Blood Ties

Four

There's a saying that you should enjoy the journey to the destination, rather than the destination itself.

Yeah, River fucking hated it. There was no way he was going to enjoy being the one to drive Isabella all the way back to her father's hands. Hands that couldn't protect her from her own  mother. Something he was being set up to fail at doing again. He was fucked.

This journey sucked. The destination was trash and he was pissed about it.

River kept eyes forward, both hands on the wheel. He was distancing himself. He didn't want her to get attached to him, or more of he didn't want to reopen old wounds that had healed since they last seen each other face to face.

Bella had other ideas. "You're quiet... Why?" She asked.

"I'm always quiet. I shouldn't be seen or heard." His answer sounded robotic almost. It was something drilled into his skull since a young age. River needed to be neither seen or heard. The shadows his home because if no one knew he was there, the easier it was to kill them.

He had spent all his childhood building up to be what he was today. The beatings and being told he was a disappointment thickened his skin. Made him push to be better at his job, to remind himself he didn't matter. His life should be forfeited to save the families. Ideas and values he held.

Bella called his bullshit, and he glared. They knew the other even after so long they knew. He huffed and turned back towards the front. Mulling over the questions she asked, but never answering them. River was choosing silence over getting to know the new her.

"Why do you care?" Was the only thing River decided to ask after several moments of silence.

"I.. I..." She stammered.

He turned and looked at her, ripping himself apart with the next words to leave his mouth. "You don't. Quit asking questions you know you don't want the answer too..." He growled out.

Bella sat dumbfounded. He was right. She didn't want to know if he had moved on. She didn't want to know if there was another. She didn't want to know but she had to ask. She needed to know the answers.

Though, like an unspoken prayer answered a name came across the touch screen. It was a females.

River tried to not roll his eyes or groan outwardly. He declined the call from Misti. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his psycho exgirlfriend. She was ridiculous and didn't know how to take no for an answer.

"I'll call her later..." he lied. Bella knew it was a lie too, but she had to question whether it was to protect her or Misti.

"You should've answered your girlfriend's call... Regardless if I'm here or not.." Bella spat a bit salty at the situation. River rolled his eyes, tempted to explain that it was his ex but maybe it'd be easier to drive a wedge between him and Bella if he didn't.

"I'll call her later. I already said this." He repeated back. He wouldn't call her, but later was never specified.

Before River could stop her, Bella was pushing the call back button. His knuckles started to turn white.

"For fuck sake. You've made it a habit to send me to voicemail..." Misti's voice came over the car system.

"Maybe its cause you always call when I'm driving." River managed to get out. Her voice drove him nuts and in a bad way.

"Oh? On the road again? Gone to see her or to kill another innocent man?" The question was loaded. "Was it both? You're awfully quiet, Mr. Wraith..." the seductive tone on his name made him end the call.

"Mr. Wraith?" Bella quirked an eyebrow cause River to groan heavily. It was going to be a long car ride.

He ignored the call when Misti tried again. "You know. Sometimes. I like the quiet and you calling her, ruined that..." River said. It was harsh but he had finally stopped getting so many calls from her only to have her repeatedly trying now.

He wanted to scream, to hit something but he couldn't. He was effectively trapped to his own mind which was running rampant of the many times he had been with Misti, wishing that it was the girl beside him. River shook his head, trying to loosen up a bit.

It wouldn't be a turn and burn this time. It would be much much worse.