Chapter 18

 Clara and I were finishing dinner when I heard the lock click. A weird routine had formed in this house over the last couple of weeks. Everything happened in a particular order. The sound of the lock clicking became the signal that Miles and Joseph were done working outside for the day.

Miles barged through the door and into the kitchen. His movements were frantic, which was unusual. The chain to his key was dangling from his hand. He usually secured the key back around his neck before coming inside. His face was stern as he put his hands on my hips. My feet shuffled as he pushed me back, and I looked at him wide-eyed.

The door opened again, but Miles’s body blocked my view. A mixture of male voices I did not recognize echoed in the house. I craned my neck to see who was in the house, but Miles moved to keep me hidden. His face was unreadable as he looked down at me.

“Clara, we are having some guests for the night,” Joseph said. “They are stranded. We’ll take them into town in the morning.”

I had not seen anyone from outside this family since Joseph brought me here. Why would they bring men into this house? He said they were stranded, but was he not afraid of me telling them I was brought here against my will? Was this why Miles was blocking me? Did they not trust me?

“Are they hungry?” Clara asked. “There should be enough food for all of us for dinner.”

“Thank you very much,” one of the new voices said.

I tried to move to look at the men, but Miles grabbed my waist and pulled me tight into his chest. He smelled like dirt and sweat. I scrunched my nose and tried to pull away, but he curled his fingers into my hips to keep me in place.

“Maisie, help Clara put dinner on the table,” Joseph said.

Miles let out a huff of breath. He tightened his grip on me and kissed the top of my head before letting go.

What was Joseph doing? My head spun as I tried to understand his intentions. I was prepared for Miles to drag me upstairs and for them to tie me to the bed. Did they trust me around these men? Was this supposed to be some kind of test of loyalty? What would they do to me or these men if I failed? I could hear their voices as they were deep in conversation, but I could not focus enough to understand any of the words.

Miles stepped back but stayed close to my side as I helped Clara put the food on the table. Joseph sat at the table with two strange men. One was nervously running his fingers through his hair while he surveyed the room. The other man smiled when he looked at me.

“This is Maisie,” Joseph introduced them to me. “She is my son’s wife.”

The one man’s smile grew into something sickening.

“Maisie?” he said. “You look quite familiar.”

It felt like my heart had stopped beating. I froze as I struggled to breathe. Did I know this man? How far away was this farm from the tavern? Had he been a customer? Most of the men’s faces had become a blur. It was how I coped with selling my body to so many strange men.

“What did you say to her?” Miles snapped.

The man’s smile fell, and his eyes were wide. I looked over my shoulder at Miles to see his hands clenched into fists. He must have had the same fears. We had not spoken about the tavern since the night Joseph had told him. He was protective, and I knew the thought of someone hurting me enraged him. Would he hurt one of those disgusting men if they were sitting in front of him?

“It was just a comment,” the man said. He stumbled over his words as he tried to explain himself like he could not get the words out fast enough. “She just looks familiar. I did not mean anything by it.”

“Why did you say it?” Miles asked.

His voice remained cold and threatening. My skin crawled as I stepped away from the table. I could not take my eyes off the tongue-tied man who struggled to speak. Miles grabbed my waist and pulled me to his side. I did not fight against his hold. My focus was on trying to remember if I had met this man before.

“Silas, just be quiet,” the nervous man said.

“I was just trying to make conversation, Reggie,” he said.

“It’s terrible conversation,” Miles said. The coldness had not left his voice.

Joseph was running his hand along the stubble on his jaw. He bit his lip to suppress a smirk, but he was unsuccessful. My knuckles ached, and I did not realize I was clinging to Miles’s shirt. Clara put the last plate on the table before sitting. Joseph lifted his chin to motion for us to join. Miles let out a slight groan before pushing me forward.

These two men, Silas and Reggie, sat across from us. They both looked uncomfortable, and I prayed they would leave soon. I could not ask these men for help, especially if I knew Silas from the tavern. I would be running back to the hell I used to live in. The memories of those horrible nights at that terrible tavern filled my mind.

Underneath the table, Miles grabbed my hand. He fiddled with and spun my wedding ring. I refused to look at either of these men and kept my gaze on the plate. Miles kept a tight grip on my hand as we ate in silence. No one said a word, and all I could hear was the sound of cutlery against the plates.

After dinner, Miles stayed close as Clara and I washed the dishes. He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the counter. His eyes narrowed at the men when they spoke to Joseph. Once I had dried all the plates, Miles forced me upstairs and refused to let us leave the room for the remainder of the evening.

–

I tossed and turned in an attempt to fall asleep. During the last few weeks, I had pushed the memories of the tavern to the back of my mind. It was unlikely that I had ever met Silas before, but fear caused my heart to pound.

Miles had been asleep and snoring for a few hours. He was silent after dinner and only said a few words to me. I had watched him slowly open up to me since we met, but he returned to his cold and unreadable self.

Was my past going to haunt us? Would he never be able to overcome who I once was?

My mouth had gone dry, and anxiety filled my body. Miles did not want me to leave the room, but it was the middle of the night. Everyone had fallen asleep, so I could quickly sneak into the kitchen for a glass of water without anyone noticing. Miles’s return to his unpredictability meant he could potentially be upset if I woke him.

I pulled the blankets off myself. If he woke as I was leaving, I would be honest. Creeping through the dark, I slowly opened the door and listened to it creak. I kept the door slightly open to make my return quieter.

My fingers dragged along the wall as I navigated my way to the kitchen. I squinted to try and see in the darkness. The moonlight poured in through the window above the sink. I reached into the cupboard for a glass when I heard the floor creak. I spun and pressed myself against the counter but could not see anyone in the darkness. My body was paralyzed with fear as I listened to someone move around the house. I held my breath, and the sound seemed to come from the living room.

Who was it? Joseph has spent nights in the living room before, but he usually had a light on while he read. Why would he be moving around in the dark?

It must have been Silas or Reggie. I had no clue what they were doing, but I needed to get upstairs unnoticed. If I woke Miles, he could confront whoever it was in the living room. I should have woken him up before leaving the room and accepted that he could have been mad.

The unfortunate part was that I could not move. The fear was paralyzing. I was stuck staring at the pitch-black hallway leading to the living room. This was a mistake. How could I could I be so stupid?

The floor creaked again as Silas walked into the moonlight. His eyes widened when he saw me, but it soon became a smirk. I chewed on my lip as I watched him walk closer. He was blocking my access to the stairs.

“Looks like your husband finally let you out of his sight,” he said.

I pressed myself further into the counter as Silas approached. I needed to get out of this and get to Miles. When I stepped forward, he rushed toward me and pinned me against the counter. His hands were on either side of me, and his body trapped me. I struggled to breathe as my body trembled.

“He is a scary man,” Silas said in a hushed voice. “But now, you are down here all alone.”

I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat. He leaned in closer, and I looked away. His warm breath fanned across my cheek and neck when he leaned in closer.

“I will figure out how I know you,” he said. “What are you hiding?”

My stomach twisted with nausea. This could not be happening. I was no longer supposed to be experiencing these kinds of encounters. What would Silas do? What disgusting thoughts were on his mind? I needed to be upstairs with Miles. It would have been safer to stay in our bedroom.

Silas leaned in closer, and I had to defend myself. I brought my knee up and forced it into his body. He cried out, and I managed to push past him. I sprinted for the stairs but did not get far before he grabbed my arm.

“Miles!” I screamed.

Silas jerked me back, and I stumbled. He threw me onto the floor, and he climbed on top of me before I could scramble away. I screamed again, but Silas covered my mouth with his hand. My heart pounded as I tried to pry him off.

My heart was pounding so hard that it was all I could hear. I thrashed and clawed at his hand. Tears were building in my eyes as the panic took over. I had experienced terrible moments like this before, especially with Amos.

Miles grabbed Silas’s shoulders and ripped him off my body. I pushed myself up and wiped the tears off my face. There was a chilling noise of Silas’s nose crunching under Miles’s fist. He kept swinging his fists as Silas screamed. The stairs creaked with a series of footsteps rushing into the kitchen.

Joseph watched Miles attack Silas. He cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck from side to side as he walked toward them. Clara covered her mouth with her hands as she watched in horror. Joseph grabbed Miles’s shoulder and pulled him off Silas and onto his feet. Blood dripped from his knuckles and onto the floor.

“What happened?” Joseph asked.

“He was hurting Maisie,” Miles said. “We should have never let anyone into this house. I told you it wasn’t safe.”

The stairs creaked again as Reggie came into the kitchen. Silas cradled his face in his hands and struggled to stand. Blood was pouring past his fingers. Reggie swore and shook his head as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“You both need to leave,” Joseph said. His voice was much too calm for the situation, sending chills through my body.

“Silas, why did you do this?” Reggie asked. “It’s dark outside!”

Silas tried to speak, but it came out as a cry. He spit out the blood that filled his mouth.

“What did he do?” Joseph asked Reggie.

“Silas, just give everything back,” Reggie said. His voice trembled in fear. “It’s not worth it.”

“He’s a thief?” The anger seeped into Joseph’s voice. “We invite you into our home, and you steal from us and hurt my family.”

Reggie held his hands up. He stumbled with his words as he tried to explain themselves, but he could not articulate anything intelligent. Silas was choking on the blood rushing from his face. Miles and Joseph shared a quick glance before they grabbed Silas and emptied his pockets. Joseph grabbed Silas’s collar and pulled him over to the door. Miles removed his key and unlocked the door before Joseph threw him out. Reggie rushed to follow his wounded brother. Miles slammed the door and locked them out.

My knees shook as I struggled to stand. I almost collapsed when Miles wrapped his arms around my body. I clung to his shirt as I buried my face in his chest. He held me closer and rubbed my back as I sobbed.

Joseph shook his head as he looked at the puddles of blood all over the kitchen.

“This will not happen again,” he said. “No one will ever hurt this family again.”