Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas

I hadn’t spoken to my family much in the past few days.
Angry, I stayed in my room, chewing my nails and trying to
figure a way out.
“We could do wallpaper in the kitchen,” my sister said.
“Like just one wall. It’s back in style now.”
Decorating? They were fucking decorating? Jesus.
“I tried to leave a few nights ago,” I finally told them,
brushing my hand against the doorframe and stopping there.
“Back to Montreal.”
Silence suddenly filled the room, and I could guess both of
them were trying to process if they should be angry or not. My
mother wanted me safe, even though she wouldn’t do anything
to ensure it herself, and I was pretty certain my sister would
love having me out of the way. They would both know,
however, that it would displease Damon, and there might be
consequences if I ran and he couldn’t find me fast enough.
“The police,” I went on, “on GGabriel Torrance’s payroll, no
doubt, caught up to me and turned me around.”
“Ethan was helping you?” my mother asked in a tone that
said she already knew the answer.
I nodded. “And if I want him to stay safe, then he’d better
not help me again. That was the gist of the warning anyway.”
I heard a slow but deep intake of breath and a quiet exhale,
and I knew my mother was trying to stay calm, but I was done
pretending to be. Damon was clever, diabolical, and patient.
All of the things I wasn’t. At least not right now. I was too
fucking angry.
It finally dawned on me that no one was actually on my
side.
“I hate you,” I said to my mother, letting it go with my
chin trembling. “I would rather live in the gutter than have him
in our lives!”
I gestured to where I’d heard my sister chatting. “I know
why she’d do this, but you’re supposed to protect me,” I told
my mom. “He raped me!”