Page 91 of Ruined

“Blake, stay here while we go check it out.” Jace turns around facing me.

My eyes focus on the cabin, the wind blowing the small bushes around. Why hasn’t Luna come out yet? Unless something is wrong and she’s not here. Or she’s dead.

“Blake!” Ryker barks.

My eyes snap to his and then Jace’s.

“Stay here.”

I give them a curt nod. Jace and Ryker give me a once over before climbing out of the car. My stomach is in knots watching them search around the front of the house before slowly entering it. Something is wrong, I can feel it. There’s a dreadful drop in my heart as I watch the door close.

Flashbacks of being kidnapped with Gabriel at Salem’s house threaten to take me over.

The feeling is almost the same, except I’m watching the two men that I love walk into the house.

I yank the door open. Standing on unsteady legs, I slowly make my way up the stairs. Taking a deep breath, I turn the doorknob as slowly as I possibly can, terrified to make any noise.

My eyes widen when I take in the mess of her living room. The coffee table is flipped upside down and broken. The TV is smashed on the ground and that’s not even the worst of it all. My feet carry me to the kitchen that is a complete mess. Broken glass covers the ground, appliances broken on the counter as if someone took a baseball bat to them.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Where are they?

I don’t see Jace or Ryker, which worries me more. My ears pick up on every little sound, but the house is eerily quiet. I don’t understand how it can be, not if they’re searching around for clues or for Luna.

I should just go back to the car. They told me to wait, and that’s what I should do. But before I can make it to the door, I hear a thump come from the room Jace and I stayed in.Don’t do it.

Turning around, the door is already cracked open. I press my palm against the door, slowly pushing it open, and the air gets sucked out of my lungs when I see Jace and Ryker lying on the ground.

I step forward, confused about what happened before something hard connects with my face. Stars fill my vision, and my knees hit the ground before I’m hit in the back of the head, knocked out cold.

Everything burns.

I try to blink my eyes open, only the pain in my skull makes it all worse.

The second thing I notice is my hands are zip tied behind my back. My head rolls to the side, swallowing a whimper that wants to escape my lips.

“Well, look who’s awake!” someone screeches.

Picking my head up, my eyes open, falling on Luna standing in the doorway.

I jerk my hands up, and the zip ties bite into my skin.

“I wouldn’t do that.” She laughs. I knew something was wrong and I should have just trusted my gut. I shake my head; confusion doesn’t even begin to cover the emotions swarming around inside.

“I didn’t think they’d bring you, but I can’t say I’m upset about it,” Luna tsks. At the mention of Jace and Ryker, my head circles around the room, searching for them. The last thing I remember is them lying on the ground; I never got the chance to see if they were even breathing.

“Don’t worry about Jacey and Ry.” She sighs. Bile rises in my throat at her having a stupid nickname for them. I have a feeling Ryker would kill her if she ever thought about calling him that to his face. Jace, I’m not so sure because Ryker calls him that. And I hate that I’m unsure how Jace would feel.

“Since you’re here alone, I want to have a little talk. You know, girl to girl.”

I’m not sure if she’s realized, but I don’t talk, and I won’t let the first time I scream be for her. Ryker claimed that part of me and it’s only for him.

“Why are they protecting you?” This is the first question she wants to ask? I roll my eyes, not caring that she’s the one who has the upper hand here.

“Don’t ignore me!” she screams, stomping her foot. Her mood switches so fast, it gives me whiplash. In a blink of an eye, she produces a knife, swiping it across my forearm. My teeth clamp down on my lip, stopping myself from crying out.Breathe, you’ve been through this before.

“I know you can speak!” she screeches, getting herself worked up. “I know you’re not deaf, and I don’t see any marks on your throat that would stop you from speaking…” She trails over, keeping her distance as she looks over me.

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