Gifts

Chapter 20 – Danger makes me

want to…-1

My heart pounding, I press the stop button on the remote as fast as I can and return my wide eyes to Kent, who is still looking at

  1. me.

Please, please, please. By all that is holy, let him not have seen me watching his sex tape.

“What are you doing in here,” he asks, angry.

“Um,” I say, terrified, hoping he doesn’t pick up on the tremor in my voice. “Fiona brought me here? Said I could look through some…” my eyes dart around the room for an answer that is not porn. “Some family photo albums? And home videos?”

He narrows his eyes at me, his eyes flicking to the pile of vintage Playboys on the floor. “She shouldn’t have brought you down here,” he says, moving aside so that I can leave the room. I quickly get to my feet, flicking the power button on the remote so that the TV goes blank.

Then, dropping the remote, I scurry out of the room, praying with all my might that Kent does not go back in to see what tape

is in the VCR.

He closes the door behind me as I head for the steps. “Go upstairs,” he says. “Don’t come down here.”

Glad to obey, I hurry out into the kitchen, heaving a sigh of

phone.

My hand slides over smooth denim. I stop dead in my tracks, panicked, and pat all over my body looking for it. Then, slowly, I turn back towards the little door. I definitely felt it in my back pocket when we left the patio…

God damnit. My phone must have fallen out in the weird porn

room.

Steeling myself, I know I have to go back. If my dad or Janeen ever called I didn’t have it – I’d just die with guilt.

kitchen, pulling it open a crack to listen. I don’t hear a sound. Tentatively, I put a foot on the step,

good measure, I pop the VHS out of the VCR and put it back in its black casing, which I slide back on the shelf. There, good. Now no one will ever

as a mouse, shut the door behind me. I begin to creep back along the hallway

that I’ve been caught.

no one comes out

and then a muffled groan. Unable to stop myself, I consider

Danger makes me

want to…-2

can also see that the bolt is not

a mistake. I know I

as I know these things, though, I stare at the door, consumed by my need to know more.

out a hand to grip the metal handle and then, my inner voice still screaming at me to stop, I pull

noise from inside is suddenly louder without the

facing me, strapped to chairs, fabric gags tied across their mouths. They’re moaning, one sobbing, as they look at something just out of my sight, terror in their eyes. As I watch, though,

strong muscles of his back, the rage that I can see pulsing through him just by the way

of it hanging down from his fist, the buckle

crying. They shake their heads no, but this is apparently not the answer that Kent wants. He drops the belt, moving to the man on the left and pulling a knife from

to the man’s pinky finger. The scream turns to a howl of horror, of pain,

stop watching. The man not being cut begins to scream in panic, looking everywhere for a way

and then –

god

me peeking through the door, fixates on me. He begins to scream in my direction and I think I can hear

eyes shift to the other man and then move directly

then bolt – bolt – from the hallway.

I could go as I scramble up the stairs, sprint across the kitchen, pull open the kitchen door

I think, he’s a monster, he’s a

truth feels like it has hit home

and throw myself towards my room, my fingers inches from my doorknob, when something

B

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Gifts

Danger makes

the back of my neck, forcing my head back, my face turned up towards his. I pant, in his arms, pinned

for being

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