Page 51 of Bound By Secrets

I lay there and watch the hatch close, listening to Cameron and Paul laughing. I don’t move, knowing I’d likely cause myself more pain. It wasn’t a high drop, maybe six feet, but it still hurt. Especially with my face already swelling and my ribs possibly fractured.

I close my eyes, embracing the darkness and letting the pain wash over me as I try and listen to the conversation going on upstairs. I can only hear bits and pieces at the moment, but each word that comes out of my father's mouth becomes clearer and clearer as his voice gets louder and louder.

“What do you mean it’s been days?” My father roars. Even though I’m locked in the basement, I cringe at his tone of voice. I hear Paul saying something else, his voice too quiet for me to decipher down in this concrete hell.

“Fuck! He’s not answering.” This piques my interest. I lift myself to a sitting position, ignoring the throbbing pain that’s pulsing through my body with every movement.

I hear a crash upstairs as if something was thrown against a wall and then my father starts cursing along with many more bangs and smashes.

I shuffle over and brush my hands along the wall until I feel the ladder and heave myself up two of the metal rungs to get closer to the hatch so that I can hear what’s going on upstairs.

“He wouldn’t go to the police. He’d incriminate himself.” Cameron’s words have my brows furrowing in confusion and I push myself further up the ladder, now resting half my body on the metal poles.

“He’s a coward. Always has been. He’d make a deal and throw us all under the bus!” My father shouts. “Pack a bag, messageeveryone, and tell them to pack up as much stock as they possibly can. If that little rat has snitched on us, then we need to leave and lay low for a little while.”

My arms are shaking from holding myself up, so I let go of the ladder and let myself slip back down to the floor.

Are they talking about Fraser?

Has Colin managed to get some form of evidence and arrested him?

I need to know what’s going on.

I can’t hear any more voices upstairs and I don’t know whether to feel relieved or worried about that. Either they’ve moved out of the kitchen, or they’ve left the house completely. I lean against the wall, wincing due to my aching, painful limbs. All I can do now is wait until Callum and Connor get home. Once they see the round weights loaded on top of the hatch, they’ll know I’m down here, and hopefully, they can get me out without jostling my ribs and legs.

“Callie!” Callum’s worried voice cuts through the daze that I'm in.

“I’m down here!” I call out, lifting myself to stand. I hear scraping as the weights are lifted and then the hatch is pulled open and the brightness assaults my vision, making me squint.

Connor clambers down the ladder and gently cups my face between his rough hands. He brushes a thumb across my cheek, and I hiss, pulling away from him.

“Shit, Little C. What did they do?”

“Just the usual. My ribs are fucked, and back is killing me, help me up?” He nods, scanning my bruised and swollen face again before carefully helping me up the ladder. Callum helps lift mewhen the top half of my body is out of the hatch. I groan and whimper until I’m sat on the floor of the kitchen.

“You know where they went?” Connor asks, climbing out of the basement. I shake my head,

“Not sure, I heard them talking though. Dad’s paranoid and I’m pretty sure they’ve left, gone to lay low or some shit. I think that Fraser might’ve been arrested,” I tell him. Callum comes hurrying over to my side with a glass of water and some pills.

Connor’s brow crinkles and he pulls his phone out before stalking off to another room.

“I’m gonna get you some ice. Your face looks really bad.”

“Wow, thanks, Cal. You know how to make me feel good about myself,” I joke. He rolls his eyes and pushes himself up. I smile, despite it hurting. As much as my brothers annoy me, I’m glad I have them. I don’t think I would’ve survived this long without them; they’ve been my protectors for years, and they’ve each taken care of me and kept me strong. I’ll forever be thankful for them.

Connor’s footsteps pound against the marble floors as he rushes back into the kitchen.

“They’ve gone completely. Most of Dad’s and Cameron’s things are gone, no one is in the outhouse around back and no one’s watching the property or answering their phones,” he says.

“Seriously? No one’s here?” I ask, disbelief clear in my tone. He nods his head.

“What if he’s going after Mum?” My gaze falls on Callum as he stands by the freezer with an ice pack in hand and an uneasy expression.

I shake my head at him. “No, he can’t. She’s safe.” I look between the twins but I can tell that neither of them are hopeful. “Get me my phone, I’ll call Nate. One of you should call Uncle Johnny and see if he knows anything about what’s going on.”

Connor retrieves my phone for me and Callum sits beside me, holding the ice pack against my swelling cheek. I find Nate’s name in my phone and dial his number, putting it on speaker. He answers after the second ring.

“Hey, Princess. Everything okay?”

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