Ruined 24

Ruin

“Where the hell is she?” I screamed it in Truths face. I didn’t care that none of this was his fault. Same as he didn’t care that I was shouting right into his face.

It had been hours, and with every passing second, a pit of dread was opening in my stomach, threatening to swallow me whole. 

The longer she was gone the more it grew. Avery was in trouble I knew it. And where was I? Kicking my heels in the clubhouse when I should be out looking for her. I wasn’t used to sitting back and let others do the work for me.

It was killing me.

“We will find her, Ruin we will. You don’t even know for sure something is wrong.”

But I did know, same as I knew that if she was hurt, I would never forgive myself for letting her down again, even if she forgave me.

“I know, I know that son of a bitch Dean is hurting her.” 

“Dad’s hurting my mum?” Parker sounded small, like a lost boy. Whirling I held my hands out to him. I hadn’t even realised they were back. “Parker.” I took a step forward, I hadn’t meant for him to hear that. “You’re back, are you tired? Hungry?” I needed to change the subject and fast. He didn’t need to be worrying about his mum. He had enough to deal with without me putting that on his shoulders as well. 

“Where is my mum?”

I didn’t want to lie to him but the truth? I couldn’t tell him the truth either. 

“I’ll find her Parker.” I tried to keep my voice even but it broke near the end. I couldn’t help it. His brown eyes grew impossibly round. The fear in them palpable. 

I had to bring Avery home, for the boy in front of me.

“Do you promise?” Tears were falling silently from his eyes. He was trying not to cry, trying so hard to be strong and yet his heart was breaking. “Parker.” I gathered him to me. My hand pressing his cheek against my stomach. “I will find her and bring her home. She is going to be fine.” It was a promise I planned on keeping. 

“Come on Parker, let’s go and get you some food.” Wicked spoke from the doorway.

“Thank you.” I nodded my thanks to my oldest friend. 

“I’ll be back in ten minutes and you can fill me in.” He shot me a look. And I knew without a doubt he had my back. 

***

“Got her.”

My neck cracked I lifted my head so quickly. “You what?” 

“I said I got her.” Truth looked pleased with himself, swinging back on the chair so he was balanced precariously on two legs instead of four. “At least my contact thinks it’s her.”

“You’ve found her?” I had to say the words out loud, just to make them real.

“My contact saw someone matching her description.” He paused and a shadow passed across his face. “Went back and checked the number plates and its definitely Deans car.”

“How do you know his license plate?” I held up a hand. “Actually I don’t want to know.” I would never be surprised at the shit Truth could find out when he really put his mind to it. “Just tell me where she is so we can go and get her.”

And there was that shadow again. For someone who prided himself on always telling the truth, he was blatantly hiding something. “Truth?”

” it’s not good Ruin, the place he’s taken her. The only way I can describe it is a sex club.”

A sex club? Why in hell would Dean take Avery to a sex club? “Ok, well that’s not going to be hard to get into …”

He cut me off. “You don’t understand, I’m not talking a BDSM club. This is a member only place that…”

“Tell me Truth.” The sinking feeling was back in my gut. Like I was losing her with every second that went past.

“Torture Ruin, we are talking full-on torture, suspected snuff movies… it won’t be easy to get in and it will be even harder to get her out.” He shook his head. “Just what kind of sicko did Avery marry?”

It came back to me in a rush. What Sandra had said. How Dean liked to get women to dress up like Avery so he could punish them.  How many of them had he taken to this place, to hurt?

And what would he do now he had the real thing.