TRAPPED WITH MY STEP BROTHERS

Chapter 8

Ladina

Before we could understand what was going on, the front door quickly opened and slammed shut like a gunshot.

Nobody came inside. Someone had opened the door just long enough to let the snowy wind blow in and threw a small, black case onto the floor. Then, they locked the door again from the outside.

I knew what this meant right away. The snowstorm wasn't what was keeping us trapped. Someone else was in control of the locks.

Oliver walked over to the black case slowly. He bent down to look at it without touching it. Gabriel reacted differently. He walked over and kicked it hard. He started swearing loudly at the door, the ceiling, and whoever might be listening to us. He was incredibly angry.

While the brothers argued, I turned and left to clear my head. I walked down the dark hallway, found the small closet under the stairs, and went inside.

I tried to calm down by counting my breaths.

About fifteen minutes later, the doorknob turned. Gabriel stood in the doorway holding a flashlight and an iron fireplace poker. He stepped into the closet and shut the door. The small space felt even tighter.

"You don't run from me," he said. as he dropped the poker and moved closer. "Not when someone is playing games with us."

"I needed space," I said, trying to make my voice sound strong. "I feel like we're caged.”

He took a step forward and put his hands on the wall on both sides of my head. He didn't touch me, but he was too close. I had nowhere to go.

"There is no space that is safe now," he said, his face very close to mine. "Every room in this house is being watched. You can only trust me and my brother right now."

"Trust you?" I asked. narrowing my eyes.

"I refuse to be a victim in my father's house," he said, breathing hard. "And I won't let anyone hurt you. You can't wander off alone. You have to stay where I can see you."

"You don't own me, Gabriel," I whispered firmly.

"I'm the only one protecting you from the person who trapped us," he replied quietly. "We will find a way out, but until we do, you listen to me."

Before I could speak, Oliver opened the closet door with a bright lantern. He looked at Gabriel, then at me. He looked worried.

"Step away from her, Gabe," Oliver said softly, but very seriously.

Gabriel stared at me for a moment. Then, he dropped his arms, picked up the poker, and walked past his brother, toward the kitchen.

Oliver looked at me. "Are you alright, Dina?"

"I'm fine," I lied. My legs felt shaky as I stepped out of the closet. "What was in the black case?"

Oliver didn't answer. He just turned and walked toward the kitchen. I followed him, feeling tight in my stomach. Gabriel was standing at the kitchen counter, looking at a tablet.

"It doesn't have internet," Oliver explained, holding a black tablet. "It uses a local signal.

Someone hid a router close by, probably in the trees. I knew they would come back for the video footage, but I didn't realize they were this close."

"What's on it?" I asked. feeling sick

Oliver tapped the screen. A black-and-white video started playing. It was a view of our living room from the night we arrived, when the power first went out. It showed the three of us huddled together for warmth. I covered my mouth in shock.

Everything we did and said when we thought we were alone was on the video. A stranger had been watching our most private moments. My face felt hot, and my hands went numb.

But the video wasn't the worst part. Red words started popping up at the bottom of the screen, as if someone was typing them right then:

I have hours of this video. Do exactly what I say, or I will send it to James.

The cursor kept blinking, waiting for us to respond.