Ryder

sixteen

It seemed like everything was spinning, the curled roots of the trees merging into one, my own two hands seeming like they were four, by the time I managed to stand up on my feet again and head back towards the entrance doors. It also didn't help my situation when everyone who was rushing out of the building, panicked and alarmed, slammed into me and jostled me by the shoulders. I tried to keep still, tried to spot Ryder within the many faces around me, but in the end, it wasn't him that I saw.

Rather it was Rafael's familiar face that saw me, dark eyes widening in what looked like relief before he was grabbing me by my arms and pulling me away from the crowd.

"Oh thank you, God. Where were you?" He was frowning hard. "I've been looking for you everywhere! One second you were there and the next you were just gone."

It took me a moment to notice that Rafael's earlier perfection of curls was in a disarray. And his lips held no adamant grin he'd had earlier. There was a fresh bruise, a painfully reddish bruise, blooming just beside his nose. It also looked like he'd done a hurried, shit job at wiping a nosebleed.

"Where were you?" He asked me again and he looked tense. Worried.

"I..." I clamped my mouth shut when the need to gag hit me so suddenly. Rubbing my somewhat numb fingers over my mouth, I shook my head.

Raff stared. "Octavio is mad, you hear me? He is pissed."

I nodded because I didn't know what else to do.

"The last that I saw of him, he was charging towards Ashby with a broken beer bottle." He added, still staring at me as if making sure I heard it all.

I didn't. I mean, I did hear him, but I still didn't know what to do other than just nod.

"He's pissed because he failed to catch the cabrón who caused all this commotion and also because he asked me to keep an eye on you but I kind of failed at that so..." He trailed off. "Are you sure you are okay?"

I nodded again and the mere movement was dizzying.

Before Raff could've said anything else, a loud gunshot rang from inside the nightclub. The shrieks that followed somewhat hid the terrified noise I made.

Raff was bouncing on his toes. "Come on. And please don't wander off again until I've handed you over to Octavio."

I didn't nod this time because Raff was already turning towards the entrance, making sure I was following him before he headed inside.

The inside was trashed. If I thought it couldn't have been any worse than everything that had happened outside, I was so fucking wrong. Because just the bar alone was smashed to near smithereens. The dancefloor was covered in glass shards and what looked like smudges of red wine.

Or blood.

I gagged once again and pressed my palm firmly over my mouth. My left wrist hurt like someone was continuously pricking the skin just below it.

There wasn't anyone here anymore. Everyone had already run out of here. They'd been running out in front of me, I reminded myself. Even the guards--the heavily muscled men in black gear--were nowhere to be seen. The music was gone and the silence was deafening. I wished I'd thought a little before choosing to wear heels when my knees threatened to buckle under the immense, heavy, thick air of dread all around.

There was glass beneath my feet when I looked and its cracking echoed in my ears.

I heard a sound then. A muffled sound. A sound of protest from somewhere. Before I could've looked at Raff so he could tell me what was going on, another dreadful gunshot boomed. It sounded a lot closer than when we'd been outside. My heart raced and I took a cautious step back. I was scared. I was scared because I didn't want to see that...that person with that horrendous gas mask over his face, who'd threatened me with those words and--