His

Chapter 8

It's been a week since Brittney disappeared and Ryder was getting desperate to find her. He couldn't believe he was willingly walking into the station to see Detective Robert. "Here to turn yourself in?" Robert asked him, arms crossed. "I haven't done anything wrong." Ryder told him. "I came to see if you've seen Brittney. No one has seen her for over a week."

Robert gestured for Ryder to follow him into his office. Robert shut the door, "I saw her a few days ago at Suzie's Diner on thirty first Street." "But that's Laughing Coffin territory." Ryder said. Robert nodded, "She was looking for trouble I guess you could say." "Any idea where she is now?" Ryder asked him. Robert shook his head, "I saw her get on a bus headed back to your territory. Hopefully she looked at the flash drive I gave her and chose to keep her distance." "What flash drive?" Ryder asked him.

"A little something I put together filled of all the crimes you committed." Robert told him. Ryder smirked with a raised eyebrow, "You mean the things I was wrongfully accused of?" "One day your luck will run out." Robert told him. "And when it does, I will be dead." Ryder said before leaving.

Ryder went back to the hideout and Jorge met him at the doorway, "Anything?" "Robert saw her in Laughing Coffin territory a few days ago." He said as he made his way to the stairs leading to his office. "What?!" Jorge said dumbfounded. Ryder nodded, "My reaction exactly. The girl is gonna get herself killed, and I refuse to save her when she does."

When they got to the office they stopped in the doorway. Sitting on his desk, legs criss crossed, was Brittney, wearing a pair of gray sweats, her hair in a messy bun, and a tank top. Her converse were on the floor and her neon pink socks were bright. "Where the hell have you been?" Jorge asked her. "How did you even get in without anyone seeing you?" He then asked as realization dawned on him.

"Good to see you too." Brittney said. Ryder noticed the flash drive in her hand. "Jorge, step out. We need to talk." Ryder told him sternly, leaving no room for protest. Jorge got the hint and stepped out, shutting the door softly behind him. "Did you believe it?" He asked her, his eyes going to the flash drive then back to her face.

"So Robert told you." She said softly. "I do believe it, but I don't see you as a monster for any of it. It was all well deserved." "If that's how you feel then why hide?" He asked next. "Self reflection." She sighed softly. "When I saw this, I understood why you did it more than I wish I did. I had been consumed with rage and the need for revenge. When they attacked Liam and I at the show, only part of me killed those Laughing Coffin members to save Liam and myself. The rest of me did it because I was wanting to make things even for them killing Milton. But it wasn't enough because Allen is still out there, living with a smug smile because he succeeded in killing him." See confessed to him. She then held up the flash drive, "After looking at all of this, I realized the path I was headed. I took three lives, how many more would it be before I got the revenge I wanted? How many will come after me for taking those lives? If someone else got hurt then that cycle would continue. I don't see you as a monster for doing what you did and I will never see you as a monster for what you do in the future, because I understand. If I go any further down that path, everything Milton sacrificed himself for, would be for nothing, and that's not something I want."

He had moved closer as she spoke until he was right in front of her, "Then don't." He took the flash drive from her, "Let me handle it." His voice was soft, and understanding. She nodded and her shoulders relaxed as if a weight was lifted. "Where have you been staying?" He asked her. "Crimson's Motel." She replied. "A place where the care taker won't remember you and only those having one night stands go. Very smart of you." She nodded, "I guess you could say that." "So how did you get in without anyone noticing?" He asked her. She smirked, "That's a family secret." He chuckled, "I see. So are you going back to your mansion? David's been worried about you." "I don't know. I've enjoyed not having paparazzi every other day on my lawn." She confessed to him. "I can easily fix that." Ryder told her. She sighed, "I know, but if those paparazzi figure out I have the Stone Edge gang as body guards, that will open up a can of worms that I don't want opened."

Ryder nodded in understanding, "Just say the word." She nodded, "I'll keep that in mind." He moved so she can get off of his desk and put her shoes back on before leaving. When she got home David hugged her tightly, clearly worried about her.

"Enjoy your vacation?" He asked her. "If you want to call it that, then yes I did." She told him.  He nodded, "That's good."They went to the kitchen and she sat down at the kitchen island. "So did you find what you wanted too?" He asked her. She shook her head, "No but I found something I needed to." He smiled with a nod, "That's good to hear ma'am. You surely had Ryder and Jorge worried." "Ryder was worried?" She asked shocked, he hadn't appeared to be when he saw her in his office. Instead he appeared angry.  David gave her a look, "He called me more often than Jorge did, asking if you had come home or not." "He cares for all of his members." She claimed, it was nothing more than that. David seemed to have found that amusing, but he didn't say anything. The old man has lost his mind, she thought.