Page 26 of Ringo's Silence

"It's my mom," She says, her voice tinged with concern. "She usually doesn’t call this late."

"Go ahead and answer it," I say with a smile, already heading toward the back door with the trash bags in hand. "I’ll take care of this."

"You sure?" She asks, hesitating with her phone in hand.

"Positive," I call over my shoulder, pushing open the back door and stepping into the alley.

The night is starting to feel cooler and crisp as the days begin to shorten. Making my way toward the dumpster, the alley’s lone light casting long shadows that dance eerily against the walls of the building.

It’s quiet out here, the distant hum of crickets the only sound as I approach the dumpster.

Heaving one of the bags over the side into the dumpster, the loud thud of it hitting the bottom echos through the alley. As I turn to head back inside, I feel a sudden presence behind me. A shadow moving too quickly to react against, grabs me.

Strong arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me back into a solid chest. I freeze, a scream catching in my throat as fear floods my senses.

"Where is the boy?" a low, menacing voice growls in my ear. The words laced with anger and desperation.

My heart pounds, my mind racing as I try to comprehend what is happening. I struggle against the hold, but the man’s grip is too strong, his intentions clearly dangerous and I know deep down he’s here by Hugo’s command.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about!" I gasp, my voice shaking as I try to twist out of his grasp.

The man tightens his hold, cutting off more of my air. He starts to drag me backward into the deeper shadows. "Don’t lie to me," he hisses, his breath hot against my ear.

Panic surges through me, my thoughts racing as I realize I have no way to fight him off. Just as the man begins to pull me further into the darkness, the back door of the cafe creaks open.

Ringo’s familiar face steps out, his silhouette framed by the light spilling from the door. His eyes immediately lock onto the scene in front of him, and for a moment, everything seems to stop. My wide, terrified eyes meet his as he takes in the situation.

The man holding me tenses, his grip faltering for a split second as he realizes we are no longer alone.

Ringo’s presence sends a jolt of fear through the man holding me, who clearly hadn’t anticipated being caught.

"Let her go," Ringo’s voice, calm but deadly serious, his stance tense as he slowly walks closer.

The man hesitates for a moment. With a sudden, jerking movement, he shoves me away from him and bolts into the shadows, disappearing into the shadows of the buildings.

I stumble forward, catching myself against the dumpster, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I turn to see Ringo running after the man, but he had already vanished into the darkness, the sound of his footsteps fading quickly.

Ringo stops at the edge of the building, scanning the shadows for any sign of the man, but it is too late. He’s disappeared into the night.

He turns back, rushing to my side. "Are you okay?" His voice urgent, his eyes scanning for any sign of injury.

I nod, still trying to steady myself and slow my breathing. "I’m okay," I finally manage to say, though my voice trembles with the lingering fear that I’ve yet again been found.

Ringo’s expression softens with relief as he places a hand on my shoulder, his touch soft. "Did he hurt you?" he asks, his eyes darkening with concern.

"No," I shake my head, though my body still trembles with the adrenaline coursing through my veins. "He just... he grabbed me. I don’t know who he was or what he wanted."

Ringo’s jaw tightens, anger flashing in his eyes. "He’s gone now," he says, his voice firm as if trying to reassure both of them. "The club will figure out who he is. You’re safe now."

His eyes give away that he doesn’t completely believe that I don’t know who the man was or what he wanted.

I nod, grateful for his presence, but the fear still lingers. Who was he? Did Hugo send him to bring Remmy and I back?

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