Page 100 of Ruined

“You can’t understand your daughter?” Ryker asks.

“And you are?” Dimitri glances over.

“Someone who can understand and talk to your daughter. Who are you?”

Biting my lip, I resist the urge to tell Ryker to knock it off. He knows exactly who he is, so why he’s playing around is beyond me.

“I’mnot sure what you’re doing here, since it was Jace we hired to protect Blake. So, you might not know who I am—”

“I know exactly who you are. You’re the Russian Mafia leader, who can’t take an hour out of his day to learn sign language so he can communicate with his daughter after his enemies tortured her.”

My mouth nearly falls open at his words. Blake looks up at Ryker as if he hung the moon for her, and Dimitri’s jaw ticks.

“Your mother will be here any minute now.” Dimitri turns towards Blake. “Go freshen up and we’ll discuss this later.”

Blake doesn't say anything as she gets to her feet, bypassing Ryker and walking out the door. Both of us follow hot on her heels, as she climbs the stairs and leads us to her room. Opening the door, I’m met with the same angry room that was here before. Only now everything makes sense. She was angry and fighting for her life in this room.

Blake drags herself to the tiny bed against the wall before dropping down. Ryker looks around, meeting my eyes before he shakes his head. I know what he’s feeling because I felt the same thing when I first stepped in here. None of her family understands the pain she holds inside and none of them, except Gabriel, took the time to learn how to talk to her.

Closing the door, I attempt to switch the lock when I realize it’s broken. I look over my shoulder, and Blake gives me a sad smile.

“Oh, Sunshine,” I mumble. Ryker kicks his shoes off before he slides in the bed behind her while I kick mine off, lying down in front. “Big spoon or little?” I ask, knowing her answer before she does. Rolling over, Blake wraps her arm around my waist.

“Was it always like this growing up?” Ryker whispers.

Blake shrugs.

“Not always, but the older I got the more I was left alone,” she mumbles into my back.

“I’m sorry.” Holding her palm against my chest, I can’t imagine what it was like growing up like she had. I know I had my own shitty parents, but at least I got out and went to school. I had other foster kids that I was around. Blakehas a brother, but he’s five years older and in charge of the American side of the Russian Mafia. I know next to nothing about her mother, Mila. And Dimitri is a piece of shit. He might think he’s protecting his daughter, but you can’t trade one cage for another.

“He just never listened when I told him about Henry,” she whispers lower than before, as if she thinks someone will hear her. “He was my bodyguard from the time I was six months until….well until he helped kidnap me with the cartel.” My blood boils as she talks for the first time about her past. “I—I, he raped me. They tortured me, and all because they wanted to know where my brother was and where Dad’s shipments were. But Dad didn’t care… because he sold me to Antonio after.”

38

Idon’t know who moves first, Ryker or Jace. Their shoes are forgotten as they race down the stairs, ignoring the guards before barging into Dad’s office.

“How dare you come barging in here!” Dad barks, and standing from the chair, he slams his palms against the table. My eyes barely manage to follow as Jace takes the knife from his back pocket, flicking it open and plunging it right through dad's hand, impaling the desk.

Dad cries out in pain, while a small smile appears on my face. No one has ever defended me against my Dad. They all just told me he was a hard ass, that he loves me but needs me to be tough.

“I’m going to kill you,” Dad growls at Jace.

“No, you won’t.” I swallow the needles scratching at my throat. Dad’s eyes swing around towards me as if he can’t believe the words I’m speaking.

“Bl—”

“Shut up,” I snap. I don’t even know why I wanted to come back. I knew Dad made a deal with Antonio months after I was kidnapped. I couldn’t sleep one night and went downstairs to make cinnamon rolls when I heard them in Dad’s office.

“You sold me to him!” I yell, my voice cracking.

“Wh—what are you talking about?”

Stepping forward, I tap Jace, letting him know to remove the knife. Slowly he pulls it out, wiping the blood on his pants before closing and pocketing it. Dad grabs his handkerchief from his pocket, holding it to his hand.

“I heard you after…” I shake my head, not wanting to get into what happened to me. Jace and Ryker are the only ones who care. “You made a deal with him. You sold me off to Antonio.”

Dad shakes his head, lying to my face.

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