Page 40 of Ravaged Devotion

Chapter 8:

Rue woke to the sounds of shrill screaming, bolting upright in bed, gasping when pain lanced through his lower back and rear. It took his mind a while to catch up to his body, to the odd discomfort, the low lighting spilling in from the open window, and the man standing by the door.

It was the last one that snapped him out of it, Rue inhaling and clutching the blanket before he recognized it was Ryker.

The sleeping pills did that to him sometimes, made him all out of sorts when he woke, like his brain was swimming through molasses, but he was getting there, and the Black Hart’s presence made him think back on the night before.

He’d gone to bed straight after dinner, showering quickly before popping his pill and climbing between the sheets. Getting lost in the forest had exhausted him, the emotional toll—brought on by fear and sadness thanks to Ryker’s rejection—getting the best of him. The curtain had certainly been closed though. The door locked. The room empty aside for himself.

“What are you doing here?” Rue took in the black jeans and rumpled black sweater. “Aren’t those the clothes you wore yesterday?”

“It stopped,” Ryker’s voice was matter-of-fact, but his spine remained stiff, shoulders back. The intense way he was staring at the closed door, as though he thought someone might try to get in, was giving Rue the creeps.

Tossing off the blankets, Rue got to his feet, cursing when the sharp pain shot through him all over again. He stumbled, but Ryker was there to catch him, helping him lower back onto the bed. The second his ass hit the mattress, he winced, confusion growing.

“Okay?” Ryker asked.

“Yeah.” He reached behind himself and massaged his lower back. “I fell in the woods. Must have hurt myself worse than I thought.”

Ryker gave him a strange look he couldn’t place, but then he was turning away again. “Get dressed. Something happened downstairs.”

“What?” Rue recalled the sound that had woken him. “Do you think someone is hurt?”

Ryker didn’t reply, opening Rue’s closet and pulling out a set of clothing for him. He tossed it over and then moved to the window, planting his palms against the ledge. “The fog has gotten thicker.”

It was gray and white outside the window. Rue couldn’t see a thing. But then, they were up on the third level.

He took a deep breath and then slowly stood a second time, gathering the clothes before dragging his feet toward the bathroom. The pajamas he’d gone to bed in came off easily enough, but it took him twice as long to get ready as it normally would have. Fortunately, the pain had dulled to minimal discomfort when he stepped back out to find the Black Hart still by the window.

“What are you doing here, Ryker?” Rue strapped his multi-slate over his right wrist and then slipped his room key into his front pocket. The outfit the Black Hart had chosen for him was casual, a pair of brown pants, a white button-up, and a sleeveless pull over sweater vest in cream with red trim. Casual, but still a bit showy, a sharp contrast to the all-black ensemble. “I can’t hike in this.”

There was a scheduled group hike, and while he was a bit put off after yesterday, knowing they’d have a guide who wouldn’t abandon him in the middle of the woods like Ryker had was comforting.

“That’s canceled for sure,” the Black Hart said, pushing away from the window. His gaze swept over Rue once, and then he headed for the door. “Look outside. Can’t do anything in this weather.”

“Stop.” Rue huffed as soon as Ryker’s hand settled on the door handle. “Answer my question.”

“I slept here.”

He frowned, head whipping to the bed then back to him. “You what?”

“You heard me. I got wasted last night and somehow ended up here. Don’t overthink it.”

“My door was locked.”

“You know better than to think a lock could keep me out, little brother.”

There was that damn title again, only this time, it didn’t feel as big of a taunt as it usually did. Rue tipped his head, considering.

“You’re trying to deflect.” He was making Rue uncomfortable on purpose to distract him. “Have you been doing that this whole time?” And he’d fallen for it. What had he missed because he’d let his guilt and self-disgust get to him?

“Come with or stay here.” Ryker shrugged a single shoulder like it didn’t matter to him, then yanked the door open and stepped into the hall.

By the time Rue caught up with him, he was already halfway down the stairs.

“Running away, Ryk?” He had no idea where the confidence boost came from, but Rue latched onto it. The fact that Ryker’s mind had brought him to Rue when he was inebriated was…He didn’t want to be a fool and say hopeful, but that’s exactly what it was.

At this point, he’d take anything. Scraps even.