Page 113 of Ruin

I finally lift my head to look at them, biting my inner cheek to stop the tears. Never show weakness, never fucking show weakness. I take in a deep breath, stand up with my back straight knowing everyone is watching me.

Why wouldn’t they? I'm next in line to take control, I can't show them weakness. Turning around, with my head held high, I step closer to the entrance and see everyone’s eyes are toward me.

They want to know not to fuck with me.

* * *

I look over at the middle where Big Man lays. Two of Cain’s workers put Big Man into a black bag, ready to take him out. I’ll keep my promise and bury him next to his family, give him the peace I knew he wanted.

I slam the door behind me, not looking at anyone but the fucker who killed my friend.

“I want everyone to leave,” I shout, not looking at anyone as I study the asshole. “Now!” I shout.

“You know-”

“He won’t die, I won’t even touch him, but I want you to leave.” I cut Cain off, I’m not in the mood right now to play by The Pit rules.

There is silence for a moment, but then I hear them walking out. Waiting for the door to close behind me, I also know they won’t walk away from it either. In the space of five minutes I changed my mind from,they can be in the room, tonot wanting anyone with me. They don’t know my mindset, and right now I don’t know it either.

“Why did you want to fight him?” I ask. He looks around the room, everywhere but at me and I take the time to look him over. Big Man had his fun with him, his elbow—I don’t even think it’s in the socket anymore, his face is so fucked up he will have some trouble looking out of it for a few days. “Don’t make me ask again.”

“I was told to,” he quickly answers. Now this is interesting.

“Told to?” No one gets to tell others who to fight, so what the hell is he talking about?

“There was a guy who was about to leave, small, fat, I can’t remember his number. He left after you did.” He stops to get some air in, and I know who he is talking about—the child rapist I enjoyed killing. “He told me, when you’ve been here for a year, they tell you, just to fuck with your head, that you’ve been in hell for a year. He said when it’s been a year for me, I’m to fightthatguy. He told me to fight until he was dead, or he kills-.” I put my hand up so he can shut up while I think.

Why would he tell him to fight? Why today?

“And what will you get from it, you won’t get freedom?” Something isn’t adding up, why today of all the days?

“They were going to give my family one million dollars if I did the job. But it had to be today.” He stops talking when I get closer to him, his whole body tenses up, and he scrapes his chair to back away from me, but I slam my hands on the arms of the chair so he can’t move.

“You killed my friend, I might not kill you today, or tomorrow, but I promise you one day I will come in here and make you pay.” It’s not a threat, it’s a promise, and I will, but right now I need to work out what the fuck is happening. “Who was the money coming from?” I ask him.

“Don’t know, the man just said Riley-”

“Fuck!” I open the door and shout to my brothers. “Get back to the house, it’s a fucking set-up. The bastard has planned it all down to the very second.” I run up the stairs, to the car and get my phone out. “Pick up the phone, come on Trixie pick it up,” I shout.

“Lileah’s not picking up,” Miles shouts.

“Nothing from Lincoln. Declan and Hayden with me. Mason you drive, Miles on the laptop, and phone.” Cain runs to his car, we all get in, and I phone Mason to get us all on speaker.

Hayden tries to call Lileah again, and Cain calls Lincoln. Nothing, fucking nothing.

“The cameras have been sprayed over, I can’t see anything. The panic room was opened and closed. They might have ran in there and forgotten their phones.” I hear Miles’ voice but I’m not hearing him at the same time.

“He fucking played us. He had a back-up plan. From the very second I walked out of there he had a plan. The fucker was told today is the day he picks Big Man for a fight. They knew I’d go no matter what if something happened to him?” I punch the dashboard, as Cain speeds through the traffic.

“D, it’s not your fault,” Mason shouts at me.

“He’s right, but whatever they’ve done they won’t hurt anyone, because it’s you they want dead,” Cain tells me, and tries to call Lincoln again. “Pick up the fucking phone!” he shouts. “Fuck.” He calls someone else, and I hear Autumn’s voice. “Make sure all the doors are locked, no one comes in unless it’s me. I mean no one.”

“Cain-”

“Do not stand by the window, do not call anyone, until I get there.” He’s almost shouting at her, but there is a silence between them for a moment.

“Be safe.” The line goes dead, then I hear him ringing Lincoln again. Cain knows no one will mess with him again, not after last time, he also knows this is my fight, but he won’t risk anything happening to Autumn.

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