Page 1 of Echoes of Fear

Chapter One

Knox

Nick Thornfield is dead, but only in reality. In my head, he’s very much alive. One year ago, my friends and I were in a horrible car crash that resulted in my being abducted by a man who thought he had the right to own me. A man I had only met once.

Nick held me for over twelve hours. No one knows the true extent of what he did to me, and no one ever will. I’m thankful that I wasn’t sodomized, but had it taken my friends any longer to find me, I have a feeling that I would have been.

King made sure that I never had to worry about Nick Thornfield again. From what I heard, he held the depraved man in his “chambers” for several months before killing him. Sometimes, I wonder if King knows everything that Nick did. I wonder if he made him confess.

Every once in a while, King will look at me in a way that leaves me completely exposed. Those are the moments when I know he’s been informed of every detail.

“You coming outside for dinner?” Ghost, the president of the Obsidians MC, asks.

“I think I’ll just eat at my table next to the window,” I say, trying to smile.

Ghost stares at me for several moments before nodding and walking away.

I can feel his disappointment. His worry. I desperately want to make it go away, but I can’t.

“You could use some fresh air, boy.”

I glance up at Steel and shrug.

“I get plenty of fresh air from the open windows,” I tell him. “Besides, it’s hot out there. It’s even too hot to grill. You guys are only doing it to try and help me leave this building.”

Yeah, something I forgot to mention. I haven’t left the walls of the Obsidian clubhouse since I officially moved in shortly after being released from the hospital. I tried staying in my apartment but didn’t feel safe there anymore.

One day, I packed up my essential stuff, put everything else in storage, got released from my lease agreement, and moved into the clubhouse.

This is my safe place. These are my safe people. My friends. My brothers. My family.

But even though I feel the safest here, I still don’t feel completely safe. I’m not sure I ever will again.

“Little boy, you need to eat more.”

“I’m not a Little anymore, Blaze,” I sigh.

Not only did Nick freaking Thornfield steal my freedom and my safety, but he also stole my Little. I can still feel him in the back of my head, but I’m too scared to let down my guard enough to allow myself the joys of being Little.

“You will always be Little, Knox,” Blaze tells me. “Right now, he’s in hiding, but you’ll be able to free him again one day.”

“Sure,” I say, feigning a smile. “One day.”

“Bring the burgers back inside,” Steel shouts. “It’s too damn hot to eat out there.”

Steel is always so serious about things. He hardly ever smiles, and sometimes, it’s hard to read his emotions. He’s the complete opposite of his twin brother, Blaze, who wears his every emotion on his face.

So, I can’t hide my shock when Steel turns his head towards me, smirks, winks, and walks away.

“I think I’m starting to hallucinate,” I say out loud.

“Nah,” Blaze chuckles. “Steel’s trying this new thing with his face. He wants to look as handsome as I am. It’ll never happen, of course. I’m way too sexy for anyone to even reach my level.”

“You have the exact same face,” I laugh. “There isn’t a single thing different between the two of you.”

“I fuck harder than he does,” Steel says, tossing me a bottle of water. “Drink it.”

“I really don’t want to know how you two do things with your subs,” I cringe, drinking the water as demanded.

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