𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 | ✓

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩 𝟒𝟐

"Ouch." I let out a sharp gasp, recoiling in shock and pushing the puppy away from me. She looks up at me with innocent eyes, wagging her tail as if nothing had happened, like she didn't just bite me.

While Ryder's at work, I've found myself on babysitting duty. And It's not that I don't like her, I'm the one who got her after all, but she seems to have it out for me. She's never bitten Ryder before.

She pounces back at me, wagging her tail. I smile, playfully messing around with her when a sudden ping gets my attention.

I turn my head, reaching over and grabbing my phone from the other side of the bed with a smile, assuming it's Ryder telling me he's finally on his way home.

The smile quickly fades away, a frown replacing it as I stare back at a text from an unknown number, three photos attached.

The puppy lets out a sudden yap, complaining about the lack of attention and breaking the silence. With a deep frown etched on my face, I reached out to pat her gently before my eyes quickly returned to my phone, my mind preoccupied with what was on the screen.

I hesitantly click on the notification, my heart instantly sinking at the sight of Ryder in a chain of photos. The first one is from Finn's birthday, when he attacked that guy. It looks like it was taken from the side, inside the crowds.

The second one was a picture of Ryder standing over a familiar lifeless body. The sight was enough to make me recoil in horror, causing me to hastily shut my phone and push it away from me. Nausea flooding throughout my body, the image replaying in my head.

I feel stuck, before my body eventually catches up with my brain and I reach for my phone again, quickly standing up off the bed.

I hold my phone tightly to my ear with a shaky hand, waiting anxiously for Ryder to answer. My heart racing as I pace back and forth, the sound of my footsteps echoing through the quiet room. Every passing second felt like an eternity as I waited for his voice to break through the stillness.

Only to receive no response. I try again, and again, but still nothing.

As I pulled the phone down to attempt another call, a loud and abrupt sound echoed through the apartment, three heavy thumps coming from the front door.

I came to an abrupt stop, my body stiffening as if I had been turned to stone. My breakfast suddenly churning in my stomach.

As I stood there, motionless, the puppy darted past my feet, heading down the hallway. I'm still frozen, until the doorbell rings urgently through the apartment, getting my feet to suddenly start moving again.

I'm just being paranoid, the photos threw me off.

With bated breath, I made my way down the hallway, my heart pounding in my chest. As I reached the front door, my hand trembled as I slowly turn the knob.