Out of Bounds

Part 6

Night had fallen quickly and I thanked the lucky stars that had landed me in the room with windows. I sat, cross legged on the ground, staring out at the endless stretch of navy night sky , my mind getting lost. For a moment, I allowed a small spring of hope to trickle through me. The stars, it must've been the way they looked as if I could reach out and grab them that made me believe that maybe, just maybe, I could get out of here. My arm shivered when a small tear dropped on to it. The bars across the window came back into focus reminding of how trapped I really was. I longed for my terrible parents and our stupid big house. They weren't a dream but anything would be better than here.

Suddenly the door burst open, three men walking in. Ryder was among them and one of them I recognized as Gunner. The other man had rough scale like skin that wrinkled at the eyes. He looked a good ten years older than both Ryder and Gunner but he seemed undeniably strong and ruthless by his fiery stare.
"Get up." The man said sternly. I quickly scrambled to my feet, my heart beating frantically.
"Who are you?!" The same man, whose eyes burned into me, asked. He was inches from my face this time and the unmistakable sent of alcohol hung around him like a cape.
"A-aspen. Aspen P-Parker" I stumbled in a weak voice.
"How did you get in touch with them?! Who the fuck sent them?!" He screamed, my ears ringing. Tears welled in my eyes but I held them back.
"I.." I started quietly, "I don't know what you're talking about."
With that, his hand came down across my cheek, hitting me with such ferocity that I fell to my knees. I looked up slowly and my eyes met Ryder's but within seconds he turned away.
"Get up." The man said again.
With shaky hands I pulled myself up from the ground. I kept my face turned towards the ground, terrified to look up into the piercing eyes above me.
"How did you contact them Aspen?", Gunner spoke, his voice not nearly as harsh as the other man.
Afraid to speak, I trembled in silence.
"God damn it girl, answer him!" The man grabbed my face and turned it up towards gunner, his hands and fingers painfully rough.
Tears were streaming down my face. "I-I don't.. know what you're talking about"
Ryder's arms were crossed, his fingers digging into his own skin, the veins on his arms popping out and his jaw clenched. His eyes remained turned away but I could tell he was holding something back. With a forceful turn of my head, the man threw me to the bed. "She's useless, we might as well kill her now. I'm sure X will agree that screwing her isn't worth having them on our case." A sick grin appeared on his face.
"She is rather pretty though", he growled, walking closer to the bed. Bending down towards me, he grabbed my face, trying to force his lips onto mine.
"Stop it, Ty. Leave her alone." Ryder spoke up finally.
Ty, the man holding my face, let go of me and I shrunk back into the corner of the room, as far away from him as possible.
Ty turned to Ryder, staring at him with a death glare. Suddenly the sick smile crept back, returning to his face.
"Seems like somebody has a soft spot for this little whore," he laughed. Walking over to Ryder, he stopped only a few inches from his face. Ty stood taller than Ryder, looking sneeringly down on him.
"Don't forget your place Kingston, even if you did bring this one in, you answer to me," he spat into Ryder's face.
Ryder's hands pulsed in fists, his knuckles turning white. The war of dominance was evident in the wall of tension between them. Ryder's whole body read anger but his eyes were glossed over with tears.
"Let's go Ty," Gunner spoke hesitantly.
With one last spiteful look up and down Ryder, Ty left, a smirk painted on his face and chest puffed high.
I broke into gasps, realizing only now that I had held my breath for most of the time Ty was in the room. My entire body shook and the tears returned again.  Ryder stood staring at me, the uncomfortable gaze making me uneasy.
"W-w do you want? Why don't you just go?," I finally sputtered through a break in my convulsing tears.
"I-," he started, his voice weak and strained unlike his usual deep seductive tone. "I can't go because I don't want to leave you alone. I don't want to let them hurt you or use you anymore okay." He stopped, taking a minute to breath. "I'm not like this usually. I don't care, I don't cry. I'm not sensitive ,but for some fucking reason seeing you here like this, knowing I brought you to this fucked up place, makes me want to die." Tears were now running down from his eyes but he forcefully wiped them away.
I didn't know what to do or say or think. My mind whirled around, unable to process what he had just said. Did he actually just admit to caring about me? None of this made sense but some part of me felt like he was being completely sincere. But what did it mean? Did he expect me just to get up and forgive him and be fine with the fact that I'm stuck here to be used forever. I was so confused, a mess of emotion. My initial instinct was hate toward him but I also couldn't get rid of how I felt about him before this all happened. He was the only thing about this place that reminded of my of the world outside of this prison.
"I'll go. I'm sorry Aspen.." He said, though he didn't move a muscle towards the door.
Without warning the door swung open, two men I didn't recognize standing in the frame.
One of them spoke. "X wants to see you tonight, so we're here to get you ready," he directed at me.
A shiver ran through my spine at the mention of X, flashbacks of the night with him horrifically flashing before my eyes.
"I'll do it." Ryder butted in.
"Okay Kingston, sounds good. Have her ready by midnight."
Once they left, Ryder came over to me, placing his hand on my shoulder. I drew away instantly, as if his hand had been searing hot. I averted my eyes away from his, tears swelling again. Every touch now reminded me of X's ruthless hands.
"Aspen.. It's going to be okay," Ryder whispered. And even though I knew that was the farthest thing from the truth, somehow his words still comforted me.