❝ horror house ❞

            The smell of perfume and hairspray entered her nose like the needle had her neck, sharp and quick. She felt nauseous, confused, heavy. Her legs felt trapped in a web of mesh-like fabric and she brought her hands to her eyes to wipe away the blur that coated them.

"Ah, ah, ah, you'll mess up your makeup," a woman's voice scolded before she bent down to fuss with the bottom of whatever Cataleya wore. "She said you'd look good in red. She was not lying..."

Cataleya's vision cleared as she slowly came out of the stupor the injection left her in and found herself surrounded by dresses. "Wh– where am I?"

"That's not important, Cataleya."

The girl flinched at the familiar accented voice and slowly turned around to face it. Santanico.

"No. I think it is. Where the hell am I, and why are you here?" Cataleya's throat felt so dry. The words sounded hoarse, like a whisper.

Santanico handed her a glass and nodded for her to drink. Cataleya didn't think she'd be so bold as to drug her twice, but knowing Santanico, she wasn't so sure.

"It's just water, Cataleya," Santanico droned.

Cataleya cautiously brought it to her lips and sipped at it.

"She's gotta be on that stage in three minutes. Hurry it up."

Cataleya furrowed her brow. "Stage? Why do I have to be onstage? And seriously what the fuck am I wearing it looks like a quinceañera threw up on me."

She should've known her happiness wouldn't last. She always ended up getting dragged into something, and somehow, every time, Santanico had something to do with it.

"Listen to me," Santanico spoke, "I have a plan. Now, you're going to go out on that stage. You'll know what to do when the time comes."

Cataleya ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry, what? I am not going out there."

"I liked you so much better when you were practically comatose," the woman from before groaned. "This'll take care of that little problem." The woman grabbed at Cataleya, but before the needle even touched her skin, Santanico snatched the woman's arm away.

"Oh no, I know you did not just touch me," the woman bitterly laughed before throwing a harsh slap into Santanico's face.

Cataleya gasped as Santanico lunged at the woman, fangs piercing her neck and hand covering her mouth to silence the screams.

"What the hell are we waiting for?"

Richie barged into the dressing room, brushing right past Cataleya. All Cataleya could do was stare. It was like he hadn't changed at all, looking just as suave and cold as he had the first time she'd met him.

Cataleya still couldn't get the words out when Richie thought he saw her in the mirror and swiftly turned around to face her to make sure it was really her, and not the strange visions of her he'd been seeing for the past few months. And there she was, standing in front of him with her now jet black hair curled to perfection with an utter look of shock on her face. He couldn't blame her. He felt a little caught off guard too, but it wasn't totally by seeing her.

Now he felt the anger bubble up as he turned to Santanico. "What the hell is she doing here?"

He didn't even know Santanico knew where she was, and he definitely didn't think she'd have the nerve to fucking kidnap her and put her in danger like this.

"We need her help with this, Richard."

Cataleya still hadn't said a word, just standing there only a few feet away from the man she thought she'd shoved every memory of into the deepest parts of her brain. She was with Seth now (or at least she thought that's what that was). She shouldn't be playing her memories of Richie on a loop in her mind, reliving every single one of them.

"No. Take her back. I don't know where the fuck you got her but take her back."

As far as he knew, Cataleya had left he and his brother at The Twister over three months ago and went off on her own. He suspected she made her way back to her family, to her brother the Ranger. He'd hoped for it anyway, and the fact that Santanico would rip her from that was enough to make his blood boil.

Santanico sent a glare toward him, shoving past him to make her way to Cataleya.

"Listen, no one is going to touch you. We just need to ensure this plan will work, and using you is the only way. I'll explain everything as soon as I can, but right now you just have to go out there."

Richie groaned in frustration, sharing a glance with the girl as she walked out with Santanico disguised as the annoying woman in that horrible leopard print dress. He really didn't want her to go out there, in front of men who treated girls as property. It disgusted him to have to watch them all gawk at her like an object, and there was nothing he could do about it if he wanted to go through with the plan.

"There you are, thought you fell in," Blanchard crowed, "come on, have a seat."

Richie sat down on the couch beside him, trying his best to seem cordial despite the countless times he wanted to wring the man's neck. He was handed a glass of something, and he downed it.

"Dresses are a nice touch. Should charge more for that," Blanchard mused, sipping on the drink he held in his hand as he watched the girls be helped onto the stage.

Cataleya began making her way up the steps of the stage, her dress moving around her like flames. Blanchard chuckled to himself.

"Oh, my god. Look at that. That is a peach right there."

Richie clenched his fist around the glass.

Blanchard called to the woman ushering the girls up, Santanico mimicking her accent as she replied. "Did Mr. Sanz tell you his demands?"

"Can't sell girls to the Browns if the Browns aren't here."

"Don't get your panties in a bunch," Blanchard laughed, "I got you."

Richie seriously hoped he'd get to kill this guy.

"Here's Carlos now." Blanchard stood and made his way over.

Cataleya could see Carlos from her spot on the stage and tried her best to hide her face behind a group of other girls. She shoved her way to the back, her large dress making it difficult to be inconspicuous. The last time he'd seen her he had let her go. This time, she didn't think she'd be so lucky.

Richie sent Cataleya a reassuring glance as he stood and made his way to the back of the club. He figured it wouldn't help much but he hoped it helped a little, because right now it certainly wasn't helping him. "This is a problem."

"No. No, no, no. This is good. We stick to the plan."

"We can't. Cata can't do this. It was dangerous enough before, but now? She can't go back to–"

"Richard. Carlos won't be able to resist," Santanico interrupted. "You couldn't."

Richie turned away from her to face the stage again, the bright red of Cataleya's dress still visible behind the other girls. "Yeah, that's what I'm worried about..."

° ° °

Seth had called Cataleya's phone countless times with no answer. He figured (hoped) she was busy catching up with her brother.

He'd found out what Richard was up to and he thought he'd pay him a visit. But he wasn't going anywhere until he checked in with Cat.

The fifth time her phone went straight to voicemail he gave up, instead deciding to leave a message to ensure she stayed gone and out of danger. He knew it always somehow found its way to her, and this time he was gonna keep her as far away from it as he could.

"Please leave a message at the tone..."

Again her phone went to voicemail, and he sighed. "Hey, babe. Just wanted to check in, see how everything's going with your brother. I got something to take care of, so... just stay put, alright? I'll see you soon."

Sooner than he'd think.

° ° °

Richie watched from the balcony as Blanchard auctioned off the girls, leaving the stage in numbers of twos and threes. The ones Cataleya hid behind were helped off stage, and almost immediately he saw her tense.

Nothing's gonna happen to you, Cata. That I can promise.

"On to the main event," Blanchard called out. "This... This is why y'all came out tonight. Have a look."

Cataleya did everything to avoid eye contact with Carlos. She stared over at Blanchard, a secret glare hiding behind her calm facade. She knew better than to look up at Richie, so she looked to Santanico still disguised as the woman. She sent Cataleya a small smile, and for some reason, it helped.

"Dance, come on. Shake it for the guys," Blanchard waved her toward the edge of the stage.

Cataleya wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't sure what she could do, the large dress impeding much of her movement. Once again she looked to Santanico, and memories the woman had shown her surfaced in her mind.

She slowly began to sway to the music, moving like she'd seen Santanico do so many times in the nightmares she sent her, her memories.

How Santanico did this for centuries, she'd never know. Instead of feeling as if she had everyone captivated, like the woman almost always did with each calculated sway, she felt trapped. Trapped under the gaze of each and every person inside the dark club, and it made her sick to her stomach.

Richie almost didn't want to watch. It wasn't that he didn't believe Cataleya could do it. Her just standing there would've driven him to write a big fat check. He just didn't want to see others, let alone Carlos, doing the same.

He could tell she was uncomfortable, although she definitely didn't look it. If anything, she looked at ease, almost natural, gracefully swaying to the music. But he knew, just by the way she would glance up at him when she had the chance like she was checking to make sure he was still there.

Richie leaned forward to rest his hands on the metal bars in front of him as he leaned over to watch Carlos more carefully. The man lifted his arm, a folded check sitting between his fingers.

"Boom."

Santanico helped Cataleya down the stage steps as she spoke to Carlos, a polite smile on her face. "We'll see that she and the rest of the lot get delivered to your boss."

Cataleya couldn't believe she was so relieved to be beside Santanico. Months ago, she'd tried to kill her, yet the woman had been nothing but protective. Now, as Carlos reached out and tightly gripped her arm, she realized she'd much rather be with Santanico than alone with Carlos.

"Put the others in the truck," he turned to Cataleya with a sly smirk, "I'd like to break the seal on this one."

Cataleya's breath caught in her throat. She looked back at Santanico for help, but the woman stood, the polite smile still on her face until Carlos could no longer see it. The worried look that replaced it did nothing to calm Cataleya's nerves.

She'd known she wouldn't be so lucky the second time around.

Santanico stood outside the room, keeping watch over Cataleya and Carlos. She'd promised the girl that no one would touch her; she promised her that she would be free. Santanico intended to keep those promises. Cataleya would never go back to Malvado, and she definitely wouldn't be brought to him by Carlos.

"You were incredible out there, Princessa," Carlos circled Cataleya as he spoke, "I now see the appeal." Carlos stood behind her, a hand running down her bare arm.

Cataleya flinched away from him.

"Now, don't be afraid. I only want to dance." Carlos forced Cataleya closer and stared down at her, his voice low. "Now, remember, it's not the steps that's important. What's important is the person you're dancing with."

Cataleya glared and tried to pull away from him, but his grip on her waist was tight. He leaned in to speak, his breath brushing over her ear and sending a chill down her spine.

"You know, he won't appreciate you like I do."

Cataleya scoffed, using all of her strength to shove him away. "He won't appreciate me?" She laughed. "He never appreciated me. He beat me, relentlessly. How's that for appreciation?"

He grabbed at her hand again, but she pulled away, backing up as far as she could go.

"Cataleya, you're special. I know you know, or else you wouldn't have taunted me when I paid you that surprise visit, hm?"

He stalked closer, and she wished she could back away and keep backing away until she walked through the wall or disappeared, completely separating herself from his stare.

"Stop doing that. I'm not going to hurt you," he chuckled, "I can't, remember?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Cataleya's outburst seemed to surprise him. He stopped walking towards her and instead stared, forehead creased as she continued.

"You and everybody else keep telling me all this... this crazy shit that makes no sense. ' Oh, you're special, mi orquidea. You're stronger than you know, Cataleya. ' Can someone, for once, stop being so fucking cryptic and tell me straight up what I am?" She ranted. Cataleya was tired of being used as bait for something she had no idea about. She didn't even know much about herself, let alone foreign plans she'd been thrown into at the last minute. And she wasn't just going to stand there and let him be a goddamn creep.

When Carlos tilted his head back and laughed, Cataleya was taken aback, to say the least. Pain, anger. Those were the reactions she'd expected from him. Not this.

"You truly are not what I expected. Every word he said about you is true, yes, but, oh, you are so much more." He closed the space between them and grabbed her face in his hand. "I could use you. You'd be... a very important asset, Princessa."

"There's only one person I'd let use me, and I don't think your name is Megan Fox, asshole." Cataleya shoved her heel between his legs, and he let her go with a groan as he dropped to the ground. "Huh. Even when they're dead, it still hurts."

Santanico shoved open the door and ushered the girl out. "Go, go to the truck," she whispered. "I'll handle it from here."

Cataleya nodded, running as quickly as she could in her heels and the heavy dress that clung to her.

She didn't know where any of the exits were, being unconscious when she was brought in. Gunshots sent everyone into a frenzy, and now she was lost in the crowd of people running in all directions around her. Cataleya thought, maybe, that if she followed some of them they'd lead her to an exit, but it only lead her deeper into the club. And as soon as she felt fear creeping up her throat, there he was, like a calm amongst the chaos.

Cataleya ran straight to him, almost tackling him to the ground with the force of which she wrapped her arms around him. He was quick to wrap his own arms around her.

"Hey, you're alright, Cata. You're alright."

She pulled away from him, and despite how beautiful she looked, all he could see was the red marks left on her neck.

"Where is he?"

Cataleya watched every ounce of softness leave his face with those words. "He's in the back, with her."

Richie nodded. She started to walk off before Richie grabbed her hand. "I'm really glad you're okay," he spoke quietly, his expression softening again. "Go that way. There's a door and right outside is the truck. You don't have to get in but just know that if you do, I'll be right there, alright?"

Cataleya watched him run off towards the direction she'd pointed and carried herself through the exit. The truck seemed vacant, save for the quiet sobs coming from the back of it. She couldn't get in now, but she did have other plans.

The driver of the truck wasn't around, as far as she could tell, and she quietly opened the driver's side door. She pulled a bobby pin from her hair and popped open the fuse box.

"Thank you, Tyler..."

As much as she hated the asshole, he'd taught her almost everything she used to survive. How to use a gun, how to hotwire a car, hell, he'd even taught her how to throw a punch right. She hated his guts, but she couldn't help but love his lessons. Specifically the ones on cars.

After fussing with the wiring for a few minutes, she heard someone bang on the back of the truck. For a moment she thought it came from inside, until she heard the man's voice. She slipped out the passenger door as smoothly as one can in a dress bigger than the entire state of Texas and ran back toward the entrance to wait.

He said he'd be right there. In her world, right there didn't mean the ten minutes she stood outside the glass doors waiting for him to come out. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she mumbled to herself before shoving the doors open and trying to find her way back to the room she came from. It wasn't hard, because she found all she had to do was follow the barrage of gunshots.

Cataleya rounded the corner and ran right into Richie. "Hey, I was waiting for you outside. What happened?"

He opened to mouth to speak when a face she never expected to see moved from behind him.

"Cat? What the hell are you- Richard, what the fuck?"

"Seth, listen–"

"No, I'm not gonna listen just tell me what the hell she's doing here. Did you seriously use her as bait you sick son of a bitch?"

"Guys! Shut the hell up. I'm right here, so Seth stop yelling like I'm not. One minute I was at Freddie's, and the next I'm here in this goddamn... tulle disaster. Listen, Richie and Santanico have some kind of plan, and I don't know what it is but I'm guessing we don't have time to sit here and argue. So let's get it moving and we'll discuss this later, alright?"

The boys begrudgingly grumbled in reply as Richie led the way out. Once outside, Seth resumed his berating of his younger brother.

"You asked about a truck. You tryin' to follow it?"

When Richie reached for the door handle of his car instead of replying, Seth shot out the tire.

"Seth!"

"Are you insane?"

"What truck."

"It's a truck!" Richie shouted back while walking to the next car in the parking lot. "Full of people."

"Yeah? What kind of people? Huh? Little girl people?"

Richie just stared at his brother.

"Jesus Christ..."

"Look, none of them are gonna get eaten if you just let me outta here."

"Fine," Seth stalked off, "I'm driving."

"No, no way!"

"Truck's getting away, Richard!"

Richie slid into the passenger seat with a groan.

"Uh, no. Get in the back."

"What? Why?"

"Because Cat's got shotgun," Seth replied, nothing but complete seriousness in his expression. "She earned it. Now get back there. Hurry up we got places to be."

° ° °

Seth winced and pulled the phone away from his ear, Eddie's muffled shouting loud enough that it echoed through the car.

When the shouting went silent, Seth pulled the phone back to his ear. "Yeah, okay. Got it."

Richie leaned forward from the backseat, resting his arm on the headrest behind Cataleya. "What did he say?"

"He sends his love."

"I don't even know why you called him," Richie mumbled, leaning back into his seat.

"Because he knows a sheriff that's as crooked as a Picasso painting– Can we talk about why Cat was there? In," he looked over at the bush of red filling the passenger seat, "that."

Cataleya spoke up, shoving the skirt of the dress under the dashboard so she could see over it. "Santanico said she needed me for something."

"So basically you were bait?"

"Yeah, basically."

Seth shook his head, reaching over and squeezing her hand before returning it to the wheel. "That is the last time I let you go anywhere alone."

"Like you could stop me," Cataleya laughed.

Richie watched this from the backseat, confusion etched into his features. He'd thought Cata went off on her own, leaving both him and Seth. But maybe it was just him she'd left behind at The Twister that day.

Richie cleared his throat. "So this sheriff."

"He's gonna help us locate the truck."

"What?" Richie scoffed. "We don't need any help."

Seth glanced in the rearview mirror as he gestured out the windshield. "Look, I'm not taking any chances with this truck, alright?"

"Aw, you gonna save the little girls?" Richie teased, leaning forward into the front seat again. "Like you saved Cata? You the defender of justice now?" He reached over at poked at his brother's neck. "Is that why you got flames tattooed on your neck?"

Seth slapped his brother's hand away. "I am not the defender of justice, okay? But I am the archenemy of dumb-assery, of which you are king."

Seth ignored how his brother had gone silent and continued.

"This job, or whatever you're calling it, a mission? It's suicide, alright? But I guess that doesn't matter to you, dragging Cat into this mess and going around being, what is it, Richard Sanz? Come on, seriously? Ms. Sanz from Sacred Heart?"

Richie turned to his brother and smiled. "Best teacher we ever had."

"Aw, you two went to private school?" Cataleya teased. Her mother never had the funds to send her and Freddie to private school, but her mother raised them as devout as she possibly could. The closest to religious education she ever got was from the local youth minister every Sunday. "I went to Sunday school. Does that count?"

"Not unless a nun catches you taking a leak in the baptismal font."

The only words to come out as she turned to Richie were, "you didn't."

"Oh, he did," Seth couldn't help but chuckle. The only reason his brother did it was because he'd dared him to, and Richard wasn't one to back down from a dare. He'd gotten suspended for a week, but he knew his brother was smart enough to catch up with the work in no time.

"That's so gross!"

Cataleya laughed, and Richie felt himself being pulled in again. Just like that day at the liquor store. Like the sun, he'd thought, each time she smiled. She was just like the sun, and he just couldn't get enough of her warmth.

The ringing of Seth's phone pulled his eyes away from her face, and he reached over and snatched the phone from his brother's hand.

"Hey."

"No texting and driving." Richie read the screen. "Sheriff's gonna meet us. It's close."

Seth yanked the wheel, and they skid through a corner before running a red light, Seth steadily picking up speed with his foot on the gas.

Cataleya held onto the dash. "Alright, Seth ' the rules of the road don't apply to me ' Gecko. I'd like to get there alive, thanks."

"You're one to talk Miss ' hundred and twenty in a fifty-five. '

"...touché."

Seth slowed as they pulled up in front of the quaint restaurant. Richie had already climbed out after Seth when he turned to ask if she was coming.

"Yes," Seth answered for her, walking around to open her door.

When he opened it, she looked up at him and said, "no."

"What do you mean 'no' I told you I'm not letting you stay alone anymore after this stunt."

Cataleya rolled her eyes. "Seth, I'll be fine. It's not like I can just casually stroll in looking like a literal hot cheeto."

Richie laughed from the other side of the car.

"Do you have a knife?"

Seth fished one out of his pocket and handed it to her, still unsure what she planned to do with it.

"Thank you. Now, if anyone tries anything," she started cutting away at the fabric of the dress, slicing off inches of the long skirt, "I can actually run away now. Go. I'm fine. I'll even keep the knife if it makes you feel better."

"Come on, brother, she can take care of herself. She'll be fine. We're only gonna be gone for a few minutes." Unlike his brother, Richie didn't feel the need to be so overly protective of Cataleya. He'd seen what she could do, and he had plenty faith in her that she could handle her own.

"Fine. Richard, let's go. But Cat?"

She hummed in response.

"If on some off chance something does happen, come inside. Don't run off."

Cataleya raised her hand to her forehead and smiled as she saluted. "You got it, jefe."

° ° °

"What's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"This whole cosa nostra snake-vampire thing you've been doing?"

Cataleya stared out the window as the two bickered with each other, her mind wandering as she stared out at the dark surrounding both sides of the road. She'd had a bad feeling for a while now and bringing it to the boys' attention didn't seem the best idea. Not only would it distract them, but it would prompt Seth to try and keep her locked up as much as he could once this was all over.

Her freedom was something she needed, and she wasn't sure how much he understood that. Of course, she found him charming. How could she not? But when it came to letting her roam free and taking control, he had a hard time with it. If he wasn't planning every aspect of each little thing, he felt like he was grasping at straws. Cataleya just wasn't used to that kind of structure, and she wasn't sure if it would just take some convincing to let her be her own person, or if he'd keep on treating her like someone he had to babysit.

"Slow down!"

Cataleya looked away from the window and out the windshield to see the truck getting closer and closer. Richie shouted towards his brother, seconds away from grabbing his arm to stop him from rear-ending the large truck in front of them.

"What are you doing? Just follow'em."

"You want this job for yourself, you shouldn't have brought Cat into it."

Seth rammed into the side of the truck, sending Cat flying sideways into the window. She turned to him, an angry glare present on her face. "Maldito idiota! The car! Nos vas a mater!"

"Son of a bitch! What the hell did you do? Cata, are you okay?"

Cataleya rubbed at the side of her head that smacked against the window. "Yeah. Just peachy."

Seth had already stepped out and started a yelling match with the driver of the truck. He shoved the man when he refused to answer his questions. "Donde esta?" When the driver opened his mouth with a growl to reveal fangs, Seth shoved a stake right into its chest.

"You dick," Richie scoffed, "You been packin' a stake all this time."

"Well, it's not like you fanged out and leapt to my defense, ya prick."

Cataleya dusted the ash off of her and walked to the back while the two argued, sliding up the metal door and speaking to girls inside. "Hey, you're alright. I'm gonna get you out of here, okay? Come on." She helped the girls down and pointed over towards the side of the road, motioning for them to hide below it.

Richie walked back to help when Cataleya heard the sound of sirens.

"What is that?"

Richie peered from behind the truck. "Shit. Cata, stay here. The sheriff doesn't know you're with us."

She nodded as she watched Richie walk out and join his brother, who the sheriff held at gunpoint. She wished she could do something to help, but Richie was right. The sheriff didn't know she was there, and she could use that to her advantage.

Cataleya ducked down as the truck began driving off and ran to the patrol car where the brothers sat handcuffed in the backseat. She leaned in the open window. "Need some help?"

"Nah, we're great actually," Seth joked.

She rolled her eyes as she opened the door and pulled another bobby pin from her hair to pick his handcuffs. Richie had already pulled his apart and moved to the front seat.

"Shit. The truck's getting away."

"Seth, go get the girls and start loading them into the cars," Cataleya commanded from the passenger seat of the patrol car. "I have a plan."

Cataleya turned the laptop in the front seat towards herself and typed out a few key phrases before a small blip appeared on the screen. "Gotcha."

"What is that?"

"That's the truck. We can follow it using the APB put out on it. I'd originally planned to use a cell phone, but wow, this was so much easier."

Seth loaded girls into the backseat before sliding into the driver's seat of the cutlass and pulling up beside Richie.

"Hey, let's get moving or we're gonna lose the truck."

"Cata got a tracker on it," he shouted out the window. He turned back to the girl in the passenger seat as they drove off after the truck. "Where'd you learn to do that anyway?"

"My brother's mentor was a ranger. I got to play with all kinds of cop stuff." She shrugged. "And when I was in Las Visiones, I learned a few things."

Richie smiled to himself. "My god, I think I love you."

Before Cataleya even had a chance to respond, he pressed his foot down on the accelerator and asked which roads to turn onto next. Cataleya was so preoccupied with giving directions and keeping an eye on the green dot glowing on the computer screen that she didn't get to process the words he'd said to her.

They parked and stepped up to the edge overlooking the truck.

"Ain't that something..." Seth spoke. "I thought the big man was operating south of the border."

"Rich and ancient tradition, brother. Borders mean nothing to us."

Seth pulled Cataleya close, an arm wrapping around her waist while they watched the truck drive in front of the building's large sign.

Cataleya read it over and over, vaguely remembering the name of it on papers that riddled Malvado's office desk. 'Jacknife Jed's. ' No, she'd never been, but she knew what it was. Or what it would become.

A slaughterhouse.

°°°
a/n

here's the other chapter! i may or may not have been threatened multiple times to finish this today lmao. so here it is!

there's probably gonna be another really long break in between chapters again because i have more exams coming up. but next week is fall break so i'll have some time to set aside for writing.

that's about it! thanks again for being so patient and sorry it's taking so long between updates.

tab, xoxo