Page 10 of My Three Enemies
I think about it for a moment and try to come up with an answer that would be appropriate. Truthfully, I'm a very simple person. All my life my world has been incredibly small. I've known very few people, and I've experienced very few things.
“I guess I'm not really that interesting,” I say, shrugging while I try to think. “I read a lot, and I love romance and thriller books. But when I watch movies, I like stoner comedies and horror. I've never really been into rom-coms.”
They surprise me with genuine interest in the books I’ve read, and even grow excited to discuss some my favorite movies that they have copies of at the cabin. My collection of media back home is small, and I often found myself rereading or rewatching. They weren't even things I picked out for myself. All of it came from my mom's collection before she left. My father didn't care to bring me new books or movies. Keeping me entertained was the least of his worries.
“Do I get to ask you guys any questions now?” I ask, finishing a second sandwich and wiping crumbs off my hands.
For the first time since being in the room, the hardness in Jackson's expression returns and he shoots Gray a look, subtly shaking his head.
“That depends on what you want to ask,” Gray answers, ignoring Jackson's stare.
“How old are you guys?”
Gray laughs, apparently surprised that's the question I chose to ask out of everything else in the world. “Each of us is two years apart. I'm the oldest, and I'm forty-two. Jackson, the epitome of the middle child, is forty, and Dax is thirty-eight.”
Jackson rolls his eyes and I can't help but laugh to myself.
“I always wished that I had siblings growing up,” I admit, a familiar hollowness in my chest. “Whenever I see stories with close siblings, it makes me jealous.”
“So you're an only child?” Dax asks, raising an eyebrow. He seems amused that he got some kind of an answer out of me unintentionally.
Before I can say anything else about it, all three of them jump up and look at each other, their postures defensive. I sit upright, moving to stand on the floor before Gray holds his hand out to stop me.
“Stay here, Emma,” he warns me as Jackson and Dax run out of the room. “Someone's here. Outside the cabin. We have to go check it out, but you need to stay put.”
He doesn't waste another moment telling me what to do, clearly thinking I'm just going to obey him. I stay put in the bed for a moment, wondering what could possibly be happening. I didn't hear anything outside. How could they possibly know someone was nearby?
Either way, opportunity seems to be on my side once more. This is my chance to escape whatever is happening here.
When the front door slams shut, I bolt out of the bed and run into the living room searching for the laundry. Eventually, I findit in another closet in the kitchen, and my clothes are in the dryer. I put my pants on and button them, not bothering to take off the t-shirt I'm wearing. I just grab my sweater and throw it on , thankful for the extra layer.
It's possible that my father’s found me. Whoever's outside could be one of his guards who tracked me to the cabin. If that's the case, either me or the three brothers could be in danger. My father will stop at nothing to get me back. I feel guilty that I didn't tell them the truth. They could be running into the situation completely unprepared.
I go to the knife block on the kitchen counter, and I grab the biggest one. If I'm going to be out there,I'mgoing to be prepared.
I peek out one of the windows trying to look for the brothers, but I don't see them anywhere. I make my way to the front door and bolt, running through the woods with a knife in my hand. But I don't even make it a hundred feet when I see a large, towering brown bear.
It hears me and whips its head around, growling and rearing up on its hind legs. Not long after, two other bears come to its side. Once again I'm cursing my lack of outdoors knowledge because I have absolutely no clue what I'm supposed to do here.
The three bears rush toward me and my fight or flight reflexes kick in. I skitter to a stop and race back to the cabin. I don't turn around, but I can hear the bears chasing after me.
The steps to the cabin are within view and I drop the knife and push myself even faster, desperate to run inside and slam the door shut. I climb the first two steps and I’ve nearly made it, butthat slim hope vanishes when the top of my shoe snags on the third step.
The floor surges up to meet me everything around me goes dark.
8
My head is throbbingwhen my eyes slowly open. I'm acutely aware of the brawny arms wrapped around me, slowly petting my hair. It's relaxing, and I want to close my eyes and sink back into the warmth of whoever it is.
“How are you feeling?” Gray asks, easing away to let me sit up on my own. I notice Jackson sitting on the other side of the bed with an ice bag in his hand. He gingerly brings it to my temple and I wince at the chill, but he keeps it pressed against me.
“My head hurts. W–What happened?”
Dax enters the room with a bottle of aspirin and hands me two of them, then a glass of water that’d been sitting on the bedside table. I eagerly take the aspirin and guzzle water, trying to think more about what happened. I remember being in bed, and grabbing the knife from the kitchen, then running through the woods before seeing?—
“Bears! There are bears in the woods!” I shout, jumping to my feet and feeling my heartbeat quicken.
“You don't have to worry about that,” Dax says, coming over to me and putting a hand on my shoulder.
