The Runaway

Chapter 12.

Ryder

25 days later

"Mother fu-" I yell out as another lash is hit against my back. "Dad," I groan "please" I whisper against the bounds not only chaining my hands to the wall but the bounds he has set against the both of us. "let me speak with Volkov, please, I'll make this right."

"He doesn't want to see you Ryder, in fact he gave me direct instructions to beat the shit out of you. To clear the nonsense out of your head and put you back in the right direction." he growls out and sends another quick hit against me. Which suits him, I cant fucking feel anything anymore.

He hits me again and again until I am completely still, with no more feeling in my back and no more feeling in my head.

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Getting water is the best part of my day, I don't get it like a normal person might, because I'm dunked in it like an animal. But while my head is pushed under the water for 10 seconds I drink as much of it as possible. Even if its from a fucking swamp my body couldn't care less.

When i'm yanked up by different hands I'm ready for another spiral of torture from this unknown source but they just hold me against their chest and pull my wet hair back from my eyes. "Nikolai?" I gasp and immediately fall into him in relief. I gasp for the sudden need of air and hug him like my life depends on it. If I'm imagining this I really dont know how much time I have left, which hurts like hell to think about.

"hey bud." he consoles and sits down on the cold floor with me, he should be disgusted im naked and bloody right now but he just holds me back tighter and strokes my hair back from my face. "take a few deep breaths with me." he commands and I immediately listen to the soothing intakes of breath that release from him and myself.

"please, please." I plead against him and try to curl into him. "don't go, plea-"

"i'm right here," he whispers and rocks in a soothing motion, "I just found you, I'm not going anywhere."

I look up at his sullen and tearful eyes which hold so much more beyond them. I've heard of the things their family has gone through and how they lost someone very close to them.  Sophies boyfriend if I remember correctly, who I believe was around my age and if anything, maybe I remind him of that boy he once knew. 

I shake my head. "im go- good." I shiver. "wheres Sawyer, find Sawyer." I try to stand but Nikolai keeps me on ground with him, snapping at people and ordering them around.  Before I know it I'm clothed and given water and soon enough im at the point of barely keeping consciousness.

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Sawyer

I eat a bit more of my food and begin the conversation i'm in dire need of having with my family. Isn't the dinner table the perfect place of doing so? "so," I begin, "wheres Ryder?" I ask finally, after hyping myself up for thirty minutes straight.

Utensils clatter and the room goes dead silent as they all do their own disappointment stares. My mother stares at me with mouth agape as I continue on with eating, my brothers shake their heads and my father just glares at me. "I have the right to ask" I announce.

"No. you don't." Papà picks up his drink and then continues before I can say anything more, "you're under my roof Sawyer, I say when you have rights."

"Volkov!" My mother gasps angrily.

Now im getting really pissed off. "actually Volkov," I enunciate cruelly, "I can do and say whatever the hell I want to."

He slams his fist against the table angrily, "where the hell is your attitude coming from young lady?"

I scoff at him and shake my head in disbelief, "you know what? this was all a fucking trick you piece of shit." I throw my napkin down on the table and stand up angrily. "just to make you happy father, I faked the whole happy bullshit, im never going to be happy here, im never going to obey you and-" he stands up and begins his way around the table over to me, "and im never going to stop trying to run away from you, I will never quit no matter wha-"

His steal grip attaches to my wrist and he begins to pull me to the stairs and to my prison, my room, my cage. "let me go!" I yell and pull back.  My mother and brothers have begun to follow, their own worried gaze now absorbed into the scene before them. They even try to interfere but my father won't allow it, he just continues forward, dragging me along with him.

"you want to be unhappy? you don't want to be happy with all that we've given you? fine Sawyer, it will be that way." he states angrily. "I'll show you what its really like to live unhappily." he seethes.

Just as we reach the first step of the stair case I bite down hard onto his hand which gives me a long enough moment of release to escape. I run over to the treasure i've been hiding for a while now, just by the kitchen, in a table no one looks, because it's supposed to be decoration. I grab the gun out and point it at my father as he tries to chase after me.

As soon as he realizes what im holding he pauses his footing and outstretches a hand toward me, "Sawyer, baby be careful, you dont know what you're doing."

I click the safety off and cock the gun, "id like to say im well aware of what im doing you asshole," I say through my clenched teeth as pain skyrockets in my stomach.

If I didn't know better I would say that's a contraction.

A yelp rips out of my mouth and water splashes at my feet as my water officially breaks. If im correct and my timing is on point though, jade should be here any second. Just like I thought, the doors burst open and a swat team is barrading the home around us.

Jade comes in with Alessio and the rest of their huge family and she immeidetly comes over to me and takes the gun from my grip just as my father is taken into custody.

The basement door opens behind me and I turn and stare at a bruised and beaten Ryder, limping beside Nikolai as he helps him towards us. He let's go of Nikolai and runs forward with a limp and shuffle much to Nikolais dismay.

Ryder envelops me into his arms, parading me with questions and kisses. But the only thing I can do is stare at his scarred body in shock, and I immediately burst into tears at the condition he's in.

"Ryder?"my father questions, "what-" he looks just as shocked at Ryders state.

Jade ushers us past my family and into the car where I'm guessing they plan on brining us to the hospital. Nikolai scoots into the back seat along side us, instructing the both of us with a few things, but I can't seem to hear anything he's saying. I can only feel the pain of a thousand unfold as my baby makes his way into the world.