The next day dragged like hell.

Mom left for her meeting out of town right after breakfast. She kissed Marcus on the cheek, hugged me tight, and said she’d be back tomorrow night. The second her car pulled out of the driveway, the air in the house changed. Marcus looked at me across the kitchen island like a predator.

“Upstairs. My room. Now.”

I went fast, heart already racing. He followed close behind. The second we stepped inside his bedroom, he locked the door and grabbed me by the throat. Not gentle. He pushed me down to my knees right there on the hardwood floor.

“You’ve been a tease all...