Page 53 of Ruined

Ryker stands inches from me, narrowing his eyes.

Titling my head up, I don’t show him fear. I’ve seen men who want to kill, but I don’t see that in Ryker. I see the fight, the one that wants to punish me for acting like a toddler but also the way his pupils dilate. He can smell my cum. It’s sitting directly against his mouth and nose, and that brings me more joy than I thought it would.

“Should’ve known you’d have no fight in you.” He chuckles, making me see red. I yank my knife out, distracting him enough to punch him in the face. His head snaps to the side, knocking my knife from my hand. I’m not sure who’s more surprised, Ryker, Jace, or myself. But I don’t have time to think. I turn on my heel, running around him into the kitchen, my eyes glued to the knife block sitting in the corner.

I’m nearly there when Ryker’s arms wrap around my waist, picking me up off the ground. I kick my feet, digging my nails into his arm. Even if his skin is covered, I still try everything I can to cause him pain. I’m no match for Ryker, when he’s twice my size. Six-foot-five towers over my five-foot-four frame.

So, I kick and wiggle, moving my body, trying anything until he throws me down onto the couch. I briefly catch Jace from the corner of my eye, watching the entire thing. And the embarrassing part is, I’m turned on. I like Jace watching Ryker and me.

“Tell me, are you going to scream?” he growls, walking around the couch. I scramble backward, attempting to get to my feet before Ryker grabs my ankle pulling me down.

I reach forward, smacking him across the face. Ryker isn’t fazed. His hand wraps around my throat, squeezing just enough that my head goes fuzzy, but I won’t pass out, not yet.

“Touch me again and I swear I’ll slit your throat right here and fuck your mouth while you bleed out so I’m the last thing you see before you die,” Ryker growls in my face. My eyes fill with tears; I hate him. “You’re nothing but a warm fucking cunt, a worthless and stupid girl.” He tightens his grip around my throat, and I jerk and twist, trying to fight him off. Why hasn’t Jace stopped him? I thought he cared, and now I’m realizing that was all a lie.

I feel black dots invading my vision, and I think Ryker is going to choke me until I pass out or he will kill me. Until he pushes up, releasing my throat. Tears stream down my face, my hand reaching for my neck. I know I have bruises.

“Hit me or touch my shit again, I’ll do worse than just choke you,” Ryker spits at me. “Watch her before I kill her,” he says to Jace, disappearing into his room.

My body shakes while I’m unable to move. I know I shouldn’t have done what I did, but I also didn’t think Ryker would almost kill me because of it.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” Jace reaches for me. Jerking away from him, I swipe my tears away. I shouldn’t have cried in front of them, it’s a weakness. But I won’t make that mistake again.

Next time either of them tries to touch me, I’ll stab them.

19

Iknew something was wrong before I even arrived. My car wasn’t going fast enough, and the rain wasn’t helping. My tire squealed as I took another turn. I shouldn’t have left them again. I said this was going to be my last deployment, but I shouldn’t have gone on another one. Grams wasn’t doing well, and I knew my leaving wasn’t a good idea. Grams was getting too old to take care of Laia. I should be the one taking care of them both. I could get a job easily in town.

I can be there for them.

I turn left onto their street, the pit in my stomach intensifying when my eyes catch the house.

“No, no, no,” I mutter, barely parking on the street. Throwing the door open, I run towards the house. “Laia! Grams!” I scream the moment I step inside. All the lights are off. I can’t see two feet in front of me, which is why I don’t see it coming. Something connects with the side of my face causing me to fall.

“Fuck,” I curse. Reaching up, I hiss when I feel the knot forming on the side of my head.

“Should’ve taken the deal,” the familiar voice says from above me just before everything goes black.

I gasp awake, my eyes flying around the room. I don’t see anyone, but I can feel them. It’s like this every time I have a nightmare. For a split second, it’s like they're still here and then reality sets in and I know they’re gone. Then the anger settles in, and I remember the pain, their screams. I remember it all and nothing I do will remove the way they called to me.

Shaking my head, I swing my legs over the side of the bed. Rolling my neck, I stretch, hating that I have to wear tactical gear to bed. The last thing I need is Blake getting a stick shoved up her ass again and coming into my room.Fuck,I can’t even take a breath without smelling her cunt. I knew I should have changed the mask the moment I put it on, but I couldn’t. I wanted to bury my face in her pussy and lick her until she was shaking and begging me to stop. I still want to. I don’t know what it is about Blake, but something inside screamed at me. I want to punish her, to find out what would make her scream. I want to know if she’ll let me cut her open and lick her blood clean. Would she let me blindfold her? Tie her to the bed and play with her body?

I don’t think she would anymore, not after she almost passed out while I was choking her. But she didn’t fight me. Not at first, at least. She seemed to have enjoyed being thrown around and with my hands around her throat. It wasn’t until I said I would slit her throat did it dawn on her that I was serious.

I want to cut her throat and watch the blood drop down her pale scarred skin. To watch the life drain from her eyes as she has my cock in her throat.

Smiling, I pull the door open, immediately noticing someone on the couch. Peeking over, I find Jace lying there with his arm over his face.

“I can feel you staring at me, fucker,” he mumbles into his sleeve.

Smacking his foot off the arm of the couch, I sit down. Glancing over at Jace’s door, I don’t get to ask before Jace opens his mouth, “I wanted to give her some space.”

“Why?” I frown over at him.

Jace moves his arm off his face, cocking a brow at me. “You’re seriously asking this?”

“I wouldn’t ask why if I didn’t mean to ask,” I bite back.

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