Page 49 of Ravaged
CHAPTER 15
Teagen
When I woke up, I knew something was wrong. Instead of waking up to Ethan rustling in the bed, by the time the sun filtered through the windows, he was gone. Any time I thought I was used to his moods, he shifted gears on me, making me question where I stood. He had brought me back my curling iron and body spray, my portable music player, and a handful of other things from my dorm room at the Dahlia District, and yet he couldn’t look me in the eye. And now, he couldn’t stand to be in the same room as me.
Any comfort I found, he destroyed. Because he wouldn’t let himself get close to me.
By the time I finally saw him that morning, he barked out four words.
“Stay in the room.”
And I obeyed. It wasn’t like Iris thought; I hadn’t given up. But I knew that fighting Ethan and the other Adlers wasn’t the way to get my freedom. I had to earn it somehow. Otherwise, I’d never be free. Risking my life and my dad’s life wasn’t worth it.
After trying to do a few curls with the hot iron and realizing it was endlessly frustrating with those handcuffs, I let out a huff. I laid on the bed and listened to classical renditions of pop songs. Inspired, I kept one earbud in and let the other hang, while I plucked the strings of the harp, still using Mrs. Adlers’s, not mine. It was still hard to make music when my arms couldn’t straddle the strings from both sides, but I did my best.
The door swung open. Ethan came in, glancing over me, making sure I was dressed.
“You’ve been summoned,” he said.
“What? Like to court?”
He grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me away. Again, those warning bells sounded. Something was off. Lately, I could get him to crack a smile, but this time, he did nothing. It was like we were strangers again.
He took me into a room with a high ceiling, books covering the walls, a wet bar in the corner. The Adler sons were there. I couldn’t tell if I recognized them from being abducted, or from their visits to the Dahlia District. I suppose it didn’t matter.
A tall man with dark hair and dark eyes, like Ethan, stood in front of me. Ethan tightened his grip on my arm. Had I done something wrong? Displeased Ethan somehow? Or was this about showing me my place? Reminding me that I was still a prisoner.
Did Ethan have to remind himself of my place too?
“Teagen Knox,” the dark-haired man said.
“And you are?” I asked.
“Derek Adler, one of the next sons in line to take over the family business.” Derek eyed Ethan as he said this, emphasizing the words ‘one of the next.’ Had they come to an understanding, then?
“And the audience?” I asked.
“Wil,” one of them grinned, sitting on a chair along the back wall. I knew him from the Dahlia District; Iris had given him one hell of a birthday beating once, all in good fun—at least for her.
“Axe,” the other said, leaning against the wall by the door. He was the one who always brought my dad.
“All brothers,” Derek said, motioning to include Ethan. “And your father is Oliver Knox.”
“He is,” I said.
“He mentioned something he stole from Midnight Miles.” Derek leaned forward. “Can you tell us anything about that?”
Something he stole? Didn’t ring a bell. Dad was always gambling, making bets he shouldn’t, then sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. I couldn’t name a specific thing. Most of the time, I told him not to tell me about his business. I didn’t want to know.
“You’re fishing for something,” I said. “Just ask.”
“Has he mentioned anything to do with your harp?”
Impulsively, I fingered my necklace. Derek’s eyes shot to the harp charm.
“Take it off,” Ethan whispered in my ear. A chill ran down my spine at the command, though I knew it wasn’t anything like that. Not here with a bunch of people around. Still, hearing his orders like that made me tense up. Made me want his hands on me.
I unhooked the clasp and gave the necklace to Ethan. He looked it over in his palm, then handed it to Derek. The charm went around the room, but they each had the same reaction. No one knew what to do with it. It was only a necklace.
