♡♡♡

Hunter's already gone by the time I wake up.

The door creaks open and I hate that my heart starts thumping loudly, expecting Andy.

Luckily, it's just Ridge. "Um, hi," he says, leaving the door open ajar. He crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back against the far wall.

"Hey," I say, picking at my blanket. I'm desperately craving a hot shower right about now. Too bad Andy turns the hot water off whenever I get in.

"Dad wants to talk to you," he says, clearing his throat.

"About?"

"Not sure. He didn't say actually." He won't meet my eyes and I realise something is going on with him.

"What's happened, Ridge?"

"What? Oh, nothing," he says calmly, rubbing his palms together.

"Then why won't you look at me?"

As much as I hate to say it, I do care about Ridge. This entire time, he's been the one to tell me anything worth knowing, even if it jeopardies his relationship with his father and The Razors.

"I can't," he whispers, looking out my window. "I can't stand to look at you."

"Why not?" I ask, sounding hurt.

I clear my throat, hoping he doesn't hear how this is affecting me. I don't want to call him a friend, but that is what he's beginning to be, even after everything.

"Because," he starts, "I can't comprehend how much pain we've all caused you. When you saved Hunter, I realised that you truly are a fucking amazing person who doesn't deserve this at all. You gave up your freedom to bring my dying brother back here. You didn't think about saving yourself," he says, finally looking at me. The pain in his eyes is almost unbearable to see.

Tears well up in my own eyes, but I quickly look down. "I could never leave someone to just die, Ridge. Not even a Razor."

"I wish things could have been different," he continues, sliding down to sit on the floor. His back is against his wall as he sprawls his legs out in front of him.

"How so?"

"I wish we could have met under better circumstances. If this was a different dimension, I could actually see us being friends. If we weren't associated with rival gangs or had angry drug-dealing fathers, I think you would have been a pretty cool chick to know."

"Better grab the time machine then," I smile, "because I'd like to find that other dimension right about now."

We lapse into silence for a while. "What else would you change? If you could start over, I mean."

"Well," he says, sighing, "I'd handle my relationship with Stacey better. I wouldn't pretend I didn't love her anymore because my dad told me I couldn't see her again. In fact, I'd probably go all the way back to before I was born and tell my mother to sleep with someone else so that he wasn't even my dad in the first place."

"Wait," I say, suddenly tensing. "Go back a second. You were forced to break up with Stacey? I always thought it was mutual."

"No," he mumbles. "It definitely wasn't mutual. Everything was going great until three months before we broke up."

"Why? What happened?"

"My dad happened," he says, drawing his knees up to his chest, resting his arms on top of them as he balls his hands into fists. "Three months before we broke up, he found out about us being together. He didn't like the fact that I was dating someone outside of the gang. He also didn't like that I was dating someone so head-strong like Stacey. He wants me to be with someone who is willing to sit around and be a regular house-wife, while I go out dealing drugs and shooting at people. He pretty much threatened me, and I was scared he would hurt her."

"What happened after that?"

"I started to withdraw from Stace. I didn't want to break up with her, not when I really, really..." he closes his eyes, sighing. "I didn't want to stop seeing her, but every time she tried to make plans, I'd pull out last minute because it hurt too much to know that I couldn't stay with her. Eventually, she broke up with me because she thought I didn't care about her anymore. She couldn't have been more wrong."

"Ridge," I sigh, "why didn't you tell her any of this? Do you know how heartbroken she was all those months?"

"How could I have told her?" he snaps. "If I had told her the truth, she would have wanted to help me. Do you know what would have happened then? He would have killed her."

"You don't know that," I reassure him. "I don't think he's capable of that. It was probably an empty threat."

"You of all people should know what he's really capable of, Ellie," he says, his fierce eyes boring into mine. "Besides, do you really think I was going to take that chance?"

I know he's right, but it still hurts to picture my best friends face as she cried for three weeks straight every day after school.

"When you love someone," he whispers, "sometimes you've got to make sacrifices. Especially if that means you get to ensure they are safe."

I suddenly think of how I feel about Hunter, and how everything in my life is such a complete and utter mess.

It's weird to think that I actually have a lot in common with Ridge. We both want to protect the same girl, my best friend. We both know how risky it is, putting people in danger. I never, ever, thought I'd agree with a Razor member.

♡♡♡

When Ridge leaves the room, I walk out to find Andy standing on the verandah, a cup of coffee in his hands.

It's an extremely hot day and I can already feel the sweet gliding down the back of the worn white v-neck I've been given. My cutoffs are sticking to my thighs and I groan when the sun blinds me.

Andy turns around to face me when I close the flyscreen door behind me. "It's about time you came out here," he says, monotone.

"Ridge was talking to me and—"

"Enough excuses," he snaps. "I don't care what took you so long, just that it did."

I roll my eyes when he looks away from me. God, I just want to wring his neck right about now.

"What did you need to tell me that is so important?" I ask, stepping further away from him to lean against the railing of the verandah.

I watch as two horses, one graciously white and the other a silky black, gallop around one of the open fields next to the stable. The sun beats down on their coats and I wish that I could grab one, jump on its back and ride off.

"You're leaving tomorrow."

That gets my attention. I snap my head around to look at him, eyes wide. "Wait, you're serious? I'm finally going home?"

Andy nods. "I don't see why you are so surprised, Elena. I told you once your father met all the requirements you'd be sent home."

I scoff. "You expected me to just believe that? You're a manipulative liar, the biggest I've ever laid my eyes on."

"Don't push me," he warns, raising a finger to point at me. "I can easily change my mind."

I turn away from him, noticing that the horses are being led back into the stables. Back into their cages they go. Just like me for one more night.

What I thought would have been the best summer of my life, didn't turn out quite like I had hoped. I'm supposed to be enjoying my last summer of freedom before I had to settle down and work hard in my final year of high school. Now, with only three weeks of holidays remaining, I had nothing but a deep, dark, horrible summer to remember.

And I'll never be able to forget a place like this.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Andy snaps, stepping closer to me. "Go and pack your things, I don't need you fussing around in the morning while my men take you back. I don't like time wasters."

"What do you expect me to pack? I had nothing with me when I was kidnapped! And anything small that I did have was taken off me," I frown, folding my arms over my chest.

"Well," Andy says, "if that's the case. Enjoy your last day back in the bedroom."

With one swift motion of his hand, a Razor member steps out of nowhere, grabbing me by the arm and forcefully leading me back towards the door.

"I know how to get to the room on my own, thank you very much," I snap at the man.

Before I even know what's happening, Andy slaps me across the face so forcefully that my head swings around from the impact. I feel the sting of his palm straight away and I bite the inside of my cheek to stop the tears and the cuss words I want to scream at him.

"Don't think that because you are leaving tomorrow you can disrespect my men and my home. Understand?"

I nod, knowing that if I don't answer him, he'll just yell at me again.

I can't wait to drag this stupid asshole down. Once I get out of here, nothing is going to stop me from sharing what I know. Plus, did he really think that I wouldn't tell the police that he kidnapped me? Did he really think he would get away that easily?

If it takes one month or even a year, I'm going to make this man suffer for everything he has done to me. For every punch, kick, slap, he will suffer in a world of his own pain at the hands of me and my new found wrath.

I smile as I'm led back to the room I've been staying in for too long now. And even though my cheek stings and I know he's left a mark, I can't help but finally feel hopeful for what is to come.