Mafia // Ryan Blaney

fifteen // the attack

Does he mean what he said? I couldn't stop thinking about our kiss and the events following all night. Will he actually want me for me after all this? Or is he just saying it because I'm the first girl he's ever really been around and gotten to know. Are these feelings just me lying to myself or are they real?

I woke up this morning on Ryan's floor. I rolled over to see Chase and William on opposite ends of the couch, Bubba on the floor directly below them, Erik on my left and Ryan on my right. I slowly crept around them to go to the bathroom. I tried my hardest not to wake them, but I heard someone get up and follow me.

"Feeling any better?" Ryan asked, leading me into the hallway.

"I guess so. I still have a lot running through my mind, but I'll manage."

"I'm going in late today. I'm going to clear out the guest room and grab your things from your house. You'll stay here until this is all over. We figured it out after you fell asleep."

"Okay. I'm going to get ready. Wake up the guys. We're leaving in ten minutes."

--

Pulling up to the school, I had an uneasy feeling. You know, that gut feeling like something bad is going to happen, only ten times worse.

"Kacey doesn't leave our sight guys, remember that," Chase said as we all walked towards the building. Erik and I went in one direction towards homeroom while the rest went the other way.

"Erik, I have a really bad feeling. I shouldn't be here."

"K, I think you're just paranoid. I know last night freaked you out but try to relax. We've got you covered. If you still aren't feeling it later then I'll take you back to Ryan's, okay?" I nodded.

--

Lunch time rolled around and so far, so good. I started feeling a little better after homeroom, and by third period, I was fine. Maybe Erik was right. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

"I think I'm going to go out for lunch today guys," I said once all the guys had gotten to my locker. Ryan had just gotten to school.

"You know you aren't going without one of us," Bubba replied.

"I'll go," William said. He walked over to his locker and put his things in it. "Where do you want to go?" he asked, throwing his arm over my shoulder and leading me out of the school.

--

We settled on Taco Bell, because who doesn't love cheap Mexican food. I chose to wait outside in the car, where it was cooler.

William was inside for two minutes when a white truck with tinted windows pulled into the spot next to us. Two guys jumped out the front of the car and yanked open my door, ripping me from inside the car and throwing me on the ground.

"Someone help me!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. They began beating me and kicking me; picking me up and slamming my body back into the ground. With every punch I felt my bones cracking and blood spewing out onto the concrete.

I try my hardest to use what the guys have worked so hard to teach me, but it's no use. These guys are on top of me, pinning me down. I try to scream but get punched in the mouth instead, choking on my own blood.

As the one gets off of me, the other one grabs me and hoists me up off the ground. Blood is pouring out of my mouth, nose, and any other cuts my body has. The back door of their truck opens up and they begin shoving me inside as I use what little strength I have left to resist.

"Get the fuck away from her," I hear William yell from behind me. I turn my head as much as I can to see him running up to the truck, gun drawn. I finally glance at the two guys who have hold of me and realize it's Austin and Ty. Austin lets go of me and turns his attention to William. Ty's grip on my arms tightens.

"Let her go, guys. She has nothing to do with this. Leave her out of it. This is between us," William says, taking a step closer.

"You're right. Maybe we should send a message to your friends. We can take you instead of her. Call it even," Austin replies, pulling out a gun of his own. I turn my head and see a crowd has gathered around us. Surely by now someone has called the police. Some have their phones out and are recording to see what happens next.

"Don't fucking touch him!" I yell, trying to free myself from Ty's grasp.

"Kacey shut the fuck up!" William yells.

"You know, you never really did us wrong, Willy. It's Ryan we really want. You just followed along with him like the little puppy dog you are. Never had much of a backbone yourself. Clearly you still don't."

The next sounds I heard were deafening. People were screaming and running away, the sound of sirens quickly approaching, and the ringing of gunfire in my ears was enough to send me into sensory overload. The next thing I know, I'm being shoved into a car and we take off speeding down the road. I look to my left and see William, his knuckles turning white from how hard he's holding the steering wheel.

"Are you okay, Kacey?" he asks, turning into an alleyway.

Rather than answer, I just start crying. Every bone in my body hurt.

"Kacey, what happened out there?"

"They just grabbed me. I was sitting here, they pulled up next to me, and the next thing I know, I'm getting the shit beat out of me. I tried to fight back, and I tried to scream, but they would just hit me harder. I felt so helpless. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't come out."

"I never should've let you stay out there by yourself. This is all my fault. I'm so sorry, Kacey. I never wanted you to get hurt."

"It's not your fault."

It's not anyone's fault.