"Get the fuck off of her." I heard a voice boom across the room. I knew that voice, but he was playing with Jessa at the park with me. There was no way he was in this dark place, surrounded by monsters. I kept my eyes closed, waiting for the terrible pain I was trying not to feel.

"What are you doing here?" Jenna's voice was high pitched with fear. I heard the knife fall to the floor and make an awful clanging noise.

"Back the fuck up from her. I will fucking kill you." The deep voice moved through me again.

I heard a loud noise and my eyes snapped open. I looked where the thin man was standing and he was no longer there. Instead, Rachel was standing over me, trying to pull me up.

"Get up, Riley!" She was shrieking at me. She pulled at my arms, trying to get me to stand. When did my hands get free? I looked at my blurry hands and wiggled them to see if they were still attached to my body. My fingers were numb and I wasn't sure if they even existed anymore.

I heard crashing and yelling around me, but it was all fuzzy noises filled with feedback. Everything was so out of focus.

Rachel had me on my feet and I put my arm around her shoulders for support. I felt the hot trickle of blood skidding down my stomach and legs. Every move made me feel like I was going to rip in half.

"Keep moving, Riley." She urged over and over again. I was so tired. I needed to lay down and close my eyes for a little bit.

"Momma, no nap." I heard Jessa's voice command again.

"I won't sleep, Jessa. I promise." I said.

Rachel laid me back behind the bar. I heard more crashing and swearing. Did something just break? The room grew silent and the lights dimmed. My eyes were getting heavier.

I looked over with my last bit of strength for the dark-haired man with light eyes. I could see the outline of a tall, dark shadow wiping hair from his face in the distance. The shadow turned towards a smaller blur cowering in the distance. I could hear crying. Was Jenna actually crying?

"I... I can explain. We weren't really..." She began rattling something off and finishing it with. "I love you. She's not good for you."

"Ezra." Rachel called over to him.

I saw the tall shadow turn towards me and in a flash, I felt his large hands wrapped around me. How did he get across the room so fast? He pulled me into him, trying to cover my exposed skin with his body as he pressed his hand against the cut to try to stop the bleeding. I didn't feel the cut anymore. I was cold and just really tired.

"Don't you move." I heard Rachel say to someone in the dark. Sirens were wailing outside the building. Did someone call the cops? What was going on?

"Riley, please don't leave me." He cried. "Get something to cover her with. She's cold." He yelled across the room.

"What happened?" I whispered, trying to get his blue eyes in focus. Everything looked like it was under murky water. "Where did Jessa go? We were playing in the park. She must be really scared."

"In here." I heard Rachel screaming.

I closed my eyes and leaned into Ezra's chest. I was so tired, just a little sleep...

"I can't do this without you. I need you." I heard Ezra's voice quiver. My eyes opened as Rachel's blurry shape covered my waist with a sweatshirt.

"I just need some rest." I whispered softly. Everything was black and then blurred once again. Over and over, I slipped in and out. I could hear a flurry of voices around me frantically barking orders. I felt unfamiliar fingers touch my face and I cringed back deeper into Ezra.

"No! No, don't touch me. Help me. Please help me! Don't hurt me." I was screaming as loud as I could, but it only came out in a silent whisper.

"Baby," Ezra whispered in my ear. "These are the paramedics. They are here to check you out. You are hurt and bleeding pretty badly. Please let them help you." He was shaking beneath me. The heat rolled off him in waves. His breath was rising and falling too quickly from his chest.

"What's her name?" A male voice asked.

"Riley, Riley Davis." Ezra answered.

"Miss Davis, can you tell us what happened?" The voice asked me.

I closed my eyes and the cold, the shame, everything fell away into nothingness.

When I came to again, I was in the back of an ambulance and could hear voices swirling around me. The only one I recognized was the panicked smooth deep voice of the man I loved. He was screaming at someone just out of my line of sight.

"Why is she not awake?" He was yelling. I could almost see him grabbing his hair to pull it.

"She was hit pretty hard a few times. She could also be in shock. She lost a good deal of blood. We won't know anything until we get to the hospital." A female voice said, trying to calm him down. It was a good thing the paramedic was female or my protector would have surely hit someone by now.

"Ez..." I began to try to open my eyes, but the light was blinding and my head was throbbing.

I felt him at my side before he even touched me. He grabbed for my hand and brought his head down to my side. He felt so warm against my cold body. "I'm here, beautiful."

I took a big breath in and was overwhelmed with pain in my stomach. There is a stabbing sensation in my ribs. I cried out, unable to control myself and I felt reality slip away again. My body needed this to let go of the pain.

"I love you." I whispered and closed my eyes again, succumbing to the darkness.