“What do you mean?” Kailee asks, her face puzzled and eyes glaring at Francis.
“Franny, don’t,” Marco warns. She drops her head, her whole posture changing when she realizes what she’s said. Fuck. Her reply throws me, and I drop my knife and fork down on the table, my eyes focusing on Kailee’s paling face.
“No,” Kailee yells, standing up and backing away from the table. The chair scrapes against the hardwood floor. “Don’t tell her what to say. I need to hear this. Francis…” She stands back, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I’m sorry. I thought you knew.” I can see the fear on Fran’s face; she’s torn between telling the truth and getting shit from Marco. I have to do something. I have to step in.
“Pip,” I say, stepping up and reaching out for her arm, but she snaps it away.
“Tell me, Ryder; I need to know what’s going on here.”
“Marco knew all about the place where I found you. He’s been there himself.”
“What… No!” her voice shrieks.
“Yes, Fran was there.”
“I can’t do this.” She turns, racing away from me.
“Let me talk to her,” Francis pleads. “Let me explain everything.”
“No,” I snap, more than intended. “I need to talk to her. Wait here.” Her hand lands heavily on my arm, stopping me. “I’m so sorry I spoke without thinking.”
“It’s not your fault, Fran.” I exhale loudly. “I should have told her. I just didn’t think.” I shake my head before racing out of the room. As I sprint through the hall, I see the huge front door open. I know she can’t get anywhere, the gates are locked automatically, but I still can’t help feeling like my fucking heart is in my throat. I call out her name, over and over, my head scanning the courtyard for her. I see her shivering, rocking back and forth as she rests on a low wall.
I stride over to her, but she puts her hand out flat. “Don’t, Ryder.” But I ignore her instructions.
“You need to come in and hear Marco out. I know it won’t make you feel better about the whole fucking thing, but don’t condemn him until you’ve heard his explanation.”
“So what? You want me to listen to how he thinks it’s okay for girls to be stolen and sold on like slaves,” she yells, “because Ryder, I’m not sure I have any reason to hear his pathetic excuses.”
“You have every right to be angry, pip. Fuck, I was furious when he told me too. But Marco isn’t a bad person. Yes, he’s done bad things, but so have I.”
She wipes a tear away from her eye, and I crouch down in front of her, resting my hands on her knees. “Pip, do this for me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Explain everything before we got here.”
“Because of this. Because I knew how fucking upset you’d be.”
“So you kept it from me. You purposely tried to keep it a secret.”
“Don’t put fucking words in my mouth, pip,” I glower at her. “I’m not that person.” She doesn’t say anything and gives no reply.
“Fuck this shit.” I sigh. Reaching forward and grabbing her waist, I lift, throwing her over my shoulder. She’s yelling and banging my back, but I’m fucking sick of standing out in the cold.
“Put me down,” she cries, but I continue inside, pulling the door closed behind me. Her clenched fist hits my back. “I just want to go.”
“And we will. Just fucking hear what he has to say, and we’ll leave if that’s what you want.”
Kailee
I’m shaking. Every part of me. And I can’t control it. How? How could he do this? Part of me knew there was always something I didn’t like about Marco, something that made me wary. And now this.
Ryder sets me down; my screams and punches made no difference at all.
“I need you to explain and fast,” Ryder mutters to Marco standing in the door. He rolls his eyes, fueling my annoyance.
“Yeah, let’s hear what you’ve got to say. How you can justify what I went through,” I cry out, tears stream down my face as the emotion wracks through me. “Do you have any idea what I went through? How scared I was, how I thought I was going to be sold to some sicko who likes to torture girls for his own sick pleasure? Huh, do you…”
“Look,” Marco snaps, “I will explain this once. Take it or fucking leave it. I’m sorry for what you went through; honestly, I am. And now that I’ve seen what it’s really all about, I won’t ever be a part of that again. But for me it was business. I needed someone I could trust, someone who would come in here and keep all my secrets. That’s when I got Francis, and she’s been a godsend.” He reaches out, taking her hand and pulling her to him.
“But she’s a slave. She’s not here because she wants to be; it’s because she has no choice, a choice that was taken from her.” I scream so loudly my throat hurts.
“I’ve told Francis she can leave anytime she wants,” he says calmly, his eyes narrowing on me. “Yes, at first, she had no option, but she was okay with that. She was homeless, no family, and nothing going for her. I changed all that—”
I cut him off. “Oh, so you’re her hero now, right? This is bullshit, and you know it.”
“Please don’t,” Francis interjects. “Marco finding me was the best thing that ever happened to me. It gave me a purpose, a reason to live. I would be nothing without him. I would be back on the streets fending for myself again.”
“But you would be free.” I sigh loudly. I turn to see Ryder leaning up against the wall, one foot resting on it and his arms crossed over his chest.
“I want to leave,” I choke out, the sick feeling hitting me hard in the stomach. “I can’t be here right now.” I step toward him, his arm encases me, and his head moves against me as he nods.
“We’re going to head back,” he tells them.
“Let me grab your things,” I hear Francis offer, and her footsteps against the wooden floor is all I can hear. I press myself so tightly against his chest, needing to feel the warm comfort of his embrace. Within seconds, my coat is wrapped around me, and we make our way out to the car. The boys talk, but I zone out completely, not wanting to hear anything Marco has to say. I step into the passenger seat, sliding in and pulling my feet up onto the chair. I rest my head on my knees, feeling a whole range of emotions from disappointment to anger. A sudden knock on the window causes me to jump, but I press the button and lower it. Marco leans in, his face sad and contorted.
“Listen, you mean the world to Ryder, that much is fucking obvious to anyone with a goddamn pulse. And honestly, I’m sorry if you finding out about Francis comes as a bit of a shock. But please don’t take it out on him. He was pissed when I told him, like ready to put a bullet in my head, and I’ve learned my lesson.” He shoots me a sad smile.
“Thanks,” I say simply, not knowing what else to say. He nods, stepping back from the window. “Take care.” He gives a light wave, and Ryder yanks open the door, dropping into the driver’s seat.
We drive in complete silence as we make our way home. No music is playing, no words exchanged, because right now, I feel like the stuffing has been well and truly knocked out of me. We pull into the driveway, and Ryder cuts the engine.
“Pip, fucking talk to me, please. The fucking silence is killing me. I don’t know what to say to make this goddamn thing better.”
“You should have told me,” I whisper, lifting my head.
“I didn’t fucking think, pip. So much has happened in such a short space of time. Jeez…” His voice breaks off as he exhales a breath. More tears bubble to the surface, but I fight them back, no longer wanting to feel like an emotional wreck.
“Come on.” He smiles before stepping out of the car, making his way around to me. “Let me take you inside and make it all fucking better.” He leans in, taking my hand. He tugs on it lightly, pulling me to my feet. I trip a little, falling against him. He lifts my head with his finger, bending and lightly pressing a kiss to my lips. I clench my eyes shut, the feeling of his lips against mine enou
gh to make me tremble. Before I can deepen the kiss, a voice shouts Ryder’s name, and he parts from me, my eyes scanning around us to determine the source of the noise.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” he asks the girl standing just a few feet away from us.
“Looking for you, silly. Come on; you do remember me, right?” I look back and forth between the two of them, waiting for either one of them to explain what the hell is going on.
“I remember your face but not your name, sweetheart. So do me a favor, don’t come here again, got it,” he hisses, glaring harshly at her.
Ryder pulls me up the path toward the house. “Ryder, who is that girl?” I whisper.
“She’s nobody, honestly,” he murmurs.
“Ryder,” she yells, “I’m pregnant.”
He stops dead in his tracks, his whole body spinning on the spot. “You know that’s not possible,” he roars, but all I can hear is the thudding of my own heart.
“W-w-what?” I say with a stutter.
“Get the fuck away from this house before someone gets seriously hurt,” he continues. I try to steady myself, shocked for the second time in a matter of hours and feeling like more than ever I just need space. Without thinking, I yank my hand from Ryder’s, sprinting down the road as fast as I possibly can. I feel like my lungs are going to give out at any moment, but I can’t stop. I keep going; my breathing becomes rapid, my chest heaving as I round the corner, making my way down Cady’s street. The pain of heartbreak and disappointment cuts deep within my gut.
As soon as I reach the door, I hammer my fist against it, bending over in an attempt to ease the pain in my chest.
“Kailee, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Cady’s mom asks, holding the door open, and hooking her arm through mine. “Come on in.” She pulls me inside, locking the door behind me.
“Is she here? Is Cady in?” I ask with bated breath.
“I’ll go get her. Take a seat.” She smiles sadly, leading me into the family room and gesturing for me to sit on the couch. Tears stream silently down my face. How is everything such a mess? How have I gone from feeling so deeply in love to feeling like I’m falling apart?
“Kay, what is it, honey?” Cady asks as she enters. She drops down beside me, wrapping her arm tightly around my slumped shoulders.
“I just needed some space. I just need a friend,” I snivel, trying to control my tears and pull myself together so I can actually speak. She wraps her arm around me, pulling me to her. I rest my head on her shoulder.
“It’s all too much,” I say honestly, “and everything is overwhelming me.”
“Ryder?” she asks, her look sympathetic.
“A girl just stopped us on the drive. She’s saying she’s pregnant. I’m worried that I have no idea what I’ve got myself into.”
“Oh, Kay. I’m sorry.” She stares at me with a look of horror on her face. “But, just playing devil’s advocate here, if it happened before you, there’s not much you can do about it, right?”
“It’s not just that.” I sigh. “His friend, the friend whose house we’ve just been to, well, he bought a girl from the whole slavery sale thing, and it’s got my head all messed up.”
“I don’t follow?” Her brows narrow as her face is dressed with confusion.
“He has a girl who he bought from one of those human trafficking auctions,” I whisper, looking over my shoulder, checking no one is able to hear me.
“Oh girl, no wonder your head’s messed up. That’s fucked up, for sure.” She sighs, grabbing my hand.
“I’m in so deep, though.” My mind flickers with an abundance of chaotic thoughts. “I love him,” I choke out.
“Of course, you do, or you wouldn’t be getting so upset.”
I take a huge breath, and her arms wrap around me again. “I’m sorry,” I choke out.
“For what?” she asks, clinging to me a little tighter.
“Turning up here and unloading all my shit on you.”
“Hey,” she warns, pulling back and pointing her finger at me. “Don’t ever apologize. I’m a friend; that’s what I’m here for.”
“Thank you,” I say, only I’m cut off by the sound of thudding at the door.
“Shit.” I jump up from the couch. “I shouldn’t have come here; I should have known he’d guess where I was.”
The thudding on the door intensifies.
“I’ll go.” Cady storms toward the door. I follow right behind her. The last thing I need is him making a scene at the door.
She pulls open the door slowly, peering through the small gap.
“Where is she?” he asks, his voice a low growl, one that causes me to tremble. Cady looks at me, her eyes asking the unspoken question.
I shake my head.
“I’m sorry, she doesn’t want to see you.”
“Well, I say tough fucking shit. Get her out here, now,” he demands, and I can tell Cady is intimidated.
“It’s okay,” I say, stepping forward and out of the door.
“Are you sure about this?” Cady asks, her hand resting on my shoulder. I just nod once, standing in the doorway, in front of Ryder.
“Come home, pip. This whole thing is bullshit.”
I hold out my hand, signaling for him not to come a step closer. “I don’t even know what to say to you, Ryder. How many more secrets are you hiding?” I spit back.
“That’s a low fucking blow, pip, and you know it. I had no idea about that girl back there, and believe me, it’s bullshit. I wrapped that motherfucker up, so if I say it’s not possible, then I mean it’s not fucking possible.”
I glare at him for a few minutes, contemplating my next move.
“Well?” He growls with frustration.
“I need space,” I mumble, allowing my eyes to focus on the ground rather than at his beautiful green eyes. Because I can’t bear it any longer. The sadness mixed with anger in his eyes is just too much for me to take.
“Mom says you can stay here.” Cady appears next to me, her hand resting gently on my back.
“I’d like that,” I say with a smile.
“No,” Ryder roars. “Don’t fucking do this, Kailee. Don’t you dare walk away from me.”
“I have to. I need time to think things over. I need to work out all the shit playing over and over in my mind.”
“Okay,” he replies calmly, digging his hand into his pocket and pulling out a cigarette. He rests it against his lip, flicking back the top of the metallic lighter and holding it against the cigarette. “I respect you need space, but I’ll be back in the morning. No fucking arguments,” he says, his eyes burning into me.
“Fine,” I reply, sharper than I had intended. He walks down the path, and I’m stuck to the spot watching him. My heart torn in two. The push and pull of being so deeply in love and so desperately confused.
“Come inside,” Cady insists, pulling on my arm.
I end up staying with Cady, but my heart pines for Ryder. Wondering whether I’d totally overreacted, whether I should have given him more time to explain.
I wake up early, and sunlight streams through the small gap around the window. I can’t help but reach for my phone to check for calls or messages from Ryder. I press the home button, and lighting the screen, I see one message.
I swipe to open, swallowing down the lump that has grown in my throat since the second I saw his name on the screen. I read the message then read it again. It says he’s not lying and that he will prove it.
I hope he can prove it. I want so badly to believe him and for this to be some horrible joke.
Ryder
I haven’t fucking slept all night, the dark circles under my eyes a testament to that fact. I was cold, the bed was empty, and my head was a raging fucking mess. Nicole showing up here with her bullshit story about being pregnant pushed us apart, and I have to make her believe me. I’m not that guy who sleeps around knocking girls up. I throw on clothes and make my way downstairs.
“Morning, Ma,” I sa
y, kissing her lightly on the head. She’s sitting at the small dining table, sipping on a glass of orange juice.
“Son.” She looks up at me, her forehead wrinkling as she does. “Fresh OJ? I just squeezed it.” She points at the countertop where I see the juicer on the side and a small amount left over in the jug.
I rub my eyes with the back of my hand. “I need coffee and lots of it,” I grumble.
“We’re all out, my dear.”
I sigh. “I’ll go to the store,” I say with a smile, grabbing my jacket and swiping the car keys from the side. “Back soon,” I throw over my shoulder as I head out to the car.
Driving the short distance, I pull up outside the grocery store. My eyes are drawn instantly to the car beside mine. It’s Jax’s car.
Shit, that’s all I need. Making my way toward the entrance, I see him emerge from the store, his arms full of bags. As I close the gap, the overpowering smell of alcohol hits me.
“Bro,” he slurs his words, and it’s obvious he’s drunk.
“You’re a mess, Jax, sort yourself out,” I grate out as I glare disgustedly at him.
“Well” —he points his finger at me— “you don’t look so great yourself. Where’s your little bitch gone?”
I feel my adrenaline spike, and I need an outlet. I push my flat hand against his chest, gritting my teeth together. “Don’t talk about her like that, you sorry ass motherfucker,” I fume. He stumbles back, his ass dropping down onto the sidewalk. The bag drops, beers rolling out all over the walkway.
He laughs wickedly, and I instantly feel the rage pound through me. “Get your sorry ass off the ground and get your shit together.”
“You’ve always been quite the hero, Ryder. Haven’t you, huh?”
“Hero,” I scoff, “hardly. I just protect those I love.” I walk past him, stepping over the groceries strewn across the walkway.
“And does she love you now you got a girl pregnant, brother?” He accentuates the word brother as if goading me. I spin around at speed.
“What the fuck did you say?” I step back, towering over him as he’s slumped on the ground, pushing my boot down on his chest.
The edge of life: Official cover - coming soon Page 28