Page 32 of Bound By Consequences
“And?” Ryker questioned, his eyes moving to slits.
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “He knows me as Cyrus. We spent a night together, and I hadn't seen him again until tonight. I don’t even know his last name.”
“Tugger. His last name is Tugger,” Austyn said almost reverently, like the wheels in her head were still chugging. When her eyes lit, she knew without me having to say another word. “He’s Remy’s dad.”
Slowly my head shook, just as Ryker let out a “Fuck me,” while running his hands over his face and through his hair. Everything in the room seemed to amplify now that the secret was out.
“How do you know him? Why was he there?” I let the questions tumble from my lips. It wasn’t the time to ask about the beat-up face, but that would come soon enough. There had to be a reason this man just showed up out of nowhere and at a place where Remy and I were. It was too big of a coincidence. Shit like that didn’t just happen.
Being on edge since we left home, I always watched my surroundings. Always locked my doors. For this to happen wasn’t normal.
“Micah is Tug and Blaze’s kid. He just returned from the Marines a few weeks ago and moved back home,” Austyn announced.
Hand in the front of my hair, I stilled. Micah was part of the Ravage MC? His dad was Tug? No way. “You’re shitting me.”
“Afraid not. Another reason for me to beat the shit out of him again,” Ryker said, stunning me. While I knew Ryker was strong, I’d never seen him beat the shit, as he called it, out of anyone. I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. One part of me was warmed to the core to have him care so much that he would protect me from harm. On the other hand, I didn’t want Micah beat up, did I?
Ever since I ‘d reached out to Ryker for help, he’d been like a big brother to me, always there and helping me any way he could. We needed it badly in the beginning, and there was no way to ever repay him for his kindness.
My body shookas Sibyl and I made our way into the gas station. My older sister and I were haggard looking and only had a black garbage bag each. It was pitiful to only possess enough that one bag would hold the contents of our lives. That was the life we’d led. Simple things. Simple clothes. Simple everything.
There were only two nights I’d snuck out and let loose, but one of those nights changed everything
One night where I let go of every inhibition and threw caution to the wind. A night where I ended up pregnant. We’d escaped the house, but had nowhere to go.
“Can I use the phone please?” The clerk looked at me strangely, like I’d just jumped out of a movie or something. I knew I looked bad, but how bad was a shocker.
“Sure. You okay?” the older man asked, his gaze darting between me and my sister.
“Yes. I just need to make a call please.” I maneuvered my body so I blocked Sibyl from his view. She wasn’t to be gawked at. She might have been my older sister, but she was very new to outside life, and no one would take advantage of her.
He grabbed a cordless phone and handed it to me. “Let me know if you need anything.”
I didn’t waste time. Pulling up the sleeve of my shirt was the number I’d put there earlier in black marker.
“Where did you get it?” Sybil asked, eyeing the numbers.
“Out of Mom’s phone. I don’t know why she had it, but she did.”
I punched in the numbers and then listened to it ring. My hands became clammy, and nerves sparked everywhere with each beat that passed. He was our only hope at this point. No one at home would talk to either of us, and he was one of the few we knew who had escaped. Got away from the madness.
The seconds kept ticking by as a ball of dread hit my gut, making it stir. There was no plan B. There was nothing. Not one thing. He had to answer the phone.
Please let him answer the phone. I prayed over and over again in my head.
“Yeah,” the line picked up, and a deep male voice said on the other side. I was usually never nervous, but I was for this. What I was going to ask him was huge, and I’d probably never be able to thank him, if he chose to help us.
“Ryker, it’s Cyrus. Jeremiah’s daughter. Do you remember me?” Please let him remember me. He’d been gone for so long, and there was a chance he didn’t.
“Yeah. I remember.”
A relieved breath came out, and a small bit of weight came off my shoulders. “I need your help. Please.”
That was it.He found out my situation, set us up in a hotel, and picked us up bringing us to Sumner. I owed Ryker. So much. So, so much. More than I’d ever be able to repay him.
“Does he know about Remy?” Ryker asked me.
My head shook. “No. He doesn’t.” Fear iced my veins. I tried stilling my shaking, but it was no use. It kept coming in waves. Sure, the man was home from the service, but did that mean once he found out about Remy… “He’s not going to try to take my girl, right?”
