Give A Little More

Chapter 24

I put on my running shoes and walked into the kitchen to grab an apple before I left. "Look who's up early today," Riker said from behind me, making me jump, I turned around, "You scared me!" I giggled, smacking him playfully on the chest. "Sorry," He chuckled, "Can I join?" He looked at me curiously. "I guess so," I shrugged, "But I take my time, I don't want you to be late for work," I said. "I won't, I'll turn back and come get ready when it's time." "Okay," I nodded, "Then, let's go!"

I started running along side Riker and we ran steadily until we hit the beach two blocks away. He slowed to a walk and I stayed with him, watching the tide go back. "It's so nice to see the beach in the morning," I sighed, looking around me. "I get to see it almost every day at this time, you just sleep in too much." He nudged me.

"Well, sorry, I just wanted to be up at 7 so I could see you before you went to work." I smiled at him, nudging him back, "Because I love you," "And I love you," He said, "We're still telling the rest of them today?" He asked, pointing at my hand. I had a ring on, but it wasn't the ring Creighton had given me to wear, it was Riker's grandmother's ring that he wanted to give me. "You wore it to run?" Riker chuckled at me. "I never want to take it off." I smiled at him, leaning over to kiss him. "Ross already knows because I asked him to set it up for me, but the rest of them don't know anything." Riker insisted. "Of course," I nodded, stopping under the dock to take a breather. "Wanna sit?" He asked. "No, we can stand..." I shook my head, "I just wanted to get out of the mist."

"How did you even pull that proposal off Rikes?" I asked him, "I hate surprises, but that one was just incredible..." I shook my head, "It was magical. Just like I had pictured." I said, looking at my hand, finally I was wearing it for a reason. "It was perfect?" He asked, smiling at me. "It was perfect." I said to him. And then I heard a voice who I hadn't heard since we had left Baltimore "It was magical, wasn't it?" He spoke, coming out from behind the wall. "Shit," Riker stumbled back to me. I spoke, "What do you want?" I shook my head and crossed my arms. "Nothing." He shrugged. The scar on his arm, the bald head, the low voice, I knew it was Angela's little henchman that used to stalk me. "Please, please go," I said, trying to stay calm, 'leave it to me to ask the security guard to stay back damn it' I cursed to myself. "Don't hurt her." Riker spoke through gritted teeth, "Just go." "I'd love to sir, but unfortunately we don't do business that way."

I shuddered. The man chuckled, "My apologies, I haven't learned your name, sir." He asked. "Don't tell him," I spit, "Baby don't." "I won't," He whispered to me. "Couples making promises, how sweet..." He clapped his hands, "We can make this easy or hard," He told us, pulling out what looked like a gun. "You can come back with me here, or I can kill both of you, right now..." "You would not." I spat, "Go away, asshole, what have I ever done to you?"

"Obviously I didn't make my instructions clear," He spoke lowly, lunging towards me, I ducked and Riker jumped, "Stop it!" He shouted, tackling him to the ground, I heard a shot and a groan and I tried to pull myself up off the ground, but I hit my head on something and stumbled over dizzily. "Rikes," I called, "Baby," I shrieked, crawling helplessly over to him. The man came over to me and stood over me before ripping a sticker of some sort off the back of my neck, "Don't need this any more do we?" He laughed.

"It would have been easier to nab you when you were crying on the sidewalk a few weeks back, eh?" He asked, "But that would have been too easy." And ran away like lightning to his awaiting car. "No," I cried, "What have I fucking done to you!" I screamed at the man, whose name I still didn't know. I felt the back of my neck, where he had ripped what now I was sure was a small piece of metal off of my skin. Instantly remembering the woman who so kindly talked to me in the bathroom. 

"Why would you fucking do this to me, I love him!" I cried hard, moving closer to Riker, who closed his eyes in pain. "It's okay," I smiled at him, "You're okay, I promise," I said, grabbing his hand. "I'm okay," He whispered, his eyes were open then, "It hurts like hell," He told me, making me smile and laugh a little, "He shot you in the fucking shoulder, it should hurt.." I cried to him. I strained my eyes to see what the car looked like, but it was gone and now we were alone. I didn't have my phone or anything, but within minutes security came running. Why they didn't come when they heard gun shots, I have no clue, but they're stupid as fuck, so I flagged them down and attempted to stay conscious, trying to watch over Riker. My head pounded immensely and I thought it was going to explode.

"Riker," I said to him, sitting against the wall, "It's gonna be okay," I said, "I'm so sorry they hurt you," "It's okay, it was for you... I'd do anything for you," He whispered. I smiled at him and his eyes started closing. "Rike??" I said, "Baby please," I called, "Guys please I think he passed out, please help me," And then the ambulance arrived and I had his blood on my hands and they took him into the ambulance and I tried to get up and reach him but I had to be kept back with another one because I just had a severe concussion. All I could do was lay down in the back of an ambulance and stare at the ceiling and feel stupid for being trusting, and feel stupid for taking that damn job, and feel stupid for being here, and feel stupid for being stupid.