RYDER
I heldher hand as she laid in the hospital bed, passed out and beaten to a pulp. Bruises mottled her face and her lip was swollen and split open where the fucker hit her. Thick bandages wrapped around each wrist, protecting the skin that had been rubbed raw from thick ropes.
And that was just the damage I could see.
“We gave her some painkillers,” Caroline whispered. “She doesn’t feel anything right now.”
Tears welled in my eyes as I stared at the woman I loved.
I failed her.
It wasn’t actually my fault, but somehow, that didn’t help a thing.
“How’s Jeff?” I asked, my voice groggy from the hours sitting here, staring at Ellie.
“He’s going to be okay. He keeps asking about Ellie.”
I nodded, but couldn’t bring myself to say a word more than that.
“The doctor won’t tell me what happened,” I whispered.
“Patient confidentiality.”
My eyes slid to her. She held Ellie’s hand in hers, her eyes shimmering with tears.
And I fucking knew.
“No,” I hissed, all the air fleeing my lungs, making it difficult to breathe. “Fuck,” I cried out, burying my face against her body as sobs ripped through me.
I clung to her for dear life, cursing the bastard that trapped her in that basement. Pain ripped through me, shredding every inch of my soul. She needed me, and I wasn’t there.
She fucking needed me.
“Hey,” JR said behind me. His hand on my shoulder set me off, and I leapt to my feet. Spinning around, I shoved him against the wall as anger ripped through me.
“Ryder!” Caroline called out.
But I wasn’t there. I was staring at the man who attacked her, and I was about to strangle the life out of him for what he did to my girl. She was tied up like a fucking animal, and then he took something from her that he didn’t deserve. No man deserved to live after something like that.
My hand slid up to his throat and I squeezed as every cell of my body lit with fire. Right now, I didn’t care about the consequences. I only wanted this man dead.
“Ryder,” a voice said, calm and collected, pulling me back from the edge I was about to topple over.
My vision wavered, and suddenly, the man in front of me was no longer Ellie’s attacker. It was JR, and he was talking to me, not even fighting back.
But there was someone else in the room. Slowly, I turned my head, my eyes welling with tears again when I saw my old man standing there, a heartbroken look on his face.
My grip around JR’s neck loosened, but when my father slid his hand up my arm and gently held the back of my neck, I fucking lost it. Tears slid down my face unchecked as he tugged me into his arms and held me.
“I know, son,” he whispered.
I gripped his shirt, squeezing hard as angry grunts slipped from my lips. “He hurt her,” I grit out as every inch of me fell apart.
“I know. I know.”
“He fucking hurt her, and I wasn’t there. I didn’t stop him,” I ground out.
“No, you weren’t, but you’re here now.”
