Breaking Ryann

by Alyssa Rae Taylor

  “That kid’s gonna be spoiled.” They just found out they’re having a boy—the first boy in Gia’s family in decades. Her parents are stoked. I scratch Chance behind the ears, and he lays his head between his paws. Logan rambles on about his son, but my attention switches to the TV. They’ve got up an old mug shot of a person I immediately recognize. I do a double-take and lean forward. “Holy shit!” The screen switches to another familiar face, standing next to a reporter. “Dude, I know them!”

  “The two chicks?”

  I hold up a finger, hiking up the volume. Whatever this is, it isn’t good.

  The reporter begins to speak. “I’m standing here with the mother of our most recent victim, who was lucky enough to get away from the reported suspect earlier today. Her mother is reporting that the man in the picture, Ronald Cummings, jumped out of his truck, and attacked her daughter when she was walking home from a friend’s house this evening. Can you explain how your daughter’s quick reaction helped her escape?” The camera zooms in on Erica’s mother, who’s visibly shaken up, with tears in her eyes.

  “He tried to pull her into his vehicle, and she fought him. She believes she broke his nose during the struggle...” She sniffs. “That’s when he let her go.”

  “Can you tell us what he was driving?” the reporter asks.

  “A white Chevy truck. The cab is extended, and the back windows are covered with foil.”

  The reporter repeats the description of the truck, then throws out a question that makes my blood run cold. “Now, is it true that your daughter was acquainted with this man?”

  “Excuse me…” Erica’s mother clears her throat, using a tissue to wipe her nose. “Ronald and I briefly dated. I wasn’t aware of his criminal past until today. I’m just … I’m just glad my baby’s okay.”

  What are the fuckin’ chances? I try Reese on her cell again, as my mind tries to piece this together. Was he using her to get to Reese? I stand up, looking for my keys.

  “You gonna tell me why you’re trippin’?”

  I ignore him, slamming the drawers in the kitchen, in a panic, when I’m unable to find them.

  “This report comes on the day that law enforcement held a news conference, announcing that Ronald Cummings is a prime suspect in at least three of the recent murders. His DNA was a match to DNA found at the crimes scenes of the female victims. They are asking that anyone who has information on his whereabouts contact law enforcement immediately.”

  I curse as I finally find my keys, then bolt to my closet to grab my gun. Making sure it’s loaded, I stride through the house, pushing out the front door.

  Logan catches up, as I head for my truck. “Where the hell you goin’?”

  Clicking the alarm, I hop inside the driver seat. “What if that prick is after her?” He leans against the driver side door before I can close it.

  He looks lost. “’Cause he dated the mom of a kid in your class? No offense, but … aren’t you bein’ over protective? All of the victims have been younger than her.”

  I try to shut my door, but he doesn’t budge. I don’t have time to explain this shit to him. “Look, back the fuck off, or I’ll lay you the fuck out.”

  “Dude! She bought you new gym equipment. She’s havin’ it delivered and set up tonight. A whole shitload of stuff!”

  “That same motherfucker tried to rape Reese years ago! I stopped it from happenin’ … now get out of my way!”

  “Holy shit!” His eyes widen, finally understanding. “Keep callin’ her, I’ll drive!” Noticing my look of protest, he adds, “You’re too riled up. I’ll get us there. Trust me.”

  Logan breaks every traffic law imaginable, while I lose my shit, unable to reach her. I slam my fist against the dashboard.

  “Give your girl some credit. She’s a tough chick.”

  “How do you expect me to react?” I bark.

  “Look, I’d freak if I was in your shoes, but have a little faith. This is what you trained her for.”

  We roll up to the front of the house, and I cock my gun, charging out of my truck before Logan kills the engine. I push the door open and find Reese in front of the entrance. “Call an ambulance!” I yell over my shoulder, feeling for a pulse, and exhaling when I find one. She’s covered in blood, her face is banged up, and her shirt is ripped down the front. Gently shaking her, I try to get her to wake up.

  Her eyes stay closed, and she groans. I check to see where the blood’s coming from and soon realize it isn’t hers. She had to have injured him pretty good considering the amount she’s got on her clothes. She mumbles incoherently, like she’s doped up.

  Pulling my shirt over my head, I cover her with it. “You’re safe now, baby. I’m here.” I kiss her mouth, her cheeks, and her forehead, then sense Logan behind me. I turn to meet his pale face.

  “Is? Is she…?” he stutters. “She isn’t?”

  “She’s alive. I think he drugged her. ” I hand him my gun. “Check the rest of the house.”

  He cocks it then moves down the hallway.

  I kiss the bruise on her cheek. “Come on, baby. Wake up.” I gently cup her face, choking back my emotions, trying to stay calm for her. “Please. I need you to wake up.” I hear her whimper, then watch her stir, before her eyes flutter open. She looks afraid and confused, taking in her surroundings. It breaks my fucking heart to see her like this. She struggles to speak, then big tears roll down her cheeks. “I’m sssorrryy,” she slurs.

  “Don’t say you’re sorry. I’m the one who’s sorry—sorry I wasn’t here to protect you. Sorry I didn’t kill him when I had the chance.” I kiss her mouth. “You’re so strong, baby—so strong. I’m so proud of you.” I’m not even sure if she remembers what the hell happened to her. I run my hands up and down her arms, as her teeth chatter, trying to keep her warm.

  “I … I don’t knowww what’s wrrroonng with me.”

  We need to get her to the hospital, or I’m about to freak the fuck out.

  “It’s okay, baby. I’m with you.” I stroke her hair. “The police are on their way.”

  “Luke! Come here. You gotta see this,” Logan shouts.

  “I’m not leavin’ her!” I growl. “And where the fuck is the ambulance?”

  “On their way.” He strides back into the room. “Dude, you’re not gonna believe this.” I’m about to pound my fist into his smirking face. “She killed him … beat the fuuuck out of him, man. Dude’s dead. Deader than dead!”

  My eyes fall on Reese in disbelief. “Did you do that?”

  She cries weakly, her lip trembling. “Luke, I … I’m pregnant.”

  We’d spent several hours in the hospital that night. Right after we’d arrived, they’d taken Reese in and ran blood and urine tests, immediately confirming she was pregnant. I almost put my fist through a wall when they’d said they’d found GHB in her system. It’d taken several hours for the effects to leave her body. She was out of it, but coherent enough to worry about the drugs affecting the baby.

  When they’d given Reese the ultrasound, reality had finally settled in. Seeing the flicker of our baby’s tiny heartbeat had stirred something up inside me. I was going to be a daddy—the proof was right up on the screen. The nurse practitioner measured Reese to be eight weeks along, but we knew we weren’t out of the woods yet. But I had to stay positive for Reese.

  Officer Kerye had been nice enough to wait ‘til Reese was rested before bombarding her with questions. She’d gone on and on about how brave Reese had been, calling her a hero. I’d grinned at that. My girl had outsmarted a serial killer—something the police hadn’t been able to do. She’d taken the news about Erica hard, but after they’d spoken, Erica convinced her that she was okay.

  Now, being in the same room where I’d found her unconscious last week, it’s hard not to think about what could’ve happened, not to feel somewhat responsible—like I’ve failed her in a way, like I’ve failed her father and broken my promise to him.

  “You have that look agai
n,” Reese says, her new confidence making her all the more tempting. She’s drying her damp hair with a towel. My eyes zone in on her toned legs. She’s just gotten out of the shower and is wearing the little black nighty I like. I finally meet her gaze.

  “What look?”

  “You know what look.” She tosses the towel, striding toward me, then climbs onto my lap. Placing my hand on her belly, where our baby is growing, she says, “We’re gonna be fine. I promise.”

  I dip my face into her neck, inhaling her scent. She smells good enough to eat. “I know, baby.”

  “Do you really?”

  “I do.”

  She pulls back with a look that says she doesn’t believe me, but I don’t want to get into that. I’ve got other things on my mind—like getting her naked and wet.

  Playing with the strap on her shoulder, I say, “Shame you got all cleaned up.”

  “Why?”

  I give her a slow onceover. “Cause I feel like gettin’ dirty.” I rotate my hips then lean in for a kiss, but she backs away.

  “Not until we talk about this. Stop trying to distract me. You’ve been distant lately, and I’m worried.”

  I notice her lip quiver. And now I realize I’m the world’s biggest pussy, neglecting my pregnant wife, when she’s the victim in all of this. “Sorry, baby,” I sigh, kissing her forehead. “You’re right.” I place my hands on her hips, kiss her nose, and then her lips. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Fightin’ back.”

  She hops off my lap. “What can I say? I had a good teacher.” She grins and unbuckles my pants, then brings them down my legs with my boxer briefs, before climbing back on top of me. She glances down at her belly. “You know … we wouldn’t have survived, if it weren’t for you.” I make a face, ready to tell her she did it all on her own, but she silences me with her finger. “You taught me everything I know. I think you forget that.” She wraps her hand around my dick, and my breathing instantly changes.

  Shoving my fingers into her hair, I bring our mouths together. Feeling her rise up on her knees, she slowly glides down on me, sinking me into her warm heat. My hips jerk up, and I groan, “You naughty, naughty girl.”

  She bites her lip, swinging her arms around me. I hadn’t realized she wasn’t wearing any panties. When I thrust my hips, I find she’s soaked and ready. She lets out a quiet moan, and her eyes roll back.

  Bringing the hem of her nighty up and over her head, I toss it behind me, gliding my fingers over her skin. Sitting back against the chair, I watch her ride me. And what a sight it is to see. “God, you’re beautiful,” I growl, kissing her pouty lips, as she circles her hips.

  My mouth waters to taste her skin. I kiss her again, then drag my tongue down her neck, across her collarbone. Her head falls back, and she pushes her breasts into my face. I take advantage, greedily sucking them into my mouth. She presses closer, fisting my hair, as I lift up and drive deeper into her.

  She shifts, then forces me to meet her gaze, and I swear she sees everything. “I love you,” she whispers, slowly rocking against me. “So much.”

  I’m swelling inside her, running my palms down her back, and guiding her with my hands. It’s been awhile since I’ve had her. There’s no way I’ll last. I plunge into her harder, flexing my hips, giving it to her the way she needs it. She moans, unable to keep her eyes open. I continue to push into her, and she gasps, arching her back.

  “Luke—”

  Beads of sweat drip down my chest. “I love you, baby,” I grunt. “You’re my everything.”

  Her limbs tremble. I can tell she’s close. “Don’t stop!”

  My grip tightens on her ass, as I try not to come yet. “If I had a choice,” thrust “I’d live,” thrust “inside you,” thrust “forever.” I kiss her mouth, rocking into her a few more times with a groan, then we shudder together, as the sounds of our moans fill the house.

  “She knows her daddy,” Reese says softly. “Look at the way she’s watching you.”

  You’d never know that she’d delivered a baby a few hours ago. She still looks like an angel. I cradle my baby girl, and she gazes up at me with her almond-shaped eyes—eyes that remind me of her mother’s. She’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen—not that I’ve seen a lot of newborns, but I’ve seen enough to know the difference. She’s special. She’s mine.

  She slips her tiny thumb into her mouth, cooing. Those little noises coming out of her have my heart exploding at every beat.

  “Ready to make another?” I’m mostly serious. I’d have a dozen more if Reese wanted.

  “Ask me later.” She cringes, scooting up on the bed. “My vagina needs a break.”

  “Not too long of a break I hope.”

  I grin down at Story, as she makes another noise. “She says she wants a brother.” Her face turns a deep shade of red, then she kicks out her feet. A sound I’ve never heard from a girl comes out of her tiny body, then she whimpers like it scared her. “Think she filled her diaper.”

  “I wish I had a camera. You should see your face right now,” Reese giggles.

  Story’s cries get louder, so I stand up and rock her.

  “Here, I’ll give you back to Mommy. She’s knows what to do.”

  Reese shakes her head when I try to hand her over. “Oh no, you don’t. You’re going to be a diaper-changing machine by the time we get out of here. Plus, I really want to watch you change your first poopy diaper.” She combs her fingers through her hair, a wide smile on her face. She thinks this is funny.

  “I’ve changed a diaper once or twice,” Of course, that was over twenty years ago.

  She arches a brow, disbelieving. “When? Whose?”

  “Ask my sister when she comes. She’ll tell you.”

  “Okay, show me your skills then. Let’s see if you remember.”

  “Hear that, baby girl? Your momma thinks I don’t know how to change a diaper. But you have faith in Daddy, don’t ya?”

  Her mouth makes a little O.

  “Yeah? Glad somebody does.” I carry Story over to the changing table that I’d seen the nurse use earlier, right as Logan and Gia walk back into the room.

  “Now that’s adorable,” Gia says.

  “How’s the hospital food?”

  “Sucks,” he grumbles.

  “I agree,” Reese replies, her eyes still fixed on our baby.

  Logan waves a hand. “Dude, I can smell that shit from here. Hurry and change her. Will ya?”

  “Give my daughter some privacy.” I snort. “Besides, I’ve smelled much worse outta Jax.” I peel off her dirty diaper.

  “Speaking of Jax,” Gia chimes in. “We have to leave.”

  “Who’s watching him?” Reese asks.

  “My mom. She says he’s being fussy—poor little man. We think he might be teething.” She turns her attention back to Story. “I wanna hold her again, though, before we leave. She really is a beautiful baby, guys. Good work.”

  “Takes after her mom.” I smirk.

  Logan chuckles. “Just wait, bro. You’re gonna need to get out a shotgun when the boys come a’knockin’.”

  “Oh, stop it. Jaxon will keep the boys away, ” Gia murmurs.

  My eyes swing from her to Logan. “That supposed to make me feel better?”

  “What, dude? My son’s a stud.”

  “You were every father’s worst nightmare.” I toss the soiled diaper in the trash.

  “Nah, Jax and Story will be friends.” He shrugs. “He’ll look after her and shit.”

  “Exactly. And shit,” I grunt, feelin’ extra protective of my daughter.

  “Hey, at least you know the parents, if they end up together.”

  I lift my daughter, proudly admiring my work. “Not so bad. Is it?”

  “Wow.” Reese smiles. “I’m impressed.”

  I stride toward Gia, then hand over a swaddled Story. She and Logan take turns holding her, before they say their goodbyes.

  “Can you believe t
his little person is a part of us?” Reese asks, lying on her side, facing me, Story nestled between us.

  “She’s perfect.” My gaze switches back and forth between them. Never believed I’d be blessed enough to actually have a family, but they’re here, and it’s the best feeling in the world.

  “What are you thinking?” she asks quietly.

  “’Bout how lucky I am.” I carefully lean over and kiss her forehead, then lean down and kiss the back of one of Story’s little hands.

  Reese’s face warms, then her brows bunch together. “Do you think I can be a good mother?”

  Reaching over, I stroke her cheek. “You’re gonna be an amazing mother. I’m proud of you, baby. I have no doubts you’ll be great.”

  “I’m proud of you, too. You’re already a great father. You’re sweet with her … I think it’s kind of adorable.”

  I hope she’s right. “Didn’t have much of a teacher. God knows I’m gonna fail sometimes,” I say, swallowing. “I’m gonna do whatever it takes to protect my girls. I’m confident in that at least.”

  She glances at Story. “I’m glad she already has a little friend to play with.”

  My mood darkens, and a low growl comes out of me.

  She frowns. “What’s that for?”

  I look at our sleeping daughter. “Wondering if we made the right decision.”

  “About what?”

  “Logan and Gia … livin’ next door to us.”

  She rises up on her elbow, with her eyebrows peaked. “You’re serious?”

  I nod, and she narrows her eyes on me.

  “You’re worried about Story and Jax?” She’s biting back a laugh.

  “Laugh now, but if he’s anything like his father, we’re gonna have a serious problem. I grew up with the guy.”

  “Oh boy…” She looks down at Story, gently rubbing her soft, fuzzy head. “I already feel sorry for you, baby.”

  “It’s my job as a father to protect her.”

  “And you will.”

  “Damn right I will.” This isn’t a joke. I’m fuckin’ serious.