Page 88 of It Never Was

"Just let me know if anything happens, okay?", I know he isn't a little kid anymore, but he is the only one I have left that I can call family, "And don't be doom scrolling on your phone, I don't need it to die, and you not be able to contact me." My voice is sterner, I need him to know I am serious.

"Yeah…I won't. Bye dad."

"Bye Gabby." I hear the grunt he let out as he hangs up.

I should be getting to Ryen's house soon, it is just taking longer with all this fucking rain. I look to the passenger seat quickly, surveying the bags of greasy food and hoping it’s not too cold by the time I get there. I don't want Ryen to have to eat a cold meal on this cold rainy night.

I smile at the thought of being able to have her near me soon, that I will be able to touch her and hold her close.

The smile drops as I turn on her street, pulling up to the curb I notice her car is blocked in by another one behind it. I haven't seen this car here before. Maybe her mom's?

I look down the street, my high beams still on and I notice it. The shine of dark blue…

Devon's car is parked down the street.

I gut immediately sinks. I don't grab anything but my keys and phone and rush for the front door. My clothes are soaked from the quick sprint there. My heart is pounding in my chest as I hightail through the house and press the numbers 9-1-1 on my phone readying myself for whatever bad thing is happening in here. The air is cold and the fact that I haven't heard a single noise has my mind racing to the worst possible scenarios. I call out Ryen's name as I look through the living room, kitchen and den. No answer comes and I take the stairs two at a time before I pause in the hallway.

Her door is open, I can barely see a faint shadow on the ground.

"Ryen?" I bellow down the hall, inching closer to see the shadow is a pair of feet and the shine of a liquid on the floor makes my breath catch I jolt to the floor and kneel before them. My hands are met with warm liquid. I beg my eyes to adjust to see the features of Ryen, but as they do, I can see this person is an older woman. One I haven't seen before. But the dark messy hair and mouth resemble Ryen's. The moon peaks between the clouds of the storm roaring outside, making its way through the window of her room, cascading along the floorboards to help me see it must be Ryen's mom. I have yet to meet her till now, but the faint resemblances let me know this is who I am kneeling down next to.

I scan the room whispering Ryen's name again. I hear a muffled whimper sound off in the corner of her room. The moonlight aided me to see her face. Her eyes puffy from crying and my body moves towards her as her features grow clearer. Her hands are behind her back. Her legs brought up to her chest.

I whisper to her seeing she is scared beyond belief. My hand slowly slides in my pocket and I press the call button. "I'm here—" She is shaking her head before I can finish my sentence a body slams against mine. I'm tackled to the floor, arms reaching out for Ryen still.

"You're not the knight in shining armor here!" Devon hisses into my ear as he wraps his arm around my throat and his legs loop around me pulling back, my muscles immediately scream from the ach of the attack.

"I knew he would come." A familiar feminine voice vibrates through the room, a voice I have heard and makes my stomach knot up.

Suzie.

What in the fuck was Suzie doing here and with Devon?

"What the fuck did you do to her?" I rasp out through Devon's hold on my throat. I look at Suzie who is pacing in front of me now. Her teeth are on full display as she smiles down at me.

"We were just having a little fun. She had forgotten who she belongs to since you came into the picture." She bends down and twirls the knife in her hand, showing it off to me. The blood from what I can only guess is Ryen's mom is still on it. "You see Devon wants his plaything back. And I want to give that to him." Her eyes sliced to Devon and back to me.

My eyes harden and I state flatly, "She isn't Devon's."

Her pointed heel meets my stomach as she kicks me in the gut, "See but she is, and she is reminded of that now…" she looks over to see Ryen still trembling in the corner, she is struggling with her arms and I know now they are tied up, "or she will be if EVERYONE would stop interrupting!" Her arms widen dramatically before falling back to her sides.

I took this moment to kick my leg at her heel. Her body flings backwards and hits the floor. The sound of the metal knife sliding to the other side of the room lets me know I have a moment to try to get free. Devon's hold tightens.

"You fucking asshole!" He yells at me.

I bring my head forward as far as I can and swiftly bring it back against his face. I hear a crunch, the sharp pain at the base of my skull spreads through my head. His arm around my neck is gone and I jump to turn around and finish what I should have done months ago. My hands are on him rapidly. I bring his arms to his side, putting both of my knees to them to keep them out of the way. His head jerks left as I land another hit on his face. I can't hear what he is trying to say and frankly I don't give two flying fucks what those words are trying to lace together. He touched Ryen, he made her scared, and he took another piece of her away from me.

I need to fucking end this poor excuse of a man.

54

Ryen

I am frozen in this corner, my arms tied behind my back, my legs free, but they feel just as glued together as my wrists do with the duct tape. Through my wet sobs I see the violence breaking out in front of me. Parker is on top of Devon and his fists won't stop, I see movement out of the corner of my eye, ripping my gaze from the guys on the floor. Suzie is scrambling across my mattress, ass in the air, while she leans over the other side her head dips down and when she pops back up, she is wearing a menacing smile that looks like it reaches ear to ear. Just seeing it makes my skin crawl and the panic leap to my throat.

My eyes linger on her as she scoots down the edge of the bed landing on her heels. She takes light steps, and her back is bowed like she is about to pounce on a prey she is stalking. Then I see who she is hunting. Her eyes are set on Parker who is too busy in his own blackout rage to hear her coming.

I don't think I just act, pushing off the floor the best I can and landing on my desk with a big thud. Parker snaps his eyes away from Devon for a second to assess me curiously. I look past him at Suzie who is holding the knife over her head ready to slash into Parker's back. A yell leaves my lips, and my feet step closer at marathon speed. Eyes slamming shut I leap towards Parkers back hoping to push him down, or out of the way…something to get him away from Suzie's fucking knifing.

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