Over the next few days though, they barely ever saw each other.
Bree was caught at work with the deadline beats and clamouring clients bombarding them with work, so she was barely ever at home.
And Ryder had himself invested in his purpose for being back here.
He planned to be done from here as soon as possible and get out before the press sees through Marrow's plan and come raging for him.
He'd gone to see Roger, the lawyer guy, on hastening the liquidation process.
With that cleared, he'd just have to take his strikes and finally take a break from revenge.
That shit only served to drain, leaving nothing in its wake except an emptiness that can never be filled.
That's why he needed to be done sooner rather than later, it'd be easier to deal with now.
With what he already had in his arsenal, it just took getting his hands dirty and getting in one too many back doors to have everything he needed to see Brandon crawl.
He c
Bree came to, in a strange, dark room that was awfully unfamiliar. And she knew of course that she wasn't in here of her own will, something had happened and she didn't believe for a second that it was any good. Without a pause, the memories of God knows how long ago came flooding back into her head. "Oh God." She gasped, of course she's been kidnapped. She remembered closing from the office a little later than the normal 5pm and that's because it's that time of the year when most of the businesses in town decides they want their accounts done and drawn in the shortest time possible. And all that achieves, is dump a lot of work load on the tables of innocent accounting firm employees and putting them under a lot of pressure, she for example. She'd spent the whole day breaking her back on her not so comfortable office chair, her eyes glued to her system and her brain racking to balance numbers for insane hours with no break. Eve
That was it, that was how she ended up here. It was that car, the stupid looking salon car and the even worse looking men that had come out from it, they had kidnapped her. It didn't make any sense to her that they did though, there's currently nothing to her name that'll make anyone want to kidnap her. For fucks sake she doesn't even have the basic - money! So if this whole shenanigan is for the reason of ransom, it'll be a big joke because there's basically no one who'll care enough to pay for her to live. At least not her father, or Cole and definitely not Ryder. The latter will probably see her absence as good riddance. She moved tentatively to the door, careful not to make any sounds and alert whoever else was in the house of her now consciousness. She'll be in luck if the door comes open and even better if she can make it out of here without being captured again. That one will be a difficult task seeing as
It didn't make sense to Ryder that she wasn't back yet and the later it got the clearer it became that something must have happened to her. It felt like a sucker punch to his gut thinking of her being hurt and helpless. Fuck, he didn't want anything happening to her, he already blames himself for hurting her too much, to add the guilt of having her get harmed on his watch would be hell. Snatching his phone off the table, he dials Jonas as he goes to grab his key too. If there's anybody that can find her, it's that guy and currently, he's Ryder's best bet. Jonas' can find anything in the face of earth given the right information, including the idiomatic needle in haystack. His call got answered on the third ring, just as he makes it outside to his car, a groggy voice coming from the receiving end. "What do you need this time, Ry?" Jonas drawled over the line grumpily. "For your info, I was just about to have dinner. You
He didn't waste any time making the necessary calls, the earlier he got the guys together, the earlier they could go rescue Bree from that bastard, Brandon. He hated the idea of her being under the same roof with the man, it disgusted him to imagine the length Brandon can go to get revenge. His plan had been to round up Jonas' men and go bursting into Park's residence, making the rest up as they go, but Marco the seeming leader of the group he'd gathered wouldn't hear of it. The man was a raw strategist, a ground and fine one at that, and he took care of every detail before going into anything, Ryder came to realise. And while that was a fine asset in the business they were involved in, it wasn't what Ryder needed at the moment. With men like Brandon, every minute counted because the bastard could be as volatile as hell. He'd know from experience. He could still close his eyes and relieve the horror he'd endured at his hand, li
It was the early hours of the morning before they finally shut down planning and the other guys set out for their destination. Marco had been intense enough to assure him of a higher success rate He'd wanted to go with them, had fought the man on the subject, but the other man had somehow managed to make him see how that wasn't going to be a good idea in the end. They needed him back here, doing his thing, disabling security systems and alarms while they go in and save her. Though they both hated to admit it, Philippe was right, he was going to be a liability to them since he didn't have half the level of training and expertise these men did on hostage rescue. And he was already in Brandon's bad book for confronting him at the bar of Montgomery's. He wouldn't even be surprised if the bastard had figured out exactly who he is and was using the kidnap as a stage to lure him in. With his face buried in his work, he had his f
Breaking into the house of Brandon Parks was not s difficult as Marco and his men had envisioned it would be. Thanks to Ryder's efforts on his end, there had been no alarms going off in their faces or anything, a the directives of the man he had inside, they'd known to remain in the shadows still, avoiding the men that guarded the house. So far it's been a smooth operation and he was looking forward to having it remain like this to the end. It's be slightly difficult for them if those guys outside got involved because they'd be out numbered in the fight and under armed. He hated the idea of having a young, innocent female in the same building as the snake, Brandon, though, and that was half the reason he'd taken this job in the first place. The other half was personal. With any luck, he wouldn't have to come face to face with the man himself because he didn't trust himself to hold back from killing that bastard and damming the co
Bree had her eyes pinned shut, saying a silent little prayer as the man called his pigs back into the room.This was it, the end of the road for her and it only made her sad because she never got her revenge.Down to the end, she'd been a prey, she'd allowed herself to be used by her father and his friends and now this man, without putting up a fights.She was the girl that didn't get away.Maybe this devil will let her live beyond this moment, but in the end, she was still at his mercy and he'd kill her off when he didn't need her body anymore for entertainment.He'd made it clear afterall that that was all he wanted from her, as revenge for turning him down at Montgomery's.Since when as that a crime though?The door to the room came open as two men reentered the room, these different from the ones that had brought her in here initially.At least she would have recognized the horny idiot, Isco and his equally horny mate if it
That bastard had tried to touch her!That had been the first thought to storm Ryder's mind as the big black guy they called Rox put Bree's small, sleeping body in his arms.He knew without a doubt that he was right because shirt was missing buttons, like someone had forcibly tried to rip the damn piece of clothing off her body and it made him mad.He wanted to hit something, preferably the face of the scumbag responsible for this, but he had her in his arms now and he was schooling himself to accept that was enough, for now.It killed him to imagine how scared abdshe must have been being at the mercy of that Savage swine and he couldn't beging to understand why anyone would want to harm this little, lovely being.His little one.He owed a lot to Marco and his men who had risked their own lives to save her, but Brandon owed him a life, his life and he'd vowed to make sure the man pays in every way possible.Now more than ever.H
Her box laid open in the middle of their bed while Bree went around the room, taking anything she thought she'd need and throwing them inside it.She's procrastinated this packing for a while now but it needed to be done and as a matter of fact now that Ryder was still at the office.She didn't want him to come home and find she was the only one delaying the vacation he'd taken the whole month to plan for them.Yeah, a vacation, more like a honeymoon except the kids, Karen and Issy, the new nanny, were coming too.In the couple of years that's passed, a lot has happened, none of which she regretted one bit.Not learning how damaged how husband had been before he waltzed into her life or that his plan had been to use her as pawn in his schemes to get revenge, none of it.That last part had hit harder than the rest, knowing that she could have so easily suffered for the crimes of someone who didn't even give two piece of flying shit about her.She'd taken her time to digest that piece
"You know you'll never hurt Xander, right?" She asked him quietly, and honestly, she had no idea what that did for him.He didnt know that, he's been afraid of that since he knew he was expecting a soon too and maybe, just maybe, that has affected his relationship with his baby.He wondered if she'd noticed, all the times he'd opt to hold Lexie instead of him, afraid that whatever had made his father get so awfully abusive to him might be nestled somewhere inside him.What if it was a bad trait living inside him too, waiting to grow and make him a monster too?It was the sole reason he hadn't wanted kids, ever, but Bree had come into his life and many things had changed with her presence.She'd made him want things that he had no right wanting, made him be live he deserved some good things in his life and now here they were, with two kids, one of them a boy......just like he'd been."I need you to understand this Ry, you'll never be like your father. You are a good man, one of the best
Bree knew that Ryder had gone through a lot growing up, hrll she knew he had had it tough growing up and has dealt with his fair share of traumatic experience, but abuse at ten?That was a lot to digest.It must have been so difficult for him, a different kind of hell even to loose the one person that genuinely loved him and have the other person who was supposed to love him now resort to abusing and molesting him instead.She couldn't stop the tears that rolled down the sides of her face as she listened to him tell it in that voice of his that couldn't choose between indifference, anger and pain.She could imagine him, so innocent, so small, so hurt and yet do afraid of the monster he calls father.No wonder his father snd hers had gotten so along together and had even made it as close friends.They were both bad pedophilic men, cut from the same nasty cloth.".......and just when I thought it couldn't get worse, he started bringing his friends over."Her breath caught in her throat s
Before he got into bed, Ryder had already made up his mind to tell Bree everything that she wanted to know about him and why he turned out the way he did.He didn't want a fight like the last time, that had been an absolute hell, and he didnt want to let his past keep winning.He wanted to get it out there, he needed to.This morning had shown him that, he might never be over those horrid incidents but it would be better to know he tried.And if he had to share it with anyone, then why not her? Why not the woman he was ready to spend the rest of his life with?Even though he hasn't popped the question, he knew that was his truth, he's been ready for that step for a while now and he'd ask her anytime from now."Baby please...."Her voice called his mind back from wandering off.He opened his mouth to, but the words weren't coming, his tongue sat heavy in his mouth, unmoving, while the forbidden images he's fought so hard to keep at bay flooded his head.His hand that held her close sque
Bree didnt know which bothered her the most this night between a tantrum throwing Xander who wouldn't calm down to anything and a Ryder she'd watched all day start to recoil into himself.But she'd be damned if he thought that she'd let him do that to both of them again.Not this time around, no.It was surprising still how fast his mood had swung from after she found him in the sittingroom with the last people on earth she expected to see today.He'd been okay at first, talking with them and even playing smug with her when she'd called him out on knowing they had guests snd not mentioning.But as the discussion in the room had settled more between herself and Larry, encompassing how much things had changed back home from when she left up until now and stuff, she'd noticed the start of his withdrawal. By the time Larry had come around filling her in on what had been decided on the case of her father, Nathan and Brandon, he'd been about ready to combust.She'd noticed, and before she c
The rest of the day passed in a blur for Ryder, centered around the two new men in the house and the babies they came to visit, mostly.It was nice to see Bree around other people that wasn't him and the kids, to see her around her own crowd.She needed this, he knew, because in these past months it's been just himself, the kids and Karen in her life, which wasn'tideal for anyone really.It must have been difficult for her, not having anyone or anywhere to go, especially in the times he'd been an absolute asshole to her and she must have needed someone to vent to, but she'd endured it without complaint.He hated that she had though, she should have said something, done something, but she hadn't and he couldn't even lay the blames at her doorstep now.He'd been all that she'd had here, away from her family, biological and adopted, and he'd fucked up royally.These thoughts and accusations in his head while he watched her bloom like a flower having its first taste of sunshine in a while
The memory of what happened in the bathroom stayed with Bree while she had her soak in the tub and an accompanying nice bath, making her flush every now and again.She never expected it to feel this good again, but Ryder had broken every of her doubts with how easily he'd made her body sing and how intensely he'd made her come.Her legs still felt shaky even after time had passed and she was out of the one room that now held a different memory for her.She'd worried that he didnt want her anymore since the babies came and mentally, she blamed it on her postpartum body and the scar that lined her flesh, the scar that marked her first step into motherhood.And those thoughts had almost made her hate it and herself too.But this morning, barely an hour ago, he'd shown her that she'd been worrying for nothing really.Her body ached sweetly even as she got dressed up, still humming from his sinful ministrations.The room was empty which means he'd taken the babies with him on his way out, s
"Then stay."That sentence, made only of two words, in that moment, sounded more powerful than any argument Ryder could think of.He wanted to, fuck, he's dreamed of staying, like she was asking him to and doing the things she was suggesting, but the fears he'd parroted to her were real for him.He didn't want to hurt her, shes been through enough in recent times to add that to her plate and he knew he might with how rough this could easily turn.She had no idea what she did to him, to his control and without it, he could do things that both of them would only regret later....While his head turned and tossed the pros and cons of indulging their flaming desires and fantasies right now, his eyes followed her body's slow descent until she dropped to her knees before him.She looked like an angel to him, in fact to him she was one, just naughtier and more tempting to his already thin control.Her dainty fingers reached up to the waistband of the sweatpants he had on and he just watched as
"Ryder.......please......"Bree could hardly believe the voice saying these words belonged to her.She sounded so different to her own self and that was probably because it's been a long while since she's had Ryder touch her like this.She was almost beginning to think they'd hit a drought in their sex life before this morning happened.The no sex rule made sense during her recuperation period she could understand, but even before that and then after, he'd still been reluctant to touch her in an suggestive way.It had bothered her enough to make her believe it was because she looked hideous to him now with her scars and all, but the eyes that had taken in every inch of her body just minutes ago had cleared her of worries.He wanted her snd he wasn't hiding that either.She arched her body as his fingers found her other nipple, catching it between his forefinger and his thumb and rubbing it mercilessly till she thought she'd come from the pleasure.Initially, she'd been afraid she might