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My lip quivers, and I break down again. I’m embarrassed at how much my life and past are destroying everything around me and hurting people I care about. Leaning into his shoulder, I let the tears fall. Ryker goes from hovering over me to sitting down on the couch, pulling me onto his lap as he does. His hand rubs my back, and his cheek rests against the top of my head.
“Let it out. Get it all out, Zo,” he whispers. I’m not sure how long we sit there. My tears soak his shirt, and my throat is sore. When I finally calm down, he murmurs, “Let me go get you some water. Sit here.” Ryker lifts me off his lap and places me back down on the couch. As he runs into the kitchen, I bury my face into my hands out of frustration. He comes back and sits down in front of me on the coffee table. Handing me the water, his hands move to my legs as he slowly rubs circles with his thumbs.
Slowly, I take a drink of water. The coldness soothes my achy throat. I hand Ryker back the bottle, and he places it behind him on the table.
He lightly taps my forehead. “Tell me what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, Zo.” His hands find mine, and he squeezes them softly. His thumbs run over my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. I pull my hands away, the contact becoming too much for me. Everything is in overdrive, my thoughts, my feelings, my heart. Everything. It’s all too much.
Looking down, I wring my hands nervously. “I don’t know. So many things.” I drop my head into my hands and sigh. “Maybe I did forget. No. No, I know I didn’t. I keep a little check list, and I know I checked it off. I’d say let’s go look, but that’s not possible.” My voice has trailed off into a whisper.
Ryker doesn’t say anything; he just listens.
I bite the inside of my cheek and bring my eyebrows together, “All these things happening … it’s not me. I don’t know why they keep happening, but I can guess it’s because of Mitch.”
“Why would Mitch do all these things? Why burn down the store?” He squints like he’s trying to find the answer himself.
“I left him, disobeyed him. I made him look like the fool that he is. He would go to the ends of the earth just to find me and bring me back. He needs to prove a point; teach me a lesson about who’s boss. His pride, too. Imagine telling people your fiancée left you, that you have no idea where she disappeared to. Wouldn’t look good to his people. So, Mitch would scour the earth looking for me. In the end, I would be punished.”
“He has that much control? That much ability to do all this? Why isn’t he worried about getting caught?” He raises his voice slightly. A crease forms in his forehead.
“They are untouchable, Ryker. They have woven themselves into the fabric of the law and government. They know people in very high places. So yes, he has that much control and the ability to do everything he did and more. He’s unstoppable. And all of this will keep happening until I give myself back to him.” I bite my lip and wrap my arms around my chest. I’ll have to sacrifice myself to stop all this.
Ryker sighs loudly and scrubs his jaw with his hand. He’s deep in thought, and I’m sure it’s whether I’m worth this trouble. That or he foolishly thinks he can take Mitch down. “Okay. Let’s go back to sleep. We can sort this all out in the morning.”
“I’m sorry, Ryker.” My chin drops down as I look at the floor.
Ryker kneels in front of me and lifts my chin up so I’m looking at him. “Nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart.” He wraps my arms around his neck and picks me up before carrying me into the bedroom. He lays me on my side of the bed and covers me up. “Sleep, Zo. You’re safe with me.”
Those are the last words I hear before sleep overtakes me.
* * *
“Mitch? You home, baby?” I walk into the house and throw my keys in the tray by the door. “Mitch? Where are you?”I saw his car in the driveway, so I know he’s home. “Mitch?”
My phone suddenly rings, and I see it’s him calling me.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Hey, baby. How’s your day?” Mitch sounds so happy. There’s static in the call, distracting me. His car was just here.
“Mitch? Hey. I’m fine. Where are you?” I’m so confused right now. I look back outside, and his car is still there.
“How were the parent-teacher conferences?” Mitch asks.
“Um, fine. Mitch, baby, where are you? I see your car, but I don’t know where you are.” I close the curtain and step back from the window.
“I love you, Nicole. You mean the world to me. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. Forever, baby.” The call starts to cut out.
“Mitch? You’re breaking up. Mitch?” My head snaps up to a sound of a door closing. My hand begins to tremble as I end the call and head down the hall to Mitch’s office.
I knock on the office door, and a cold monotone voice behind the door tells me to come in.
Mitch is sitting at his desk with his arms folded in front of him.
“Nicole,” he growls. Wait, what’s happening? This isn’t the nice Mitch from the phone call. My breath catches at the realization that this is monster Mitch.
“Mitch, I’ve been looking for you. Why did you call me if you were at home?” I start to walk up to the desk and then stop. Something in his eyes tells me to run, but I can’t move. My feet are heavy, and I try to force any bit of movement, but they won’t budge.
“I’m right where you left me, Nicole.” Mitch stands up so fast from his chair, the chair falls to the ground. The loud bang startles me, and I flinch.