Page 77 of Unraveled

I blinked, not sure I’d heard him right. “Um.” I looked up at Tucker, his expression telling me it was my decision. He’d support me either way. I just wasn’t sure. Tucker was so often against using his family connections, but he raised his brow, asking what I wanted to do. My teeth pressed into my bottom lip, worrying, not wanting my decision to cause tension, but when Tucker squeezed my elbow, reassuring me that it was my choice, I nodded.

“I’d really appreciate that. Thank you.” I smiled at his uncle, relieved not to be facing Zane and his cruel father alone.

“Perfect. Yes.” He and Chuck beamed. “Like a welcome to the family thing. Even had to help my dad bury some skeletons about Tucker over this guy you’ve filed against last December. So, it’s probably a good thing I’m there in case anything gets dragged up.”

My stomach suddenly felt sick. “Excuse me. Bathroom.”

I slipped past Tucker, hearing Chuck call him to stay back, and hurried inside to duck into the bathroom downstairs. Pacing for a moment, I forced a few deep breaths to calm myself down. How did I not know that Tucker’s grandpa and uncle had to step in last December? Or was it something I’d been told and just forgotten in the haze of that time?

Not that it mattered now. Tucker was fine. I just didn’t want this hearing to provoke any retaliation from Zane.God, I wish I knew how Mom and Uncle Blake knew his dad.If it would have any effect on the outcome.

You’re overreacting. It’s fine. That restraining order is going to go through against Zane, and you’re going to live the rest of your life in peace away from him. He’s even getting help.

Nodding, convincing myself, I finally peed and quickly washed up to head back out to the party.

“Just a sec. I’ll be out after I piss.”

I came face-to-face with Ryder when I opened the bathroom door.

My entire body froze. So did his. Then his lips came up in a twisted smirk, and he leaned against the doorjamb, his large body blocking me inside the small room.

Air. There wasn’t air.

“Look who it is. Little miss fuck my cousin up in the head. Guess I’d ask how you do it, but we all know you’ve got him addicted to that snatch of yours. Can’t say I blame him.” His eyes raked over me, lingering as they dragged slowly down every curve of my body. I wanted to curl into myself. Hide. But there was nowhere.

“I thought you wanted to make amends?” I set my jaw, one of the few parts of my body I could move as I glared.

“Ah, gorgeous, that wasbeforeyou played favorites. You think Micah’s that much better than me?” He leaned in, and my body took an involuntary step back. “That we all should bow to the fucking snatch queen and who she deems worthy?” He stuck an arm out, and my back hit the wall as he pinned me in.

And like a shot, my vision faded, spinning back through the fleeting, haunting images. Sound and smells from the nights he’d assaulted me fresh around me, like I wasthere, reliving them instead of trapped in a bathroom, just seconds away from whatever he’d planned next.

“The fuck is taking you so long?”

The door smacked the rest of the way open, and I sucked in a breath, the present sweeping over me like a wave. My legs gave out, and I sank to the floor as Ryder was torn away.

“What the actual fuck?” Micah hissed, throwing his brother back against the door, pinning him up by the grip on his shirt as he closed us in. “Yousworeyou weren’t going to do this shit anymore. After all the shit Dad just did to save your ass,ourasses over what you did, you couldn’t even make itfiveminutes here without pulling something. Onherespecially. If there was ever a girl for you to leave alone, it’sher. Izzy. Annie. Off limits. You selfish asshat.”

“Everything okay in there?” I heard Nic through the door.

“You okay, Izzy?” Micah said over his shoulder. I just nodded. “Izzy?”

“Izzy?” Nic sounded alarmed now.

“Izzy, you gotta talk to us.”

“I’m fine.” But the words sounded far from it.

“Fuck. I’m getting him out of here, Izzy. Hang on.” He yanked Ryder forward to open the door. “Say a single damn word, and I will tell Dad and Uncle Chuck and every person here all the shit you’ve done,” Micah growled at his brother. Ryder just sneered back, but he kept his mouth shut. “I mean it.” He shoved his brother out and looked at Nic. “Check on her.”

Nic was kneeling beside me in a heartbeat, and I leaned my head against his chest from my place on the floor.

“Izzy, are you okay?” He patted my back like he wasn’t sure it was safe.

“I will be. Can you find Tucker? Or Annie?”

“Of course.” He helped me lean against the wall and rushed out, but Tucker must have already been on the way because he was there what felt like just seconds later.

“I’m gonna kill him.”

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