Shackled (The Lord Series) by Carlos

Tyson and Rueben enter the kitchen, Diva behind them.

Tyson's angry gaze stops on me before going to the floor. "What the fuck happened?" he snarls, making Miss Teapot hiss at him. "Keep your voice low, you are scaring the cat," the woman snaps at Tyson.

Diva pushes Rueben out of her way so she can get to the fried rice on the floor.

"If Diva gets hurt because you are so fucking stupid-" Tyson elbows Rueben in the stomach right in the middle of the sentence.

Not wanting Diva or Miss Teapot to eat from the floor and accidentally swallow parts of the broken bowl, I drop to my knees and start cleaning the mess with my hands. "I am so sorry," I say while I grab pieces of the broken bowl. Why I am asking for forgiveness, I am not sure, but I keep repeating 'I am so sorry' like a mantra of some sort. Not that apologizing has ever helped me.

"Stop," Mose says.

Tyson grabs Diva by the collar around her neck, preventing her from getting close to the fried rice.

Mose is the one who had dropped the bowl, yet I say, "I am so clumsy." The cuts from the other day are slowly healing and I removed the bandaids. Shards reopen some of the cuts.

Miss Teapot smells some of the fried rice spilled on the floor before deciding to go to her basket, curl inside and watch what is happening in the kitchen.

"Que demonios? What the hell?" the woman swears.

"Not now, Alma!" Mose raises his voice. "Stop," he orders me but my body takes over and I can't stop myself, not until I am done. Rueben warned me that he didn't want me in the same room as him while I live here. Not even a day later, I am already breaking rules. It's like I am begging to be punished.

Mose slams the knife on the counter and grabs my arms and yanks me up. "I said stop, damn you!" he yells at me and I bite my bottom lip, trying to hide my chin trembling. It is the first time I see Mose angry and he is as scary as Tyson and Rueben.

"I am sorry," I whimper.

"Hijo de puta! Son of a bitch, Mose. I thought you guys finally found a woman to put up with Rueben's bullshit but she is clearly being abused." Alma's loud voice makes me flinch because I don't want to create problems for anyone. Who is she anyway? Their girlfriend or something? But I never heard them mention her. If she is, then why did Ansel bond with me?

Ansel steps inside the kitchen and I find myself wanting to go to him. "No one is abusing Olivia," he says as he comes to me. Mose lets go of me and Ansel yanks me to him and hugs me. When he kisses the top of my head. I wrap my arms around him. "I am here now."

*I am here now.*

Four simple words that mean more than they should. Is it because of the bond?

Mose grabs the broom and the dustpan. "I am the one who dropped the food on the floor, not Olivia." Rueben snorts, not believing Mose. Why would he, anyway? It is easier to blame me for everything going wrong around here. Alma folds her arms over her chest. "Y una polla you aren't abusing her."

"In this house we speak only English. The bitch, I mean her," Tyson says, jerking his thumb at me, "doesn't know Spanish."

My gaze found Tyson's. The kindness he used to have for me was replaced by hate a long time ago. But he still remembers things about me, like me not being able to learn Spanish. Even reading was a challenge in the beginning. I think I have dyslexia but I was never diagnosed because my parents never cared. Regardless, I was determined not to let it affect me, in case I do have it. That's why I used to read so much during high school.

"The only bitch here is you," Alma flips Tyson the bird. To Rueben, she says, "I don't have enough middle fingers to show you how I really feel about you. Not to mention how disappointed I am with Mose. I thought you were better." Looking at me, Alma adds, “Earlier, I said, 'The fuck you aren't abusing her.' Do you need help getting out of here?"

Suddenly, everyone is looking at me. Tyson, still holding Diva back, narrows his eyes. Rueben, who stands behind Alma, glares at me. He doesn't even need to use words as I get the message loud and clear. *Say anything and I will make sure you regret it later*. "Rueben and his blood-brothers saved me from a very, um, abusive place. If I reacted the way I did, it is only because certain things trigger me. The bruises are from before. I am safe here." Keeping it simple and as close as possible to the truth will make the lies more believable.

Alma huffs before sitting at the table. "I don't believe they are not abusing you. Mose yelled at you and Tyson called you a bitch. It's not even worth talking about Rueben because I don't even know where to start."

"I only yelled because you piss me off, Alma. I think I was pretty clear when I told you to stay the fuck away from here because we were renovating," Mose says between gritted teeth."

Alma quirks an eyebrow. "Renovating? That's why the other house is half burned and you have a bandage on your ugly face."

"You are not entitled to any explanation. You are not our woman or friend or whatever else delusional thought runs through your head," Ansel says.

**Hi everyone. if you like this story and you want to know more about my other books/projects you can find me on FB at Amy T Stories**