“No one taunted him,” I snapped. “If I recall, you were the one who suggested the stupid race.”
“And you always go along with whatever someone tells you, don’t you?” he grinned, though there was nothing happy about it.
My lips thinned as I stared at the evil man opposite me. There was nothing I could say to make things better with Austin. He always had a bit of a sadistic side, and it was getting worse by the minute. I knew better not to taunt him.
Thankfully, his father stood, holding his drink. “The past is in the past. I’m just grateful for the warm welcome we’ve received, despite all that’s being said about our family. It truly is great to have friends standing by you in a time of need.”
We all raised our glasses, though the tension in the room was stifling. After pouring myself a glass, I took a strong sip. Maybe I shouldn’t be drinking, but suffering through a dinner with Austin was enough to make any sane person drink.
“How about I do the honors?” Austin grinned at everyone.
Before I could stop him, he had the carving knife in his right hand and the carving fork in his left. His eyes were on me as he sank the knife into the bird with a little too much gusto, and then as he started carving, he licked his lips, his eyes flicking back to mine every now and then.
I tried not to let his actions get to me, not to swallow so hard as he looked at me with those dark eyes. It was like no one else in the room was aware of how creepy he was being. Mom and Dad were chatting happily with John. Clay was putting olives on each of his fingers, then sucking them off. And Wyatt…
His eyes were firmly in the glass of whiskey someone had poured for him.
No one was paying attention to the fact that Austin looked like he wanted to lay me out on the table and carve me into pieces.
He slid the knife through the first piece of meat, laying it on the plate next to him, then slid the knife through the turkey once more.
“It’s strange, isn’t it?” he asked, his voice low.
I turned away, refusing to acknowledge him. But that didn’t dissuade him from talking.
“How delicate the skin is…Have you ever noticed? It seems so resilient at first,” he said, carving off a piece of skin, holding it up in the light. “Crispy and delicious, but so very fragile.”
His eyes met mine across the table, and what I saw there was pure evil.
“Like getting a paper cut. Just that one little slice hurts so much.” He cocked his head at me, a slow grin spreading across his lips. “Imagine if you had a thousand paper cuts all over your body. How badly that would hurt.”
Wyatt shoved back from the table, snatching the knife away from Austin, along with the carving fork. “Jesus, some of us want to eat right now. You’re taking forever.”
“Forgive me, brother. I was distracted by her beautiful skin.”
Shivers skated down my spine at his words—at the way his eyes trailed over my body— but as for Wyatt, it was as if he didn’t even hear the comment. And as I looked around the table, I realized no one else had either.
Were they really all so oblivious to how insane Austin was? Did they not understand that they had invited a demon into my home? The idea that he was here made me uncomfortable, but the fact that he had seen my room made everything even creepier.
I tossed back the rest of my wine, then reached for the sweet potato casserole, dumping a helping onto my plate before passing it down the table. I did my best to ignore the way Austin’s eyes kept skimming over my body, or how he licked his fork seductively, as if he was trying to entice me into something more.
By the time I grabbed all the food, the last thing I wanted was to shove even a single morsel in my mouth. I moved my food around my plate, trying to appear as if I was eating, but I could feel his eyes on me, the way he tracked every move I made.
It was unnerving, to say the least.
“Excuse me,” I muttered as I shoved back from the table, rushing off to the bathroom.
I was going to be sick.
Bending over the toilet, I took deep breaths, closing my eyes as nausea swelled in my stomach. How the hell was I ever going to get through this dinner when all I wanted to do was kick them all out and lock all my doors and windows?
Austin had left me alone for years, so why was he doing this now? What was this sudden fascination with me?
After what felt like half an hour, I knew I couldn’t hide anymore. I needed to rejoin everyone and behave like a normal human being. The ache in my stomach had dulled enough that I could handle the scent of food again, but for how long, I wasn’t sure.
Rinsing my shaking hands under the faucet, I geared myself up to step into the lion’s den once again. “You can do this,” I whispered to myself.
Then I flung the door open and walked straight into Wyatt’s body as he stood like a blockade in front of me.
