Page 101 of Saviors

This is why I hadn’t called them earlier. I couldn’t take the shame. And I knew without me Simon had no reason to hurt my brothers. The truth was, I didn’t want to go. I’d wanted to stay with the guys. Wanted to live in the fantasy. Then I’d discovered their true nature and realized it was an illusion.

As I stared at the leaves swaying on the trees, a part of me wished the guys would come. That they would save me again. But they weren’t the people I thought they were. I was alone.

Or maybe not.

“Can I just have Craig’s number? Please.” Perhaps he could hear how defeated I was. Or he decided to actually take my side for once. I heard his deep, resigned exhale before he gave it to me. “Thank you, Daddy.”

I was the older sister, but I felt like a little kid again. Running away from my problems. I guess I’d never grown out of the habit.

* * *

The dark sky had turned gray by the time the car rolled to a stop in front of me. My body swayed from exhaustion, both emotional and physical, when I stood from the steps. I watched in my swimming vision as my brother exited from the driver’s seat.

I breathed in relief. He looked good. His brown hair was styled, and his suit wasn’t even wrinkled from the long drive. I’d spent months picturing him in hiding, starving, and struggling because of me.

“Vi!” He rushed towards me, pulling us into a tight embrace. “Fuck. I couldn’t believe it when I heard your voice. I’ve been searching everywhere for you. Mom and Dad said you came home with a wild story, then took off with some guys. Your cell has been disconnected for months. We’ve been going crazy.”

“It’s good to see you, too. I was worried.” I squeezed him tighter. My throat clogged with more tears. They’d been looking for me. They cared.

“Worried? About what?” His brows furrowed over deep brown eyes.

I swallowed down the pain and fear. “It wasn’t an insane story. Simon wouldn’t let me leave. He locked me up when I tried to break it off. He said he was going to hurt you and Aaron if I escaped.” My fingers gripped his coat tighter, like I was afraid he’d vanish as if this had all been a bad dream. “Y-you haven’t heard from him?”

“No.” He looked genuinely confused. “Jesus. I introduced you two. I had no idea he was crazy. If I’d-.”

“Can we talk about it all later? I j-just want to go… somewhere.”

“Of course.” He gave me a sad smile as he led me to the expensive sports car. As I walked away, I let my phone slip through my fingers. Leaving the past behind.

“This is nice.” I said, as I folded myself into the seat.

“Business is good.” He shrugged. “Aaron expanded into a new city.”

“That’s great.” I mumbled, but the interior was warm. The smell of leather surrounded me. The rumble of the engine was like white noise. It mixed with the soothing tones of Craig’s voice until I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore.

I wasn’t sure how much later it was when I felt arms lifting me from the seat. I didn’t check to see who it was. Craig’s cologne filled my senses. He’d been wearing the same one since high school.

For a moment, it brought me back to that time. Before all the trauma. Before the pain. Before, I’d fallen in love with monsters.

52

Violet

Iknew something was wrong before I even opened my eyes. Where I laid was too hard. The sounds were unfamiliar. Cold crept through my bones. There was the stench of water and dirt.

Slowly, I lifted a single lid to examine my surroundings. It wasn’t the expensive, but vacant closet Simon had stuck me in. Or the comfortable house I’d lived in with the guys. Or any place I knew.

Fear slithered through my veins as I took in the dirty stone floors and cinder block walls. A small amount of light filtered in through a window above my head. It had wire woven through it like in a school or warehouse. A door across the room was steel with the same kind of window.

But what really had my heart tumbling in terror were the cages. They filled the space, lining the walls. It resembled a kennel, but there was no sound or scent of animals. And I was lying on the ground in one of them.

“Open your eyes, dear sister.” My head jerked up as I heard my brother’s voice.

“What the hell?” I yelled at Craig as I shot to standing. He sat on the only furniture in the room. A chair in the center that seemed out-of-place as if it had been put there so someone could watch what was in the cages. Who was in them. “Where am I?”

“That’s not important right now. Tell me where you’ve been.” He leaned forward as if he was eager to learn. But his hands hung limply between his legs, like it didn’t matter.

“This isn’t funny.” The floor was cool on my bare feet and I wondered what had happened to my shoes.

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