Beneath the Neon Moon Read Online Free Page B

The door opened.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 4
     
     
     
    L IGHT WIDENED AT the top of the cellar stairs and outlined two silhouettes, one of which followed the other downstairs. Mal's hand found Zach's and held on. Zach jumped a little, nearly jerking away. Mal glanced at him with something unreadable in his expression, then quickly squeezed his hand and let go as Aaron approached. Kane stood back, watching.
    "Bathroom break, guys. Mal first," Aaron said, stopping in front of him. "I'm going to unlock you now. Stay still and both of you will be fine. Otherwise Kane will be happy to come over and help me. You won't like it." He knelt at Mal's left side and unlocked the cuff, freeing him from the wall chain, then looked up at Mal and grinned. "In case you're wondering, the other one isn't coming off. It's made to fit really close. I guess you noticed." He stood up. "But don't feel bad. If I took it off, I'd only have to put it back on again. Imagine how that'd feel."
    Aaron moved to Zach's side and unlocked his cuff, then slid the connecting chain from it and held it up.
    Kane stepped forward to take it, then handed it to Mal. Mal looked surprised, then furious. Kane grinned. "Yeah, you get to carry your own chain around. I guess I don't need to tell you not to pull it too tight, do I? And don't get any brilliant ideas about what you can do with it or I'll pull your fucking foot off with it." 
    Aaron hooked Zach up to the wall chain and grabbed the water jug, then followed Mal and Kane upstairs. The door closed behind them. Zach stared at it, unmoving, trying his damnedest not to imagine the worst.
    Twenty minutes later, the door opened again. Zach hadn't moved an inch. He watched Mal, Aaron and Kane climb down the stairs. Mal caught his eye and nodded, reassuring him he was okay. The chain clinked as he moved, and he scowled at it.
    Kane stayed back as before. Aaron put the water pitcher back in front of the pink dresser, then freed Zach from the wall and locked Mal up in his place.
    "Aaron. What are we doing here? What's going on?" Zach tried to sound calm, rational.
    Aaron wrapped a hand around Zach's arm. His fingers were blunt, the nails bitten to the quick. "C'mon, walk. Move slowly. Nothing sudden, okay."
    Zach didn't budge. "Just tell me what's going on."
    Aaron exchanged a glance with Kane, then shrugged. "You were there right when we needed you, simple as that. Nothing personal, just your bad luck. Let's go." Aaron pulled at Zach's arm, but Zach still didn't move.
    "Zach." Mal's voice was low, but Zach heard the push beneath it.
    He looked at the blood soaking the bottom of Mal's faded jeans. "I want to know what they want, that's all. Maybe we can make it easier on ourselves if we know."
    Kane followed Zach's gaze and started to grin. "He doesn't like how we've chained Mal." He looked at Aaron, amusement clear in his eyes, then back at Zach. "Tell you what, Zach—you don't want Mal hurt? When we bring you back down, all you have to do is stay close to him. Don't pull on the cuff, don't try to get away. We're not going to hurt him unless he tries to escape. We're just keeping him for a little while."
    "Zach, I'm okay. They're just taking you to the bathroom. You'll be back down here listening to me and wishing I'd shut up again before you know it."
    Zach looked at Mal, considering. "I haven't bitched about how much you talk."
    "You don't have to." Mal gave him a small smile, and it did something to Zach's insides, something sudden and intense rolling over him, pushing him off balance. He absolutely did not want to leave Mal alone in the dusky cellar, not even for a few moments. 
    Mal looked up at him from the ground, expecting him to go along quietly, urging him to it by the worried look on his face. Zach stared back at him, unsmiling, confused by the sudden strength of his feelings. Mal's smile faltered and his pupils widened.
    Jesus, he'd lost his mind. He didn't even know the guy.
    Zach turned away and walked