𝙅𝙀𝙍𝙎𝙀𝙔.

❄️32❄️

[Michael]

"The license plate literally says Nevada. Are you slow?" Khalil asks me.

"I- I wasn't thinking! Travis the one who told me it," I look at Travis.

"Nigga I knew what spelt," Travis says.

"Stop lyin."

"I'm not though."

"Y'all done arguing?" Khalil asks. "Okay then. Anyway, the car is owned by a white man named David Castro. Y'all know him?"

Castro? Castro.

"Ashlyn has the same last name," I say. "Check his info."

Khalil clicks on his name and everything about "David Castro" pops up on the screen; social security number and all.

"Siblings. Emily and Ashlyn Castro," Khalil says.

"Click on her name; just in case," I say.

He clicks on her name and her Picture pops up.

"Why does her brother have Riley though?" I ask myself.

Then it hits me. Riley said Ashlyn was "taken care of". Maybe he thinks it was Riley's doing. What will he do to Riley!?

"Speaking of Ashlyn," Khalil says picking up a couple files on his desk. "She's been missing for a couple days. Does all this connect to that?"

"No. Well, I don't know. Maybe Ashlyn's brother thinks Riley had something to do with that even though Riley would never do anything like that," I explain.

"You positive Riley had nothing to do with it?"

"Positive," I lie.

"Alright. I'll track his credit card and see where he last used it."

After hours of tracking and searching, we finally found out where he was; a hotel in New York. I drove us three to NYC. 45minutes in a car with these niggas feel like 10 hours.

We make it to the hotel and Khalil shows the lady at the front desk his badge so she can show us what room is David's.

We go up to the floor and to his room. Before entering the room, we stand outside the door and listen.

I can hear Riley's crying like it was right beside me. My heart aches.

"You killed my sister," he pauses as her screams become louder but quiet; like she has duct tape over her mouth.

"Now I'm not gonna kill you because I don't like blood...but I'm gonna hurt you," he says.

"Nigga open the door!" I yell and Khalil slides the card through the door and we three bust in.

David quickly turns around and tries to run but Khalil takes him.

I see Riley tide to the bed with tap over her mouth...half naked.

"Oh shit," Travis mumbled.

I quickly run over to Riley and remove the tape first, she lets out a loud gasp.
I untie her hands and hug her. She cries on my shoulder as I hold her tight.

"This fell out his hand..." Travis walks towards us with an unopened condom.

"H-he said he was gonna give me pain that'll never go away," Riley sniffled, trying to explain.

"Shhh Riley calm down," I said as she rests her head on my shoulder. "Now tell me everyone told you."

••
Khalil and Travis had left with David to go back to the department. Me and Riley took an Uber home. She told me everything; him saying he was taking her back to Nevada with him and him possibly keeping her as a "toy"...a fucking TOY. The anger I have built up inside of me for that man is unreal. I need to watch out though, my anger gets the best of me sometimes.

When we got home, we took a shower together. She cried some more, I held her some more. I feel like a horrible boyfriend. She's been hurt too many times while with me. I'm starting to rethink this; am I even good enough for her? She has her whole life planned out and I've been ruining it ever since we made it official. She deserves better, and maybe she's right. We might need a break; or something even longer.