He didn’t just do what I think he did. Did he? I’ve woken from a nightmare, right? That can’t be right. No way can it be right. I’ve been in bed for days, gluing myself to it, unable to move due to my depression. I need to get something to help me. My mother has never cared, and admitting to her out loud that there’s something wrong with me would make her care for me even less than she already does.

Stiles knocked on my door a few times, but I never answered. My mother hasn’t been home all week, until today. She took one look at me and shook her head, telling me she couldn’t deal with me, then proceeded to leave. I don’t have time to dwell on her, I don’t really care. But now my heart is hammering as I watch Ryken drive away.

The noise outside my window pulled me from my bed, the same one I haven’t been out of for days. A small rock hits it, making me get up. And there he was, my dark angel, carrying another girl to his car like he’s the angel of death.

Maybe he is.

Maybe I’ve been blind.

But seeing him after so long had me almost speechless as I watched him. Then I stood there as he drove away with a girl I know. One I only spoke to the week before. Running inside, I grab my set of keys quickly, pulling on some shorts and trying to catch up to them. They aren’t hard to miss, after all, the car is bright and the only one on the road this time of the night.

It comes to a stop in front of me, and I watch as he gets out, then Quinn follows. Something in me is telling me to stay where I am. I don’t, though. Instead, I get out and walk straight over to them. They open the trunk, and when they do, I’m standing right behind them. The trunk pops, and there isn’t just Sheryl in there, no, it’s her sister as well. Hands clamp on my arm, pulling me back as it closes around my throat. Quinn’s who I see first, he looks to me then to whoever has me, then a gun is pulled from his pocket. He seems unsure until I see him. Ryken doesn’t hesitate and pulls his gun out, shooting the man who has me in a chokehold. Blood splatters all over me. I can feel each drop run over my face and even through my hair. I’m frozen to the spot. The man who was holding me drops to the ground. And as my ears are ringing, a hand touches me, but I can’t hear what they’re saying.

“Barbie...” His voice breaks through just as other voices start to yell.

Quinn picks me up like a toy and throws me in the back of his car then slams the door. My hands grip my ears harder, trying to get rid of the ringing sensation. That’s when I hear the yelling. It’s louder, followed by another gunshot. Looking up, I see Quinn standing in front of Ryken. Ryken’s gun is pointed toward a few men who are currently looking in my direction. I hear them speak. It sends shivers through my body.

“You better hand her over, Ryken.”

His head shakes as Quinn stands in front of him. He’s holding him back, I see that now.

The guy’s head shakes as he looks at Ryken. “That won’t work, you know the rules. You broke them for her. Now a life is owed.” Ryken goes to step forward, but Quinn holds him in place.

“That won’t work,” he says it again with so much anger that even with my hearing loss, I can hear the anger emanating in his voice.

“A debt must be paid, Ryken. The Lord name carries with it responsibilities, and they pay their debts. Ask your father.”

Quinn finally steps to the side. But his eyes find mine before they go back to Ryken. I want to hide even more than I am.

“You will get your debt paid. Two girls right now.”

They shake their heads. “It doesn’t work like that. They are part payment. I’ll take you as payment. For one year.”

What do they want him for?

Quinn says something in a hushed tone. They nod their heads then take the girls, and they start walking off. Leaving me sitting in the back of their car, waiting for him to get in. For him to yell at me. For him to tell me how I made the whole situation worse than what it already was.

It doesn’t come, though. Ryken opens the door, my keys in his hand as he holds them out for me to take.

“I didn’t....”

He shakes his head for me to shut up. I do so, getting out when everyone else has left.

“The girls?” I ask, looking around for them.

“Gone.” He shuts the car door, slamming it.

Quinn gets into the driver’s seat, starting the car as I stand next to it still waiting for him to yell at me for following him and being so damn stupid.

“I didn’t mean...”

He shakes his head at me. “Leave Barbie, I have shit to deal with now.”

“What did you do with those girls, Ryken?”

He turns, slamming his hands hard on the car. “Fucking leave, Barbie. Now. I won’t fucking tell you again.”

He scares me.

Ryken’s never made me that scared before. Not even when he shot right next to my head. Now, he’s more than angry. He’s furious. Taking a step back, he walks around the car getting in. The keys in my hand shake as I watch him drive away.

Getting in my car, I drive back home. Locking myself in my room, I hope those girls are not as dead as that man whose blood is currently still on me.

***

IT’S MORNING BY THE time I shower. I slept with it all over me. The blood was dry in my hair, and I’m not even sure I’ve gotten it all out.

Now I’m in my car driving. Pulling up to his house, I get out, not exactly sure what I plan to say, or even do, if he opens the door. But my feet take me up to his front door anyway. Knocking, I wait for it to open. It does, and Ryken’s standing in nothing but a pair of boxers, rubbing his eyes as he looks up at me. His face goes stoic, and I hear more footsteps, but choose to not acknowledge them.

“We need to talk.”

He shakes his head at me. “I need to fucking sleep.”

“We need to talk.”

“Sass?” My breath hitches and my spine straightens as I see her come around the corner. Livia’s wearing his clothes, and she’s looking at me accusingly as I stand at her boyfriend’s front door. “Why are you here?”

I look back to him.

He sighs heavily then turns to Livia. “You need to leave.” Her mouth drops open like she can’t believe what just came out of his mouth.

“You’re joking, right?”

He shakes his head. “Now, Livia, I’ll call later.”

She turns, walking away as I stand and wait for him to speak to me. He doesn’t, we remain in a stand-off just staring at each other. She comes down still dressed in what she had on, and smacks his chest, then pushes past me.

Livia stops to look back at me. “You’re fucking everything up, Sass. It was good while you weren’t here. Why are you back?”

I shake my head, unable to answer her. She leaves, and we still stay in the same position, waiting for one of us to speak.

“What do you want, Barbie?”

“You killed a man,” I say. He steps in and allows me to enter. I follow him, and he shuts the door behind me.

It happens in slow motion like I see it coming but don’t expect it to come. His hands push my hips backward until they slam against the front door then his lips are on mine as one hand tangles through my wet hair, pulling at it. Our mouths move, and we breathe each other in, tongues colliding and lips smashing until they hurt. Breathing him in until I realize what I’m doing and push him away. He lifts just enough, so our lips aren’t locked, but his body is still connected to mine. His hand still in my hair, his other on my hip.

“You killed a man,” I reiterate.

“For you,” he says, moving the hand on my hip to trace my hip bone with his fingers.

“You didn’t have to kill him, Ryken.”

“I’d do it again.”

“What did that man mean, you owe him?”

He lets me go and steps back from me. “Why are you here, Barbie? You have no idea what you’ve done.” He looks past me to the stairs then back to me. “I’m leaving, and when I finally return, I never want to see you again. Do you understand?”

Shaking my head at his words. “No.”

He huffs, his chest rises and falls, and I want to run my hands down it. But then I remember Stiles and withdraw from what I want to do. I’ve been good for a year. Stiles has been good to me as well. But I must admit our relationship is coming to an end. He must know it as well. I plan to finally bring up the courage and tell him soon.

“What do you mean, no? You don’t understand?” He looks up the stairs again then back to me. “You interfered in something you shouldn’t have. You’re lucky you’re still alive. You’re lucky you haven’t been collected.”

“Collected?” I say, murmuring what he’s said.

“Yes. We collect. It’s what I do. You interfered with that last night. These men aren’t nice men, Barbie. They’re the ones that lock you in a basement and won’t feed you for days if you talk back. They will let you sit in your own filth, and they don’t give a flying fuck about it.”

“You sold those girls.”

He nods his head. Just as I go to ask him another question, his father’s voice echoes through the house. “What have you done?”

Ryken turns to look up to him. His father doesn’t look great. Actually, he looks like he’s about to fall down any second now. Just as I go to say something, he does just that, falls down the stairs. Ryken runs to him. I call an ambulance on my cell as the front door opens, and Livia walks back in. She looks to me, there’s a look of hatred on her face. Then she stares at Ryken and his dad, but when she realizes what’s happening, she runs to his side.

“You did this,” Livia says, her teeth bared as she looks to me. I shake my head. His father waves his hand at Ryken to get away, as Ryken stands and walks over to me. Livia follows close behind him. Pulling Livia to him, so she is standing right next to him, they both look at me. Livia has so much animosity for me I can’t bear to even look at her. He wouldn’t have told her, so why she hates me, I still don’t understand.

“I want you to leave, Saskia,” she says.

I look at him, waiting for confirmation. Looking down, she squeezes his hand, and he blinks a few times then looks to me.

“We’re leaving. Don’t ever contact us again. The damage is done.” It’s all he says. Livia looks to him, not understanding, but still agreeing with his words.

“Your father.”

“Is dying,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. My hands fly to my mouth as he turns to look back to his father who’s now sitting with Quinn next to him.

“I’m sorry,” I say while stepping back.

“You aren’t, but its sweet of you to say so. We’re engaged now. So you need to stay away, Saskia,” Livia says.

My head nods like I understand. I don’t. I have no clue what’s happening right now.

He’s leaving.

They are leaving.

His father is dying.

A man’s blood is still in my hair.

What’s happening?

Turning, I walk to the door. She shuts it as I go, slamming it. I hear the ambulance and run to my car.

Calling Stiles, I know what I must do.

I don’t love him. It isn’t fair to continue.

That right there just proved it.

And that was the third and final break of my heart.

He’s engaged.

He doesn’t love me.

He loves her.

Crack.