Completely unexpected, p.18
Completely Unexpected, page 18
I don’t even know why he was in prison in the first place.
Hopefully it was for something non-violent like fraud.
At his dark gaze, my body tenses and I become prepared to fight at any moment.
Is this why Dad was so insistent that Emily and I take self-defense classes? Was he expecting something like this to happen? Because if he was then some warning would have been nice.
I would have at least asked to take a karate class or something. Self-defense is all good but what happens if I need to go on the attack?
If I had some more skills then I probably could have taken him by surprise and gotten past him to the door.
“Do you want money or something?” Is this some kind of a weird kidnapping move? I’m sure if he’s been in prison for a long time then he must be trying to start over but there are better ways to do that than this.
This will just send him straight back to prison.
And how does Bentley fit into all of this?
Speaking of Bentley, I’m going to make him pay for this.
Fucking traitorous bastard.
Ryder was right not to trust him.
“Or something,” he looks my body up and down and it’s deeply disturbing.
I’m his granddaughter.
His own flesh and blood.
He shouldn’t be looking at me like that.
Waiting for him to say something else, I contemplate my options.
Wait for him to strike first or try to take him by surprise?
If I try and take him by surprise then I only have mere seconds to get out of here and he’s right in front of the door.
Stepping back slightly, I try to lure him away from the only exit.
He stares at my retreating form with a look of intrigue. “You seem a lot feistier than Eva and Jillian. I like it.”
It makes sense that he would know my mom but how does he know my grandma? “You knew my grandma?”
He laughs but even his laugh puts me on edge, it’s like a crazy person’s laughter. “Jillian and I go way back. In fact, your grandfather stole her from me.”
Again, I have no family history to back any of this up so I choose to ignore him but my plan is working, he’s stepping away from the door.
Never taking my eyes off him, I take another step backwards.
“The two of us should have gotten married and we had plans to run away together but she died before we could make our plans a reality.”
“What does that have to do with me?” I couldn’t care less about some ancient love triangle.
His eyes linger on my breasts, “Eva is the spitting image of Jillian, did you know that?”
I’ve seen pictures of her and there is a strong resemblance but there’s also a strong resemblance between them and Emily and I.
I want to point out that generally happens with families since we share a lot of the same DNA but I don’t think he would appreciate the sarcasm.
When I say nothing, he takes a step towards me and continues, “I almost had your mother once but just like Jillian, she was taken away from me.”
What the fuck does he mean had my mom?
My heart rate spikes at the suggestion and my situation becomes that much more dangerous.
This guy seems completely off his rocker.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he was locked up in some insane asylum rather than an actual prison.
His eyes narrow to slits and his fists are turning white from how hard he is clenching them. “Your piece of shit father fucked everything up for me but I have the perfect way of putting him in his place. His love for his family is his biggest downfall, it’s his greatest weakness and I’m going to take them all, piece by piece. Starting with you.”
“You’re going to kill me?” My palms become sweaty and I try to stop them from shaking but he keeps edging towards me which is distracting me.
I’m going to have to make my move soon but right now, my body seems stuck.
It’s frozen in fear and I don’t know how to get it moving again.
“Yes, but I’m going to have some fun first,” he reaches a hand up towards my face but I stumble backwards, out of his reach. His eyes darken in fury, “Don’t worry, after I’m done with you, I’m going to pay a visit to that pretty sister of yours.”
Emily?
No.
I can’t let that happen.
Emily’s too kind natured to fight someone like Douglas off.
Thank God he chose me to come after first, at least I have a slim chance at getting away.
If I get out of here alive, then I need to make sure she stays safe.
He grins at me darkly, “I’ll save your bitch mother for last.”
His fist flies out without warning and cracks against my left cheek with so much force that I’m thrown against the bathroom door.
Falling to the ground, I cradle my head in my hands and will my body to take action. Knowing that I need to make every second count, I fight through the pain and bring my leg up, kicking him as hard as I can in the balls.
He cries out in pain and grabs his crotch, almost instantly he collapses to his knees.
Jumping around him, I make a break for the door but I feel his hand wrap around my ankle which causes me to slam into the ground.
My chin smacks the carpet, smashing my teeth together and I taste blood.
Before I have the chance to stand up and make another run for it, he grabs hold of my hair. He yanks so hard that I can feel patches of it ripping out of my skull.
Bringing my hands up to grab his, I try to ease some of the pain but it’s no use, he’s too strong.
Dragging me along the ground to the bed, he pulls upwards and throws me roughly on the bed.
The pain is excruciating and my vision starts to blur but I will my body to cooperate.
Come on Olivia.
Fight.
I’ve landed on my stomach which is the worst possible position to be in.
Fighting through the haze, I spin around and lash out with my arms and legs, hoping to get in a few lucky shots.
Jumping onto the bed, his fists bear down against every part of my body he can reach and my own attacks don’t seem to be having any effect at all.
He seems to be under some sort of trance.
His eyes are nearly pure black and it’s like his soul has left him. That’s if he even had one to begin with.
Scratching at his face, I manage to draw blood across his cheekbone and catch a lucky break when my thumb finds its way into his eye socket.
With him momentarily distracted, I take the opportunity to jump off the bed.
My sights are set on the door when I feel his fist hit the back of my head and I see stars as I plummet to the ground.
I’m still trying to recover from the force of his blow when his boot connects with my back and I cry out in anguish.
The pain is unbearable.
My entire body is in pure fucking agony.
Adrenaline is the only thing that is keeping me conscious but I don’t know how long it will last.
My determination to escape is slowly being replaced by the realization that I will never leave this room alive.
He’s far too strong and my body is close to giving up.
It’s too weak to fight back anymore.
Grabbing me by the hair once again, he throws me against the wall and when I collapse on the ground completely breathless, he kicks me again, this time in the stomach.
I feel the force of his boot over and over again.
My stomach.
My arms.
My legs.
After a while it’s hard to determine where the blows are landing.
Pain radiates over every inch of my body.
This is it.
I’m about to die.
My vision is starting to blur and my breathing is becoming shallow.
Blood from my head wounds is dripping down into my eyes but when I feel his hands on my breasts, I get a second burst of energy.
If I’m going to die then I’m going to make him kill me before he has the chance to touch me.
I’ll fight until the last breath leaves my body.
Scratching at his face, I try to make contact with his eyes again.
I might not have a weapon but if I can blind him, it might buy me some time to get away.
As my fingers touch his face, he grabs my wrist and twists with so much force that I hear a crack.
I didn’t think it was possible, but the pain in my body intensifies and screams that sound foreign to my own ears, rip through my throat.
“That’s it bitch, you had enough yet? Ready to play nice?” He rips my shirt from my body and I lash out again with my legs but he only grabs them and starts ripping my jeans down my hips.
Reaching down, I manage to keep hold of my underwear but my strength is slowly dwindling.
I’m actually surprised that I haven’t passed out already.
My fingers are gripping my underwear with as much force as I can muster but it’s not enough.
He has the upper hand and he knows it.
I watch, lying helpless on the floor as he removes his own shirt.
Vomit pools in the back of my throat and for a moment, I wish that I would drown in it.
He leans over my body and places one meaty hand firmly around my throat.
His fingers tighten and my airway slowly starts to close. My own hands grab uselessly at the hand he has around my throat but it’s like my touch is as soft as feathers.
Nothing is able to break his grasp on me.
With each second that passes, I feel my life slowly draining away.
When he reaches for my bra with his free hand, I hear a loud crash.
Almost like wood splintering.
The deafening noise is followed by three loud bangs.
My vision is blurry but what looks like three holes appears in Douglas’ chest and his mouth opens in what looks like shock. Blood starts pouring from the holes, straight down his chest and onto my body.
Time seems to slow down.
My brain is foggy and I’m having trouble comprehending what I’m seeing.
His grip on my throat loosens and I pull in one big breath, then another and another until I feel some relief from the burning in my throat.
The feel of hot liquid pooling on my stomach registers in my mind and I desperately try to get away from the horrible feeling.
Douglas’ face has gone slack and his body starts swaying back and forth slowly.
One more bang rings out and this one sounds closer.
Much closer.
A loud ringing sound starts up in my ears and I close my eyes to block out the noise. When I open them again, I see that a hole has appeared on Douglas’ forehead.
Blood starts to spurt from that wound, same as the others. It drips down his face and pours into his own mouth but he doesn’t choke, his eyes have already rolled back into his head.
As his limp body starts to fall towards mine, I brace myself for the impact but it never comes.
A hand reaches out and grabs the body, throwing it to the side carelessly.
Next, I see a face hovering over mine.
A face so beautiful that I have trouble believing I’m really seeing it.
Is this it?
Am I dead?
Or have I started picturing his face to block out the pain.
His strong hands cup my face and his lips are moving but I can’t make anything out.
Tears are streaming down his cheeks.
The ringing stops and sound comes back to me so suddenly that it’s completely overwhelming and I close my eyes.
Blinking rapidly, I start to notice other people in uniform spilling into the room and everyone is shouting.
A bright light is shoved in my face and I can feel my body being moved.
His face disappears.
But then I hear his voice, it’s in my ear and it’s telling me that everything will be alright.
Feeling comforted by the sound of his voice, I let my body relax and my eyes close.
A few seconds later, I feel my body starting to shut down.
With the last ounce of energy I have left, I whisper one single word, “Ryder.”
CHAPTER 20
OLIVIA
I’m not sure how many times I come to before I finally wake up for longer than a minute but I have vague memories of Ryder’s face in an ambulance and then Mom and Dad crying over my bed.
Tyler and Emily’s faces flash through my mind but I can’t be sure when I saw them last.
My mind feels groggy and my body feels heavy.
When my eyes open and actually stay open, the room I am in is covered in darkness.
I take a moment to look around the hospital room and the events of that night come flooding back to me.
That man who said he was my granddad.
His attack.
Feeling helpless.
Weak.
Vulnerable.
Alone.
And then there was Ryder.
His face.
His voice.
His smell.
I have vague memories of Douglas getting shot.
Of bullet wounds puncturing his skin and rivers of blood pouring from his body onto mine.
Then Ryder.
Was he the one to save me?
My mind is a jumbled mess but as I lie still in the darkness, the fog starts to clear.
Moving my eyes slowly, I take in the form of someone sleeping on a chair near my bed.
I start to talk but have to stop as my throat feels like it’s been ripped open by sandpaper.
The small noise I managed to make is enough to rouse the person sleeping next to me.
When his face becomes clear, I instantly relax.
Ryder.
He’s here.
I didn’t imagine him.
The moment he notices my eyes are open, he breathes a sigh of relief and moves his chair closer to the bed.
He carefully places his hand over mine and lowers his head so it rests on my arm, kissing it so tenderly that I can barely feel it.
I try to speak again but he stops me, “Shhh Liv, don’t speak. Your windpipe has been damaged, I don’t want you to push it tonight. I’m just glad I finally get to see your eyes. You have no idea how worried I was about you.”
I open my mouth but think better of it, just the action alone of staying awake seems impossible.
He stands and positions himself carefully on the edge of my bed, brushing his fingers tenderly against the edge of my face. “Just let me talk okay Liv. I’m not sure when I’m going to get the chance to come back. It’s Tyler’s turn to stay with you but he let me sneak in for a few hours. They are only letting family in at the moment.”
Tyler?
I definitely owe him one for this.
Waking up and seeing Ryder’s face is exactly what I needed.
“You’ve been here for a couple of days already but they are keeping you sedated as your injuries are severe.” His body is wracked with a shudder and tears form in his eyes. “Fuck Liv, I’ve never been so scared before. Seeing you like that, it’s so different from-”
He cuts himself off and looks away.
It’s clear that he wants to say more but he’s holding back.
I can’t believe that I’ve been here for a few days already.
It feels like only hours ago that Bentley lured me into that apartment building.
Thinking of Bentley and his betrayal stirs a fire inside my belly.
When I recover, he’s the first person that I’m going to track down.
“There’s things I need to tell you Liv. I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of since I met you but they were only to keep you safe. I never contemplated the idea of falling for you but that’s exactly what happened. I fell for you Liv, I’ve fallen hard but you might not be able to forgive me once I tell you the truth.”
Confused by his words, I open my mouth but he gently places one finger to my lips.
“Not tonight. When you’re better, I’ll tell you everything, I promise. I just…I need you to know one thing before you find out the truth. One thing before you may never want to speak to me again.”
What is he talking about?
How could I never want to speak to him again?
He’s the one I want sleeping by my side every night.
Not Tyler. Not Mom. Not Dad. Not Emily.
Ryder.
He’s the one who found me.
He might have even been the one to save me.
I don’t know how but right now, I don’t care.
I’m alive and I have Ryder.
That’s all that matters.
There’s nothing that he could say to me that could make me change my mind about how I feel towards him.
He’s my everything.
Ryder fights back the tears in his eyes, “Liv, I hope one day you can forgive me but I need you to know that not everything was a lie. How I feel for you is real. The things I’ve told you about my past are real. My love for you is real.”
My sharp intake of breath gives him pause.
He loves me?
Is that what he’s saying?
That he’s in love with me?
I’m not sure what he means about not everything was a lie but my brain seems to be fixating on the word love.
My heart monitor increases and Ryder smiles softly at me. “I love you Liv. I’m so deeply and utterly in love with you but I’m not sure if it will be enough.”
The tears that were building in his eyes, start dripping down his cheeks. His face has transformed completely and it looks like he is in physical pain but how can that be right?
Ryder loves me and I love him back.
Holy shit.
I love him.
I love Ryder.
How was I so blind before?
Of course I love him.
I’ve loved him for a long time now but didn’t want to admit it in case my love wasn’t returned.
Needing to tell him how I feel, I open my mouth, “I-”
“Shhh,” he leans down and brushes the most tender, gentle kiss across my lips. “Sleep Liv. It will help you recover. Just…please remember what I said tonight.”
He brushes hair off my face with a featherlight touch and stands from the bed.
