The Sterling's Twisted Love Story

my door was unfastened. Ethan s

aid. "Mom and Dad wa

ns and a t-shirt, my movements slow and deliberate. Every instinct, every bit of training

y was there, seated on pristine white garden furniture. Richard, Eleanor, and propped up on a loun

their faces a mixture of pity and morbid curiosity

with false concern. "Come sit. We were just tel

the grass, feeling the ey

rembling smile. "It' s oka

murmured their approval. "Such a sweet g

s for something I didn' t do,"

That' s enough. You will apo

all gasp. "Oh! Look!" She pointed toward the

tted one of Richard' s prized hunting dogs, a large, muscular Doberman named Cerberus. The do

It wasn't life-threatening, but it caused painful, ugly hives and difficulty breathing.

hat dog?" I asked, takin

eyes off me. "He needs to be brought back to his kennel.

ication

poor Cerberus. He looks so agitated. Maybe you can h

animals, but I had always kept

ting toward the assembled group. Its eyes, dark and intelligent, fixed on m

, a cruel smirk playing on his lip

ill, my training fighting my body' s screaming urge to run. I could fee

nto the pocket of her robe and pulled out a small piece of dried meat

og lu

hed against my bare ankles. I stumbled backward and fell onto the grass. The dog, hav

unbearable. Red welts began to rise on my ankles,

ng a hand to her chest in mock horror. "Look

," one of the friends sa

d over to me, and knelt down. The dog, seeing her, backe

pered, so only I could hear.

ind of pain exploded across my skin. It wasn't soothing; it was burning, acidic. I looked down and saw my skin tu

tarted to swim. I gasped for air, my throat closing up. The last thing I saw befor

was on fire, and every breath was a strugg

e was telling Richard. "She' ll be in considerable pain for a few days. I

ard Charlotte' s voice from the ha

rying to help her. I used the cream Eleanor always

ent, caring sister. I was the unstable, problem

m after the doctor left. They stood a

ard said. "Trying to get sympathy from

ce laced with disgust. "You embarrassed Charl

am..." I rasped

se, and you will stay out of sight. The next time you cause a sc

a time, years ago, when I' d scraped my knee badly after falling off a bike. Ethan had piggybacked me

mily. They had made me b

anding in this room were strangers, my captors. And my mission