Page 27 of Property of Indiana

ZOEY

When I calledHarrison last night to tell him goodnight, in the background I could hear a party raging on. Icer got called in shortly after, and for the first time, it was only Elodie and I alone in the house. It felt eerie, like some sort of foreboding warning.

I barely slept, every noise outside had me jumping out of my skin. A knock on my front door has me warily tiptoeing over to it and looking through the peephole. I marginally relax when I see one of the prospects that’s been protecting my home standing there with a box of something in his hands. However, it’s the coffee in his other that I zone in on.

“Yes,” I internally chant, doing a little dance right there in the corridor.

When I go to remove the chain, I look at him closer and see the slight shake of his head. Upon closer inspection, I notice that his jaw is clamped and he’s grinding his teeth. My hands shakingly leave the door and I take a soundless step back. A noise from the mouth of the hallway catches my attention and I notice Elodiethere, rubbing her fists over her eyes, something she’s done since she was little when she tried to wake herself up.

When her little fists hit her sides, I place my finger over my lips which has her eyebrows wrinkling. “Mama,” she whispers, only her whispers are at a normal volume, easily heard. My shoulders droop when the banging on the door intensifies.

The sound of a gunshot pierces the otherwise quiet air and I freeze.

“Mama!” Elodie screams as glass shatters from the front of the house. I’m still in my pjs with no shoes on, but I know that shards in my soles are the least of my problems. I don’t have my phone on me, it’s still on the charger in my bedroom so I can’t send off a text or call for help.

My daughter being my first priority, I run to her, grab her, and rush to her playroom. “Get in your toy box, Elodie,” I order, my voice firm but shaky. “Now!” I yell as footfalls reverberate through the house. “And stay quiet, no matter what you hear.”

I barely have time to shut the lid before I hear the distinct sounds of someone in the same room as me. I swivel around on my heels and a scream escapes me. There are three men standing there in capes, all wearing that same ghost mask that I have nightmares about. Bile rises up in my throat which I hastily swallow back down, knowing they won’t care if I vomit all over myself. Memories of how sadistic they were that night are bouncing around in my head, nearly paralyzing me with fear.

“No!” I cry, backing up. “No, please.”

“You belong to us,” a distorted voice claims. “Where’s our daughter?” Not wanting them to find her, I try to tackle my way through them, only they’re stronger than I am and end uptossing me over their shoulder in a fireman’s hold and walking out of the room with me. “Don’t leave until you find our princess.”

I squirm and wiggle, trying to escape his firm clutch on me when he finally drops me to the ground. I crab walk away from him, which has him cackling.

“Did you think we wouldn’t find out? We’ve always known but we had to wait until she was old enough to start training. Why do you think your parents were so adamant about you moving back to town? She’s ready for us to put her through her paces. She will be our next generation of assassins.”

“Never,” I avow. “She’s good, unlike you. She’ll never fall into line.”

A grotesque laugh escapes him and it has my skin crawling. “You will give us more.”

“More what?” I ask, my lips quivering. My limbs are trembling, scarcely holding up my body weight, but if I keep him talking long enough, maybe help will arrive.

“Children. A son would be nice but not necessary,” he tells me and I heave. Bile races up my esophagus and coats my throat once again. “She’ll be our first pupil. Don’t worry, you won’t be our only breeding source. We have more where you’re going.”

The further I move away from him, the safer I feel. That is until my hand lands in something slippery and I slide. Peeking down, I see nothing but a pool of red—blood. A boost of adrenaline bursts through me and I stand on my shaky legs. I turn to run, to find help, but he grabs me by my hair and yanks me back into his chest. That plastic mask digs into my shoulder when he leans down and sniffs me.

“You always smelled so delicious,” he purrs, causing goosebumps to erupt and pebble on my skin. “That’s why I chose you.” I hurl when I hear that, foamy bile running down the front of my top. “So dramatic, yet still so beautiful.” He tosses me to another man. “Get her to the warehouse and hose her down. I’m not leaving without our daughter.”

“Leave her alone,” I demand. “Her father is going to rip your spleen out and stomp all over it. Don’t touch her!”

“I am her father!” he screams back out at me. “Blood is thicker than water, and in time, she’ll forget all about Indiana.” I jerk back as tears rain down my cheeks. “A piece of paper means nothing, it can be buried. Go on, get her out of here!” I kick and scream as I’m tossed over this stranger’s shoulder. When he puts me on my feet, his fists meet the side of my face, a direct hit to the temple, and I see nothing but stars twinkling behind my eyes before I slump over and pass out.

The trickle of water dripping from pipes wakes me up. I’m confused about where I am and can’t think past this migraine. With my head pounding, I look around since I’m unable to move, which I found out rather quickly, I’m in what amounts to a dog kennel and it’s only big enough for me to crouch over. As my eyes get used to the dim lighting, I notice rows and rows of cages. Each is filled with a woman. There’s no real discerning commonality among us except the fact we’re all young enough to have children. Several appear to be sleeping, but others are quietly crying, their muffled sobs reverberating through the room.

“Where the hell am I?” I whisper.

I must have spoken loud enough, however, because the brunette in the cage next to me replies, “Hell. You’re in Hell now, courtesy of the Onyx Devils.”

Horror fills me because I know, I just know, that those bastards found my Elodie, the reason I’m still walking this earth. I don’t know if the prospect who was obviously shot died, or if he was able to raise the alarm. Because if he did, the Onyx Devils will find out why nobody fucks with the Kings.

Because Icer will go completely thermonuclear when he finds out that his princess was kidnapped and his sister was abducted. Indiana will probably grab a flamethrower and burn the town down until we’re found. With that in mind, I decide to talk to the woman to see if I can get any useful information.

“What’s your name? I’m Zoey,” I murmur. I have no clue if there are guards in here but based on my treatment when they were taking me from my home, I suspect their punishment is swift and harsh.

“Letti,” she softly says. “I’ve been here a month, I think.”

Since she’s right next to me, I can see her clearly enough to note the bruises that cover her naked body. “You fought back,” I state, steadily scanning her discolored flesh.

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