Chapter Thirty-One
Coming face-to-face with Manzo in public is possibly one of the worst ideas I have ever heard. I don’t understand Ryker’s need to provoke Manzo like this. It will do nothing more than irritate him and make him escalate his plans.
I haven’t felt this weak in years. I've never been so reliant on the comfort of anyone… ever. But Ryker gives me the one thing I never had, stability. He makes me feel safe even if it feels as though I am entering a pool infested with circling sharks.
My breathing becomes shallow, and I see spots on the outside of my vision. Everything starts to go black until Ryker pulls me out of my panic by kissing me. Hard.
He has been keeping everything so light and breezy since we fucked. Every kiss or peck has been soft, feather-like, almost like he is trying to test the waters, but this is powerful, dominant, and almost needy. He’s claiming me, marking me. I have to remind myself he’s only doing this so Manzo thinks the worst, but I don’t care. In this moment, everything feels real. It feels like he’s telling me he needs me, like if he doesn’t have me right this minute, he will die.
I part my lips, allowing him full access. He presses his hand on the small of my back, forcing me more into him, but only for a second before he pulls away. I feel my heart drop, but I force a smile.
“Let’s go,” I whisper, and he nods, opening the door .
Jeremy is standing on guard as he waits for us to enter the restaurant. My palms start to sweat, so I wipe them on my dress. Ryker links my arm in his and leads me towards the hostess stand.
“How did you get a reservation without tipping Manzo off?” I ask, running my palms over my dress again.
“I pulled a Bianca and used a fake name.” He smirks down at me as we approach the woman behind the stand. I spot Lincoln, Hawkins, Nolan, and a bunch of other men I haven’t seen before all gathered around a big table. I slightly pull on Ryker’s arm and gesture to the men with my head.
He leads us to the table and pulls out a chair for me in between himself and Lincoln. Sitting across from me is Jeremy. To his left is the guy I remember as Marcus. He lifts his chin when he notices me staring.
I turn my attention to the man sitting on the other side of Lincoln. Ace looks pale and won't meet my gaze. I clear my throat and adjust myself in my seat as the waitress greets us. When she sees us, she looks as pale as Ace. She quickly takes our drink order before scurrying back into the kitchen, most definitely getting Manzo.
“Ryker,” I whisper, and I can’t help the panic that enters my voice. Every eye at the table turns to me. I look behind Jeremy to the waiter pointing at our table through the window of the kitchen. Ryker grips my thigh, but that doesn’t seem to help the ringing in my ears. I keep my gaze glued to the kitchen door as the restaurant falls silent around us.
I feel the color drain from my face, and my pulse becomes erratic when I spot him. Manzo’s light brown hair is slicked back, his blue eyes shining bright against his long, dark eyelashes. The sleeves of his suit rolled up, showing off his tattooed arms and hands. A wicked grin spreads across his face, highlighting the tattoos on his face and showing me the monster behind the gorgeous man.
He gestures to a woman standing a few feet beside him to move closer. A waiter stops at the table beside us, blocking my view. It isn’t until the waiter leans down to set down a plate that I get a good look at her.
I gasp, getting everyone’s attention. I can feel the tension in the air triple as Lincoln begins to seethe next to me. I slowly stand, only for Ryker to grab my hand. I don’t break eye contact with her, with Maggie.
Her eyes widen as she looks between the men sitting at my table, and me. She takes a step forward, only for Manzo to grab her arm. She winces and falls back into her place beside him.
When I shift my gaze back to Manzo, his smirk is gone. His focus is on where Ryker is holding my hand. A shiver rolls down my spine as Manzo approaches the table. I don’t look away. I can’t. My chest begins to heave, and I hear Lincoln whisper in my ear as I slowly sit back down.
“Stay calm and let Ryker handle this.”
I can’t say or do anything. I’m paralyzed. “Bella!” Manzo says in a happy tone.
That’s not good.
My eyes widen, but I don’t dare look away. I start to pinch my inner thigh again, this time much harder, nearly drawing blood as my nails dig into my skin. I have to keep telling myself this is just a dream over and over again just to calm the panic.
“I’m so glad you came!” He walks behind me, and I instantly stiffen—more out of instinct than anything else. Ryker and Lincoln both do the same as I slowly turn to face him, still trying to keep distance between the two of us. The chatter amongst the customers comes to a halt as everyone’s attention in the restaurant is on us.
Manzo leans in and kisses both of my cheeks, making sure to keep a tight grip on my shoulders. To the naked eye, it would look friendly, lovely even but his hold on me is so tight, I can’t help but wince. He reads my mind like he always does. He knows I’m terrified and he’s loving every second of it.
Ryker grabs my hand and pulls me back, ripping me out of Manzo’s grasp. Manzo shoots him a death glare before greeting the table. “I’m so glad you gentlemen could make it tonight. I hope you all enjoy yourselves.” He turns back to me, and my blood freezes. “My sweet Bella.” He grabs my hand and kisses my knuckles. “I do hope one of these days you realize what is best for you, and come home. Everyone misses you. I had a nice long talk with Maggie yesterday, and she was so excited that I had found you. However, she was so disappointed when I returned home empty-handed. Weren’t you sweetheart?” His grip around Maggie's waist tightens, and she closes her eyes for a split second before nodding.
“Maggie,” My voice cracks, and a single tear rolls down her cheek.
“Go back to your seat,” Manzo says, letting her go.
She takes me in one last time before she does as she’s told.
As I watch her walk away, my hand tightens in Rykers, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He pulls me closer, his scent overwhelming me. Manzo’s gaze flickers down to where our hands rest in Ryker’s lap, and rage fills his expression. Before he can do anything stupid he leaves without another word. I watch as he reaches the door to the kitchen. He turns around before he enters to meet my gaze. I feel tears enter my eyes, the burning sensation slowly forming in my throat .
The chatter at the other tables resumes, but ours stays deathly silent. I stare at my empty plate, and when the waiter comes to take our order, I can’t bring myself to break my trance. The other men start chatting about what will happen when the restaurant closes, but I can’t focus on that. I have to keep my mind blank. If I start to think about Maggie, I won’t be able to keep a level head.
When the food comes, I notice Manzo is carrying a plate to our table. He walks behind me and sets the plate in front of me. When he leans down, he whispers in my ear. “I heard you didn’t order anything, so I made you something special. You used to love this.”
He kisses my cheek before disappearing. I look down at the plate—a sandwich. I close my eyes briefly before reaching for the top piece of bread with shaky hands. A small sob escapes me when I see what he’s done. Everyone at the table becomes rigid, concern written on all their faces, but I can’t look at them. I know that if I do, I will wind up breaking down in front of everyone.
Sitting in front of me is the meal he used to give me after every punishment, ham and pepper-jack cheese on whole wheat bread. This was a clear warning. This would be my last meal if he ever got his hands on me. But this time, he’s done something so much worse. On top of the cheese lays a bloody ear that has been severed from a body. Based on the smell alone, whoever it belonged to has been dead for a long time.
I look up, searching the restaurant for him, finding him standing next to the waiter’s table, smiling when he notices my reaction.
“Is everything okay?” Ryker whispers, and I nod. I look back at Manzo and smile .
Turning to Ryker, I lean in and kiss him. People gasp all around us, and I can tell people are taking pictures through my closed eyelids by the blinding flashes that surround us. “Now everything is….” I pull away, looking into his deep brown eyes. When I see his scolding face, I look away, finding Manzo seething with anger, “Sorry…I needed the reminder that you are the one that has me.” I whisper.
In a soft tone, he says. “Stop apologizing, I’m just mad the kiss was so short.” He grabs my jaw and plants a much deeper kiss.
When we pull apart, I immediately look to where Manzo was standing and find him no longer there. I try to relax a bit, leaning into Ryker and trying to get lost in his touch.
The rest of the night is great. I have a few glasses of white wine and start to feel a bit of a buzz. I can’t help but relax, even if I know Manzo is somewhere in the building. For the first time ever, I know he can’t hurt me.
I stand, and Ryker grabs my hand. “Where are you going?” “The bathroom,” I say with a soft smile.
He looks at the rest of the men, who are all almost done eating. Lincoln stands and puts his napkin on his empty plate. “I’m done. I’ll take her.”
Ryker nods and lets go of my hand before shooting a worried look at Lincoln. They have a conversation only they can understand as I start to sway. Lincoln grips my hand and leads me towards the bathroom. The room begins to spin and I chuckle to myself. He opens the bathroom door for me and checks each stall before I shoo him out for some privacy.
When I’m finished, I splash some water on my face to try to sober myself up a bit. When I start to sway again, I stabilize myself against the counter. I look back in the mirror and freeze. Manzo is standing behind me, leaning against the wall, watching .
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to drink on an empty stomach?” He says as I hold his gaze in the mirror.
He takes a step towards me, and I can’t help but blink rapidly, trying to snap myself out of the hallucination. I know I didn’t drink enough to be this drunk.
“You’re not here,” I whisper and close my eyes. “Lincoln is outside the door.”
He touches my shoulder, and goosebumps erupt on my skin. “You still have the same reaction to me.” He whispers and
presses me more into the counter. I turn around to face him. “You
know, this place is quite special. After all, I named it after my future wife.” He whispers.
“Oh, Manzo,” I say, trying to keep the shakiness out of my voice, but I fail. “I would have to agree to that first.” I give him a small smile, and he plants a death grip on my hips, and I instantly flinch. I hate that he pulls this kind of reaction out of me. It makes me look weak.
On instinct, I pull myself out of his grasp and run for the door. Opening the bathroom door, I immediately lose my balance. I internally curse as I steady myself. The alcohol consumes me with every step. Why was I so stupid? Why would I drink so much? Keeping an eye on the predator stalking towards me, I slowly back into the hallway, bumping my back into the wall.
“Where’s Lincoln? What did you do to him? Did you hurt him?” “He’s fine.” He shrugs and pins me up against the wall and all I
can do is hold my breath. I close my eyes waiting for the pain.
He reaches a hand up and traces my jaw with his fingers. “So beautiful but so stupid .” He sighs and grips my throat tightly. He presses his body up against mine. If anyone saw us it would look like he was whispering something in my ear. “You will marry me.
One of these days, I will win you over. That, my dear Bella, is a promise.”
“Not if I marry someone else before you can get your hands on me again.” His grip becomes deadly, and I start to claw at his hand. He bangs my head against the wall and I try to scream but nothing comes out. I begin to fight but I’m too drunk to do so accurately. He slaps me hard across the face to get me to stop struggling.
“You do that, and I will start off by taking out your new best friend. I hear Vivian would break pretty easily.” He hisses.
I gasp for a breath, attempting to answer, but it’s nearly impossible with him blocking my airway. “You wouldn’t dare . Ryker would kill you.” I whisper and he smirks.
“Pull a stunt like that and find out. I can get to her easily, you know. She’s way too trusting.” He plants a kiss on my lips and I try to yank my head away.
“HEY!” Ryker yells from down the hallway. I try to look at him but I can’t turn my head and Manzo’s body is blocking him from my view.
“Right on time.” Manzo loosens his grip around my neck for me to take another breath. As soon as I do, his grip tightens even harder than before. I start to see stars but I can feel a hand start up my thighs. I know Ryker can’t see it from the way Manzo is standing so I start to kick and squirm to make it more obvious.
“Let her go, Manzo. She’s not yours anymore.” The voice is muffled and the world begins to fade.
Manzo laughs. “So what? She’s yours?” His laugh is menacing and sends goosebumps through my body. Manzo’s hand reaches my core and he smirks. “No underwear. Just the way I like it. Such a good girl.” He whispers so only I can hear him and I cringe.
My face starts to heat as my eyes slowly drift closed.
“As a matter of fact, yes. She is mine. You have two seconds to get your hand off of my woman before I put this bullet through your fucking skull.”
All of a sudden I’m gasping for air as I fall to the floor. I instantly reach for my neck and tears form in my eyes at the amount of air I’m taking in. A strong arm wraps around me and helps me up.
“Can you stand?” Ryker asks and I nod because I can’t answer. I look around to see if I can find Manzo but I don’t see him at first.
“Where…” I croak out.
Manzo stands with his back against the wall and his hands up in surrender. He has an enormous smirk on his face as he slowly backs down the hallway. “Don’t worry, Bella, we will be together soon enough. I know Maggie is dying to see you. Try not to miss me.”
I brace my hand against the wall as I hold my throat. The mention of Maggie sends warning bells throughout my body. My pulse spikes as my arms and legs begin to shake. I know what he’s going to do to her, he will make her pay for what happened tonight.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper to nobody as I close my eyes.
When the men see us and notice my state, every one of them stands and instantly reaches for their guns. “Where’s Lincoln?” Jeremy asks as Ryker hands me over to him .
“Bathroom,” I say hoarsely as I continue to rub my neck. “Julian,” Ryker says as he grabs the bald man and pulls him aside
to talk to him in private.
“What happened?” Ace questions, taking a step forward as he rakes his eyes over me, looking at the red marks that will soon turn to bruises.
“Nothing,” I say in a whisper, making sure not to meet anyone's gaze.
“Did he touch you?” Jeremy hisses and I tense. He follows suit. “That fucking…”
“Don’t,” I whisper. “Stay out of it. You promised.” Jeremy scowls as he looks towards the bathroom.
“Sit here with Ace. I’m going to go get Lincoln.”
He sits me down in Lincoln’s seat before he practically runs to the bathroom. We are getting strange looks from the other customers but, at the moment, I couldn’t care less. I stand, making my way over to Ryker.
“Tonight.” Ryker hisses and Julian nods, scratching at his stubble.
“What’s going on?” I ask and both of the men glare at me. Ryker’s gaze softens just a bit when he takes in my appearance. He takes a step towards me and moves my hair over my shoulder to expose my neck.
“He hurt you.” He growls. I place my hand on his and lean into his touch.
“I’m okay.” Because of you. I pause and take a deep breath. “Ryker, I want to go home.”
“You know that can’t happen. ”
I furrow my brows in confusion. “What? Why?” “Why would you want to go there?”
“I’m exhausted and I don’t feel good?” I say in confusion.
His eyes widen before a slow grin spreads across his face. “Did you just call my home yours?”
I flush and look at the ground. He lifts my chin and kisses me softly. He pulls back, looking down at me. There is a look in his eyes that I’ve never seen from him. “Let’s go home.”