Page 61

CHAPTER

FORTY-FOUR

SARAH

I pore over the diary, reading about my punishments and the times Dad locked me in Sunnycrest to stamp the spirit out of me.

It’s easy to see why Dad paid Officer Blackwell to dispose of my diary, and even easier to see why Officer Blackwell kept it.

This is pretty damning evidence. It lays out what a monster he is.

If anyone read it, they’d be sure to question my father.

Maybe Blackwell is sharper than Erin thought.

When writing, I omitted any details about the guys and our hookups to avoid getting them into trouble. I regret that now. I can’t trust my own memory, and I’d like to remember exactly how I felt back then.

Although returning, my memories are still a little fuzzy, but the more I recall, the sharper they become.

Our relationship revolved around sex at the beginning. I liked knowing we were doing something forbidden, as well as getting the best orgasms of my life. It soon turned into more than that…

I continue flicking through the pages, laughing at how he thought letting me stay there for one weekend would change who I am. I chortle as I read a passage.

Dad took me to Sunnycrest this weekend. He wanted to show me what would happen if I broke his rules again. I was terrified! I was sleeping in a cell next to murderers and psychopaths! One of them threatened me with a knife. I thought I was going to die!

Okay, so I had a flair for the dramatics. In fact, the truth was very different. Another memory comes back from that weekend…

“Seriously?” I face off against Dad as he hauls me into a cell. “You’re going to leave me here?”

“It’s only for the weekend,” Dad says. “I want you to see what could happen if you don’t change your ways.”

I huff and flop down onto the firm bed, where a mound of disgusting gray clothes lies in wait.

“I’m not wearing that,” I say, picking up the sweatshirt and dropping it in disgust. “It’s not my color.”

“This is a hospital.” Color creeps up Dad’s neck as he tsks in exasperation. “Not a catwalk!”

“Clearly,” I mutter sarcastically. “Look, it’s bad enough that you’re making me stay here. It doesn’t mean I’m going to look terrible doing it. I don’t care whether this is a hospital. I’m not sick, remember? I’m just a disappointment.”

Dad looks like he wants to tear the clothes off my body and force me into the horrible shapeless items. Thankfully, a knock on the door spares me another tirade of abuse.

“Enter!” Dad barks impatiently. He checks his watch and frowns.

“We need you, Doctor Acacia!” An orderly barges in, then casts a nervous look in my direction. “We have a… new arrival… who needs orientation before this evening.”

“I’ll be right there,” Dad snaps, then narrows his eyes at me. “You will see the therapist this afternoon. Lord knows, they may help you.” He points at me menacingly. “If I find out you’ve caused any trouble in the meantime, you will pay dearly. Do you understand?”

“What’re you going to do? Send me to Sunnycrest?” I arch one eyebrow. “I’m already here.”

His lips purse like he’s sucking a very sour lemon, then he scowls and stomps away. I hear him picking faults with the orderly as they get farther away.

I run a hand through my blonde hair and shake my head to give it added volume. Annoyingly, Dad confiscated my purse, so I can’t reapply my makeup.

The cell door isn’t locked, and I saunter into the hall.

I’m greeted by a swarm of identically dressed girls.

Silence descends. Obviously, they all know who I am.

Their stares are full of curious intrigue, anger, and a sprinkling of bitter resentment.

Maybe they just like my outfit. My denim shorts and crop top are better suited to a frat party than an asylum.

“What’re you staring at?” I ask, putting my hands on my hips.

Being Acacia’s daughter won’t win me any favors, but I’m not gonna kiss their asses.

“You think you’re so special, don’t you?” a pretty girl with dark hair dares to answer. She’s flanked by two minions wearing smug smirks. “Your dad owning this place doesn’t mean shit. Here, you’re not untouchable.”

I pout, looking her up and down in bemusement.

“Is that supposed to be a threat?” I laugh. “You’ll have to do better than that to scare me.”

Her eyes widen, taken aback. Did she expect me to quake and fall to my knees, begging for surrender? Puh-lease. Her groupie’s draw a sharp breath, horrified someone sassed their queen.

“You…” the girl stammers. “You should be scared.”

She’s regained her composure, but it’s too late.

I’ve already seen through her mask. I know girls like her.

Girls who are so insecure that they tear down everyone else to make themselves feel better.

Unluckily for her, I’ve heard better teardowns from fellow cheerleaders.

Petty jealousy is rife on the squad, and there’s always some kind of drama.

“Seriously?” I roll my eyes. “Is that the best you can do?”

She steps forward and slides a shiny object out of her sleeve. I don’t get the chance to see it properly, as we’re suddenly cast under a massive shadow. The minions dart back against the wall, and one of them squeaks like a terrified mouse.

A hand grabs her wrist and wrenches the gleaming object from her grasp.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t see that, Charlie,” Aiden growls.

Lex and Eli lurk behind him. Some girls watching on bite their lips nervously, while others smooth down their hair. I can smell their fear and lust a mile off. Unfortunately for them, the guys are already mine…

Upon Aiden’s arrival, the girl—Charlie—has a miraculous change of heart. Her entire expression changes, first freezing, then batting her eyelashes and smiling.

“I wasn’t gonna use it.” She simpers like an idiot. “This is the new girl. Acacia’s daughter. I wanted to make sure she knew the rules ? —”

“The rules?” I interrupt. “I make the fucking rules.”

I wrap my arms around Aiden’s neck and pull him in for a kiss. He responds hungrily, wrapping his giant hands around my waist possessively. His tongue darts into my mouth, sweeping me off my feet, not caring that we have an audience.

Lex’s wolf whistle breaks the moment. Reluctantly, I pull away and see Charlie hasn’t moved. Her shoulders are tense, and her arms have gone weirdly rigid, like she’s internally combusting.

“Why are you here? Run along.” I shoo her. “You’re dismissed.”

Charlie’s jaw drops, completely stunned. Her cheeks flush in anger, and she casts a longing look at Aiden. “But ? —”

“You heard her,” Aiden says, threading his fingers through mine. “Get out of our girl’s way.”

The way he says ‘our girl’ makes me tingle in all the right places. Charlie’s eyes fill with tears, and she scurries off to whatever wretched hole she wormed out of. Good fucking riddance. Usually, I think public humiliation is unnecessary, but there’s nothing sweeter than making a mean girl pay.

Aiden chuckles fondly. “You’ve been here less than an hour, and you’re already running this place.”

Lex smirks. “She won’t be popular.”

“So?” Eli says. “She doesn’t need to be. She has us.”

They lead me into the cafeteria.

“Welcome to Sunnycrest!” Lex says, extending his arms and twirling around.

Every head turns to face us, including the staff. I notice a few raised eyebrows, and people whispering behind their hands. One glare from Aiden shuts everyone up instantly.

I slip my fingers out of his grasp.

Aiden turns in anger. “What ? —”

“If Dad sees, I don’t want you getting in trouble,” I say.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle,” Aiden says, but he doesn’t hold my hand again.

Maybe part of him knows I’m right, or he knows better than to argue with me.

“We’ll just have to sneak into your room later when he won’t have eyes on us,” Lex says, winking.

“Is that a promise?” I tease.

Eli’s eyes trail down my body, fucking me with his eyes. “You bet it is.”

He leads me to a table and pulls out a chair like a true gentleman.

“Thanks,” I say, sitting with a smirk.

Dad thought a weekend at Sunnycrest would scare me. Somehow, I don’t think he banked on three monsters treating me like a princess.

“What did you do?” I ask, half teasing, but also curious. “It’s like you rule this place.”

The three of them exchange a look. The same look I’ve become accustomed to. A look that means there’s more they could say but won’t.

“They know what we’re capable of,” Aiden replies cryptically.

Before I can probe him further, he beckons a boy over. The boy reminds me of a scarecrow with straw-like, yellow hair and a clumsy walk. He lollops toward us like a dog being whistled by his master.

“Yes?” the boy asks, half panting. “What can I do?”

“Go to the kitchen and bring Sarah a proper meal, Alfred,” Aiden orders. “Cook will know what to do.”

“Yes, Aiden,” he says, bowing his head as a mark of respect. “Coming right up, Sarah.”

“You don’t have ? —”

Lex holds up his finger to silence me. “Go!”

Alfred squeaks and scuttles away, almost tripping over his own feet in his haste.

“You can’t rule the masses without a little fear, sweetheart.” Eli smiles lazily, and his hand creeps under the table to stroke my thigh. “You’ll learn that soon enough.”

I throw the diary away and cup my ears. Erin stirs under the surface.

I sense her wanting to speak, probably to say something comforting, but I push her down.

I want to be left alone with my thoughts.

I don’t need her to make me feel better or attempt to condone what they’ve done.

And, most of all, I don’t want her seeing the darkest thoughts in my head.

I love Erin, but there’s an innate competitiveness between twins.

It’s natural when you’re brought up together and compared.

Erin always won out with our father. The guys were mine first. Is it so wrong that I didn’t want to share them with her?

While I know it’s not her fault—she didn’t ask to be stalked—I can’t help being mad that she took something that was mine.