by K E Osborn
I just hope he’s going to survive going back to the Sovereigns. I remember he can’t fight them in his nightmares, so fuck only knows if he can fight them in reality.
His moans were louder than usual, it sounded like he was in real pain, agony almost. He’d had trouble at school that day with Johnny Larson. He’d always picked on Ty ever since he started at my school. So, whatever happened at school was making his nightmares worse tonight. I hated hearing Ty in so much anguish. My room being right next to his, I heard him every night. Though, every night I stayed away, giving him the privacy he needed to make it through his demons.
That night was different. I needed to make sure he was okay, my protective side had taken over. So, I got out of bed, slowly crept out of my room, and walked out into the hall to his door. His agonizing screams echoed through the house as my hand twisted his door handle. I opened the door with a thumping heart. I’d never seen him in mid-night terror. I didn’t know what to expect, but when I walked in, I was shocked. His body was contorted at all angles, he was covered with sweat, but it was the look on his face that said it all. His soul was being crushed.
Tears sprung to my eyes as I ran to his side to wake him. I reached out shoving his shoulder. “Ty, wake up,” I almost yelled.
“No, not again,” he cried out. His body swung in a convulsion, his arm smacking me in the side. I gasped as I stepped back out of the way. I knew he could be dangerous if I was too close.
“Please, not my pants,” he wailed as his hips rocked up into the air like he was in immense pain. His face contorting in agony as his body wrenched.
Tears littered my face as I screamed at him, “Wake up!”
His body suddenly flew up from the mattress gasping for air as his glassy eyes looked at me, his chest heaving in disorientation.
“A-Are you okay?” I asked as his head flew around to finally take in that I was in the room with him.
His eyes widened as he started visibly shaking. “Get out,” he screamed so loud I jumped a foot in the air letting out a small whimper. “Get out, Bex,” he screamed again making me not think twice before I turned running for the door with tears staining my cheeks.
I slammed the door shut as I stood in the hall panting for breath.
Mom and Dad came running down the hall as I started to sob with the true realization of just how far they had tortured him. He didn’t have to tell me. I knew, and it was earth-shattering.
He shut me out back then, why does it feel like he’s doing the same thing all over again right now?
CHAINS
His hand flexes as he rotates it from side to side to show me. The deep purple appearing even darker in the dullness of the small room.
“Does it hurt?” I ask Luc.
His head shakes. “Nah, I was born with it. Dad said it was a birthmark given to me by the devil. Says it means I’m destined for big things.”
My eyes widen as I look at the large purple mark making its way from his pinky all the way to his elbow. The blotches seeming like some kind of infection or disease. To me, it makes Luc look more badass. To the other kids, it makes him scary, toxic. Someone to be afraid of. I’m the only kid who stands by him. We’re the only support for each other. In a place like this, you needed all the support you can get because we can’t rely on our fathers’ help.
I shove his shoulder. “Does it give you super strength?”
“If it did, don’t you think I would have gotten us out of here by now, Ty?”
My lips turn down as I look around the small, dank room. Nothing but tatty mattresses on the muddy floor. Rats running on the walls, our dorm is a mess compared to the adult rooms. We’re treated like garbage because it’s how they see us. Nothing but filth until we prove ourselves. Until we’re broken enough to show we’re Sovereigns—that we belong.
Thing is, though, I know I don’t belong here. My father may have tried time and time again to tell me how this is going to work, how I will follow in his footsteps. But the day they killed him in front of me just to show me how it worked around her because he had sex with one of the other Sovereigns’ whores, proved to me I didn’t want to be like them. They thought it would scare me into behaving, but it only made me more determined to find my way out. A way for Luc and me, and I’m going to do it.
Someway.
Somehow.
I’m close, only a matter of days now before I will be free of Edgar. Luc and I will be out from behind these basecamp walls and out in the real world. If such a place even truly exists. But if it’s there, I will find it—for Luc and me.
“I’m gonna get us out of here, Luc.”
His face scrunches up like he’s conflicted as the door swings open. His father and Edgar stand in the doorway with a length of chain and a whip. I stand up breathing hard. I always take the punishment in place of Luc. He’s smaller, not as tolerant of the pain as I am. He’s weaker, so I take it more often, so he doesn’t have to.
Luc’s father, Gabe, steps into the room shoving me out of the way. His force is so strong I fall into the pile of wooden logs. Splinters penetrate my arm as I groan. “Move, boy. Enough of the brave act. Lucian needs to take a turn.”
As I spin to look, Luc scrambles back trying to flee, but Gabe is too quick. He grabs Luc around his frail bicep, yanking him up. Luc wails out in pain as I jump up to start punching at Gabe to let him go. But Edgar simply pushes me over. I’m only a sixteen-year-old boy against grown and much stronger men. I’m no match as Edgar throws me inside.
Luc turns to look at me, his eyes full of tears.
“I’m sorry, Luc! I’m sorry,” I call out.
His quivering lip is the last thing I see before Edgar slams the door shut. Total darkness falls over the room as suddenly I feel hot. Sweat pours off every inch of me as I begin panting for breath. I rip at my clothes trying to beat the heat, but I’m so fucking hot I can’t breathe.
It’s dark.
So hot and so damn dark.
I can’t breathe.
I can’t fucking breathe!
I burst upright in bed, sweat pouring off me as I gasp for air. My body’s shaking with the vivid memory as my clenched fist slams down on the mattress beside me in frustration.
“Fuck,” I murmur as I unclench my eyes trying to calm my breathing.
That one was intense. I could feel the wind in the air, I could smell Edgar’s stench. I could hear the cicadas chirping in the distance.
It was so, damn, real.
I wish I could turn my dreams off. I wish I could have one night. One damn night without a memory flashing in my mind. Just one peaceful sleep. Is that too fucking much to ask?
Sliding the covers off me, I walk to the bathroom for my ritual. Flicking on the light, I turn on the faucet and splash some water on my face. The cool water soothes my scorched skin. I instantly feel relief as I pat my face dry and then turn off the faucet while looking at my red eyes in the mirror.
I look like fucking crap.
I’m not surprised really with this Luc and Bex shit going on. How can I really be expected not to look like a fucking zombie? I glance at the small window to see the sun starting to rise. I figure it’s morning, so instead of going back to bed, I’m just going to get the fuck up. My brothers will most probably be asleep, but I’m going to go for a workout. I need to get rid some of this pent-up tension from my body. I get dressed in some shorts and head into the hall. It’s a little dark, but I make my way out to the clubroom. I hear people in the kitchen, so I move in that direction. I pop through the entry to see Ruby, Cindi, and Hayley all preparing for the breakfast feast.
“Morning, ladies,” I call out making them all jump as they turn to look at me, obviously shocked to hear anyone around this early.
“Shit, Chains, you scared me. What the hell are you doing up this time of morning?” Ruby asks.
“Couldn’t sleep. Gonna go workout.”
She weakly smiles. “You need anything? Want me to make you something?”
&nb
sp; I roll my shoulders trying to release my tight muscles. “Nah, I’m good. I’ll grab some food after.”
Cindi steps forward. “You’re looking a little tense, Chains. Do you need help with a little tension release?” she asks eyeing me up and down.
I let out a small laugh. This girl never fails to offer up the goods when the time calls for it. To be honest, a roll in the sack could be just what I need, but I can’t find the strength right now. “I’ll keep that in mind. You’ll be the first one I come to when I need it, Cindi.”
“I take offense—” Ruby teases.
“Me, too.” Hayley giggles.
The corner of my lips turn upward. “Now, now, ladies, no need to fight over me. We can have a good old time the four of us if you’re all getting pissy about it. Just, not right now.”
They all laugh. “Go, do your workout, Chains. Then when you feel like letting off some steam, one of us will be here for you,” Ruby offers.
“Thanks, ladies.” I turn heading out the main door, veering off to the left toward the workout area.
The sun rises, setting the sky alight in its amber hues. The sky appears like it’s on fire which only adds to my already tense mood.
I stride up to the chin-up bar grabbing hold, hoisting myself up. My biceps flex straining with the pressure as I lift up then down. Repeat and continue. My mind wanders as I stare off into the vastness of the yard. The swings in the distance make me think back to my time with Bex. The girl who didn’t once judge me for being the boy who wouldn’t talk to her when we met. The girl who wouldn’t judge me for zoning in and out of conversations. The girl who continued to fight to help me through all my trauma, who fought to bring me out of my shell. The girl who taught me what it was like to have a real family. My mind continues to wander, right back…
“Luc, c’mon, let’s go!” I whispered, but my voice was stern as we raced forward toward the edge of the basecamp boundary fence.
His footsteps were slow and pissing me off. It felt like he was trying to dawdle, but we’d been planning this for the last three years. The time had come, we’d made our escape plan, now we were executing it. We knew the rounds the guards made. We knew the flaws in the fence. We worked every detail out to the nth degree, and he was fucking dawdling. I was going to kick his ass any given second.
We stepped to the fence by the back of the marsh pond. We knew we would have to swim through the fucking death pit to get out, but it was worth it to find freedom.
To be rid of this place.
To be rid of Edgar.
I slid to a stop at the boundary. We got there undetected so far. It was only eight at night. We would rather have done this at midnight, but we had to go at the change of the guard when there was a flaw in their system, or not at all.
The time was now.
I pulled up the rail-linked fence and gestured for Luc to go through. This was it. We’d spent years getting this fence ready for our escape, finding ways to make it to this point. To weaken it enough without it being noticed. To break the links just enough for two scrawny sixteen-year-olds to slide under. We could do it. But we had to go now.
“Luc, go!”
His eyes darted around taking in the shed blocking us from the rest of basecamp, the one we dug into from our dorm to get here. Our plan was flawless. He just had to stop fucking panicking.
“Lucian, look at me. We got this, brother,” I told him, but he slowly started to shake his head.
“I… I can’t go.”
My brows furrowed, I gritted my teeth. “Luc, don’t chicken out on me now. We worked so hard for this.”
“I know, I was always going to get you to this point. You don’t belong here… but I think I do—”
“What?” I said a little too loud.
He looked around, both of us getting nervous about being caught. “You have to go, someone will be coming.”
“No. I won’t go without you. If you’re staying, I’m staying too.”
His face scrunched as he looked around nervously again. “Ty, you have to go. You need a life. A real one. You have to go—”
“Who’s behind there?” a voice called out.
My skin prickled in fear of being caught.
Luc tensed as he pushed me toward the small opening. “You have to go. Now. I don’t want to leave. Go, Ty. Go!” He pushed me through the opening then pulled the wire down blocking me from coming back through as I fell into the brush on my ass. My heart hammered in my chest as our eyes met.
I couldn’t believe what he was doing.
He chose to stay.
My heart was breaking.
“I’ll come back for y—”
“Ty, you gotta go. Now!” he whispered then turned as Edgar and his men appeared with a whip in his hand. I backed into the bush out of sight as I watched them grab Luc. He didn’t look back at me or give away my location. But they punched him in the side as I winced but turned racing through the bush into the marsh pond. The water was thick, it smelled awful. I almost choked as I swam knowing they dumped bodies in there. But I continued to swim through it to the other side. I got out and ran knowing I wasn’t in the clear. They had Luc, they knew I was joined to him at the hip. If I wasn’t with him, they would be looking for me. So, I ran. And, I ran. I didn’t know where the hell I was running. I had no shoes, ripped shorts with no shirt. I was covered in thick sludge as I ran the streets of Chicago.
I ran until I couldn’t run anymore, then I found a street light and sat under it panting for breath. It was opposite a park. I noticed a bench and thought I could rest there for a moment when a dog came bounding up to me. He was a ball of fluff, of medium build, not like the dogs at basecamp who were stocky and lacking the softness of a lush coat. This dog was kind and cute as he sniffed me. I pet his fur while he looked me over.
“Scruffy, Scruffy, come back,” an angelic voice called out.
I looked up and saw her. My heart stopped beating in an instant at the sight of the young girl rushing toward me.
She was a vision.
A fucking angel.
I knew right then and there this angelic girl was going to change my life.
Grunting, I drop from the chin-up bar with a loud huff. The memory is one I try not to remember too often. It’s such a double-edged sword. The betrayal, the hurt of Luc not wanting to come with me, the guilt of leaving him behind. Then the joy and happiness of finding Bex and the Kline’s with them eventually fostering me and taking me into their family. Those memories are such a push and pull on my emotions. I fucking hate how twisted they make me feel.
Bex is the only one I told about the Sovereigns. I never told Abi or Will. In hindsight, I probably should have when I was a kid. If I did, then maybe they would have told the authorities. They might have been able to do something about Edgar and his damn goons, but now, who’s going to believe me? It’s been far too long. Going to the cops even though we have Brody and Grier on our side, still seems off-kilter to me. Brody grew up with Ace, so we trust him even though he’s a cop, and Grier is loyal to Brody, so that helps. I doubt they could do anything to bring down an organization this deep-seated in Chicago.
Walking over to the boxing bag, I close my fists and start punching. The bag shifting and swinging with my heavy hits. The rafters creak with the friction of the moving bag as my knuckles grind against its surface. I feel the tension working up harder inside of me, not ebbing like it should be. I need to get this shit with Luc out of the way, it’s eating me up. I need to see him, to find out why. Why the fuck he made me go without him. I could never understand his logic on that fateful day.
Why the fuck we planned our escape for so long when he had no intention of leaving?
Luc came up with ideas I didn’t think of—contingencies, strategies.
He thought of everything.
So why the fuck, in the end, did he bail?
It doesn’t make any sense to me.
I slam my fist into the bag again so hard the chain splits, t
he bag flies off the mount hurtling to the ground. I pant for heavy breath as I look at the red bag lying lifeless on the grass. I swipe the loose hairs from my forehead as I turn to see Ace standing in the doorway watching me while he casually sips a steaming mug of coffee.
He says nothing. There’s no look of concern, he’s simply watching, casually sipping.
“What?” I blast him.
He sniffs walking out to join me as I plonk down on the weight bench sliding under the weight bar. Ace places his mug on the nearby table, standing to spot me as I grab the bar, lifting it up. The weights are heavy, but nothing I can’t handle as I lift up then bring the bar back to my chest.
“Nothing. I’m surprised you’re up so early. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you rise before ten,” he mocks watching the bar raise then lower as I lift it effortlessly.
I puff and pant as I continue to lift. “Well, there’s a first time for everything.”
He moves a little closer as I feel the weight becoming heavier, my muscles flexing a little more. “Mmm-hmm… you know I took a first-aid course, right, and a little deeper medical training. A little suture practice here, a little psych counseling there.”
I groan. “Do you have a damn point?”
His hands slide under the bar moving with me as I lift like he’s scared I’m going to drop it any second. “I think you have a lot going on. I think this search for Lucian is going to dredge up some memories maybe you don’t want to relive.”
My arms wobble trying to continue to lift, but I’m struggling as Ace stands right here with me. He knows I’m going to drop sooner or later. “I’m fine.”
He exhales. “Now you’re okay, but you’re hanging on by a thread. I’m worried if Luc comes back, or more importantly, if he doesn’t want to come back, that it could throw you.”
The thought Luc could turn me away again almost cripples me. My arms give out, the bar falling toward my chest at full force as I brace for impact, but Ace is on it quickly, grabbing the bar, hoisting it up onto the stand stopping it from crushing me.