Sam's POV
Dinner was suffocating, as usual. Scarlett sat beside me, her hand resting possessively on my thigh, her voice sweet yet dripping with dominance as she spoke to her parents. Leroy and Janice Jones were the picture of contrast: Leroy exuding control with his sharp, commanding tone, and Janice quiet and trembling, barely daring to speak.
I didn't want to eat, didn't want to be here, but Scarlett's sharp glare kept me compliant. She was always watching, always waiting for me to step out of line. But tonight, something shifted.
"Daddy and I are going to look at some dresses for our girls," Scarlett chirped, smiling at me and Janice. "Something beautiful, something perfect."
Leroy nodded in agreement, finishing his drink. "We'll be back shortly. Girls, behave while we're gone."
As soon as the front door closed behind them, I turned to Janice, desperation clawing at my chest. "Janice," I whispered, my voice trembling, "please, help me. I don't want this. I can't do this anymore."
Her wide eyes darted toward the door, then back to me. Her lips parted as if to say something, but she hesitated.
"Please," I begged, tears welling in my eyes. "You understand, don't you? You don't want this either."
For a moment, she stayed silent, but then she nodded, her hands shaking. "Okay," she whispered, barely audible. "Let's go."
Sneaking out of the mansion was harder than I'd imagined. Janice was terrified, constantly looking over her shoulder, but we managed to slip past the security cameras and out into the cool night air. The moment we reached the road, we flagged down a passing car, convincing the driver to drop us at a gas station a few miles away.
It wasn't much of an escape plan, but it was something. Anything to get away.
We sat on the curb outside the station, both of us catching our breath. My heart was pounding, a mix of fear and hope coursing through me. "What now?" I asked, my voice shaky.
Janice looked at me, her face pale. "I don't know," she admitted. "But we can't stay here."
Scarlett's POV
The moment Daddy and I returned to the mansion, excitement bubbling from our shopping trip, I knew something was wrong. The house was too quiet, too still. And when I checked my room and found it empty, my heart stopped.
"They're gone," I said, my voice low and dangerous.
Daddy's expression darkened immediately. "Janice," he growled, pulling out his phone. "She wouldn't dare..."
But I knew she would. I knew she had.
"Don't worry, sweetheart," Daddy said, his voice calm but deadly. "I put a tracker on your mother. Let's find them."
Within minutes, we were in the limo, speeding toward the gas station where the tracker had stopped. My mind raced, anger boiling in my chest. Sam had tried to leave me. Me.
She would regret it.
When we pulled into the gas station parking lot, my blood ran hot. There they were, sitting on the curb like two scared little rabbits. My sweet Sam, clinging to Janice as if she could protect her.
"Get them," Daddy growled, and the chauffeur stepped out, opening the door for us.
We stormed across the lot, and before either of them could react, Daddy grabbed Janice by the arm, yanking her to her feet. She let out a small cry, but he ignored it, dragging her toward the limo.
I grabbed Sam, my nails digging into her wrist as I hauled her up. "You think you can run from me?" I hissed, my voice low and venomous. "You're mine, Sammi. You'll always be mine."
She struggled, tears streaming down her face, but I was stronger. I shoved her into the limo, following close behind as Daddy shoved Janice in beside us.
Back at the mansion, Daddy's fury was palpable. He wasted no time dragging Janice to the basement, his voice cold and sharp as he ordered the staff to prepare the room. I followed with Sam, my mind already made up about what needed to be done.
The basement was dark and foreboding, a place that had seen its fair share of punishment. Janice whimpered as Daddy pushed her to the ground, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly.
"You betrayed me, Janice," he said, his voice low and deadly. "I told you never to disobey me."
He raised his hand, striking her hard across the back, then again, and again. Her cries echoed through the room, but he was careful not to touch her face.
Meanwhile, I turned my attention to Sam. She was trembling, her eyes wide with terror as I forced her onto the table. "You hurt me, Sammi," I whispered, stroking her cheek. "You broke my heart."
"P-Please," she sobbed, her voice barely audible. "I'm sorry, Scarlett. Please don't-"
But I silenced her with a sharp look. "You need to learn, Sammi. You need to understand that you're mine. Forever."
I picked up the saw, the cold metal gleaming under the dim light. She screamed as I pressed it to her leg, her sobs turning to wails of agony as I began to cut. The sound was sickening, but I didn't stop until it was done.
When it was over, she lay there, sobbing uncontrollably, her body shaking. Blood pooled beneath her, staining the floor. I dropped the saw and cradled her in my arms, rocking her gently.
"Shh, it's okay," I murmured, pressing kisses to her tear-streaked face. "You'll heal, Sammi. And you'll never run from me again."
Janice's POV
Leroy's strikes came down hard, each one sending waves of pain through my body. But all I could think about was Sam's screams.
When it was finally over, Leroy pulled me into his arms, his grip possessive as he stroked my hair. "You're mine, Janice," he whispered. "You'll always be mine."
Tears streamed down my face, but I nodded, too scared to resist.
As he carried me back upstairs, I caught a glimpse of Scarlett cradling Sam in the corner, her hands stained with blood. The look in Scarlett's eyes sent chills down my spine.
She was more dangerous than Leroy. More obsessive.
And there was no escape. For either of us.
