Caleb gritted his teeth. "Let her go." The man holding Tanya didn't move. Caleb's eyes met Tanya's. The girl tried to mumble something through the rag in her mouth, but Caleb couldn't understand her.
"Daddy said not to let her go." Caleb instantly matched the voice to the young girl's giggle he'd heard before he'd been knocked out. A small, strawberry-blonde girl - no older than eight or nine - bounced into view from behind Caleb. "Daddy's the boss, not you."
"That's my girl." The gruff voice came from where the little girl appeared from. "Annabelle, go back to Holding now, I'll see you later."
The little girl beamed at the figure behind Caleb before bouncing up to him, kissing him on the cheek, and dancing out of the building. Finally, the girl's father strode into view. He was a tall man - at least 6 foot - and very well built. His skin was flawless and his brown hair was neatly combed. He grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it in front of Caleb before sitting on it. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and his chin on his hands.
"Now then." His dark eyes burned into Caleb's. "What are you doing here?"
"You know why I'm here," Caleb growled. "Let my sister go, she has nothing to do with this!"
"Oh, but she does," the man said casually. "You see, she was about to steal from me."
Caleb's eyes shot to Tanya, who began to shake her head violently, begging Caleb with her eyes. The man's gaze followed Caleb's and and eyebrow raised at her protests. He stood up and approached the girl, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look up at him. "You deny attempting to steal from me?" He ripped the rag from her mouth.
"I was rescuing the twins, who you stole from us," Tanya argued fearlessly. The man threw his head back and laughed.
"That's adorable," he said. "Clearly you don't know your place." His eyes lifted momentarily to Tanya's captor, who forced Tanya to her knees and grabbed her hair, yanking her hair back to look up at the man in charge. "You see, my dear, I own each and every one of you."
"Who are you?" Caleb said, trying to distract the man's attention away from his helpless sister.
The man turned to face Caleb. "My name is Jeremiah Davis, and I am the Leader."
"Daddy said not to let her go." Caleb instantly matched the voice to the young girl's giggle he'd heard before he'd been knocked out. A small, strawberry-blonde girl - no older than eight or nine - bounced into view from behind Caleb. "Daddy's the boss, not you."
"That's my girl." The gruff voice came from where the little girl appeared from. "Annabelle, go back to Holding now, I'll see you later."
The little girl beamed at the figure behind Caleb before bouncing up to him, kissing him on the cheek, and dancing out of the building. Finally, the girl's father strode into view. He was a tall man - at least 6 foot - and very well built. His skin was flawless and his brown hair was neatly combed. He grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it in front of Caleb before sitting on it. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and his chin on his hands.
"Now then." His dark eyes burned into Caleb's. "What are you doing here?"
"You know why I'm here," Caleb growled. "Let my sister go, she has nothing to do with this!"
"Oh, but she does," the man said casually. "You see, she was about to steal from me."
Caleb's eyes shot to Tanya, who began to shake her head violently, begging Caleb with her eyes. The man's gaze followed Caleb's and and eyebrow raised at her protests. He stood up and approached the girl, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look up at him. "You deny attempting to steal from me?" He ripped the rag from her mouth.
"I was rescuing the twins, who you stole from us," Tanya argued fearlessly. The man threw his head back and laughed.
"That's adorable," he said. "Clearly you don't know your place." His eyes lifted momentarily to Tanya's captor, who forced Tanya to her knees and grabbed her hair, yanking her hair back to look up at the man in charge. "You see, my dear, I own each and every one of you."
"Who are you?" Caleb said, trying to distract the man's attention away from his helpless sister.
The man turned to face Caleb. "My name is Jeremiah Davis, and I am the Leader."
