I watched from the backseat as Isaac ran into the house with a wide grin; he was like a child to a candy store, excited to tell his son of his new surprise. I looked out the window into the woods beside the house. The tree line wasn't far, if I could get away from Isaac's brother's I could make it into the forest where it would be harder for them to find me. I didn't know what I would do when I reached it, all I knew is I couldn't let them take me into that house.

I took in deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves. I shifted in my seat and tried to relax my trembling limbs; my hands unfolded from the tight fists they had been stuck in to reveal small, crescent-shaped indentions in my palms. I had to calm myself down if I had any chance of making it out of here.

I was taken away from my thoughts and brought back to reality with a touch. I cringed at the feeling of Liam's hand wrapping around my bicep; I felt as if my skin was crawling away from me with his hand. "Are you ready, Ray?" He asked the chubby man. They were making preparations to get me inside, and I was preparing for escape. I wouldn't let them trap me in that house; I knew that my chances of escape would become slim once I was inside.

Ray nodded his head with a grunt and wrapped his fat fingers around his door handle. I swallowed and took in a few deep, slow breaths. My dad always told me the key to running in track was to keep my breathing under control. The only difference here was I wasn't running to win a trophy; I was running to win my freedom.

When Ray stepped out of the truck, Liam's grip on me got tighter, and my heart started beating faster. This was it; I had to escape. Ray opened Liam's door, and in one swift motion, Liam stepped out, dragging me along behind him. My once strong legs felt like jello beneath me as I tried to step out of the truck. I fell. My body landed awkwardly on the gravel, the cold rocks dug into my sensitive skin.

I let out a frustrated groan before realizing that my falling like an idiot made Liam lose his grip on me. I flailed around as Liam muttered some profanities, trying to grab for my arm again. As soon as I turned to him, I quickly kicked him in the groin and struggled as I pushed myself off the ground with my wrists tied in front of me.

The gravel dug into my bare feet as I began to run as fast as my tingling legs would take me. The ropes around my wrists made running hard, but as soon as my feet hit grass, I gained some speed. I ran towards the woods, hoping I could lose them in the trees.

I must have only made it a couple feet into the forest before my ankle was caught by something sharp. I yelped as I fell to the ground, shaking as I lifted my leggings to see a thin line of blood coming from the top of my ankle. My vision was blurry from the pain, but I was able to see a thin line of barbed wire held tightly between trees.

They really had booby-traps.

"Psychopaths," I murmured as I stood back up.

I had to keep going; I could still hear Ray's footsteps getting closer. I tried to not put too much weight on my wounded ankle as I leaned on trees for support. It felt like I had only taken a few steps when I felt an arm wrapped around my waist. Ray lifted me off the ground, and I screamed as he started taking me back towards the house.

I cried and struggled in protest as he carried me back to where I had started. The pain in my ankle grew from slamming my foot against Ray's leg, trying anything to get free again. Liam was still standing by the truck, holding the crown of his hat in his hand. He put his hat back onto his head as he looked up at me, anger painted on his face. "Put her down," He commanded. "We've been nice enough." Ray quickly complied, obviously tired. He hunched over, his hands resting on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

The rocks were cold under my feet as I stood in front of Liam. His piercing eyes were terrifying, but I stood my ground, never losing eye contact.

I wouldn't do what they wanted without a fight.

I expected Liam to yell at me, to threaten me with his knife again like he did in the truck, but he said nothing. He didn't move until, in one swift motion, the back of his hand connected with my cheek, making me fall to the ground. Again, the ropes around my wrists made me fall awkwardly, and the gravel below scraped against my skin. I tried my best to crawl away from Liam, but all that was accomplished was a pathetic squirm. He laughed, amused by my pitiful attempt to escape. "Hardheaded little brat," He scoffed. "Zachy's going to have fun with this one." I felt his arm snake around my waist, and he effortlessly lifted me from the ground.

The screendoor creaked open as Liam took me inside. I groaned in defeat as he sat me down on a brown couch. My eyes scanned the room I was now trapped in; it was old. Wood paneling spanned halfway up the walls; the other half was covered in chipping white paint. The dark hardwood floors were cracked and covered in scratches, and none of the furniture matched. The only thing in the living room that looked decent was the fireplace. It was aged, but the grey bricks were sturdy and had a faded beauty to them.

My eyes met Liam's. His eyes were burning with anger; his hand squeezed his knife anytime I moved. He scared me, but I knew Isaac wouldn't let him kill me. Not yet anyway. The most he could do to me was threaten or hit me. I stared back at him with a steady gaze, watching as it made the rage on his face burn hotter. He shook his head and muttered something under his breath, his deep eyes finally leaving mine.

I felt my lips raise into a smirk; I was happy with my victory, even if it was a small one. My smile vanished as my gaze trailed to another man sitting on a couch behind Liam.

He didn't look like the rest of them, his cheeks were fuller, his eyes brighter, but he had the same glare that made me shrink. He was young, perhaps only a year or two older than me. He had short dark hair that was barely visible under his cowboy hat and piercing green eyes; the smirk that rested on his face made him look like the others. Even that was different, though. His created dimples that scarred his cheeks. I thought for a moment that he must have been the son they brought me here for, but he didn't say or do anything. He only stared at me.

He intimidated me.

Footsteps coming down the stairs snapped me from my thoughts. A wall beside the stairway blocked my view of who was coming down, but my heart raced as I thought it must have been the son. I still didn't know what they really wanted from me, but I knew as soon as I met who they had brought me here for, my life would get even worse.

Isaac came around the corner, a bright smile on his worn face. Behind him was a young teenage boy. He was skinny but strong, like a boy trying to become a man. He removed his white cowboy hat when he looked at me, revealing his wavy brown hair. He had soft eyes that were the same pale shade as Isaac's. He held his hat against his chest as he looked me up and down, then smiled, a compassionate smile, showing off one deep dimple in his left cheek.

Isaac's smile vanished when he looked at me, his happiness replaced with worry. "What did you boys do to her?" He asked, his eyes slowly trailing from me to Liam and Ray.

"She tried to run," Liam answered with venom in his voice.

"She didn't get very far," Ray mumbled. "A few feet into the woods, and she found the barbed wire."

I had forgotten about the pain that was shooting from my ankle up into my shin. I was too caught up in thinking about my horrendous future. The bleeding had slowed but still bubbled from the cut and ran down onto the top of my foot. Isaac looked at it from a distance and then instructed the boy behind him to get a first aid kit. It wasn't long before he came back holding a large white box.

"Alright, Hun, let me have a look at your leg," Isaac said, squatting down in front of me. His hand grazed my leg, and I quickly pulled away and frantically shook my head from side to side. I didn't want him touching me.

All the courage I had mustered since I came to that house left when Isaac got close to me. Liam, Ray, and the man sitting on the couch scared me, but Isaac terrified me. I knew he was the leader of all of this. Every time I looked at him, all I could see was the monster that murdered my family. More tears started to fall down my face. "No," I begged. "I need to go to a hospital. Please."

"You need to learn to trust us, Kinsley. You're going to be stuck with us for a long time. Now, give me your foot before you get blood on my couch." His words sickened me, but I let him pick my leg up to look at my ankle. I wanted the pain to stop, whatever he had to do. He looked it over, his eyebrows furrowed as he focused. "It didn't go in too deep. Just needs cleaned and wrapped, and you'll be fine."

My stomach twisted into knots, and my breath became strained as I tried to suppress the tears that fell. My body shook and cringed at the feeling of Isaac touching my leg. I felt like I could vomit as he poured a clear liquid onto the cut to clean it. Then he began humming as he gently wrapped it.

"That should be good. If it still hurts in a few days or looks like an infection is starting, you let me know," He said as he finished wrapping my leg and stood up. "Now then, let me introduce you to my younger two sons. This one here is Zeb, my youngest. Just turned sixteen around the same time as your birthday." He patted the younger boy on the shoulder.

The boy took his hat off again and nodded at me. "It's nice to meet you, Kinsley."

So far, he was the only one who had shown me the smallest amount of respect.

Isaac then pointed to the man sitting on the couch. The smug smirk still rested on his face, and he looked at me through the brim of his black cowboy hat. "This is Mat, he's my trouble child so let me know if he causes you any problems."

Mat tipped his hat, his lips lifted into a smile, showing off his deep dimples and white teeth. "I would never cause any trouble for such a pretty lady."

He made me feel like I was an inch tall. I didn't know why he intimidated me so much.

Isaac rolled his eyes. "Jesus," He breathed. "Liam, I think she's ready if you want to go get Zach."

Liam nodded before going up the stairs. My heart felt like it was going to explode in my chest, and my stomach had risen to my throat. Warm tears began falling down my cheeks again, and my leg bounced with nerves. I just wanted to go home.

My mind was running a mile a minute, thinking about what was about to come of my life and what they wanted from me. My labor? My body? My life? Whatever it was, I knew they thought it was worth killing innocent people for.

I hadn't been this scared yet, but now I would be faced with who I was brought here for. I imagined he was a monster. Though all of the men I had met this far looked like regular, ordinary people, I couldn't help but imagine 'Zach' to be grotesque. I pictured an ugly, demonic-looking man with rotting teeth and dark, deep-set eyes, his skin covered in scars and boils.

I heard men's laughter and footsteps coming down the stairs. Liam rounded the corner, a broad smile on his face and his hat in his hand. Behind him came another man.

Zach.

He wasn't close to what I imagined. Just like the others, he looked ordinary. He was tall, with perfect posture, just like Isaac. He was skinnier than Liam but seemed to have just as much muscle. His face looked stern, with high, sunken cheekbones and a sharp jaw covered with stubble. Although, the smile planted on his face, showing off the shallow dimples in his cheeks, made him seem softer.

A proud smile returned to Isaac's face. "Kinsley, this is my oldest son, Zach. You're going to be his girl."

I stared at Isaac for a moment, my eye's now refusing to look in Zach's direction. "His girl," I repeated. "Like his girlfriend?"

Isaac chuckled. "More like a wife."

I swallowed, but the feeling of vomit in my throat seemed to worsen. I wanted nothing more than to sink into the couch I sat on and disappear from this place. "No." It was the only word I could muster.

The smile faded from Isaac's face. "What did you say?"

"I said no," I repeated, my voice slightly louder. My eyes burned with tears, and my body shook with fear, but my frustration overtook all other feelings. I wouldn't let them do this to me. "No, no, no, no. Whatever it is you think I'll do for him to pretend to be his wife, I won't do it."

Isaac's face was now hard. As he looked down at me with icy eyes, I saw the monster again. He cleared his throat and took his hat off, placing it on the coffee table. He turned toward the other men in the room. "I'm sure there's a lot of work to be done around the ranch and the farm. You boys go on out; Zach and I will catch up later. We need to get Kinsley settled in."

My eyes met Zeb's. His pale eyes looked scared, but he nodded his head and put his hat back on before walking out the door. Liam, Ray, then Mat followed him out. Mat gave me one last smile and a hat tip before leaving. "Good luck, darlin'."