Page 36 of The Knucklebone Brothers

I just stood there, my mouth hanging open. "What the hell is this?" I finally managed to croak out, my voice sounding small in the warm, quiet space. "Why did my dungeon get an upgrade? And why am I back in here and not with y'all?" I gestured wildly between the cozy-looking cage and the two of them. "This doesn't make any damn sense."

Maverick chuckled, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "Now, now, Aurora. That's no way to talk about your new home," he said, his voice dripping with that syrupy, condescending sweetness. "The family wanted to give you your own space. It ain't done yet, but it's a start." He pushed off the frame and took a step closer, his mask tilting. "And don't you call it a dungeon. A dungeon is where you keep something that needs to be hidden away. This... this is where we keep our treasure."

I scoffed, a bitter, humorless laugh escaping my lips. "Oh, I'm sorry. My mistake. I'm the treasure," I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "And you two are the what? The creepy keepers of the gilded cage?"

My smart mouth must have been the wrong move. Before I could say another word, Blythe grabbed my arm and Maverick took my other one. They didn't even give me a chance to struggle. They just lifted me up and threw me back into the cage. I landed hard on the mattress, the air whooshing out of my lungs. The iron bars rattled behind me, but they didn't close the door.

Maverick knelt down, his face level with mine, the grinning mask inches away. "You know, you were being soooo good, Aurora," he said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous purr. "And now you've gone and pissed us off."

He shook his head slowly, a look of mock disappointment on his mask. "That was real stupid."

Maverick stood and leaned against the cage door, looking like a damn vulture. "You know, Aurora," he started, his voice all smooth and oily, "these mountains... they don't like strangers. They're old, and they hold grudges. Don't take kindly to folks intrudin' on family business." He tapped a finger on the iron bar. "We were just about to introduce you proper. Had plans. Special surprises."

Blythe, who'd been over by the stove, turned and walked right into the cage. He moved all quiet-like, his mask blank in the dim light. He stopped right in front of me, just staring.

"You ruined all that," Maverick kept going, his voice getting low and mean from the doorway. "You ran off like a scared little rabbit, made us chase you all over our own woods. Good job."

That was it. I was done with their bullshit. All their talk about plans and surprises like I was some damn party favor. I saw red. I didn't even think. I just launched myself off the mattress, my hands grabbing for Blythe's stupid mask. I got a good grip and ripped.

The thing came off with a loud tear. There he was. His face was all hard angles and clenched jaw, his eyes burning with anger. He looked shocked for a second, then his whole face just went cold.

"You will be ours," he said, his voice a raw, guttural sound.

He was on me before I could even blink. His hand wrapped around my throat, and he shoved me back down onto the mattress. The air got knocked right out of me. He was heavy, pinning me down.

He grabbed the longer chain they'd hooked to the bed frame and quickly wrapped the cuff ends around my wrists, pulling it tight. The metal was cold against my skin. He didn't strap me down, but the clasp clicked shut, loud and final. It was the longer one so I could still move around the cage, but I was tethered, chained to the bed like a damn dog. Trapped. Again.

Maverick, still leaning against the cage door, his arms crossed, looking way too pleased with himself. "We're gonna leave you in here for a bit, Aurora," he said, his voice a sickeningly sweet drawl. "You can think about how you behaved. Think about how ungrateful you're actin' after all the trouble we went to, makin' this place nice for you."

Blythe just stood there, his jaw still tight, his eyes burning into me. He was the silent threat, the promise of what would happen if I didn't shape up.

That set me off. "Ungrateful?" I spat, my voice hoarse. "You're damn right I'm ungrateful! You chained me to a bed! You think a quilt and a broom makes up for that? Go to hell!" I yanked on the chain around my wrists, the metal clanking uselessly. "And you're not just leaving me here. You're gonna bring me water. At least fill the damn pitcher up! I'm thirsty!"

Maverick just chuckled, a low, irritating sound. "Now, is that any way to ask for somethin'?" he tsked, shaking his head. "You'll get water when you learn to ask nice. Until then..." He gave a little two-fingered salute. "Think on it."

Before they could walk out, Blythe reached up and gave the string of lights a sharp yank. The amber glow vanished instantly, plunging the whole room into near total darkness. The only light came from the small wood stove in the corner, the flames casting a hellish, flickering orange glow that made the shadows dance like monsters against the walls. It was creepy as hell, the warm, cozy vibe completely gone.

On his way out, Maverick stopped by the little stool. He picked up the clay pitcher, holding it up so the firelight glinted off the empty inside. "You best be thinkin' 'bout how to ask real nice," he drawled, his voice thick and syrupy. "Ain't no water comin' 'til you do."

With that, he turned and walked out. The heavy door of the trailer swung shut with a final thud, leaving me alone in the flickering gloom, the chain rattling softly against the bed frame.

I don't know how long I'd been sitting there, my ass hurting on the edge of the mattress. The sting on my ass was still burning. My body was remembering the way he'd hit me with his belt. The way my back had arched and my legs had shaken as they made me come so hard I saw stars. God, it was embarrassing. I’d been so focused on being a tough girl, on fighting them, that I hadn't even noticed how good it felt, how good it was to just let go and let them take control. My mind is racing with the memories of their hands on me, their voices in my ear, and the way they’d made me scream. It was a sick, twisted kind of satisfaction, but it was there, deep in my gut, and I couldn't deny it.

The chain around my wrists was a cold, familiar weight. It felt like I'd been staring at the flickering flames in that little stove for days, watching them dance until the room was just a collection of soft, hulking shapes. The smell of burning cedar and old wood was thick in the air, and the crackle and pop of the fire, a steady, rhythmic noise that was almost enough to make me forget where I was. Almost.

Outside, the night was alive. A chorus of crickets and katydids chirped and buzzed in a steady, relentless rhythm. The wind would pick up, making the old trailer creak and groan like it was settling in for the night. It was all normal, backwoods sounds. Sounds I should have been used to.

But then I heard something else. A soft, scratching sound. It wasn't the wind, and it wasn't an animal trying to get in. It was coming from inside the trailer. My heart started to pound. I knew the boys were gone. I knew I was alone.

What the hell was that?

My mind started racing, running through a list of all the things it could be. A mouse, maybe? A rat? A squirrel that had chewed its way through the floorboards? I strained my ears, trying to pinpoint the sound. It was coming from the corner of the room, near the wall.

Please be a mouse. Please just be a damn mouse.

Then I heard it again. A soft, scuttling sound, followed by a faint, rustling noise. It was bigger than a mouse. Too heavy. My blood ran cold. A raccoon? A possum? Or something worse? Something that didn't have a name, something that lived in the dark, forgotten corners of this godforsaken place.

I pulled my knees up to my chest, the chain rattling softly, my eyes fixed on the dark corner where the sound was coming from. The firelight cast long, dancing shadows, making the room look like it was moving, breathing. I was trapped in a cage, in a haunted trailer, in the middle of nowhere, with something else in here with me.