Chapter 8

It takes me a moment to collect myself. I feel sick to my stomach after being molested by my own brother. I sit up and wipe the wet streaks from my face, all the while trying to keep my dinner down. I can't do this again. I scan the room to figure out my escape plan. Jason isn't here anymore. He probably left to change his pants. Ryan and Colton are standing by the wet bar on the other side of the room from me, but fairly close to the only exit. Staring. Their eyes are penetrating my soul. They are just standing there, the one grinning and the other licking his lips. "It's our turn now, Lily." Now or never. I bolt for the exit. They weren't expecting my sudden jolt of energy and react with a surprisingly slow response time. I make it to the hall and run full speed down the corridor. I need to get to the front door. I have to make it to that front door. They're both running after me, swearing and calling me unsavory, derogatory names. I get to the door with enough time to ... to... dammit! The bolt on the door has been sticky for years and sometimes takes a moment or two to dislodge. My hands are shaking as I try to wiggle it back and forth, and a small sob escapes my lips because I know it's futile. Fuck! At that very moment I'm grabbed with one large hand around my waist and the other around my torso, pinning down my arms to my sides. I scream as I'm lifted off the ground, carried into the library around the corner, and thrown down in the middle of the room. I hear Jason yelling something from down the hall and Ryan shouts back, "We're in here!"

"What are we doing in here?" asks Jason as he walks in, closing the double doors behind him.

"Don't ask, man. Lily, here, decided to run," replied Colton, pointing to me with his eyes as I sat there on the floor, trying to figure out how I'm going to get myself out of this.

"So did you teach her not to?!" With that, Jason walks over to me and hits me across the face. Hard. I let out an involuntary whimper. Jason bends down so that he's squatting next to me, but his head is still above mine, showing the hierarchy of power in our family, and states in a gentle tone, "That's what you get, Lily. You're the one who's making this difficult." With those words, I looked up at him, seething from my very core. His arrogance and self-important attitude, combined with the way he uses me and looks down on me, makes me absolutely livid. I want to claw at his face; maybe draw blood, yet I don't. I'm out numbered and too afraid of what might happen. I start to get up, but there's a hand on my shoulder that pushes me down from behind.