Page 45 of Bound By Secrets

“He’s been working a lot and I know that Paul’s been watching us whilst he’s gone, but it’s not like there’s been anything to report back to him,” Callum whispers.

“It looks like no one’s home. I don’t like it. It’s making me feel weird.”

Callum grabs onto my hand and squeezes it three times. We gradually walk towards the front door, each step causing my stomach to turn, and my hold on Callum’s hand becomes tighter.

Connor squeezes me again and then releases his hold on me, reaching forward to unlock the door.

When he turns the key and pulls the handle down, my stomach drops and I hold my breath, watching it swing open. No one’s there waiting for us like I expected. I strain my ears, trying to find any evidence that someone may be inside, but I hearnothing. Connor glances at me and then warily takes a step through the threshold.

“I’m confused,” I say, following Connor into the empty, dark foyer. “Maybe he’s not home yet.”

“So then, why tell us to come home?” Callum asks, closing the door behind us.

“Cal, I can’t fucking see!” Connor shouts. Rolling my eyes, I blindly walk over towards the wall that houses the light switch, brushing my hand along the smooth paint until my fingertips bump over the plastic square.

When the lights flicker on, relief fills my body, and the panic begins to dull. However, that feeling is cut short as the lights turn back off.

As I go to berate the twins for messing with the light, something cold and hard whacks into the side of my head, and my body goes crumpling onto the floor. I groan in pain and hear Connor call out my name.

“Someone’s in here!” I screech, voice laced with panic as I feel hands grab at my arms. I swing my legs around, kicking and trying to break free from their hold. I miss them multiple times due to the fact of not being able to see, but after wildly kicking my legs back and forth, my foot finally collides with something. A pained grunt sounds from beside me, and the hands that were holding me slip away.

I scramble backward until my back hits the wall, holding one hand up to my throbbing head.

What the fuck is going on?

“Callie, run!”

My eyes go wide at Connor’s shout and although I can’t see, I frantically look around, hoping to pinpoint where he is.

I force myself to my feet and take a deep, calming breath despite the sounds of fighting going on around me. I try not to focus on the fact that I haven’t heard Callum talk since the lightswent out again as I cautiously walk through the dark in what I think is the direction of the stairs.

I hear a loud thump not too far from me and then a quiet curse from Connor. I halt my steps, trying to figure out where I am in relation to the stairs, but the darkness is too disorientating.

Someone bumps into me, and I go crashing to the floor, the impact sending pain shooting up my left leg. I try to push the person’s hulking weight off of my bottom half, but they’re dead weight, likely knocked out. I brush my hands over their body until I reach their face, all whilst hoping that it’s not Connor or Callum that’s landed on me. As my fingers collide with a shaved head, I realise it’s not one of the twins. It’s Paul. Thank God.

I quickly push my hands underneath him and use my legs to try and dislodge myself from beneath him, managing to lift him the slightest bit by using all of my strength. I quickly pull my legs out from under him and then let his body flop back down against the marble flooring.

I lift myself back to my feet and hobble forward, keeping as much pressure off my left leg as possible. I have no idea where I am now; for all I know, I could be limping towards the front door or the dining room. I continue moving, though, trying to get away from this weird sneak attack that my father has lured us into.

As my hands latch onto the curve of a wooden door frame, the light flickers on, and maniacal laughter fills the room. I squint my eyes against the onslaught of the bright light and whip my head around until I’m facing Cameron.

He’s standing in the centre of the entry hall, laughing so hard that he’s holding his stomach. I ignore his deranged actions and take time to scan the room. Paul is bruised and unconscious, a few feet in front of me, near the entrance to the dining room. Connor's standing by the bottom of the stairs, glaring at our eldest brother whilst blood trickles down his chin from his splitlip. Callum's knocked out, over by the front door, and Hudson, one of my father’s lackeys, is standing beside Cameron with an amused smile on his bloodied face.

“Oh my, that was priceless.” He smacks his palm against his leg as his laughing finally starts to ease. I watch as Connor charges towards him, fury engraved on his face.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” He grabs Cameron by his shirt and slams him against the wall.

Cameron’s eyes light up with amusement, and a malicious smile spreads across his face. He pushes at Connor’s shoulders, trying to create some space between them. When his attempt fails, he arches a brow.

“Was just having some fun with you kids. Dad was busy, so he left me in charge of coming up with a form of punishment for you all.” I scowl at him, even though his attention is fixed on Connor.

“What are we being punished for?” Connor asks. Cameron looks over at me, and his eyes narrow, his face screwing up in disgust.

“You’ve all been gone an awful long time today. Who gave you permission for that?”

“Are you serious?” Connor roars, pushing Cameron against the wall again. “You decided to jump us in our own fucking home because we’ve been out all day?” Hudson rushes over towards them and pulls Connor away, wrestling him backward until Cameron’s able to move away from the wall.

“Like I said, I wanted to have some fun with you all. Maybe next time you’ll be sure to inform us of your whereabouts.” He stares directly at me when he says that, and it causes my heart to pump a little faster.

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