Trapped

Chapter 20

A/N: Sorry for the late update everyone! Writers block sucks!
Once again thanx everyone for all the reads and votes! Please keep reading!

Enjoy!

The kitchen smells lemony from the copious amounts of tile cleaner the girls and I used on the floor last night. The boys had gotten mud and dirt everywhere yesterday afternoon when they had arrived back from work.

"Hello girls," I make myself known to Katherine and Mary as they bustle around the kitchen to get breakfast prepared for the boys when they wake up. Jeremy is still sound asleep in bed where I left him just moments ago.

I woke this morning to the sounds of birds chirping with Jeremy's arm wrapped tightly around my waist. His worry that I'll attempt to escape him showing through in his sleep. But he has no need to worry. I love him and would never try to leave. I also know that I would never be successful because Jeremy would track me to the ends of the earth so that I could return home safely. That's how much he loves and cares for me.

As I walk around the kitchen, helping to cook breakfast, I get lost in thought. Tomorrow is the day I turn eighteen. The day that I will be married off to Jeremy. I am told this is a happy day. A day I should be excited for. A day of celebration. But I can't help but think that it's too soon. I'm eighteen and we've only known each other for a few weeks. What if I was right to have been scared when I was brought here?

Breaking me from my reverie, I see Katherine vigorously scrubbing a small stain from the counter top. Her eyes are focused on the minor mess as if it were a life or death situation to make the surface spotless once again.

"K-katherine?" I stutter out to get the woman's attention.

"Yes, darling?" She asks sweetly, briefly looking up at me before returning her gaze to the stain.

"I-I think the counter is clean now." I tell her, trying to get her to stop her panicked cleaning.

"Oh dear. I think you're right." She exclaims as she lifts the rag to look at the now shiny granite.

I just stand completely still, shocked at what I had just witnessed. Are these women really that scared of the men that one little stain could drive them mad?

"Well, darling, get back to work. The eggs aren't going to scramble themselves." Mary tells me, her voice exasperated and slightly worried. That's when I realize that I've been brainwashed. I was pulled into their robotic world of waking up, pleasing the men and going back to sleep. A constant repeat, a broken record. It was too easy to fall into the rhythm and to obey.

With this realization, I turn back to the skillet and finish up the eggs because what else can I do? There is no way of escape and even if there was, Jeremy cares about me. Not in a conventional way, but I can't break his heart by leaving him with these people.

I jump out of my skin as I feel a hand rest itself on my hip. But after quickly turning my head to the side, I see my one and only, Jeremy and give him a small smile.

"Good morning, Lily," he whispers before kissing my temple.

"Morning, Jere," I whisper back. He then makes his way to the dining table and sits in his usual seat.

A few seconds later the eggs are done and everyone is seating themselves around the table with James and Markus at the ends. Soon the meal starts and everyone is shoveling their faces with the various foods set out in front of them, the women a little more daintily than the men.

I quickly zone out, not bothering to listen to the mindless conversation between the family. After the meal, I will do my chores and go upstairs to read in the quiet of my bedroom.

"Lilian?" My head shoots up and I immediately direct my attention to the source of the voice, James.

"Yes?" My voice cracks as I whisper out the shy response.

"We were just asking about how your adjusting, sweetheart. We know it can be difficult at first." He explains. All I can think is "you have no idea".

"I'm doing good. Thanks to Jeremy." I tell them with as much confidence as I can muster. In a quieter voice I proceed with, "I do miss my brothers though." When all eyes turn to me, I immediately regret the words that I allowed to escape. I'm such an idiot. I should've stopped talking. My face is beet red and my cheeks are burning.

"We're your family now," Jeremy grits out through clenched teeth and I know I've made a grave mistake.

"I know, Jeremy. I know. I'm sorry." I reply with my head bowed in submission.

"May we be excused, Uncle?" Jeremy asks James. I can feel his anger radiating from him and I know that I'm in for it.

From the corner of my eye, I can see James nod his head curtly toward Jeremy. He yanks me to my feet by my upper arm and drags me up the stairs and to his room with his iron grip. There is no doubt that I'll have a bruise there before the end of the day.

We enter his room and he roughly pushes me onto his bed, making me fall on my back. He then climbs on top of me, gripping both of my hands above my head with one of his, and punches me. I scream in pain and my mouth fills with blood.

He grabs my chin and leans in so our faces are inches apart. "Who are these brothers that you love more than me?" He exclaims, slightly spitting in my face.

I wince, but don't answer. That was a mistake because he took my silence as defiance and wrapped his hand around my throat just as tightly as he had done my arm a few moments ago.

"I asked you a question," he whispers menacingly, tightening his grip around my throat, "and I expect an answer." He releases the majority of the pressure on my throat for me to speak. When I don't answer right away, trying to give myself time to catch my breath, he starts to count down from five, once again taking my silence as defiance. "Five," he exclaims in my face.

"I don't love anyone more than you—," I croak out, but he slaps me, halting me from pleading my case further.

"I am going to give you one more chance to answer my question, TRUTHFULLY. If you continue to disobey me we are going to the basement." In truth, I have no idea what will happen in the basement, but I don't plan to find out so I begin to tell him of my family.

"My oldest brother, Luke," I choke out before he can do any more damage. He's still looking at me menacingly, angrily, but he has stopped harming me so that I can answer him. "Samuel, Justin, Cameron, Christian, and m-my t-twin brother Erik," I manage to stutter out between breaths.

My eyes are closed and I'm so worried that I'll get hit again, I don't notice Jeremy has gotten off of me and is now sitting on the edge of his bed. I cautiously sit up, scooting toward him. He looks shocked as he sits there motionlessly. I don't do or say anything for the next few minutes and eventually he stands, walking to the door.

"Don't move. I'll be back," he orders before leaving the room, locking to door behind him.

I sit perfectly still at the foot of the bed, waiting for his return. What feels like an eternity later, James comes into the room with Jeremy following quickly behind. James grabs my chin with his thumb and forefinger, pulling my face so that we are eye to eye.

"You have a twin?" He whispers, forcing me to feel his anger with every word, so I don't dare keep silent.

"Y-yes," I whisper back, scared and confused.

James pushes my head back roughly and turns to face Jeremy. "Let's go," he orders, walking to the door, "We have work to do." And with that they both leave the room, locking me inside.