Page 54 of Caged Bird

I couldn’t even look Zane in the eye. Couldn’t bear to see the pity in his expression, or worse, the realization he’d come to the same conclusion I had.

That we were never getting out of here.

“Peach! Where are you?”

I stepped out of the kitchen and found Eddie on the front porch with Spider and Derek. “Here.”

Except I was only there in body. In my head, I was back by the stream with Zane, wrapped in his arms, lost in the fresh feeling of hope.

That only lived in my memories now.

Eddie glanced over, his smile wide. “Where’s lover boy?”

“I don’t know who you mean,” I said automatically.

Eddie flicked his fingers beneath my chin. “That’s my woman. Remembering her place. Zane!”

He still wore the chains Eddie had locked around his ankles after making me help him drag Zane’s unconscious body into the house days ago.

Spider chuckled at the sight of them. “Fucking pathetic,” he muttered.

Brave words from a man who was totally Eddie’s bitch.

Eddie tossed something at his brother, which Zane caught with one hand instinctively. When he opened his fingers, a set of small keys sat on his palm.

Eddie eyed him. “Punishment is over.”

Zane stared at him. “Why? I’m still going to kill you as soon as I get the chance.”

Spider snorted on his laughter. “You and what army, hero? We all know you ain’t got it in you. I left you for dead in that house, set a fire right in front of you, and you haven’t even said boo to me.”

“How’s your truck that I wrote off?” Zane asked.

Spider’s face clouded.

But clearly Eddie agreed with Spider’s assessment, or he wouldn’t be letting Zane out of his chains.

Thing was, I didn’t believe Zane when he said he wanted to kill his brother either. And I was glad for it.

I felt things for Zane. He’d been the only person who’d ever tried to help me, and that had come at a personal cost to him. I knew from his agonized expression that though I might have been the one being physically abused, the punishment had mostly been for Zane’s benefit.

After all, Eddie’s hands on my body were nothing new. But making me cry, making me scream…that had all been for his brother.

“Just take the fucking chains off, idiot. I’ve brought you a gift.” He glanced at Spider and spoke to him as if he needed the whole situation explained. “You see, I owe Zane and Fawn an apology for my actions over the past few days. I got angry, and I took that out on them.”

I knew better than to say anything. And it seemed like Zane was learning too. He just knelt and undid the cuffs, rubbing at the skin of his ankles that was red and chafed.

Eddie limped over to the back of Spider’s mangled truck, that had been patched together with what looked suspiciously like duct tape. He lowered the tailgate and waved an arm about in a flourish. “Ta da!”

A woman lay on the bed, her hands tied behind her back, her ankles bound, and thick tape…the same kind that held Spider’s bumper on…covered her mouth.

Her eyes had a vacant expression I knew all too well. She didn’t move. Didn’t fight. If she had earlier, by now, she’d clearly given up.

“Mom!”

I jumped at Zane’s shout. At the panic in his voice.

He pushed past me and Spider and Eddie, leaping onto the back of the truck to grab the older woman by the arms.

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