The Sister Under The Stairs: A totally addictive psychological thriller with a shocking twist by Steena Holmes

Author:Steena Holmes [Holmes, Steena]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books psychological thrillers, suspense and crime
Published: 2024-01-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

ANGEL

She had a hate-indifference relationship with Drew.

Most days she hated him. Hated his touch, his presence, his voice . . . hated every single thing about him. Hated that he bought her, used her, hurt her.

But he’d saved her from a monster worse than him. He gave her Samuel. He kept her alive. And he gave her companionship.

Like today.

“Do you get lonely?” Drew asked as they sat side by side on the steps. Sam played in the yard, building a stick fort, a task he could spend hours on with no complaint.

It was a gorgeous day out, with a warm breeze that played with the ruffle on Angel’s dress. One hand rested on the swell of her stomach. The other was in Drew’s hand, his fingers gripping hers.

“Angel? Did you hear me?” His free hand played with her hair, twisting and twirling, at times tugging.

She tore her gaze from her son to her captor.

He wanted her to think of him as her partner. Her husband. Her spouse.

She refused to think of him as anything other than her captor. Her tormentor. Her rapist.

“Smile, sunshine. It’s a beautiful day and I’m here taking care of you. You’re not chained, doesn’t that make you smile?”

She held out her bare leg and stared at the scabs circling her ankle, lifting her lips into the smile Drew expected to see.

She thought about his question. As a child, she’d been an extrovert; the need to be surrounded by friends, to always be with someone, it was a driving force for her.

Later, after she’d been taken, she surrounded herself with other girls like herself. There was safety in numbers, more protection. Eventually she became a leader, a den mother to those who passed through the doors.

“I like the quiet,” she told him, removing all inflection in her tone. He only knew the side of her she wanted him to know. To him, she was Angel. His angel. That’s all he cared about.

He searched her gaze. For what, she wasn’t sure.

A flutter of fear, panic and anxiety grew in her chest, expanding until the pressure made it difficult to breathe.

So many thoughts skidded through her head, like a skipped rock, each bounce against the water creating a ripple effect she couldn’t stop.

He held her over a cliff, one that ended in separation from her son and possible death. All it would take was one push, one wrong word, pausing too long to answer . . . She was never safe, never secure when he was around.

“Stop.” Drew’s hand landed on her knee, his squeeze hard and hurtful. “I can see the questions you’re trying to hide from me.”

She dropped her head, her hair falling forward as cover. His grip hurt and he knew it.

“I’m sorry,” she eventually said. His hold loosened.

“I’m not getting rid of you,” he said, “if that’s what you’re worried about.”

She forced the air out of her lungs, causing her shoulders to drop. He began to knead the bunched-up muscles.

“Do you honestly think I’d ever let you go?” He lifted her arm and kissed the tattoo on her wrist.

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