Screaming in the Silence (11 page)

I didn't know how long Ray and Marshal would stay. Maybe tomorrow they would go to work and leave us again. But maybe Ray had discovered some sense on the drive to Virginia. Maybe he was one his way back to kill me.

Kaden was waiting for me by the door. He took my hand and led me outside.

It wasn't as warm as it had been yesterday, but the sun was still a welcome site. Kaden hurried us along the dirt path. When we reached the lake he untied the small boat. I waited patiently, slightly uneasy about the thought of being in such a small space with Kaden, unable to hide or run. I wanted to trust him, I really did. But, even though I had strong feelings for him, it didn't mean I trusted him.

He helped me into the tiny boat and pushed us away from the dock. He took the oars in his large hands and began to row. I leaned back against the bench and looked up at the hazy sky. Kaden's rowing set a peaceful rhythm and I found myself becoming sleepy again, and had to sit up to keep from falling asleep. Kaden suddenly dropped the oars to the floor of the boat.

"What are we doing out here?"

"Waiting," he said slowly.

"For what?"

"If I tell you, it would ruin the surprise."

The boat bobbed up and down for a few minutes and then Kaden pointed. I followed his finger above the trees and saw the graceful wingspan of a heron. The bird soared above our heads before flapping its wings and landing softly on the water a few feet away from our boat. I had seen pictures of blue herons, of course, but had never been so close to one. The bird appeared larger than I had imagined it to be. Its long beak was held high, its blue feathers ruffling as it settled itself on the surface of the lake.

Kaden's fingers rested on my arm while I stared at the bird. I was about to tell him how beautiful the bird looked when he held a finger to his lips and reached a hand into his pocket. He removed a few crackers and handed them to me.

I tossed the first piece close to the heron. It spun around, locking eyes with me for only a second before dipping its head and finding the food. I smiled and tossed another, this one closer to the boat. The blue heron paddled its way to the next cracker, snapping it in his sharp beak. Nearer and nearer he treaded as I lured him in. When he was close enough to touch, I held the last of the crackers in my hand. The bird stared at me hesitantly, his neck craning toward my hand as his feet paddled him in the opposite direction. I smiled, not knowing what else to do to encourage him. His beak was centimeters from my hand when he suddenly changed direction, diving under the water. I dropped the remaining piece in surprise.

The bird eventually resurfaced, a long brown snake clutched in its beak. I sat back and gasped in horror as the snake writhed to get free. The heron looked at me one last time before taking off into the air. Kaden started laughing.

"What was that?" I asked, trying not to laugh with him.

"Cottonmouth," he smiled.

I wrinkled my nose. "So swimming is out of the question."

"I wouldn't recommend it." Kaden picked up the oars and turned the boat around, rowing easily back to the shore.

"Thank you for taking me out here," I said when we were nearly to the dock. The shock of the snake was the only blemish on a perfect morning.

"You're welcome," Kaden replied, looking at me but not quite smiling.

"Do you come out here often?"

"Not really anymore. I have other things to occupy my time now."

I nodded, knowing he meant me and our current situation. My face sank as we reached the dock. Uur time alone was almost to an end. Kaden jumped out of the boat first before pulling me up. We took our time walking back to the house, my spirit breaking more and more with each step.

When we reached the house, Kaden locked the door behind us. "You should shower and do whatever you need to do before they get here. It will be easier for me, and for all of us, if they don't see you."

I gave him a weak smile and nodded, walking away from him and up the stairs to the bathroom. I undressed quickly, turned on the water and stepped under the warm flow. I cupped my hands under the stream, bringing the water to my face and splashing it over my skin. My fingers ran through my damp hair and I turned around so the warmth could soothe my back. I jumped and screamed as I opened my eyes to see Kaden standing outside of the open shower curtain. His face was unreadable and hard as stone.

"You need to stop doing that to me," I tried to smile but his expression remained unbreakable.

"They called. They'll be here in an hour."

"Okay." I tried to act calm about it but the uncertainty of it all was hitting me repeatedly like a balled fist.

Kaden stared at me for another moment before speaking. "I want to…" but then he paused and looked at the ceiling.

"I was hoping…"

I didn't understand why he couldn't finish his sentence.

"I'd like to be with you…again, before they get here."

This wasn't a request. It felt more like a business demand.

"All right," I replied, choking back the tears. "I'll be finished in just a few minutes. I can, um, meet you in your room?"

Just saying it out loud, negotiating sex with Kaden, was like torture. It made me feel cheep and used. But Kaden apparently didn't want to wait for me to be finished in the shower. He pulled his shirt from his body, kicked off his shoes, and pulled his pants and boxers down before I could even start to protest. I backed toward the faucet, shaking my head and smiling.

His body looked amazing in the steam. His broad shoulders and chest were smooth like marble next to the white tile. His abdominals clenched when the hot water hit them, but before my eyes could wander further south, he grabbed my hands and pulled me against his hard body. He kissed me playfully, biting my lower lip and pulling lightly on my hair.

His touch was becoming familiar but my skin tingling and ached for his hands to roam my body. My knees grew weak and my head rolled back. I moaned and then moaned louder as his hand caressed the inside of my thigh. His fingers teased me, and as great as it felt, I realized how sore I was and stepped away from his hand before he could go further. He stood up straight and put his hands on my waist.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his lips barely moving, his hands pulling my waist into his thighs.

"You left me a little sore," I confessed.

"Did I?" He raised one eyebrow.

I put my hands on his chest. "Just be gentle with me," I requested before pushing up to my tip toes and kissing him on the lips. Before I was done, he had lifted me off the ground and pulled my legs around his waist, pinning me against the wall of the shower.

"Gentle? Where's the fun in that?" He smiled and kissed my neck.

"Kaden, please?" I said, running my fingers through his black hair.

He raised his face and grinned at me. "I won't hurt you, I promise."

I smiled back and then allowed him to take me. My arms wrapped tightly around his neck, his strong hands gripping my hips and thighs as he moved against me. My eyes remained open, as Kaden had requested, and I found myself staring at his handsome face. I could see such a longing, such a passion behind his determined expression.

Kaden caught me staring but he didn't look upset or surprised. A smile passed between us and he opened his mouth to speak.

"Raleigh, I can't even begin to describe how incredible you feel."

I was about to respond when I felt the first wave of pleasure rush over me. Kaden smiled as I trembled, showing no signs of stopping.

"It's not only that," I saw Kaden say through the steam of the shower. "Just being around you puts me in a world that I never knew existed. Not seeing you for the rest of the day is going to be torture for me."

"Don't talk about it, please," I said as another wave washed over me.

He understood my plea and buried his face in my neck, kissing softly and nipping at my skin. I squeezed him between my legs as my orgasm took over. Through the heat, I could feel him quiver inside of me as he finished. He held me against the wall and my arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him close. We stayed that way for a long time, both of us breathing heavily, using the other for support. He set me down gently when his arms started to shake, taking my face in his hands and kissing me. Too soon, he pulled away and smiled at me.

"That should last me through the day, I suppose."

"So glad I could help," I teased him while trying to keep my legs from trembling.

Kaden's fingers lingered on my face, tracing my jaw and chin.

"Hand me the shampoo," he said after a comfortable moment.

I reached behind me and did as he requested. He took the bottle from my hand and poured a small amount into his palm. He rubbed his hands together and then raised them to my hair. I smiled up at him as he started massaging it into my scalp. His fingers sent tingles from my head all the way down to my spine and into my feet. I closed my eyes and held onto his hips to keep myself steady.

He gently guided me under the shower head, rinsing my hair and running his fingers down my neck. Soap was next, and Kaden took his time, running the bar over my body. He rubbed me and washed me until he was certain he hadn't missed a spot. The water rinsed me clean and Kaden held me close. I closed my eyes and leaned against his chest, wrapping my arms around his back and feeling the strong muscles beneath my fingers.

I pulled away when I felt the stream of water weaken and eventually trickle to a stop.

"You should get downstairs," he said.

He reached for a towel and wrapped it around me. He kissed me once more before stepping out of the shower and covering himself with his own towel. I walked slowly out of the bathroom and to the top of the stairs, watching Kaden as he made his way to his room.

"Will I see you at all tonight?" I called to him before he disappeared behind his door.

He turned around and smiled. "I'll come see you after they have gone to bed."

I gave him a half smile and looked away before he could. The walk down to the basement seemed to take an eternity but once there, I knew all I had to do was wait for him.

I had just made it downstairs and into clean clothes when the dust started to fall from the ceiling. Ray was home, and with him came a feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong. The letter I had written had been mailed to an empty P.O. Box somewhere in Delaware. It contained empty demands that Kaden had created to buy him more time. No one was going to find it, no one was going to ever read it, so how long would it be before Ray realized no one was contacting them to arrange for my safe return? Did I have a week? Two weeks?

I settled myself into bed, hoping to sleep through the rest of the day instead of staring at the ceiling and wondering what was happening upstairs. But I was unsuccessful. The walls of the basement started to close in after a few hours. The ceiling and floor pushed together and soon I was confined to only my mattress, the rest of the world becoming infinitely small compared to the worry within my head.

The dust stopped falling and I had rolled onto my side, staring absentmindedly at the wall, when I felt my mattress shake. I rolled over and sat up, a smile on my face because I knew Kaden had kept his promise and come to see me. But his green eyes were not the ones staring back at me. Marshal was standing above my bed, a guilty smile on his childish face.

He sat down and I moved to the edge of the mattress.

"I won't hurt you," he frowned, clearly upset that I didn't trust him by now.

I nodded, believing him completely. He glanced up the stairs before reaching into the pocket of his sweatshirt.

"I brought you something," he smiled and handed me a chocolate bar.

I smiled back.
Thank you.

You're welcome.

I grinned at him before opening the candy bar. The chocolate was slightly melted and stained my fingers. I broke a piece off and put it on my tongue. If Kaden's eggs had tasted amazing, Marshal's chocolate was near euphoric. The sweet surprise nearly made me forget my manners and I was almost halfway done with the bar before I looked up and tried to offer a piece to Marshal.

"No," he said, pushing my offering hand back to my lips. "You look like you need it more than I do." He patted his stomach and smiled at me.

I laughed and put another piece in my mouth.

"Raleigh, do you hate it here?"

His question surprised me. I hadn't assumed he would give much thought to how I found this place.

I nodded my head.
Yes.

"I don't blame you. I don't like it much either."

Why?

"Why?" He gave me questioning look and I nodded my head. "I don't like what we've done. I don't like that my brother and Kaden are keeping you down here, hurting you the way they are. You seem really nice and I don't think you deserve any of this."

Thank you.

I wanted to tell him that he should leave, run away from all this craziness. But he already knew what I was thinking.

"I wish I could run away. But Ray wouldn't allow it. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

I shook my head.

"Lucky," he smiled at me. "Ray used to be a great older brother. I used to look up to him and he used to teach me things, like how to play catch and how to pick up girls." He blushed.

I grinned and gestured for him to continue.

"I thought it would be fun, leaving my parent's house and living with my big brother and his best friend. Ray got me a job and gave me my own room. It felt good to be free from my dad's rules. But then you came along and I don't have any freedom. Ray won't let me leave while you're still here. He watches me as close as he watches you. I think he's afraid I'll tell someone."

I swallowed and stared at Marshal. Was he really just as scared as I was? Was he being held captive as well?

"I don't know why I'm telling you this. I guess I just don't have anyone else to talk to. But, Raleigh, I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want anything to happen to me. Ray scares me. I would try to help you, but I'm afraid he'll kill us both."