His response is immediate and brutal. The gun lifts, and before I can react, the butt slams into my face. Pain explodes as blood gushes from my nose. I groan, my hand flying to my face in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
“Fucking pussy, as always,” I sneer. “Weapons. Weapons. Weapons. That’s all you’ve got.” I lower my hand, my glare deathly. “Fight me like a fucking man!” I bark, my body vibrating with fury.
He steps closer, so close our bodies brush, and his eyes are harsh, unblinking, searching mine with a manic intensity.
“You’re way over your head, kid,” he says and his teeth clench so hard I can hear them grind. “You leave tonight.”
My brows furrow and I feel Ebony’s gaze from across the room, but Ryker continues, his words hitting like bullets.
“You’re not being around my daughter. You’redone here.” His tone is final.
He gestures with the barrel of the gun, a commanding motion toward the door. “Go get your shit. Don’t make me put a bullet between your eyes.”
I glance at Ebony, and the sight of her guts me. She’s staring at me, wide-eyed as tears stream down her face, and she mouths the words I don’t want to hear.
Just do it.
My teeth clench so hard my jaw aches, and the fire in my chest burns out, leaving only ashes and defeat. Slowly, I turn around while hearing my mom rushing toward Ebony, hervoice shaky as she works to untie her, whispering something too low for me to hear.
Ryker’s heavy steps follow me like a shadow as I make my way to the guest room where my bags are and when I enter, I reach for one, collecting my stuff. For a moment, Ryker stands in the doorway, watching me like a killer sizing up his target.
Then, without warning, he steps back, slamming the door shut behind him. The click of the lock echoes through the room, sealing me in.
I rush toward it, my heart racing, dread tightening around my chest. The thought of him hurting Ebony hits me and I grab the handle, yanking it repeatedly, but the door doesn’t budge. My breathing grows shallow as I slam my fist against the wood in frustration. Finally, I press my ear to it, listening for any sound.
Muffled voices reach my ear from down the hallway. Nothing clear, but there’s no sign of a struggle, no screams from my mom. She would be screaming by now if he was hurting her. I exhale a deep breath before moving to the bed and sit on the edge, lowering my head into my hands.
My mind races and minutes crawl to what feels like hours until finally, the lock clicks. I shoot to my feet as the door opens slowly, but it’s Ebony who steps inside, her head down, her frame small and defeated in the oversized shirt she’s wearing. Relief floods through me while she closes the door softly behind her and lifts her head, her red eyes meeting mine.
No emotion. Just hollow.
I step forward but stop when I notice the way she holds herself, stiff and wary. She pauses, and for a moment, we’re both frozen. Then I move again, gently grabbing her wrist andpulling her toward me. My hands find her face, tilting her chin up, and her watery eyes meet mine. Her body is limp in my hands, like the fight has drained out of her completely.
“Leave with me,” I whisper, searching her gaze, desperate for the spark I know is still in there somewhere. “Just me and you. We can get out of here. Start over somewhere else—somewhere where none of this fucking bullshit can touch us.”
She blinks at me, her expression unreadable, and I tighten my grip on her face, wanting her to listen. “You’re the only thing that matters to me,” I say, my voice breaking as I lean closer.
Her lips tremble, and tears begin to fall again, her hands wrapping around my wrists.
“Please…” she whispers, shaking her head slightly and her eyes close, more tears streaming down her cheeks. “I can’t.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I shake her gently, forcing her eyes back to mine. “Yes, you fucking can,” I snap, my voice rising. “Don’t you fucking love me?”
A sob escapes her, loud and raw, but she doesn’t answer. For a long moment, her silence cuts deeper than anything she could say. Then, she shakes her head once—just once—and my world shatters.
“No. Not like that.”
The words are quiet but final, and they tear through me causing my hands drop away. I step back, turning away from her as my vision blurs. My chest aches, and I rub my hand across my mouth, closing my eyes tightly, trying to stop the tears stinging my eyes.
“I’m sorry, Rook,” she croaks.
I shake my head. She’s fucking lying. She has to be lying. I feel it every second I’m with her. It’s not fake. I turn back to her, my steps quick and my hands slamming against the door on either side of her, caging her in.
“You’re fucking lying, Bunny,” I growl, a tear slipping down my cheek. “Why do you keep fucking lying about it?”
Her head snaps up, and her blue eyes blaze with anger—real, burning anger.
“I’m not fucking lying, Rook!” she shouts, her voice cracking with emotion. “I’ve been telling you for months to leave me the fuck alone. And now look at what we’ve done! My dad saw me naked! He caught me being fucked by my own brother on Christmas Eve, and all you can think about is this—about whisking me off like some fairytale ending thatdoesn’t fucking exist!”
