Page 21 of Good Girl and Grinches

The van jerks to a stop. Ty hops out then the rear doors swing open. His silhouette blocks what little moonlight filters through the trees. He unhooks me from my seat then his hand clamps around my arm, yanking me.

“Out,” he yells unnecessarily.

But it highlights the bigger concern. The crushing silence of the forest swallows my last ounce of hope. Who would hear me scream? The owls?

The cabin looms ahead, a dark shape against darker trees. Wooden steps creak beneath our feet. A key scrapes in a lock. The door swings open to cold darkness.

“Sit.” Ty shoves me toward a wooden chair. He removes the handcuff from one of my wrists and transfers it to a heavy chain bolted to the floor. The metal links rattle when I test their reach—about three feet in any direction.

My brain starts its familiar checklist of what I could have done differently. I should have let Flame drive me. Should have not volunteered to sell my virginity to a stranger. Should have—

No. Stop. Those thoughts won’t help. No amount of planning could have prepared me for this.

Stay alive. That’s the only plan that matters. I rub a hand on my belly. It’s the most basic instinct I’ve ever had to follow.

I force my breathing to steady as I watch Ty move around the one-room cabin, lighting candles and a fire… no electricity? Is there any record this cabin even exists?

Focus on what I have, not what I don’t have. Three feet of chain. One chair. That’s something.

Cooperate. Survive. And hope like hell that my stepbrothers’ investigative skills are as good as I think they are.

The fire crackling in the fireplace and the wind whipping past the cabin fill my ears with foreign sounds. No dogs barking or sirens in the distance. But with certain shifts of the wind, I swear I hear a vehicle. Ty doesn’t seem to notice as he squats next to the fireplace.

“Mind if we listen to some music? I have playlists downloaded.” My voice comes out steadier than expected.

Ty repositions a log, his shadow larger than life on the far wall. “You think I’m stupid enough to give you your phone?”

“You don’t have to let me touch it. I’ve got playlists downloaded. The password is—”

“Shhh. Enjoy the natural sounds. Listen to the fire.” His boots thud against the wooden floor as he stands and moves closer. “Helps me think.”

The wind howls outside, and I strain my ears for any hint of rescue. I can’t hear the distant engine anymore.

Ty alternates between watching me and appearing lost in thought—in a dark place. Is it the delusional side of him Ghost cautioned about?“You can’t think rationally when dealing with people like him.”

The silence stretches between us, broken only by the burning wood. I’ve never felt more aware of every tiny sound—my breathing, the scrape of the chain when I shift position, the creak of floorboards under Ty’s feet.

The distant look in his eyes scares me. Can I pull him out of it? Can I make myself human to him, not just collateral or whatever he’s using me for?

“Why did you kidnap me?”

“To teach your stepbrothers a lesson.”

That gives me something solid to go on. “Okay, I should have made it home. They’re probably worried. I bet you’ve made your point. If you release me now, I’ll tell—”

And then suddenly, banging on the door. Ty’s on me, his hand covering my mouth. He leans to my ear. “Don’t make a fucking sound.”

Fourteen

Ghost

“Open the door, Ty,” Flame calls out at the same time I say, “Sabrina better not be harmed.”

“It’s over, Ty,” Ruckus says.

“You’re on private property,” Ty warns.

Other than faintly hearing Sabrina’s voice before we made our presence known, we have no idea of her condition.

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