Hands Stained Red

Nine ~ Kira

When I hadn't heard from Rya by 10, I headed over to the hotel with Matt as he was meeting Adrik there too. Poppy offered to come but I suspected that Rya wouldnt appreciate that so asked her to stay home.

We met Adrik in the lobby and Rya still wasnt answering her phone so we asked reception where her room was and surprisingly they told us. Although the sob story I spouted probably helped us along.

Now, standing outside her room, none of us want to be the one to knock, "It was your idea to come," Matt tells me, "You can wake her up."

I shake my head. Rya wasnt herself yesterday and maybe she needed some time alone. We shouldn't have came here.

The door opens before I can suggest leaving and a very flustered looking Rya stands there. She's wearing Kaden's shirt from yesterday and I dont think anything else. Her hair is all over the place and lipstick is smudged across her chin.

"You guys talk so loud," she comments and then steps back to let us in. She tugs at the shirt as she spots Adrik as she suddenly becomes aware of herself in front of a stranger. She steps ahead of us and looks at the bed which we cant see, "Get out, I'll come get you guys later."

I think for a second she's talking to us but then I hear a mutter and rustle as someone gets dressed. Kaden steps out in front of us shirtless and looks her up and down, "My shirt?"

"Shall be delivered to you later, see ya Princess," she shoos him off and he chuckles as he walks out still shirtless.

I look at her, completely stunned by their relationship. She shrugs as she catches my eye, "I cant control it so I'm just trying to enjoy it."

I try to process what those words mean but they dont want to work in my head. What the hell changed last night?

Matt stumbles over his words, "Yesterday you literally nearly cut his balls off and today he's sleeping in your bed? I don't understand."

Adrik's eyes go wide, "You did what?"

Everyone ignores him as they look back at Rya. I'm worried about her. Usually she would be fighting her family on this relentlessly, not giving up after one day.

"Everyone's very caught up on that incident yesterday," she laughs, "even he got over it."

I step forward and go to pull her in for a hug but she moves away, almost as if she didnt even notice me walking over, "Rya..." I say softly.

I scan the room and see the half empty vodka bottle and two glasses on the desk, not an unusual sight for Rya's room, and a pile of her clothes on the floor by the end of the bed. The rest of her things still must be packed away.

Then I see it.

The torn gold foil wrapper discarded on the floor.

I look back at her as she scoops her shorts off the floor and pulls them on under the shirt. She wouldnt have. She loves Quinn far too much to throw it all away. Also, she hates Kaden and everything he represents, she wouldnt have slept with him willingly.

But that would mean...

I grab her arm before she can escape me again, "Did he hurt you?" I ask her quietly.

She frowns at me in confusion and then I think she spots the wrapper too and her face drops, "No. I initiated it."

I let go of her arm and step away in disbelief. Why would she do that? Why would she want to?

Her face suddenly changes and she scowls at me, "Dont look at me like that. Like I've done something wrong. He left me and I'm moving on."

Matt frowns, still clueless as to what happened last night, "What did we miss?"

Rya shakes her head and storms into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her so hard it makes me jump.

My mouth feels dry when I go to explain, "She slept with Kaden."

Matt looks almost angry as he processes this, "She wouldn't have. She loves Quinn too much to sleep with someone else. She's far too loyal to do something like that."

I feel tears spring to my eyes as I realise what's happening. Its something we've been terrified of for years with no one even mentioning it. She's closing herself off to us, becoming one of them.

"She's finally broke," he says quietly, "Theyve done it."

Adrik looks between us and then at the door where Rya is hidden behind. The shower turns on and he sighs, "She's not gone yet. She's still here is she not?"

I start to bite on my thumbnail as my stomach turns, "I dont know how to bring her back."

My phone pings in my back pocket and I quickly check it to see a news story from only a few minutes ago, "They found a second body," I say quickly, "another girl."

"Do you think it's the same person who took Quinn?" Adrik asks, "Four missing people is starting to look less like a coincidence and more like a serial killer."

"Five," Matt corrects him and hands him his phone, "another guy has just been reported missing."

"What if it's the people who took me? It fits their usual style; a group of young people going missing at once. I wouldn't be surprised if they killed a few that didnt cooperate," I say reluctantly.

An idea forms in my head. An idea that makes me feel both sick and hopeful.

The door opens to a very pink faced Rya and its extremely obvious she's been crying but no one is brave enough to point it out.

"I have an idea of how to get Quinn back, but I need your help," I say it quickly so I dont have a chance to back out. This is going to be horrifically traumatizing for me but it might be enough to get Rya back to her usual way.

"We need to go see the Caruso's."