Kade helps me with dinner, and we make grilled fish with steamed veggies and potatoes. The way we work together in the kitchen makes me happy. When we finally sit down in the dining room with the feast before us, I'm ravenous. The dinner is delicious, and I choose to ignore the fact we've burned the fish a little and eat the blackened parts anyway, which Kade makes fun of me for. We both shower and get ready for bed, but just as I'm coming out of the bathroom into the bedroom, there's a buzzing sound, and after that, we're surrounded in complete and utter darkness.
"Kade?" I ask, my voice already filled with panic.
"Don't worry," he says reassuringly, and I can hear him moving to reach me across the room. "It's probably just the buggy electricity here. Everything should be fine in a few minutes. If not, I can start the generator in the back."
Despite his words, I can feel a panic attack fighting its way out of me. The room is pitch black, and Kade has to help me find my way to the king-size bed. He holds me tightly in his embrace, never letting go, but even when he's fast asleep, I can't catch a wink of sleep. Finally, he rolls over, and I break free of his embrace, which isn't reassuring me at all now. I can feel the panic taking over, and I stumble through the room, somehow finding my way through the French doors leading down to the beach.
As soon as my feet hit the sand, I'm illuminated by moonlight, and the fresh air finds its way into my lungs. I take deep, heaving breaths of the thick air, and I feel like an addict getting their hit. I stumble down the beach until my feet are in the water, telling myself I need to calm down in my head. I've been on edge for years now, but somehow, it seems like this trip isn't agreeing with me even though we both thought it was exactly what I needed.
My hand flies to my chest as my breaths become a little less ragged, and I finally feel the air entering my lungs, as hot and oppressive as it is.
A pair of strong arms wraps around me, and for a split second, I'm sure it's just Kade coming down after me to check on me and make sure I'm fine. The embrace is loving and sweet... but only for a moment. Then it turns vicious. The hands tighten around my body in a deadly embrace, and I gasp, taking in a sharp intake of breath just before a hand flies up and presses against my mouth forcibly. I feel a hot breath on my neck.
"Missed me, little sis?" he whispers in my ear, and I start feeling the darkness around us, pulling me under. I'm sure my legs will buckle under my weight. My chance of blissful, dark ignorance is gone forever. I felt his presence ever since we came here, but I refused to let myself believe it. I had convinced myself he was still in the city, that he would never come here to haunt me—that his sick obsession with Kade and me was finally over.
"Don't you dare black out on me," Parker growls in my ear. "We have a long trek ahead of us."
I whimper against his palm, too weak to fight him off even though I'm desperately thrashing in his arms. His grip on my mouth is so tight I'm barely getting any air in my body, and my heart is pumping blood through my veins at such a fast rate, it's a wonder I don't pass out. I wish I could go back in time and tell Kade. Tell him this would happen, ask him to save me. Parker's cruel lips mar my neck, sliding his tongue across my delicate skin, and I shiver under his touch, trying to twist myself out of his arms.
"Oh, you don't like that?" he mocks me, biting hard on my shoulder. I let out a muffled scream, right into his palm, which is still covering my mouth. "Seemed to like me just fine on the beach the other day... Wished you were my little friend, didn't you?"
I have no idea what he's talking about, but slowly, the memories start trickling in. The other day, seeing Kade with another woman, grabbing her ass. Only... it wasn't Kade. It was Parker all along. And this time, I couldn't tell them apart.
I whimper again, and he emits a low chuckle against my skin, sending goose bumps over my flesh. I'm more afraid than I've ever been in my entire life.
Kade was always the bad seed on the outside, rebellious and darkly brooding. Parker was my sweet stepbrother, my best friend... until he gave in to the darkness.