“I just do, and she is good at math. She had no reason to lie.”
“No reason to lie? You’ve been keeping her locked up as your sex slave, ready to hand her down to the guys when you’re done with her.”
No.He wouldn’t do that. He won’t…
“Not to mention the shit that happened to her last night…”
I stumble back, my head spins, and my stomach flips.What happened to me last night?
My hand comes up to my mouth when I feel the vomit suddenly rising. I barely make it to the bathroom before emptying the entire contents of my stomach into the toilet. I keep heaving, my body convulsing, long after there is nothing left inside.
I don’t hear him come in. He just appears out of nowhere, kneeling next to me, his hand on my lower back.
When my body has finally decided that was enough. Ryder hands me a small towel to wipe my face.
“What happened to me?” My voice is so hoarse, I hardly sound like myself.
“You’ll be fine,” is all he says, not answering my question at all. “I need you to come with me and talk to Maddox. He is in the living room.”
I shake my head, but Ryder is already pulling me up to stand. Wrapping his arm around me, he walks me into the living room.
Maddox, who I now realize I know, is sitting on the recliner. His icy glare finds me, and my heart races in my chest.
Ryder drags me to the couch, where he sits down, pulling me with him. Instead of letting me sit next to him like I expect, he pulls me down on his lap. Keeping one arm tightly around my torso, almost like he thinks I’m going to make a run for it.
Glancing down at the floor, I find Mojo looking up at me, his head tilted to the side like he doesn’t understand why I’m scared.
“Penny, is it?” Maddox breaks the silence.
“Yes,” I answer, my voice sounding just as meek as I feel right now.
“What do you remember from last night?”
“Not much. Really nothing.” Squeezing my legs together, I remember that I’m naked under the sweatshirt. Luckily, Ryder’s clothes are five sizes too big on me. Even sitting down, his shirt covers half of my thighs.
“Of course, you don’t,” Maddox growls, annoyance lacing his voice. “This is useless.” He waves me off as if he is really saying I am useless.
“Go back to bed. Catch up on sleep,” Ryder says dismissively as he pushes me off his lap.
I stand on shaky legs but manage to walk back into his bedroom without falling. Closing the door behind me, I lean against it for support.
“I’m taking her back to the club,” Maddox growls. “We’re putting her in a room with Tucker and ending this shit once and for all.”
His words knock the air from my lungs. He might as well have sucker-punched me. They’re going to take me back to the club… put me in a room with Tucker.
No.I can’t let that happen. I need to get out of here.
Frantically, I look around the room until I find a pair of leggings to wear. Luckily, my shoes are in here as well. I slip them on and walk to the window. Unlocking it quietly, I push it open as quickly as I can.
Lifting my leg, I half climb out, fear swirling deep in my gut—for two reasons. I’m scared that Ryder is going to catch me, and I’m terrified that he won’t. Because the truth is, after everything that has happened to me in the last five years, this is the only place I’ve felt safe.
I stare at the door for a few more seconds, but it never opens. I finish climbing out of the window, my feet landing on the soft grass below, and I take off running.
Without looking back or thinking about where to go, I just keep running.
I run until my legs give out, until I can’t do anything else besides sit down on the sidewalk, my back leaning against a building. My legs are sore, my lungs burn, and my ribs ache.
Closing my eyes, I concentrate on breathing evenly. Wrapping my arms around myself, I bury my face into the crook of my arm. The material of the sweater is soft, and it smells of Ryder. A deep ache forms in my chest, thinking of him… I miss him. I miss the comfort he gave me.
