Page 53 of Bound By Secrets

“Nice to see you too, buddy,” Ryker says, smirking at my brother. I watch as he pushes past Connor, inviting himself into my home. My eyes quickly dart to each doorway as I expect someone to pop out, but no one does. My body relaxes, and Ifocus on my eyes on the floor, keeping my face covered, as Ryker walks towards me.

“Hey, Pretty Girl.” His arms wrap around me and I pull away from him, hunching over with a grimace on my face. “Callie, what’s wrong?”

I attempt to straighten back up to show that I’m fine, but that’s when he must notice my face. His eyes flare with anger and I watch the muscle in his jaw ripples.

“I’m fine, honestly. Just a little bruised,” I tell him, trying to brush it off. He lifts a hand and caresses my jaw, running his thumb underneath my bruise. “What are you doing here?”

His shoulders slump, and he hangs his head, releasing a deep sigh.

“Johnny called me. He’s still a few miles away, so I came here instead.” He pushes a hand into his hair, tousling it. “I, uh, came here to talk to you about something.”

I raise a questioning brow, and he chuckles nervously, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. “Well, Johnny told me about your phone call with him and then he called the detective… The police don’t have Fraser. We do. He’s, uh, he’s tied up in Johnny’s shed,” he blurts.

My mouth gapes open in shock as I stare at him. Surely he’s not serious.

Connor fakes a laugh and closes the front door before striding over to us, slapping Ryker on the back. “That’s a good joke, mate. Seriously, why are you here?”

“I’m serious, he’s been there since Saturday night. Detective Johnson’s gonna collect him tonight and take him into custody,” he says, cautiously looking between me and Connor.

I search Ryker’s face for any hint of a lie and find nothing. I feel my eyes start to tingle as my chest fills with emotions. I blink multiple times to try and dismiss the glossiness that’s beginning to cover my pupils.

“Holy shit, you’re actually telling the truth!” Callum says in disbelief.

Ryker nods, his gaze glued to mine, watching me and waiting for a reaction. He won’t find any reaction from me, though. My brain is too busy fitting all the different pieces of the puzzle together.

This is what’s kept him busy for the past few days.

He didn’t leave, he wasn’t hurt. He’s spent his time doing god knows what, but he’s managed to catch Fraser and hand him into the police. He’s the reason that my Dad has left and taken all of his followers with him. He’s the reason that we’re safe, for the time being.

More tears well in my eyes, causing them to burn, and I feel my bottom lip wobble as I try to talk. I sink my teeth into it, trying to contain the onslaught of emotions bubbling inside me. When a tear trickles down my cheek, Ryker steps closer to me, swiping it off my cheek with his busted-up knuckles.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers, his sorrowful gaze boring into mine. A choked sob releases from my throat and I throw myself into his chest. His strong arms wrap around me as I burrow my head into him, deep guttural cries suddenly pouring out of me.

The hug hurts, but I don’t pull away. I need him to hold me up whilst I break apart in his arms.

I know that this is far from over. I know that we’re still not safe because my father and Cameron are still out there somewhere. But for now, they’re gone. Every emotion I’ve bottled up over the years is ripping its way out of my body. I finally feel like I can let it all out now that none of those monsters are around. I couldn’t give them the satisfaction of knowing how much they’d truly broken me over the years.

All of the tears and the screams that I’d kept inside of myself when Fraser was raping me or when I was being beaten black and blue are now releasing themselves. My cries are hoarse andloud as I crumble in Ryker’s arms with tears cascading down my face, soaking his top.

After a few minutes, I hear Ryker’s softly spoken words, “I’ve got you, Callie. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

They seem to soothe something inside of me, calming my erratic sobs. I cling to him, hands gripping his t-shirt to keep him close to me. My breaths are choppy and my swollen face is wet with both tears and snot as my crying slowly begins to subside.

“Just breathe, Callie. Deep breaths.” His hands glide along the length of my back as his soft whispered words wash over me.

When I finally begin to calm down, I start to feel the burning of my ribs and the pulsing in my legs from when I hit the basement floor. I screw my eyes shut and gently wipe my face against Ryker’s top.

“You okay, Little C?” Callum’s voice is shaky and unsure. I bob my head, still not removing it from Ryker’s chest.

“I’ll give you a little extra time, go get you some pain meds and more ice or something.” I choke out a ‘thank you’ and then hear two sets of footsteps stomping in the direction of the kitchen.

“What do you need right now, Pretty Girl?”

“I-I don’t know,” I tell him truthfully, I have no idea what I need at the moment, I’m not even totally sure why I’m crying. “I think I might g-go have a s-shower.” I’ve cried so hard that I sound like I’m freezing cold when I talk with my shaky breathing and stuttered words.

Ryker pulls back, creating a slither of space between us so that he can kiss my forehead. “Go do what you need to do, I want to talk to Connor and Callum anyway.”

I nod my head but still don’t remove myself from between his arms. I’m worried I'll have an emotional breakdown again once his comfort is gone.

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