Bound by Honour

41

"Maisie, why are you crying," Cameron asked, wiping away the stray tear with his thumb. We were sitting on his and Sebastian's bed, and despite my brother being safe, although a little beat up, the anxious unease bubbled in my chest.

My brother had a scratch below his eye, and bruises on his neck. We were sitting side by side, his arm around my shoulder as I leaned into his chest. "You. You're the reason I'm fucking crying, Cameron," I muttered.

"Oh, right. Did I say something to upset you?"

"No, dumbass," I mumbled. "You ... I thought something happened to you."

"I didn't know you cared about me so much." He smirked and I pushed him with my arm. "Things took ... an unexpected turn and someone from ... my college years tried to get to me."

I raised an eyebrow. "College? Come on, you expect me to believe that? You were offered the best practicum site, were valedictorian of your graduating class. You didn't have time to get into any trouble."

"I wish that were true," he mumbled, offering a small small. I got the sense not to ask questions, that Cameron would have shut them down, change the subject. I couldn't push to talk about it, because that would be downright hypocritical of me. "You don't need to worry about me, Mase. I'm okay now and that's what matters."

"I am happy you're okay ... I don't know what I'd do if -"

Cameron dipped his head, chuckling. "Are you trying to make me cry too?" He muttered, blinking rapidly and I laughed.

"No ... it's just yeah you're a pain in the ass a lot of the time-"

"Ouch," my brother said, touching his heart.

"- and you're so annoyingly overprotective and observant," I continued.

"Double ouch."

"Have I mentioned that you're a pain in the ass?"

Cameron snorted. "You're killing me here, Maisie."

"Despite everything, you're a good brother and I love you and I know I don't say it a lot,"I said, "and I don't want anything bad to happen to you." I think that's the most affectionate I've been yet, he better be happy. At those words though, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, saying those words. I should say it more, but I had conflicting feelings over being taken off the street.

"Cameron." Ashton was pale, his eyes glazed over with fear. Mushy moment over. I noticed a slight tremor in his hand as he held out his phone towards our older brother. "Evie. It's Evie. She's been taken."

Cameron took two long strides, at Ashton's side in seconds. He snatched the phone, focused on the screen, tapping on it. He sucked in a breath, covering his mouth. "Fuck, no," he mumbled, as a deep, rough voice bursted from the speaker.

"You have four hours to deliver our demands," the person said, pausing for a moment. "We want $500,000 in cash ... and Maisie Monroe. Maisie in exchange for Evie."

Those words sent a bone chilling ache down my spine. Cameron sends an anxious glance at me, but a scraping of metal echoes from the speaker.

"Tell them what will happen if your family doesn't comply to our demands, doll." I flinched at her taunting tone and stood, scrambling to my brothers side. He shifts away too late. My heart shatters as the camera shifts to Evie.

Chained to the wall, her wrists wrapped in handcuffs. Blood trailing down her forearms. Her head lulled to the side, a black eye visible. Dried blood aground her nostrils, her lip split open. Evie had been beaten.