The Ritual

“Get in the car. Drive us,” the voice orders, picking me up. I feel that darkness closing in on me, finally allowing me some peace and quiet.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

RYAT

I’M DRIVING DOWN the highway, my eyes constantly going to the clock on my dash. The meeting at the house took longer than necessary. Now I’m having to haul ass to Blackout, making sure I get there before Blake receives her text about her initiation.

The sound of my phone ringing blares through the speakers. I see that it’s Ty. “Hello?” I answer.

“Ryat,” he shouts my name, and it instantly has my heart racing. “I don’t know what happened. Man, it was just a second—”

“Let me speak to Blake,” I interrupt him.

“I can’t.” He sighs heavily. “Ryat, she …”

“What the fuck happened, Tyson?” I snap, and Gunner is already pulling his cell out of his pocket, probably to call Sarah.

“We’re at the hospital. Meet us here. I gotta go.” He hangs up.

“She’s not answering,” Gunner growls, yanking the phone from his ear.

“Hang on.” I slam on the brake to take the exit that I was almost already past in order to turn around and go the opposite way.

Less than twenty minutes later, I bring my SUV to a screeching halt in front of the emergency room doors. Gunner and I both jump out. Entering, I find the nurse’s desk. “Blakely Rae Archer.” I shout her name, my hand banging on the surface. “She’s my wife!”

“Ryat?” I hear my name being shouted from down the hall.

“Never mind,” I tell the useless nurse and take off.

“Sir, you can’t …”

I ignore her and run toward Tyson. He stands in the center of the hall. “What in the fuck is going on?” I snap, but my eyes drop to the blood on his shirt, and I blink, trying to comprehend what I’m seeing. That can’t belong to my wife. I’ve been around it all my life, but right now, I feel like I’m going to get sick. The thought of something happening to her when I should have been there with her.

He raises his hands. “I don’t know what happened. I walked outside, and Sarah … she was screaming for help. Blake … she was bleeding …”

“Where is she?” I demand, about to punch him in the fucking face since he’s having problems getting out a single sentence.

“There.” He points at the door we stand outside of. “Gavin’s on call and already seen her.”

I shove it open and rush inside the room to find my wife lying in a hospital bed with Sarah sitting in a chair next to her, holding Blake’s hand. Her face is swollen and bruised, and she’s got stitches in various places.

“Sarah,” I say her name softly. Her makeup is smeared, her face red and splotchy.

“Oh, Ryat.” Letting go of Blake’s hand, she rushes over to me and throws her arms around my neck, almost knocking me a step backward.

I numbly pat her back while I look over my wife’s unconscious body. So small and vulnerable lying there in the bed. They haven’t cleaned her, so dried blood is caked all over her face and down her neck. Some even splattered on her arms and hands.

The door behind me opens, and Sarah pulls away from me. “Gunner.” She runs to him, and I walk over to her now empty chair and fall down into it. I take Blake’s warm hand and clasp it in mine. “What happened?” I ask again, hoping someone will tell me something.

“She wanted to get something from her car … we walked outside. But I forgot my phone.” She starts, pulling away from Gunner. “She drove me to the back of the building.” She hugs herself. “I was only gone a few minutes. When I came back, she was sitting in the driver seat … like this. I was … screaming.” Sarah shakes her head. “For anyone to help. She was just sitting there, covered in blood.” Looking over at Blake, fresh tears run down her face. “That’s when that guy came up to us …”

“Who?” Gunner interrupts her.

She points at the door. “The guy in the hallway. I don’t even know who he is. He pulled her out of the car and ran over to another one. He told me to get in and had me drive while he sat with her in the back.” She goes back to sobbing, and Gunner pulls her into him, hugging her tightly.

The door opens again, and I expect it to be Ty, and I open my mouth to tell him to get the fuck out, but it’s a different Lord. “Ryat. Gunner.” He nods to both of us.

“Dr. Gavin,” I say, releasing her hand and setting it on the bed.

“I have some X-rays I’d like to go over with you, if you have a second.” He holds the film in his hands.