For3ver

by M. Dauphin H. Q. Frost

  "Ryley?" I pushed it open to the quiet apartment. "Hello?" I stepped inside. "Dammit," I muttered, pulling my phone from my pocket.

  They weren't home, but where were they at eight in the damn morning? Maybe Able headed to school already. I heard the ringing of my cell phone in my ear, but I also heard her phone somewhere in the apartment.

  "Ry?" I called out, following the ringing.

  There was only one open door. I just didn't want to stumble upon Jenny.

  "Ry? Able?" I called louder, pushing open the partially open the door. "Ryley!" I screamed, running toward her naked, bloody body slumped over her bed. "No, no, baby, Ryley!" I carefully grabbed her. "No! Shit, no. Come on, baby, talk to me. Ry." I grabbed her face, trying to see if she was still breathing. "Oh Jesus." I pressed out 911 with my bloody thumb still holding Ryley to my chest.

  While on the phone with the dispatcher, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

  "My son!" I blurted. "Able!" I screamed. "Please just send and ambulance." Dropping the phone I picked up Ryley's body, yanking the bloody sheet off her bed, then went on the hunt for my boy. "Able! Where are you? It's daddy— It's Liam. Able!" While carrying Ryley, I started going through closets and cupboards. "Able!" I screamed again on the verge of a break down.

  Ryley was still breathing, but she wasn't conscious, and whoever did it, beat her within inches of her life. She was unrecognizable covered in blood and bruises, and it was the second most terrifying visual of my life.

  "Fuck, baby." I couldn't stop the tears as I carried her outside, saying fuck the ambulance because they were taking too long.

  "Liam?" an familiar voice called from my right. I looked over to see Jenny holding high heels and heading toward their apartment door. "Is that?... Oh my GOD, what'd you do?" She started backing away from me.

  "Where's my son?" I barked at her.

  "Stay away from me!" she shrieked and it was obvious she wasn't even home last night.

  "Ryley, baby, please," I cried, pushing my face to hers when I heard the sirens of the ambulance.

  "I-I-I need p-p-police," I heard Jenny stutter out and I looked over to see her on her cellphone.

  "Ry, helps here now," I told her as I saw the ambulance pull into the parking lot. "You're going to be okay, baby."

  I didn't know if that was true, and if it wasn't, then I wouldn't be, and if someone took my son.... Oh fuck. It wasn't how we were supposed to start our new life.

  RYLEY

  Liam's hand runs across my leg, making me shiver and raising goosebumps on my body. Just one touch has always done that from him. He trails kisses down my neck, tearing off the shirt I was sleeping in, throwing it on the floor on the side of the bed. Next are my shorts, leaving me completely undressed for him. I love this feeling of being the only woman, the only body, he wants.

  "Such a fucking whore," the voice in my dream said. That wasn't Liam's voice. Why did the dream feel so real?

  I tried to roll over in bed, but something was stopping me. What was going on? I opened my eyes, adjusting to the darkness and that was when I saw him. I wasn't dreaming at all. I was actually laying naked in bed, with Carl leering over my body.

  "Sleep well, Ryley?" he sneered at me as he continued to trail his hands up and down my naked body.

  "What are you doing, Carl?" I asked, starting to panic, my body shivering from nerves.

  "See, I should be asking you that, little lady. That text, well, that text was awfully upsetting and I don't like to be lied to Ryley."

  "I wasn't lying, Carl, we are done. I'm moving north with Able." Trying to keep my calm, I started gently moving across the bed, but he caught my ankle with one hand and my wrist with the other. In one pull he had me close enough for him to touch anything he wanted on my body. "What are you doing, let me the fuck go!"

  "Ain't no one gonna hear ya tonight. Jenny's at Pete's house, neighbors sleep without their hearing aids. Just me and you, baby." He smiled at me, making me want to punch him in the face.

  "Get. The. Fuck. Out. Of. My. House," I growled, growing more and more angry with him, and more and more scared that he was going to do something irreversible. I was terrified for my life.

  "Not before I teach you who you belong to, you little slut." His grin was dirty, evil.

  I couldn't help the shiver that ran through my body at the thought of him touching me again. His hand on my wrist let go and I heard his belt buckle and the zipper of his pants being undone.

  Shit, it couldn't be happening. I started kicking with my free leg, realizing what he was about to do.

  "Knock it off, whore. You're MY fuckin' girlfriend. I'll fuck you whene'r I want," he slurred drunkenly.

  "Stop, Carl!" I screamed as I kept trying to buck myself off the bed.

  He had my hands in a firm grasp with one hand as he brought his body over mine and started readying himself with his other hand.

  FUCK no! He was not going to get away with it, but every time I would fight back, he would put more and more pressure on me. I couldn't feel the tips of my fingers and was having a hard time breathing at that point. I slammed my head into his nose, bringing blood instantly.

  "Fuckin' bitch!" He screamed as his hand came across my cheek with so much force I couldn't see straight.

  I felt him enter me, then.... hating my fucking body for being so ready. Hating that fucking dream about Liam. Hating that I was even dreaming about that at all. He fucking walked away from me and look what was happening! I turned my head so I didn't have to see Carl's face; his arm was near so I bit down as hard as I could. Salty sweat tinged my tongue; he tasted so nasty I almost threw up, but I couldn't stop fighting. I wouldn't stop fighting.

  Carl was having a hard time keeping himself hard, so when he pulled out to try and get it back up, I brought my knee up and kneed him right in the balls, as hard as I fucking could. His hands immediately went to himself, howling from pain, but I was still half pinned under him. I tried kicking him off and it worked enough so that I could crawl off the bed, but the second I got to the door of my room, he had me by the hair and was pulling me back to the bed. I screamed but he hit me so hard in the side that time that it muted my cry and brought me into a ball on the bedside.

  "Cunt," he growled as I felt his boot connect with my face.

  I started blacking out, things around me started getting fuzzy, but I was not going down without a fight. I grabbed onto his leg and bit into his shin as hard as I could. I felt the metallic taste of his blood right before he violently pulled me off of him, held me in front of him, and wailed on me. Over and over. I couldn't remember how many times the hits happened. When he was done, he threw me on the bed.

  My mind was fighting so hard to stay sharp, but the pain was so bad I couldn't take it. I gave in to the darkness right as I felt the bed dip again and his hands coming around my wrists once more. That time, something sharp went through my core and all the pain I experienced earlier was gone. I just felt... cold.

  "Ain't no one gonna have you anymore, bitch. And that boy, he's good as mine," he growled at me.

  I couldn't take the pain, the pain of losing Able to that monster, the pain that was radiating through my body. There was no physical fight left in me, though. I couldn't do it anymore. I gave in to the darkness, giving up on my life, hoping for it all to be over for good that time.

  CHAPTER 12

  LIAM

  The first time I was scared out of my mind was when I heard Gram's awful screams when she found Grandpa on the bathroom floor. I didn't see him, Gage did, but he wouldn't let me see him. I was five and couldn't understand what was going on, I just knew it was bad because Gram was a screaming mess. The second time I was scared out of my mind was the day Rod took a belt to me and Gage. The third time was when I saw Gage's body. There's only been a handful of events in my life that have scared me enough to change my life. Holding Ryley's limp, bloody body in my arms was one of those events. If she survived, I was determined to take care of her for the rest of her life
and make sure nothing ever happened to her again. If she didn't make it.... I just couldn't think about it.

  Not giving a fuck that I was in the way, I held her hand the entire ambulance ride. I got pushed out of the way several times, but I had to be touching her. She couldn't die.

  When we got to the hospital, I almost lost it when I couldn't go with her. I understood she was going into surgery, but I just needed to see her. When Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds showed up, there was so much chaos I almost got into a fight with him.

  Ryley had been stabbed and beaten by what they speculated was a fist and a boot. Then there was the possibility of rape and that was when I broke down in tears. Mrs. Reynolds held me, rocking me, telling me it would be okay, but I wanted to scream at her and tell her it wouldn't be okay. If Ryley did come out of it and she was raped, she would be forever mentally scarred.

  "I just need to see my son." I sniffled and wiped my face. "I want him here. Please. Go pick him up."

  "I'll call, Carl," she softly told me and I jerked my head up.

  "Carl?" I jumped up. "He's with him?" I spat like she fed me acid.

  That motherfucker hadn't crossed my mind once, and I didn't know how. Ryley had hinted he was abusive toward her, after hearing his name I had no doubt he was the one to do it. Police were speculating a break in because Ryley's purse was dumped and her wallet was gone.

  "Call Mr. Montgomery. I want my son right fucking now."

  "Calm down, Liam," Mr. Reynolds told me.

  "Call Mr. Montgomery. He did this. That asshole did this to her!" I was getting worked up again.

  "What're you talking about, Liam?" Mrs. Reynolds snapped at me.

  "Carl! He did this to her and you let him take my son!" I felt like I was dying inside and before I just gave up and collapsed, I was heading for the doors.

  Ryley had five more hours in surgery and I couldn't sit around waiting when that asshole had my child.

  "Liam!" Mr. Reynolds barked and grabbed my shoulder.

  "Don't touch me," I growled at him, giving him a shove. I didn't mean it, but they let that asshole take my kid.

  "I really don't think this was Carl."

  "How the fuck do you know? Do you know he's hit her before?" I yelled while we stood in the middle of the parking lot.

  "He hasn't," he said sounding more like he was shocked than denying it.

  "She didn't come out and tell me, but she hinted at it. That motherfucker did this and I want him dead." I was heading for my truck again. "But I want my son first."

  Mr. Reynolds was getting in by the time I started my truck.

  "I'll take you to his place."

  I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he buckled, trembling. I was too enraged to tremble, I was tense, I was seething, there was fear under it all, but I didn't have time for it yet. That asshole had my child and almost killed Ryley. I knew it was him; it all made sense.

  "He came to the house this morning. He said Ryley asked him to pick Able up for school," Mr. Reynolds nervously told me. "She's done that before. It's not that strange, so we just packed him up." Dropping his head, he closed his eyes. "Oh Lord, please let my grandson be okay."

  There was no need for it, but I was so pissed and blaming everyone but myself, so I told him, "When Ryley can leave the hospital I'm taking her and Able out of this hell hole." It wasn't until I heard him quietly sob that I realized I'd gone too far. "Fuck!" I slammed my hands on the steering wheel. "Call the sheriff, Dale." I'd never called him Dale. "Tell him to meet us there, because if that fuc— if Carl did this...." I couldn't say anymore.

  I listened to his brief conversation with Mr. Montgomery.

  "He wants us to wait."

  "I don't care what he wants," I seethed. "Where to?" I asked at a fork in the road.

  He looked over at me and I'd seen just how much he'd aged in five years. The situation probably aged him ten years in a matter of an hour; I damn near felt dead without knowing if Ryley was going to be okay.

  "Right," he finally told me.

  I pulled up to a trailer shaded by trees with a bungalow on one side and an empty lot on the other. The second I opened my door, I heard the police sirens.

  "Liam, maybe we should wait." He stood by the passenger door.

  "You go ahead and wait," I told him, heading for the trailer. I pounded and immediately heard the cries of a child. "Carl!" I screamed, pounding again.

  I then heard the disgruntled grumbles of a man and Able's cries were only getting louder, making panic start to take over my rage. I needed anger, not fear.

  "Carl!" I screamed again. "Open the fucking door." I tired the handle, but it was locked.

  I jumped off the porch and headed around to look for another access point. I looked over and through a crack in the curtains seeing Carl standing over my son, screaming at him, telling him to 'shut up and stop crying like a baby'. The way he loomed over Able's tiny frame had me frozen, watching in fear for what he'd do.

  "Shut up, dammit!" I heard him scream.

  "Mommy," Able cried, holding something to his chest.

  "She ain't here, now shut up."

  Able continued crying for Ryley and Carl began to pace. I quickly made my way around the trailer seeing all the windows were closed and the only other door was locked. I walked back to the window and watched, trying to figure out if it'd be worth it to break the front window.

  "Liam Porter, step away from the house, son," Mr. Montgomery's familiar voice called to me from his cruiser.

  "My son's in there," I protested.

  "I know that and we're gonna get him outta there, but I need you away from the house incase Carl does something stupid."

  I jerked my head to look at him and squinted my eyes. "Like what? He's done this before?"

  "We didn't know, son. Just step away from the trailer."

  "You didn't know!" I bellowed and saw shuffling to my left. Quickly looking back to the window, Carl was standing there with a gun in his hand, looking drunk and panicked.

  "Carl," Mr. Montgomery called through a bullhorn. "Open the door. We don't want no one gettin' hurt."

  The curtains shut all the way and all I could hear was Able crying.

  "Come on, Liam, come stand over here. This could take a little while."

  "Take a little while?" I boasted. "This is over now!" I approached the door and began pounding. "Open the fucking door! Now!"

  The louder I screamed, the louder Able cried. I looked back toward Mr. Montgomery who was still telling me to get off the porch. Four other patrol cars pulled up and all officers got out of their vehicles, kneeling behind their open patrol doors. The detriment of the situation hit me. It was a hostage situation and the hostage was my son.

  "Son, I don't wanna have to shoot your ass with a rubber bullet. Get off that porch before you get your boy killed," Mr. Montgomery yelled at me.

  I looked toward Mr. Reynolds and through the fear on his face I saw the pleading. It could last hours, or I could end it all immediately.

  "Carl!" I knocked louder which made Able start crying for mommy again.

  "I said shut up!" Carl barked and I heard the abrupt stop of Able's cry.

  "Able!" I screamed as panic coursed through me side by side with rage. I threw my side against the door, snapping the lock held by the dilapidated wood.

  I stumbled through the front door and when I found my bearings I looked up to see my son's body slumped in Carl's arms and a knife being held to his neck.

  "No!" I blurted. "Don't do anything. Don't fucking hurt him." I put my arms out, slowly backing up.

  We stared at each other for what seemed like minutes. It was long enough for me to notice how red his face was, how much sweat poured from his pores, the red lines in his bloodshot eyes. Inside the trailer was hot as hell and I realized there was no air conditioning and he had all the windows closed. I was surprised they hadn't boiled alive in that heat.

  "Just put him down."

  "Carl, come on out, son. We'll ta
lk all this through. I'm sure you got your reasons," Mr. Montgomery's voice came over the bullhorn and I glanced behind me.

  "Fuck you!" Carl screamed and began to pace again while Able's fragile body hung limp in his arms. "I don't want to hurt the kid—"

  "Don't, don't hurt him."

  "She's takin' him from me. She's givin' him to you!" he seethed at me. "Fuck you. You ruined everything for us."

  "I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin anything. Just put Able down before you accidentally hurt him." I glanced toward Able again and saw a small drop of blood come from his face.

  I closed my eyes and had to look away. Not knowing where the blood was coming from was killing me. Did he stab him? My lungs started to constrict.

  "You hurt him!" he screamed at me.

  "Nobody's hurt him. Just set him on the ground. I'll leave." I glanced behind me at the broken door and the sun glared off the patrol vehicles out front, not letting me see if anyone was still out there.

  "Carl, come on out," Mr. Montgomery's voice said again and I could see it pissed him off.

  "No, no, no, no," he growled and began to pace again.

  "Look, just give me Able. I'll get the hell out of here and you'll never see me again."

  "You're not taking my son!" he screamed at me.

  My fists clenched and my jaw went tight.

  "You ain't a father. I been here for this boy, not you!" he screamed at me, only furthering my angst. "You ain't havin' him. You can have the whore, if she ain't dead," he mumbled.

  With the last of his words, Able started to come to, muttering while shaking his head. Like I watched him do while in Mrs. Reynolds' arms the day I'd almost hit him, he started squirming like a fish out of water. Carl dropped him and when he went down to grab him, I attacked. I heard Able yelp then start to wail in pain. I didn't know what happened but I had Carl under me and I started swinging, getting nicked with the knife he was flailing. My arms were being slashed, but I didn't stop.

  "Mommy!" Able screamed with so much pain in his voice I just lost it and grabbed the knife from Carl, sticking it into his side over and over.