Chapter Ryder
Ryder
“Why should I let you out and not any of these others? What do you know that the rest don’t?
” I question the woman with golden brown skin and haunted amber eyes.
Her body is nothing more than skin and bones, every bone visible beneath her thin skin.
Looking at all these poor souls in these cells ignites a deep fury.
Once I find Lilith, she won’t die easily.
It will be long, gruelling, and her own personal Hell on Earth.
Her voice cracks as she attempts to speak, “I kn-know where,” She coughs, wheezing and sputum flying out from cracked, bleeding lips. “She is.” She finishes, and her head falls back against the brick cell wall.
“She?”
“Lilith.” She answers on a breath, almost inaudible.
Knowing where Lilith is is crucial information I need, but how can I be sure she’s being honest? My eyes squint, and I bite my cheek as I study her.
“What’s your name?”
She eyes me warily, “Amelia.” She scoots herself further into the wall, using it as leverage to sit up straighter. I can tell she is extremely weak and will need the medic’s assistance immediately after leaving, too.
“Alright, Amelia, how about you tell me where she is, and I’ll get you out of here and to our medics for treatment.
” I offer. I plan on having all these women rescued as soon as I get the hell out of dodge, but I need the information she could offer, and maybe we’ll have a new recruit if she proves loyal.
“New Mexico,” She sniffs. “She’s underground. I would have to show you.”
“And how do you know this?”
Her wide eyes slowly move up to mine, staring through me, eerily like a demon.
Her entire demeanor has changed in a split second, causing my hackles to rise, and alarm bells are ringing, aside from the blaring security alarms. I remain crouched, but my spine stiffens, preparing for her to lunge or whatever is going through her mind.
The woman seems very unstable, which is expected after being abused down here for God knows how long.
The sound that leaves this woman’s clenched teeth can only be described as an animalistic growl from deep in her chest. “That’s where they take you when you’re a good girl.
” She takes a long, deep breath and continues, “You’re shipped out as a sex slave.
I made it there once, but after I learned what it was, I did everything to ensure I was brought back.
This version of Hell is better than that one.
” Her voice cracks as she finishes, tilting her head back to fight the inevitable tears.
As soon as I have Lilith in my hands, she will beg for repentance for her sins, but I’m not God, and I show no mercy. I’ll gladly deliver her to him myself.
After finding Amelia a gown in much better condition, we loaded up in one of the SUVs and came straight to the motel with the medic van.
“What is Jessie’s car doing here?”I shout at the group of my guys standing around chit-chatting instead of doing their fucking jobs. I have a feeling I already know the answer, and that would explain why I haven’t heard from her in hours, but until I hear it or see her myself, I won’t believe it.
Theo jogs away from the group to walk beside me.
“So, Jessie showed up unexpectedly.” He drawls.
Tension radiates through my body. He flinches when my head snaps in his direction, clearly seeing how absolutely furious I am that her departure got past all my security without them noticing.
That will be an issue quickly addressed when we get home.
“Where is she?” I grit out, my voice gravelly.
“Kelsey’s with Alice and Hayden.”
“And…Hayden?” I repeat slowly. Surely, I didn’t hear him correctly. Because the way he made it sound as though Hayden is with Kelsey during her exams, and that just wouldn’t be acceptable. My anger is growing more into a boil from the simmer when I learned Jessie had driven all this way alone.
It’s not Theo’s fault, but my brain doesn’t work rationally when I’m this infuriated. I snatch the front of his bulletproof vest and fist it close to his arm, jerking him closer until we’re nose to nose. “Do not tell me he is in there with her!” I growl.
Theo’s lips thin into a tense line, and that was all it took before I marched my ass straight to that van.
“Wait, man! Just hold on a minute.”
“So help me God if you try stopping me, it’ll be your ass on the line next to Hayden’s.” I threaten, my voice dripping venom.
Theo backs away with his hands in surrender. He remains a safe distance behind me, following silently. Swinging the door open, it reverberates off the side of the van, causing everyone inside to freeze like deer in headlights.
“You can’t…” Alice begins.
“Don’t,” I growl, pointing my finger at her, and she gulps loudly—the IV bag shaking in her trembling hands.
Hayden stands abruptly, walking from behind the gurney. “Let’s take this outside.” He says in that pacifying tone of his that I hate.
“How about we don’t? How about you take yourself outside, considering I had already warned you about this.”
“If you won’t listen to me, maybe you’ll listen to her, but she asked me to stay by her side.
She’s been terrified.” He explains. My eyes shoot to Kelsey, and hers immediately drop to her fidgeting hands in her lap.
For a split second, I follow her gaze. Seeing her bloody hands sends a pang of guilt through my chest, and I fight the urge to rub my chest at that pain.
“Well, I’m here now, and your presence is no longer needed.”
Hayden looks to Kelsey, who’s still heavily concentrating on her butchered fingers. “Do you want me to leave?” He asks her.
She doesn’t look up, doesn’t even acknowledge his question. She seems lost in her own world, hopefully not reliving whatever happened during the hours she was trapped at that house.
“Kels?” He prods.
“Perhaps this is too much for her. May I suggest…” Alice chimes in.
“No!” Hayden and I snap simultaneously. Alice sighs heavily and returns to hanging the bag of fluids connected to Kelsey.
She lays a gentle hand on Kelsey’s shoulder and squeezes.
Alice has the most calming effect on people.
It’s fitting for her job, considering she has seen the worst of the worst working with my team.
When you have somebody on the brink of death in your gurney, you need that calmness, so you can work efficiently and quickly.
Right now, her calmness is doing me no good, though.
I’m too far gone to come back from this fury with calm words and rationalizing.
“You need to leave, Hayden. I have things I need to discuss with Kelsey—alone.” Emphasis on the alone part.
He leaves hesitantly, slamming the door shut behind him. The doors we’ve encountered today have taken one hell of a beating.
“Kelsey. Can you hear me?” I speak softly. “Please nod or look at me.”
She nods once, and that’s good enough for me. “Can I tell you the reason why I wanted to keep you from us?”
Her glossy, dull eyes slowly trail up to meet mine. “I just want to sleep.” Her voice flat, and scratchy.
“Okay, we can talk tomorrow.”
After Kelsey drifted to sleep with the help of a low-dose sedative, I asked Alice about Kelsey’s health.
Kelsey has suffered a minor concussion, three broken ribs, a broken nose, and several superficial injuries, such as cuts and bruises.
Alice gave her a strong pain medication and instructed her to rest as much as possible.
By the look on Kelsey’s face when Alice said that, I can tell I will have the time of my life ensuring she gets the rest she needs.
I know it was hard for Kelsey to talk about what she endured at the hands of Rocky, but I’m glad she did. Now, I know precisely the first thing that will be done to that fucker when we get back to the office.
Alice quietly clears her throat before whispering, “Once this bag of fluids finishes, she will be good to go to her room.”
“Thanks.” I resume bouncing my leg, arms crossed, while lying back in the bench seat, staring at the beautiful woman in front of me. She may hate me now and may hate me forever, but she no longer has a choice but to deal with me. I’m not going anywhere, and she won’t leave my sight again.
Her IV pump beeps, signaling its completion, and Alice works on removing the catheter, trying not to wake her from her sleep.
“Would you like me to wake her?” She asks in a hushed tone.
I’ve already stood and prepared to carry her to our room.
“Not necessary. Thanks for your help.” Making sure Kelsey’s blanket is tucked tightly around her small body, I scoop her up with one arm under her knees and the other supporting her head, tucked cozily into my chest. I kiss her forehead, unable to hold it back any longer. She is all mine.
The rooms here aren’t much, but they suffice.
The beds are as good as sleeping on a box of springs on a garage floor, and the only lighting in here is a tiny table lamp that barely illuminates a third of the room.
After lying Kelsey in the creaky, I fill the sink with warm water and squirt a little complimentary body wash until the water is slightly sudsy.
Using one of the rags, I dip it in the water and hold it in my fist to keep it warm while I walk over to Kelsey’s sleeping body.
I start with her face, wiping away the dried blood and dirt.
I rinse the rag and repeat until Kelsey’s no longer covered in dirt and blood.
I don’t know how I managed it, but I was able to dress her in a clean t-shirt and sweatpants without waking her.
Choosing to let her sleep in the bed, I make myself comfortable in the armchair in the corner of the room.
As much as I want to lie next to Kelsey, I don’t want to push my luck that far yet, especially after what Rocky did to her.
So I admire her from a distance. I was so wrong about Kelsey.
She’s exactly what we needed—what I needed.
Kelsey rolled to her side, facing away from me, and I got to work.
After texting Theo to ask how Amelia is handling life outside of that prison, I texted Teegan about my plan to locate Lilith.
We’ll have to use Rocky and Graves to lure her to us, which should be easy enough.
Teegan erased all security footage of us ever being there, so she’ll have no idea we’re the reason Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum have gone missing.
Now, to get rest before we high-tail it back to North Carolina and get to work on the two jackasses unconscious in my trunk.