Page 127 of Kept in the Dark

Ryan put his cheek on hers, whispering in her ear, “I’m going to take your daughter and disappear. Maybe I’ll kill her…or maybe I’ll sell her to the highest bidder.”

He laughed as Hailey screamed and pleaded, rage engulfing her whole being. “Don’t you dare touch her! I swear I will murder you myself!”

Ryan was getting off on her pain and now Trinity was crying hysterically. Sara struggled to free herself as Hailey shrieked at Ryan, her cries echoing in the tiny room.

He gripped the knife and walked over to Trinity. She began screaming through her gag, trying to fight away from him but he only laughed as he cut her restraints.

Trinity quickly ripped the gag from her mouth as she kicked his groin and he fell back in a heap, dropping the knife. Hailey screamed, and in one swift motion, Sara lifted her arms above her head and brought them down against her stomach, breaking the zip ties.

Ryan pushed himself off the ground, his face contorted with rage. “You little bitch!”

“Run, Trinity! Run!” Sara screamed as she fumbled for the knife.

Trinity froze, terrified.

Ryan stood and charged at Sara. She raised the knife but as she brought it down, he stopped it. He slammed her hands into the wall in an attempt to get her to drop the weapon, but she grasped it tightly. She kneed his groin, and he howled, but the pain only added to his fury. His fist connected with her cheek and Sara screeched.

Hailey bolted toward Ryan and threw herself into him, knocking him away from Sara. The knife clattered across the floor. He shoved Hailey away from him and her body collided against the wall.

Ryan turned to chase after the knife, but Sara tackled him. She brought down blow after blow, his blood spurting all over her face and shirt. He smiled as he grabbed Sara by the hair and dragged her off of him, her screams piercing Hailey’s ears.

Hailey saw that Sara was growing increasingly tired as her twin commanded her body to fight, but it lagged with every movement. Hailey tried to get up, but she wasn’t fast enough.

Ryan rolled over and quickly crawled toward the knife as Sara scrambled to her feet and ran toward him.

Ryan’s fingers gripped the handle.

He pulled his arm back and drove it into her stomach.

Screams rippled through the room as Hailey put herself between Trinity and the horror she was witnessing.

Sara stumbled back into the wall, her hands clutching her stomach. Her eyes rounded and her mouth formed an ‘o’ as blood flowed from her mouth and around the wound. She slowly crumbled to the floor, her hands reaching behind her to catch herself.

Ryan laughed. “Is that all you’ve got, Sara? After all the stories I've heard, I expected you to have more fight in you. It’s okay, though. I’ll enjoy watching the life drain from your eyes. And then I’ll kill your sister and your niece.”

Slowly, she dragged herself from the ground, using the wall for support as her face contorted in pain.

“There she is,” he said with a smile. “The survivor.”

But her hands slipped on the blood, and she crashed back to the floor.

Ryan chuckled. “Maybe not a survivor, after all.”

Sara slowly lifted her head, her voice strained as she struggled to breathe. “I hope Trey fucking kills you, asshole.”

Hailey watched Sara’s eyes slowly close and her shoulders slump.

Ryan walked over to Trinity and forcefully grabbed her arm, blood still dripping from his face and hands. Hailey tried to fight him away, screaming as she did, but he threw her to the ground. He brought the knife to Trinity’s throat and Hailey immediately stilled.

He shoved Trinity into the corner of the room. “Sit,” he commanded. “If you so much as twitch the wrong way, I will kill your mother.”

Trinity’s eyes widened and looked at Hailey who nodded, trying to keep things from escalating.

He walked back to Hailey and gently poked her in the chest with the knife. Hailey muffled a cry and closed her eyes as Trinity squealed.

“I’m not playing around!” he yelled. “I will kill you if you do anything stupid.”

She didn’t know how to get them out of this, but she also had to trust that Trey would be there soon. Ryan was already unraveling quickly, and she didn’t want to do anything to set him off anymore.

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