"Rose ..."

She pressed the barrel of the gun into my back, shoving me towards the black Bronco. "Get in the car, Tarryn."

I struggled in her grip, but she managed to shove me into the backseat, climbing in beside me. She held the gun on me and fear devoured me. It paralyzed me from moving, from trying to escape.

Wayne got in the passengers side, another man driving. "Now, this is not how I ever wanted to have our reunion, Tarryn, but I am so happy to see my baby girl again." He said, glancing over his shoulder with a bright smile.

It made me want to vomit.

"Tarryn, I know you're probably scared but don't do anything stupid and no one gets hurt, okay?" His eyes were cold. "Now it's gonna be a long drive, buckle up, sweetheart."

"Where's Haisley?" I asked.

"On his way," Wayne said, chipper as can be. No, no, this can't be happening.

Rose jabbed my side with the barrel of the gun into my side, making me do as he said. Scared, I did buckle, my fingers gripping the seatbelt like it was an anchor. We pulled away from the grocery store, sirens wailing in the distance.

I wanted to scream, to jump from the car, to escape, somehow escape, but the gun Rose held in her hand paralyzed me. I couldn't believe Rose was my sister. What I really couldn't believe was she was working for my father and betrayed our family.

I wheezed, my heart clinching tightly. I didn't even have my medications. Fuck, this day sucks. I tried my best to control my breathing like Trey and I did last night.

We pulled up to an old farm house, the blue paint peeling off and the shutters hanging loosely. The white fence around the yard was old and worn. There was a man sitting on the porch, rifle in the table. He must be some sort of guard for Wayne.

Dan - the driver - pulled to a stop next to the house.
Before I could do anything, Rose slipped metal cuffs around my wrists. "Just in case you get any of those stupid ideas of yours," she said lowly, and I noticed she  didn't tighten them too much. Maybe there was something there, something I could use to my advantage.

Wayne hopped out of the car and yelled out orders to his men, before he opened up the back door and held out his hand, gesturing for me to get out.

"I've got a surprise inside. I think you'll be very happy," he said, smiling. Rose pushed me out of the car and Wayne frowned. "Take those off her, now."

"Dad -"

"Now, Rosemarie."

I thought I was going to faint. Dad? What the hell did she mean by that, dad? Rose was my sister? No ... no, it wasn't true. Did this mean Sam was my brother too? Oh God, he was with my family. He betrayed us, he knew about our father.

Rose took off my handcuffs, shoving me forward. I stumbled but Wayne caught me, steadying me. "Come, let's go inside."

I glanced back at Rose who narrowed her eyes at me. Wayne took ahold of my forearmI turned around as Wayne lead me to the front door of the house, unlocking it with a set of keys. "Don't mind the mess, we're still renovating."

The front door swung open. We were faced with a staircase and a short hallway, but what I noticed was the smell of the house. It smelled awful, like something was rotting in the basement.

"Come on, there's a surprise for you in the kitchen," Wayne said, sounding giddy, and pulled me along with him. We moved down the hallway, my hands shaking as I took in my surroundings. The entire house appeared to be monstrously massive. It made me feel small and inferior. We passed the living room, white sheets on the furniture,

"Where are we going?"

"To the kitchen, sweetheart," Wayne said, sweetly. It made me want to punch him in the mouth. I would have too but the grip on my arm tightened, as if in warning.

We entered the kitchen, my eyes scanning for threats. Unlike the rest of the house, the kitchen smelled much better  - like tulips. My mom loves tulips. In front of the stove, a woman stirred the ladle slowly, almost painfully. I glanced down at her ankle where a metal cuff was attached, the chain leading all the way the kitchen entry way, about twenty inches of movement available. She glanced over her shoulder and my breath hitched.

"Mom?"

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I hope you liked this chapter.
Please let me know what you think.
Thank you for reading.
Charlie 🧡