Chapter 49: Chapter 49

Ryder held the pen over the document. She was not in her hometown, but her parents were, so where could she be? It had been two weeks and his men hadn’t been able to find one clue of the girl. He shook his head and turned to the document in front of him. He needed to keep reading this briefing report, making sure every detail aligned with their case. He should go to her hometown and force the details from her parents, but his father said to wait until they knew where she was. Wait and catch her off guard. Ryde looked up when his phone beeped. He pressed the intercom button.

“Yes, Jacky.”

“There is a Mr. Sose here to see you.”

“Send him in,” Ryder said. He looked up as the door opened, and Jacky showed Sose in. Sullivan glared at her until she quickly slipped behind the door and shut it. He really could scare people with just a glance. Sose walked over to the desk, and dropped a brown envelope onto it. Ryder picked it up. The only thing written on it was Mrs. Hendrix.

“Took you long enough,” Ryder said as he opened the envelope.

“I had better things to do.”

“You work for me, now.” Ryder slammed his fist on the table.

Sose folded his hands in front of him, no emotions on his face.

Ryder pulled out the documents and laid them on the table. He read the short note that explained where Alecia was and what she was doing.

“She’s living with Kyle.” He squeezed the papers in his hands, wanting to shred them. If she let him touch her, he.... Ryder shook his head. Kyle would never touch anything again.

Ryder set the document down, and picked up the pictures of Alecia, flipping through them.

He ran his finger down a picture of her leaning on a counter, looking at a magazine.

He stood from the chair. “Thank you.” He grabbed his coat and walked out the door to the intern’s desk.

“Come, Marvin, we’re going on a trip.”

The intern looked up; his dark brown brows wrinkled.

“What are you doing, Marvin? Come on.” The intern nodded, grabbed his coat and followed Ryder out the door.

In an hour, Ryder was on a plane to Texas

There was something happening between them. Though her feelings for Kyle were different than hers for Ryder, he made her feel special and worth it. She giggled after he told her a joke and flipped through the pages of the magazine, since she couldn’t look at his eyes for long. For the last couple weeks, life had been wonderful. She had begun volunteering at a local nursery school. At home rested an application package for a Texas University. If things continued to be calm she would take classes in the fall in pursuit of her teaching certificate. This was the life she wanted to live. A life to own herself instead of being someone else’s.

“You know,” he said. “If....”

The bell over the door rang. She looked up and smiled at the tall slender young man who wore a pair of blue jeans and a N.C. State t-shirt. His light brown hair was ruffled to the side, making him look like he’d just rolled out of bed. “Can I help you?” she asked.

The young man looked at the rows of books that lined the walls. “Man, I don’t know where to begin.”

Alecia walked from behind the counter. “What are you looking for?”

“My mother’s birthday is coming up, and I thought since she loves to read I’d get her a book.” The boy chuckled as he shook his head. “But I have no idea what to get.”

The young man seemed out of his world as he stared at the bookcases full of books with wide-eyes that spoke of being lost. He must not be an avid reader or he would understand the workings of a bookstore.

Alecia smiled. “What’s her favorite genre?”

“Romance, but not the kind with all the sex.”

She nodded and walked over to the Ss. “Does she like Nicolas Spark?”

The boy shrugged his shoulders. Alecia grabbed the most recent Nicolas Spark book, and handed it to the boy. “If she has it already you can exchange it.”

His face lit up, a smile stretched across his face. “Thanks.” The boy bought the book and walked out the door.

Alecia returned to her place behind the counter and she and Kyle began talking again. She could not subdue the smile on her face. Time passed and an elderly lady walked into the store. Trina helped her, but as she got off the ladder and handed the book to the old lady, Trina's eyes widened and she shook her head. “Alecia, he’s here.”

Her head snapped towards the window. Ryder strolled to the bookstore, dressed as for work.

“I’m not.” She ducked behind the counter and crawled through the door that led to the back.

She sat in a chair, wrapping her arms around her waist, trying to calm her shaking body.

Rows of boxes lined the walls around her making her feel trapped. What was he going to do? How did he find her? Tears brimmed in her eyes. Had Taylor been right? Foolish girl. She shook her head. She should have listened and went to some exotic place. Maybe she could have brought her family.

Ryder's voice broke the stillness. “I know she’s here.” She stilled and leaned towards the door.

“She’s not here. I don’t know where she is.”

“Trina, my intern just bought a book from her. I know she’s here.”

“What?”

Alecia's breath pushed from her.

“I want to talk to my wife.”

Alecia buried her face into her hands. They had been tricked.

Trinq walked through the back door looking like she had seen a ghost - her face had ashen, but a steeliness filled her eyes.

“I knew he’d find me,” Alecia said.

“I’m going to call the cops, and they’ll make him leave.”

“No, I should talk to him.” She stood from the seat and made her way to the front counter, avoiding her sister’s wide eyes. Ryder stood in front of her, lips pushed into a thin line – his eyes full of a tense, sharp look.

“Alecia,” Kyle said, clutching his gun.

Ryder chuckled and fixed his eyes on her. “Alecia, I want to speak to you alone.” She stepped back from the counter and motioned for Ryder to follow her.

“Alecia, I don’t know if...,” Kyle said.

“It’s fine, Kyle, he’s not going to hurt me.” She squeezed her hands together. At least she hoped he wouldn’t.

She walked through the back door with him at her heels. Planting her feet firmly on the floor, she focused on the wall as he walked around her. What would Ryder say to her? It had been weeks and now he showed up. But why? Did it take him that long to find her, or had he been waiting until the right moment?

“What is going on?” He reached for her shoulders, but she stepped back from him and he let his hands fall to his side. “Alecia?” He knit his brows.

“I left you, and I’m not going back.”

“Why?” The sharpness deepened in his eyes. Alecia took a deep breath. She had been practicing what to say if he ever showed up, but now she lost the words. She took a couple more steps back, and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Look, I really don’t want to talk about this right now, so please just go back to New York, and I’ll call you in a month.”

“A month, a month,” he shouted. “You’re my luna and you’re going back with me.” He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her close.

“Ryder,” she yelled.

His eyes widened. He let go of her arm. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have grabbed you.”

She stumbled back and leaned against a shelf. “Will you leave now?”

“I’m staying at a hotel in Greenville. Can I see you tonight?”

She rubbed her arm, trying to smooth out the feeling of his strong grip, yanking her to him as if he owned her. “I would rather you didn’t.”

“I want to talk to you after I have had a chance to calm down.”

“I….”

“I’ll see you tonionlineght.” He walked out the door, slamming it.

Alecia sat back on the stool and buried her face in her hands as tears poured from her. A couple seconds later, Trina ran into the back and wrapped her arms around her sister.

“I called Dad,” she said. “He’ll be here soon.”

Alecia laid her head against her sister’s shoulder. He had let her go and looked as if he knew what he did was wrong. Was there still a shred of humanity in him that could be reached before he crossed the line? Tonight, she would try to reason with him, making him see what he had done. Then he would leave her alone.

Her father showed up a couple hours later, right before the sun began to go down. He came with only one item; a fully loaded shotgun. She held up her hands. “Don’t, Daddy.”

Her father raised the gun. “Just let him touch you.”

Alecia wrapped her arms around her father and buried her face into his shirt. “Please stay in the bedroom. It would be best if I explained things to him.”

Her father cocked the gun when car lights filled the driveway. “I’ll be ready.” He went

into the bedroom.

Alecia sat on the plaid couch, focusing on the floral pot filled with dried flowers in front of her. A weatherman on T.V. talked about how the temperatures would be rising. Just what she needed.

The door to the house opened. He didn’t even knock. She closed her eyes and focused on his steps. Had he always moved so quietly like a snake?

She glanced at him as he sat next to her. His hair was slicked back as if he just gotten out of the shower. He wore a long-sleeve black Yankee shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. Must be trying to remind her of college. She turned to the TV as he reached to her and ran the back of his hand down her cheek, leaving Goosebumps. The TV turned off. Ryder held the remote control, his eyes focused on her, peering through her.

She looked away, and placed a hand to her chilled cheek. “No one knew where I was, so how did you locate me?” she asked.

“You’re not a hard girl to find.”

Taylor's words came back to haunt her. You have to disappear. But would it have mattered? Probably not. Surely he could have found her in some backwards country as easily as he’d found her now.

“I want you to come back,” he said.

She stiffened. For the last couple weeks, she had been so free, loving the fact that she could make her own decisions, no longer walking on tiptoes because she was afraid to spark his anger. Everything had been so peaceful. She thought of Kyle. He still didn’t seem like a man compared to Ryder, but she didn’t care. His boyish charm, his simple life pulled her towards him.

“I’m not.”

“Why?” He demanded, making her flinch.

“I hate being with you.”

Ryder nodded. “Is that how you feel? I have given you everything you could need or want. But you hate being with me.”

“Yes.” She bit on the top of her fingers. Her body trembled. He just didn’t see it. None of it. He wasn’t raised to see it. Just power and control. To have everything he wanted laid at his feet.

“Why?”

“I want a divorce.” I want freedom.

He tapped the remote control against the couch, bouncing it as if he was keeping time with it. “I’ll let you teach. So come back with me.”

Alecia sprang to her feet. “You’ll let me. That’s the problem. You think you own me.”

“Come back!”

“I’m not coming back!”

He stood and glared down into her eyes. “I will fight any attempts for a divorce.”

His eyes were tense, fierce, but she held her ground. “You’ll not win,” she said, pointing to the door. “Now leave.”

He chuckled, taking her chin in his hand. One finger ran along her bottom lip. “Little girl, you should know who I am, and know what it means to be marked, to be protected."

“I know,” she whispered, as a tear fell down her cheek. “Please leave.”

He bent to her cheek, kissed it and then released her. “Don’t push this, pretty thing, you’ll lose.”

She gazed into his sharp eyes; eyes that could slice through her. No lightness filled them.

He patted her cheek and then turned for the door, leaving her feeling cold.

He gripped the door handle and glanced back at her. A lock of bangs fell over his forehead. “By the way, I think the clerks lost those divorce papers you filed.” He walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

She took a quick intake of breath. What did he just say?

The door to the bedroom flew open and slammed against the wall. Her father fled past her and out the front door. She ran to the window and threw it open.

“Ryder,” her father shouted.

Ryder stopped in his tracks and turned around. He didn’t even flinch when her father raised the gun to his head.

“Stay away from my daughter.”

“Or what?” He took a step closer so the gun rested against his forehead. “You’ll shoot?”

He was scared of nothing.

Her father stood just as strong. “Don’t test me boy. If you touch her again, I’ll kill you.”

“I never touched your daughter.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

Ryder looked at her, making her squeeze the top of the window.

“What lie did you tell him?” he shouted.

Alecia slammed the window shut.

Ryder shook his head, and turned around, but her father kept the gun in the air until he got into his car and drove off. She crumpled to the floor, letting the tears finally pour forth. They had been so close, almost like father and son, and now? She balled her hands into fists, pushing them into her eyes. Why did he have to be so controlling? Everything had been so wonderful and now the glass illusion had fully shattered. Her father came into the house and wrapped her into his arms.

“My baby, he’s not going to hurt you anymore.”

She clung to her father. If she could just be his little girl, and not one more woman running from a controlling husband. A husband who had no intention of letting her go. How far would he go to once again have her under his control?

Ryder could feel a tightening in his chest, as a cold smile formed on his lips. He knew exactly what he needed to do. Tomorrow, she would be in his arms again.