The Ritual: Chapter 55

I TRIED TO talk myself out of it. The fact that she wants the Lord’s crest on her body, makes me proud. It’s just another way of me to claim her. Another way to show she’s mine. One that won’t fade over time or wash off in the shower with water and soap like that Sharpie that I had used in the basement of Blackout.

She lays by the fire, the blanket wrapped around her chest, hands gripping the material. As much as she wants this, she’s still nervous. Which is understandable.

“Remove the blanket.”

She opens it up, showing me her naked body and I refrain from growling at the sight of my naked wife. She still has her Halloween makeup on, showing me the fake blood on her neck and upside down cross between her breasts.

Pulling my ring from the fire, I walk over to her and kneel beside her. Then I reach over and pick up her thong from earlier. “Put these in your mouth. Bite on the material.” I order.

Grabbing them from my hand, she does as I say. Placing my left hand on her chest, I hold it down. “Interlock your fingers behind your head and take in a deep breath.”

She props her head up with her hands and my eyes drop to her body, watching her chest expand and I don’t give her any warning, pressing my ring into her skin, right below her left breast on her ribcage. She arches her back, crying into her gag. Her body starts shaking while I hold it there for a few seconds before pulling it away.

Tossing the tongs and my ring to the side, I remove my hand that was pinning her down. Pulling on her body, I yank her up and into my arms, removing her underwear. Her eyes are tightly shut, and tears run down her face. “You did good, Blake.” I tell her.

Her long dark lashes flutter open and her watery eyes meet mine.

Pressing my lips to hers, I taste her tears. She opens up for me and I deepen the kiss, readjusting both of us on the floor I place myself between her legs, spreading them wide, now that she lies underneath me. “So, fucking good.” I praise her and she whimpers, her hands going to my hair, her nails scraping my scalp making me moan.

My free hand goes between our bodies, and I slide my cock into her, making her hiss in a breath. My lips find hers and I don’t let them go. I keep them captive while my hips move in and out of her—owning her.

I want her to know that she didn’t give herself over to me for nothing. I will take from her, but I will also give her everything that I have. As much as I own her, I fucking need her. “I love you.” I pull my lips from hers long enough to speak then they’re back on hers, taking her breath away.

BLAKELY

IT’S BEEN SIX weeks since Halloween night. It was eventful to say the least. Watched Tyson fuck a woman in the woods. Had my husband brand me like I was a piece of cattle he owns. But I don’t regret it. I wanted him to understand just how far my love for him went.

Things have been going great. We’ve fallen into a routine that almost makes me feel like we’re normal. Going to the movies, out to dinner. It’s like we’re a real couple that doesn’t live in a secret society. Which is crazy since we’re actually husband and wife. Sometimes I have to remind myself that he’s my husband because it just feels too good to be true.

Ryat unlocks the front door to the cabin. I step into the foyer but come to a stop when I see Matt sitting in the middle of the brown leather couch in the living room. Leaning back, he looks relaxed, his arms fanned across the top of the cushions.

“We’ve got dinner tomorrow night with Ty,” Ryat reminds me as he enters behind me. “Don’t let me forget to get that bottle of scotch that he likes.”

If I wasn’t so terrified, I’d blush at the fact we have plans with a man I openly watched have sex. Instead, I swallow. “Ryat?” I manage to say his name through the knot in my throat, looking over my shoulder at him locking the front door.

“It’s a party.” I hear Matt say cheerfully.

Ryat looks up, also coming to a stop beside me. His eyes trained on Matt. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Ryat demands.

How did he get past the cameras?

Matt leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “Came to get what’s mine.” His eyes go to me.

I shake my head, my hand unable to hold my purse, and it drops to my feet. “No.” The single word cracks, slipping through my lips.

Ryat places his arm on my chest to push me behind him, but Matt jumps to his feet, pulling a gun from the waistband of his jeans, and points it at me. “Don’t move, or I’ll shoot her,” he warns.

“Matt,” Ryat growls his name, lifting his hands out in front of him. “Let her go. This is between us. I’m the one you’re mad at. It’s me you want.”

“No … please …”

“He’s right, Blakely. I wanted you. But you fucking married him!” he shouts, the gun shaking in his hand. “And as much as that disgusts me …” My body trembles, but I can’t move. No matter how loud my mind screams to. I can’t leave Ryat. “If I can’t have you, then no one can.”

I’m hit with what feels like a Mack truck. The force knocks me back into the front door. My body shakes like an earthquake as loud bangs go off in the distance. I can’t breathe. My body’s being crushed. Lifting my arms, I feel soft material. I open my eyes and see a white blur in front of me. Looking up, I meet a set of green eyes. “Ryat … what?”

Realization returns that Ryat is the one crushing me to the door. His body pinning me to it. I feel wetness against my chest. “What?” I look down, and my T-shirt is soaking up blood.

“You’re okay,” he assures me, sucking in a ragged breath. “You’re okay,” he repeats like he’s trying to convince both of us.

I look at his white shirt, and I see the blood covering it. “Oh, God.” I gasp. “Ryat.” He’s been shot.

“Blake.” He reaches up and grabs my face, his hands feeling cold and clammy. “I’m sorry …”

Tears sting my eyes while I try and catch my breath. “Don’t … Don’t do this.”

“I love you, Blake.” He whispers.

“No. No. No. Don’t!” I shout, gripping his bloodstained shirt. “Why?” Why would he do this to us? To me?

“You think I’d kill for you, but not die for you?” He shakes his head gently. “Silly girl.” His words are getting softer. I can barley hear them over the blood rushing in my ears.

“Ryat …” I sob.

“You deserved better,” he whispers.

Tears fall down my cheeks and I lick my wet lips.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t better.”

“Ryat?” I cry. “Please. Don’t leave me.” Blood starts to run from his nose. “Please …” I beg it to stop, my voice breaking.

Smiling, I watch the color start to drain from his handsome face. It falters, and he places his forehead against mine.

I wrap my arms around him, trying to hold him up, but his knees give out, and I fall to the floor with him. Leaning over his body, I see the blood start to pool around us onto the tile. He lifts his hand to my face. “Why did you do that?” I ask, my hands fisting his shirt.

“Because … I love you,” he says through a cough, and then his hand falls to the floor to his side.

“Ryat?” I shout. Mine pound on his chest. “Ry—at?” it cracks when a sob racks my body.

“Get up!” Matt grips my hair and starts pulling me from my husband.

“No! I won’t leave him!” I scream, twisting in his grip.

“Get your ass off the floor!” he demands, bending down and wrapping an arm around my neck. He yanks me backward, and my hands lose their grip on Ryat’s shirt.

He picks me up off my feet, choking me, and I kick. Silently screaming while I look at Ryat’s dead body lying on the floor. His eyes are now closed, and his head is tilted to the side, facing me.

Matt leans into my ear. “He willingly gave you to me, Blakely. Giving his life for you was fucking pointless. For him anyway. For me, it was everything.” Then he drags me out of the house.

My fingers dig into his forearm that chokes me. My feet kick up dirt and rocks, forming a dust storm around us. He gets into a car, dragging me with him. Someone else closes the door while he lets go of my neck. I gasp for a breath while he throws my back onto the bench seat. Then he’s pressing his knee into my chest, crushing me.

I try to scream, but nothing comes out. He pulls a syringe out of his pocket and removes the cap with his teeth. I silently cry when he grips my face shoving it to the side. Then I feel the sting on my neck. My body instantly goes numb, my arms and legs dropping like dead weight. He removes his knee from my chest, and I take in a ragged breath. His hand on my face moves it to where I have to look up at him hovering over me. He’s smiling down at me.

“I always win, Blakely. And you were always supposed to be mine.” Letting go, he runs his knuckles down the side of my face.

“Is she out?” I hear a voice off in the distance.

I blink, taking every ounce of strength I have to open them back up again.

“Almost,” he answers.

“Took you long enough,” the voice snaps.

And I try to rack my foggy brain to place it. It sounds so familiar …

“I got the job done,” he snaps.

This time when my eyes close, they don’t open again.

_______________

I WAKE UP , rolling onto my side. Grabbing my head and stomach, I feel sick. Nauseous.

Opening my heavy eyes, I see I’m on a bed in an unfamiliar room. It’s large with white and purple décor. I roll off it and make my way to the adjoining room. Thank God, it’s a bathroom. I fall down at the toilet and hug it while I vomit, hearing the bedroom door open. I sit on my ass, my hand wiping the vomit from my mouth.

“Well, well, well, the whore is awake.”

I get sick once again. When I think I’m done. I fall back onto my ass, my back hitting the side of the Jacuzzi tub, and look up to see Matt standing in the bathroom. And the person standing beside him is my mother. “You …” I grind out. “You helped him do this?” I knew the voice sounded familiar. It was my fucking mother?

“You gave her too much,” she snaps at him, ignoring me.

“I gave her less than suggested,” he argues. “She needs to eat something.” Walking out of the bathroom, he returns seconds later with a tray that must have already been in the bedroom. A piece of toast sits on a plate with scrambled eggs. It all looks old.

How long have I been here?

And Ryat? Oh God, Ryat. The memory hits me like a fist to the face. They killed him! My mother may not have pulled the trigger, but she was there to help Matt. Tears sting my eyes, and my throat tightens.

Matt places the plate on the countertop and tosses the piece of toast at me. It falls onto the floor in front of me. “Eat that,” he orders.

Slowly, I look up at him through my watery lashes, wishing I could set his ass on fire. “Fuck you!” I growl through gritted teeth.

He smiles. “Oh, we’ll get to that. But first, eat.”

“No!” I tell him. Ryat is dead. My mother is helping Matt kill him and kidnap me. Why would I do a damn thing he tells me?

He lets out a huff.

My mother sighs. “You need to eat—”

“Fuck you!” I scream, interrupting her. My throat burns, and my ears ring.

“That’s it.” Matt charges toward me and picks up the toast off the floor. Gripping my hair with one hand, he yanks my head back and shoves the toast into my mouth, down my throat.

I choke on it, pieces flying from my lips.

“Don’t do that,” my mother hisses, pulling him away from me.

I scramble back to the toilet just in time to puke again.

“She needs a doctor.” I hear Matt growl.

“I know what’s wrong with her,” my mother states.

“Yeah, she’s been knocked out for two days. She needs to eat.”

“No,” my mother disagrees.

I sit back on my ass and wipe the spit from my chin.

“She’s pregnant.”

I haven’t officially confirmed it. I wanted to wait a few more days before I took a test because I’ve been late before. Even when I was on birth control, and I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I drop my eyes to the floor.

“Son of a bitch!” Matt hisses. “You let him knock you up, you stupid bitch!” he yells at me. “Goddammit, that fucking bastard!” He kicks the cabinets.

I look up at him through watery lashes, vomiting so hard, it’s made me cry. “He’s my husband!” I shout back at him. Then a smile pulls at my lips, adding, “He can do whatever he wants with me.”

His face goes red with rage. “He’s fucking dead, Blakely. Just like that baby is about to be.” He begins to roll up his sleeves. Then he fists his hands, walking over to me.

My mother places her hand on his chest, stopping him. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting rid of it,” he answers with a huff.

I shove away from the toilet, pressing my back into the side of the tub once again, bringing my knees to my chest. I watch them wide-eyed face one another. Ryat may be dead, but I won’t let them touch our baby. I’ll find a way out of here. I’ll buy myself some time.

“You’re not touching her.” She lifts her chin.

“You can’t be serious.” He points at me. “She’s fucking pregnant. I don’t want his kid! Don’t tell me you fucking want an Archer baby?”

“Of course, I do.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “It’ll give me a second chance. To do things right this time.” She looks over at me and pulls her lips back with disgust.

“No.” He shakes his head.

“Yes,” she hisses. “She’s not showing yet, so she can’t be that far along. You went twenty-one years without her. You can go seven more months.”

He huffs. “This brings on more complications.”

“I’ll handle it. I’ll bring in a chef for a special diet. A doctor, she needs prenatal vitamins, an ultrasound. It’ll be fine …”

“You’ve lost your fucking mind if you think I’ll hand my baby over to you,” I say through gritted teeth. Is that why Ryat stepped in front of me? Because he knew we were expecting? Maybe I gave off signs that I didn’t see, but he did. “Especially since you’re not even my biological mother.”

I expected that to piss her off, but she just smiles down at me while Matt snorts. “Bless your heart, honey,” she says condescendingly. “I will cut that baby out of you myself and then leave what’s left of you for Matt.”

My stomach drops at her words. My watery eyes dart around the bathroom to see if there’s anything for me to use against them. I’ll have to check the bedroom. They’ve had to miss something that I can use to escape.

“Fine.” Matt rolls his eyes. “She can keep it, but after it’s born, Blakely and I are gone.”

She nods. “Deal.”

They both turn and exit the bathroom. I hear the bedroom door shut followed by the sound of several locks, letting me know that wherever we are, I’m locked inside these two rooms.

I begin to cry, thinking about Ryat. How could he do this to me? Willingly die to leave me behind. Is that why he did it? Because he knew I was pregnant? How does he expect me to live without him? The bile begins to rise again, and I find myself scrambling back to the toilet.