A Life On The Edge

Freedom

"Where the fuck are they?" He growled as he crushed her throat with his iron grip. I wanted to say something but my mind was racing with what he had just said. Lyle...Lyle is alive. And the only person standing between me and the love of my life was this bitch.

I saw Erica clawing at Blake's hand begging for air. He let her go and she gasped for breath as she fell to the floor. She looked up at us through her lashes with cold and angry eyes. She wiped her mouth and sneered at me.

"Go fuck yourself." She growled and spat at Blake's feet. I saw the rage bubbled up within him, but it was nothing compared to the emotions I had raging inside my tiny frame. We didn't have time for this though. Not here.

"Blake." He paused.

"What?"

"We can't do this here. The police are on their way."

"You got a better place?"

"Yes, but we have to go now." I said. I saw the fleck of panic in Erica's eye as she turned to get up, but Blake grabbed her. He grabbed a shoe lace and tied Erica's hands together. She screamed and cussed thrashing her arms around trying to get free from his grasp. I felt River's tiny frame shaking in my arms.

"Riwy..." He whispered.

"It's going to be Okay River."

"What's the scary man doing with that lady?" he cried as Blake left with Erica over his shoulder. I watched out the front door as he threw her into the trunk of Chris's big black Cadillac.

"Don't worry baby, he's a good guy okay?" I smiled at him reassuringly but I don't think my blood smeared face made him feel any better.

"Riley come on, we got to get out of here." I picked River up and ran to the car. My heart broke when I noticed poor buttons on the side of the porch. I covered River's eyes to shield him from the gruesome sight. I put River in the back seat and buckled him in. I jumped into the passenger seat and Blake took off.

"Take this right." I said. Blake slowed down as we passed the cops speeding towards the loft. I don't think my heart had beaten that fast in my life. "It's this house on the left." Blake pulled into the driveway and gave me a suspicious look.

"This is your safe house? In the middle of a suburb?"

"Just trust me." I heard a soft whimper and I turned around to see a very scared and distraught six year old.

"Riwy, where's mamma Tina? And Dywan and Lywl?" I frowned, I went to say something but the boulder in my throat was blocking all the words I had to say.

"River?" Blake whispered. "You don't know me."

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." He whimpered. Blake smiled at him.

"That's good. But I'm not a stranger. I know you're scared and confused, but I want you to know that I'm here to help you. Listen, some people came and took your family away." I saw tears beading up in river's eyes. "But I'm here to find them and bring them back okay?"

"I want to go home." He cried.

"I know."

"I'm scared and I want to go home!"

"I know River. There is a lady who knows where your family is, but she won't tell us."

"Why?"

"Because she is a bad, bad lady. But I'm a good guy." He smiled. "I'm here to fight for you, and bring your family back so that you can go home. See I'll let you in on a little secret, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else." River's eyes grew wide and nodded. "I have a super power." River gasped in amazement. "I have super strength, and I'm going to use my powers to get your family back okay?"