Distorted Love (Dark Intentions Duet 1)

“You better hand her over, Ryken.”

His head shakes as Quinn stands in front of him. He’s holding him back, I see that now.

The guy’s head shakes as he looks at Ryken. “That won’t work, you know the rules. You broke them for her. Now a life is owed.” Ryken goes to step forward, but Quinn holds him in place.

“That won’t work,” he says it again with so much anger that even with my hearing loss, I can hear the anger emanating in his voice.

“A debt must be paid, Ryken. The Lord name carries with it responsibilities, and they pay their debts. Ask your father.”

Quinn finally steps to the side. But his eyes find mine before they go back to Ryken. I want to hide even more than I am.

“You will get your debt paid. Two girls right now.”

They shake their heads. “It doesn’t work like that. They are part payment. I’ll take you as payment. For one year.”

What do they want him for?

Quinn says something in a hushed tone. They nod their heads then take the girls, and they start walking off. Leaving me sitting in the back of their car, waiting for him to get in. For him to yell at me. For him to tell me how I made the whole situation worse than what it already was.

It doesn’t come, though. Ryken opens the door, my keys in his hand as he holds them out for me to take.

“I didn’t….”

He shakes his head for me to shut up. I do so, getting out when everyone else has left.

“The girls?” I ask, looking around for them.

“Gone.” He shuts the car door, slamming it.

Quinn gets into the driver’s seat, starting the car as I stand next to it still waiting for him to yell at me for following him and being so damn stupid.

“I didn’t mean…”

He shakes his head at me. “Leave Barbie, I have shit to deal with now.”

“What did you do with those girls, Ryken?”

He turns, slamming his hands hard on the car. “Fucking leave, Barbie. Now. I won’t fucking tell you again.”

He scares me.

Ryken’s never made me that scared before. Not even when he shot right next to my head. Now, he’s more than angry. He’s furious. Taking a step back, he walks around the car getting in. The keys in my hand shake as I watch him drive away.

Getting in my car, I drive back home. Locking myself in my room, I hope those girls are not as dead as that man whose blood is currently still on me.

IT’S MORNING BY THE time I shower. I slept with it all over me. The blood was dry in my hair, and I’m not even sure I’ve gotten it all out.

Now I’m in my car driving. Pulling up to his house, I get out, not exactly sure what I plan to say, or even do, if he opens the door. But my feet take me up to his front door anyway. Knocking, I wait for it to open. It does, and Ryken’s standing in nothing but a pair of boxers, rubbing his eyes as he looks up at me. His face goes stoic, and I hear more footsteps, but choose to not acknowledge them.

“We need to talk.”

He shakes his head at me. “I need to fucking sleep.”

“We need to talk.”

“Sass?” My breath hitches and my spine straightens as I see her come around the corner. Livia’s wearing his clothes, and she’s looking at me accusingly as I stand at her boyfriend’s front door. “Why are you here?”

I look back to him.

He sighs heavily then turns to Livia. “You need to leave.” Her mouth drops open like she can’t believe what just came out of his mouth.

“You’re joking, right?”

He shakes his head. “Now, Livia, I’ll call later.”

She turns, walking away as I stand and wait for him to speak to me. He doesn’t, we remain in a stand-off just staring at each other. She comes down still dressed in what she had on, and smacks his chest, then pushes past me.

Livia stops to look back at me. “You’re fucking everything up, Sass. It was good while you weren’t here. Why are you back?”

I shake my head, unable to answer her. She leaves, and we still stay in the same position, waiting for one of us to speak.

“What do you want, Barbie?”

“You killed a man,” I say. He steps in and allows me to enter. I follow him, and he shuts the door behind me.

It happens in slow motion like I see it coming but don’t expect it to come. His hands push my hips backward until they slam against the front door then his lips are on mine as one hand tangles through my wet hair, pulling at it. Our mouths move, and we breathe each other in, tongues colliding and lips smashing until they hurt. Breathing him in until I realize what I’m doing and push him away. He lifts just enough, so our lips aren’t locked, but his body is still connected to mine. His hand still in my hair, his other on my hip.