Infliction

30. The Decision

Riley was frozen in fear, her hand shaking and the phone still pressed up against her ear from hearing Vincent's voice. After a brief moment she composed herself and pulled the phone away from her ear, passing it back to Officer Rollins.

She was in a daze over what just happened and her mind was having trouble keeping up with the overflow of information and how fast things were moving. Vincent said he would drop the charges against her brothers if she went back, but should she risk it? He could be lying. Perhaps she should tell the police? It was all so confusing and she didn't know what to do.

She glanced over to Jason who was still being held up against the wall, struggling while they put handcuffs on him. She could tell he had been watching her and had obviously just seen her take the phone call and he looked more concerned for her than he did for himself, which wasn't right at all. He was the one being arrested.

"Come on," said Rollins, offering Riley a hand.

Pulled out of her thoughts she took the officers hand and was lifted up off the floor. A hand on her back nudged her around the couch just as Jason was being pulled off the wall in handcuffs and pushed out of the door. He was putting up a bit of a fight, trying to turn around to see Riley but the two officers forced him forward.

"Where are you taking her?"

"She's going back home, where she belongs. And you are going to a cell, where you belong," gruffed out one of the cops who had a harsh grip on his arm.

"You can't take her back there," groaned Jason as the cop twisted his shoulder roughly. He let out a grunt as he was shoved down the stairs of the porch and towards the police car.

Riley had walked out onto the porch and down the stairs with Rollins following behind. Noah had already been placed in the back of the police car and she could see the anger and shock in his eyes as Jason was being dragged towards them.

"Riley, just tell them," screamed Jason and he managed to turn around, the officers now attempting to drag him backwards.

But Riley stopped and froze in place. Should she tell the police officers about Vincent? She didn't know what would happen to her brothers though. Should she risk it? What if they still went to prison. Taking her was still a crime, even if they did have a valid reason behind it. If they went to prison, Vincent would get them killed.

When Jason realised she wasn't going to say anything he struggled even more. "She can't go back there. Don't make her go back there!" He screamed at Officer Rollins who came over and placed a hand on Riley's shoulder.

"You can't send her back. He fucking raped her!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Riley tensed under Officer Rollins grip as soon as the words left his mouth. She felt the officers grip hardened slightly on her shoulder for a brief moment before Rollins let off a huff of annoyance.

"Your stepfather mentioned you might say something like this," she said in an annoyed tone directed back at Jason.

"Please Riley," yelled out Jason. "Just tell them."

Rollins gave off a quisitive look towards Riley, waiting for her response. She had to tell the police. No matter what happened it was the right thing to do.

As she opened her mouth her voice seemed to be stuck in her throat and what came out was instead a selection of jumbled words. "I.... He.... Vincent.... I mean...."

Before she had a chance to continue she was cut off abruptly as Rollins pointed her finger towards Jason. "Look what you've done! Now you've put thoughts in her head."

"But..." continued Riley.

"Yeah, yeah. Heard it before kiddo," replied Officer Rollins. "Always some excuse with you kids, isn't there."

Riley's mouth closed up immediately. She wasn't even given a chance to talk before she was shot down. Rollins wasn't going to believe her and as she looked around at the rest of the police officers she saw the same expression in their eyes. Of course they wouldn't believe a sixteen year old girl over her stepfather. She had no idea what sort of stories and ideas Vincent planted in their heads.

"She's going home where she is safe and out of your grasp," said Rollins.

Safe. She almost scoffed at the thought. She was safe with her brothers. She was finally happy and they tore it all up into little pieces without a care for what they had done. She was finally getting better but with everything that was happening around her she realised that maybe she didn't deserve to be happy.

Jason looked panicked and Riley turned her head so she wouldn't have to look at the disappointment in his eyes. She didn't try very hard to convince the police officers but what was even the point anymore. Maybe she could trust that Vincent was going to keep his word. Just go back to Vincent and convince him to drop the charges. It's all she could do right now.

Jason struggled hard against the two policemen and managed to free himself from their grip, running over to Riley. Officer Rollins stepped in front of Riley as Jason got closer.

"Can I... just have a... moment?" asked Riley nervously as she tapped the woman on the back.

Rollins looked back at her then sighed before taking a side step, just as Jason came crashing down on his knees in front of her. With his hands still cuffed behind his back, he rested his forehead on her stomach and she felt the tears starting to soak through her top.

Rollins motioned for the other officers to stop when they were about to grab Jason again.

"I'm so sorry," he croaked out, as he looked up her face.

Riley reached her arms around him and pulled him back in for a hug. "It's okay Jason. I'll be okay. You and Noah will be okay. Just ...don't come back for me okay?" she choked out. If she went back to Vincent she couldn't have Jason and Noah coming back into that hell hole. They would just get in the same mess again and they deserve a better life. She had to be in that house until she was eighteen, but they didn't.

"You can't go back, he'll destroy you Riley. I'm...I'm sorry Riley," he started to cry and her heart twinged at the sight. "I promised I would keep you safe. I...I promised," he sobbed out.

She couldn't say anymore as she felt a tear roll down her cheek and she nodded to Officer Rollins to signal that she was finished. Rollins directed the other policemen to pull Jason up off the floor. He struggled against them as he was pulled away and all she could see was the pain and anger in his eyes.

"Come on," said Rollins placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her to one of the cars.

Jason was being put in the same car as Noah as his head was roughly shoved down by one of the policemen. Then the door was slammed behind him. They'll be out soon enough, thought Riley. She needed to believe they would be out, she needed to have hope.

Rollins guided her to the other police car and opened the back door. Once she was in the backseat she moved over to the middle leaning forward against the metal grate in front of her. She looked towards the car in front of her as it slowly pulled away and caught the last glimpses of her brothers as their tear streaked faces looked back at her.

"Let's get you home," said Rollins as she hopped into the driver's seat with another officer taking up the passenger side.

"Home," she whispered as she looked back one last time at the little house on top of the hill. The only true place she had ever called home.