Chapter 2Caught By The Beast I Caged

But Jason was my brother. He was my only family, and I had already signed the contract for my new job in the city. I couldn't run, and I couldn't call the police—not yet.

I decided the only thing I could do was care for this poor soul in the meantime. As the sister of a kidnapper, I didn't dare reveal my identity. I told him I was the new housekeeper.

His response was a cold, "Get out."

A temper. Well, who wouldn't have a temper if they were being held captive in a dingy bedroom?

I called Jason, trying to keep my voice steady. "Hey, about the... guest in your house. What’s his name? I want to make sure I take care of him properly."

"Are you losing it?" Jason barked. "His name is Dog. Don't start treating him like a person. You call him 'Dog,' and he’ll come wagging his tail. Don't be a weirdo, Sophie."

I felt the blood drain from my face. Jason had even stripped him of his name. I couldn't fathom how my brother—the boy who’d worked his way out of our small town into the big city—had become this twisted. Was the city really this soul-crushing?

I’d have to wait until Jason got back. Then, I’d find a way to get him professional help—or turn him in myself.

"Jason," I choked out, "he has dignity! How can you call him that?"

He hung up on me, telling me to just feed the "mutt" and stop being dramatic.

I couldn't bring myself to call a human being "Dog." I searched through the hallway cabinets until I found a discarded wallet. Inside was an ID card. The man in the photo had piercing, soulful eyes and an air of quiet power.

His name was Elias Hawthorne.

According to the ID, he was from Chicago. Jason had snatched him from halfway across the country. My brother was more dangerous than I’d ever imagined.