Red Ruin {Book One} ✔️ (CURRENTLY EDITING)

50: Sometimes, Evil Outweighs The Good

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Riah POV

The sky was dark and the stars were bright as I puffed on the poisonous possession I call my weakness. My body was numb and all emotions scattered as I tried to sort through what I was going to do now.

"Do you know his number?" I glanced at Demitri as he spoke.
"Yeah. I grabbed it from her nighstand before we left." Handing me his phone, I grabbed it and dialed the number written on the small piece of paper.

After ringing a few times, it went to voicemail. Trying a few more times, he never answered, so I gave up.

I shook my head. "I'll try again in the morning."

As we sat in silence, I could feel him wanting to say something to me. "Just speak, Demitri. I'm not in the mood for games."

He ran his hand through his dark hair. "If her father really abandoned her and treated your aunt like you said he did, do you really think it's a good idea to let him take her?"

I clenched my jaw. "To be honest, no. But I can't just take her to France with us. I could get held up with a lot of legal shit and I don't want to put her through that, too."

He nodded, understanding my statement a little too much. "When's the last time he contacted your aunt?"

I shrugged, "A very, very long time. He basically disappeared. But if I don't try to contact him, that'll haunt me too. Who am I to take his daughter away? I'm not a god."

Twirling the hem of my t shirt between my fingers, I took another drag of the cigarette and glanced back up at the sky. It reminds me of the night my aunt gave me my mothers necklace, the day before my going away party. Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I blinked the tears away.

"I don't mean to snap on you, I just don't know how to deal with this right now." He stayed quiet as I continued. "She raised me throughout my teen years, and now she's gone. It's like I'm a plague that diseases everyone around me. Truthfully, I don't think Alyssa would be safe with me. I destroy everything I touch."

He sighed. "My love, I know you believe that, but it's not the truth. You have created a wonderful outlook on the clan, you helped reveal an evil High Priestess, you took her down. You also took Callum down, something vampires have been trying to do for centuries. I know it's hard right now, but it will get clearer. And I know, no one is a better person to care for Alyssa than you."

After a minute of silence, a van pulled into the lot and out climbed the men who came here with us. Standing up, Demitri held out their key card and gave them their room number. I couldn't help but glare at the man who had pulled his gun out in front of Callum, but I realized I can't blame him.

Once they disappeared into the building, Demitri turned to me. "Are you coming inside?"

I shook my head, "I'm going to take a walk. I'll be back in a little bit." Standing up next to him, I kissed his lips softly and began walking the opposite way.

As I made my way to a sidewalk and through some trails, I got to a little park that me, my aunt and Alyssa used to go to on the weekends. Sitting at the swings, my heart sank as I looked around and remembered all the times we had here. Tears threatened to spill over as I hunched down to the ground and placed my face in my hands.

Barely holding it together, I broke down and began sobbing. Her face was seared into my brain along with all the things I've fucked up, along with all the deaths I'm responsible for. The anger towards Callum was still there. I had hoped it would leave me once he died, but I had a suspicion it never would and that's how he will destroy me in the end. My family has broken because of me, and my loved ones have gone through so much hurt that it destroyed their lives. Every memory, every emotion, every tear, smile, and laugh repeated through my brain as I screamed into the darkness.

Clutching my head between my hands, I tried to block out the voices of all the people I've wronged, but failed. Nothing can heal this wound I have created.

Then I thought of Alyssa. Her innocent blue eyes pleading for help, her soft cries as she hurt for her mother. And that was when I immediately knew, no matter how many people I've ruined, I can't ruin her. And through the heart ache, through this mess, I need to hold her hand and guide her through this pain, until she feels whole again.

I won't fail her, I can't.

Wiping my face, I took a sharp breath and pulled my knees to my chest.
After a few breathing exercises, I stood up from the ground and slowly made my way back to the hotel.

**********

"You need to eat Alyssa, it wont make you feel any better if you starve yourself."

With her arms crossed, she finally looked at me with bloodshot eyes and grabbed the plate from my hands. Giving her a sad smile, I sat beside her on the bed and watched the morning cartoons playing on the TV.

"Who was that man?" Her voice was raspy.

Looking into her blue eyes, I chewed on my lip. "A very bad guy. He was out to hurt me."

Her eyes grew dark. "So it is your fault." She stammered.
Glancing down at my hands, a tear streamed down my cheek.

"Why did mommy have to go away?"

"Sometimes, Alyssa, the evil outweighs the good in this world."

Her bottom lip trembled as more tears filled her eyes. Grabbing onto my arm, she sobbed loudly into my shirt. As I grabbed the plate from her and wrapped my arms around her, I softened her hair beneath my hand and rocked her back and forth as I whispered poetry into the air.

Glancing up at the door, I watched Demitri walk in the room and sit beside us. He stayed silent until Alyssa's sobs calmed to a stop. Wiping her face, I kissed her forehead.

Clearing his throat, Demitri sat up. "Did you eat, Alyssa?"

Shrugging, she grabbed her food from the table and sat down on the bed behind her.
I gave him a weak smile as if to say 'sorry'.

He tilted his head. "Can I talk to you in the hallway?"

Nodding, I told Alyssa we would be right back and followed him out of the room. "Yes?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Her father hasn't answered. So, I had Romeo run a background check on his name, apparently he has been missing for some time now." Rubbing his neck, he gave me a sympathetic look.

I nodded and ran my hand through my hair. Pacing back and forth, I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. "We'll have to keep trying later, but for now, I'm going to focus on her well being."
Nodding, he followed me back into the hotel room to where Alyssa was quietly watching cartoons.

"What ya watching?" I asked as I sat beside her.

"SpongeBob SquarePants." She answered, her voice a bit softer.
Smiling, I searched her face. She looks so much like her mother.