AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Whatthe actual hell?” I repeated. I couldn’t see straight, because all I was seeing was red. Blood fucking red, and it was about to be Dogberry’s fucking blood. The idiot had one of my sisters in each of his hands, gripping tightly to their arms. They looked absolutely terrified, each of them with their backpack strapped on.
I was proud of them, even at this moment. Even in their terror, they had remembered to save the supplies. But I would’ve given anything if they didn’t have to act so adult-like at such a tender age.
“Shouldn’t you be, like, excited about new girls?” Dogberry glared at me from behind his mask. Then he did a double take, looking between the girls and myself. “Oh, wait… These are your sisters!”
I wanted to punch him for the glee in his voice alone. My original plan had just been to knock him out and lock him in the basement, but now I was on a hunt for blood. “Take your filthy hands off of them. Immediately.”
“Or what?” He grinned, showing way too many teeth. “You gonna run to your big brother Luke for protection? Last I heard, he wasn’t too happy with you.”
If I was certain I could get to my sisters before he could do anything to hurt them, I would’ve taken him down. But I couldn’t be sure, and I couldn’t risk it. I ground my teeth, trying to get a hold of my anger.
It was difficult with Avery looking at me like she expected me to save her, and Ella looking like she wanted to cry. “You don’t know anything. How did you even find them?”
“Seems like I know more than you do.” Dogberry shrugged. “And to answer your question, it was sheer luck. The gods must have been smiling on me today. There I was, doing my walk around, when I passed by the shed like I do every other time. Only this time, I heard a cough. And at first I thought I was hearing things, but then it happened again! So I open up the shed doors, and wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am, there they are!”
The gods were smiling on him all right, but only because I hadn’t broken his neck yet. Ella looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Ray. I tried so hard not to cough!”
Dogberry frowned and shook her backpack, obviously irritated that his new pet was speaking. I was going to crush his skull with my bare hands. “Shut up,” he snapped.
“Ella, it’s okay. It’s not your fault.” I held up my hands, looking between the girls. I needed to deal with him, and quickly, before any of the other brothers showed up.
The only option I could think of was to appease him, catch him off guard, and hope the girls remembered this lesson in survival. I sighed.
“Look, man, I know we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. But I just really want my sisters back. Send them my way, and we can forget this whole thing ever happened.” I edged closer to the girls, trying not to startle Dogberry with any quick movements.
He tossed his head back and laughed. “Buddy, this goes way beyond you and me. You’re an idiot if you think I’m holding onto these girls just to mess with you.”
My blood ran cold, ice racing through my veins. “What exactly are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything.” Dogberry smirked. “I’m here to stall you until one of the other brothers finds your little girlfriend. I can’t wait to see you choose between the three of them tonight. It’s going to be the best entertainment we’ve had in weeks.”
He couldn’t be serious. I had just spoken to Luke yesterday, and everything seemed to be fine. Hadn’t it? Unless even then, he had known more than he let on and was just toying with me, like a cat toyed with its dinner. I had been so confident, and now my carefully constructed plan was crumbling to pieces around me.
The girls stared at me, begging with their eyes. Ella silently wept, tears dripping off her face onto the floor.
I had promised my mom I would protect them, and Iwouldprotect them with my last breath. They would get away from this sick place, even if I couldn’t. Shit, I hoped Mila had been able to hide before someone had caught her in the kitchen. If I was really lucky, she heard everything and hid.
I pushed my hood back, running my hands through my hair. “You’re telling me Luke just happened to know I was bringing my sisters to the motel today? Seems a little far-fetched to me.” I was grasping at straws, but there had to be some other explanation for this.
Someone wearing a pair of high heels clomped down the stairs behind me. I knew who it was before she said a word. Laura’s voice taunted me.
“You really should learn to keep your voice down when you’re fucking your girlfriend. You two were so caught up in your own bullshit you didn’t even notice me listening outside your door. I heard your entire plan. Pathetic, really. You could’ve had it all. You could’ve had me,Ray.”
I turned around, uncomfortable turning my back on Dogberry and my sisters, but in so much shock I didn’t think twice. “You know my real name?”
Laura rolled her eyes, tossing her ratty hair over her shoulders. “Come on now. We all know the masks are a farce. I knew who you were the moment I walked into this building, of my own free will, I might mention.”
I took a step backwards, closer to my sisters, but also encouraging Laura to keep her talking while I thought of a way out of this. “And Mila? What do you have against her?”
“Oh, Ray.” She laughed, as if I had told the funniest joke in the world. “Don’t you recognize me, baby? Because I remember you, from the first moment you walked in late to my English lecture.”
I glanced back over my shoulder, checking on my sisters. They were still terrified, but thankfully Dogberry seemed too wrapped up in Laura’s performance to be paying much attention to them.
All the while, Laura continued her monologue.
“You wouldn’t remember me, though. You were so caught up in Mila the moment you sat down next to her.” She gagged. “All semester, it made me sick. You and I, on the other hand, we could’ve made someverypretty babies that would’ve gone for some good money.”
She was right about one thing. I couldn’t tell you anyone else in that class because I only remembered Mila, and the vile professor. I shook my head, looking back and forth between Laura and my sisters.
