And if that dog named Rover won’t bark, Mama’s gonna buy you a horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down, well, you’ll still be the in
town.
A scream has me staggering back. I lose my footing and topple over. Twisting, I mak sure I’m the one who takes the full impact with a bone-jarring thud.
I scramble back against the bed, making soothing noises against Star’s head, my eyes firmly on the door as I wait for the monster to appear. I look around for the pole I dropped, spotting where it rolled to. I’m frozen in place, too scared to do anything other than breathe, but I can’t let Star or Nevaeh down. I fight everything but my need to protect and crawl to my feet. I grabthe pole before I scurry back, holding it out in front of me as if it were a sword.
My breath stalls in my throat at the scuff of a boot before an unfamiliar man appears in the doorway. A cry of alarm escapes before I can swallow it down. As much as I hate Jasper, at least I know what to expect. I can’t do this all over again with someone else.
The man’s eyes widen before he crouches, and I’m dimly aware that he’s trying to make himself seem smaller. It’s not enough to stop the fear from pressing in on me. Nevaeh spills into the room, passing him, her eyes taking me in as I do an impression of a wounded animal.
“Citi, it’s okay. This is my family.” Nevaeh says as she walks slowly toward me. A large man wearing the same leather jacket as the first follows behind her, taking me in before someone else rushes in.
“Holy fuck,” the newcomer chokes out, snagging my attention. His eyes lock on mine as he slowly makes his way toward us. Something in his gaze compels me not to look away. A thin thread holds my sanity in place as he approaches, almost as if he’s tethering me here.
“I promise you they won’t hurt you or Star, Citi, but we need to get out of here now,” Nevaeh says gently.
“He’ll come for me, Nevaeh. He always comes when I run. That’s why he chains me,” I tell her, willing her to understand.
The big guy steps up beside my sister and lifts his bloody hands for me to see. “He’s dead, darling. I killed him myself.”
I stare at him for a minute, wanting to believe him so badly I can taste it. But life has taught me many lessons, and one of those is that escaping Jasper is impossible.
“Do you promise?” I whisper. Please God, let this be real.
“I swear it.”
I drop the pole as a sob rips free from my chest. Nevaeh rushes over, but the guy without the leather jacket gets to me first, catching me when my legs give out. The chains drag across the floor as Star and I are pulled into this guy’s lap. A fleeting thought tells me to fight. But when his heat seeps into my always-cold skin, I give in, needing someone to be strong for me now. Even if it’s just for a little while.
“I’ve got you now, pretty girl. Nothing will happen to you on my watch, I swear it,” he murmurs into my ear, making me sob harder. “Name’s Ambros. Your name is Citi, right? And what’s your name, princess?”
Star looks up at him, but she doesn’t answer.
“She doesn’t talk,” I whisper. “But her name is Star.”
“Star, huh? Pretty name,” a new voice states, making me jump. I turn and see a man walk over, a cold, detached look in his eyes that the others don’t have.
People in the room look at him warily, but for some reason, he doesn’t scare me. His cold aloofness is a balm from the manic gleam I’m familiar with seeing in Jasper’s eyes.
He squats in front of us and pulls something from his pocket. “I’m Hannibal. I’m going to work on getting this thing off you, okay? Just hold still for me.”
I nod, noticing the big guy walk back in. He moves up behind my sister and wraps his arms around her. I hear them talking quietly to each other, but I can’t make out the words. I turn my attention back to the guy trying to pick the lock of my shackles.
“Got it,” Hannibal says triumphantly.
Ambros has me and Star in his arms before I can protest. “Let’s get you out of here,” he tells me.
Nevaeh and the man whose hand she’s holding move closer. He studies my face, his jaw clenching before he speaks. “We’re going to burn this place down. Is there anything you need or want before it blows?”
I look down at Star and lift a shaky hand to stroke her hair. “I have everything I need.”
“Okay then. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
We follow the others outside, where Ambros lowers me gently to my feet.
“Let me help,” Nevaeh offers, untying the fabric wrapped around Star and me. Star looks up at her with large, curious eyes. Nevaeh offers her a soft smile. “Hey, Star. I’m your auntie.”
