet her hair absentmindedly as she kneels on the hard floor, but my eyes are on June, devouring her fearful expression. God, she wakes up my sadistic fucking appetite. I can't fucking wait to hurt her.
"Nox, can I—" Marissa speaks up, but I respond with a smack on her face, my eyes still focused on my stepsister. "I'm sorry."
"Shut up," I tell her firmly. "I don't want to hear your voice right now." She shuts her mouth obediently, and I smile at June as she watches the scene unfold with terror in her pretty blue eyes. "Are you scared, little sis? You know, I've been waiting a long fucking time to hurt you. Such a long time. And I'm not a very patient man... which means I'm at the end of my rope now. And your little whipping girl gets to pay for you making me wait."
Marissa whimpers next to me, and I lightly smack her again to remind her who's the fucking boss here. She quiets down. She knows not to mess with me when I'm determined like this, and besides, my slaps are so light, they're like foreplay for her right now. I focus my attention back on June, eyes drinking in her tied-up form. I've left her mouth free today because I can't fucking wait to hear her cry. The sound of it will be like music to my ears, and I'm going to lick those tears off her pretty face one by fucking one.
June's expression is determined. I don't know why because there's no fucking way she's getting out of this. I'm going to force her to watch me fuck Marissa, and I'm going to make it extra hard for her in the end. I've been planning this for years. I can't break June right away. I want the first time we fuck to be at least semi-consensual. I want her to want me—no, I fucking crave it. But the hatred in her eyes now tells me she despises me and wishes I was dead. It won't be that way for long. Not if I have anything to do with it.
"You're disgusting," she spits at me as I pet Marissa's hair. "You're going to pay for everything you've done to me. Kade will never let you get away with it."