Chapter 249: Guilt and Retaliation
- DEX -
The red welt on Raya’s cheek is starting to go down. It’s been a full day since that piece of shit hit her, and Uncle Saul took him and his friend back to the states where I’m sure they’ll rot in a basement somewhere until we can join them.
Hopefully Luciano and I both get turns at making that guy pay. He hurt Raya, but it sounds like he is the one responsible for all of the challenges Rory has been facing—all the nightmares from her childhood that have resurfaced after what Lawson did.
If I can’t go back and punish my brother for what he did to Rory and what he planned to do to Raya, I can at least punish this guy. Rory is family now. Family is precious. I don’t have my parents anymore, so I’ll be damned if anyone hurts the people I do have.
"Stop thinking about it." Raya’s soft voice brings me back to the present where I’m holding a bag of ice against her cheek.
"What?" I try to smile, to convince her that I’m not consumed with thoughts of retaliation. But I can tell she sees right through me.
"You know what." She grabs the ice from my hand and sets it down.
"I was thinking I can’t leave your side for two minutes without you running off," I tease. It’s a joke based on truth. "Remember when I asked if you two could stay put while I got changed?"
"The one thing that could’ve happened to make me run off did. How could I have anticipated that?" She does the same half smile—trying to make light of something that is so heavy.
"Why didn’t you come get me first, Raya?" My voice is gentle but searching. I don’t want her running off toward trouble again.
She stares out at the trees surrounding the deck of the cabina. This resort has changed before our eyes. It was a paradise, an escape from all the drama and challenges back home. Now it has revealed itself as a place just like any other.
It’s not special. It can’t hide us from the things determined to find us. The best we can do is prepare ourselves for what might come and stick together.
"Something worse could have happened," I add, revealing the fear that stabbed me right in the gut when I came out to find both her and Rory gone. "You should have waited for me."
"I know." Raya draws her hands up, looking at the bruises she sustained from hitting that guy.
She was lucky he didn’t retaliate more than he did. He was in bad shape when I finally caught up to them.
"Why did you take off like that? Am I going to have to worry about you going all vigilante again when I turn my back?" I chuckle to soften the question.
I know this scenario was different than any others we’re likely to encounter, but it’s still a question I need answered. Raya is the most precious thing in my life, and I don’t want to worry about her running off endangering herself when she has a team of people who would be willing to fight right alongside her.
"When that happened to Rory..." Her eyes mist over, and she pauses to get the overwhelming emotions under control.
"It took her months to tell us. I should have known something was wrong during that time. I should have known something bad happened, but I just thought Rory was being moody and rebellious."
Raya shakes her head, biting her lip as she lets herself be drawn back into that guilt from all those years ago.
"I’m her sister. I should have known. I should have insisted that she tell me or tell somebody. Hansen is sick. He never got what he deserved, and it’s so unfair. How can things like this happen to people, and the ones guilty just get to go on with their lives? That nightmare is a shadow that’s followed Rory forever. When I saw him... all the screams from her nightmares, all the time she spent trying to forget only to lose pieces of herself in the process... it all came back."
She finally turns to me, offering me this dangerous truth she’s discovered about herself—that she could want to hurt someone the way she tried to hurt Hansen.
"I’ve never felt hatred like that, Dex. I wasn’t thinking straight. But I’m not sorry that I did it. I wish I could have hurt him worse."
"I understand." I scoot further off of my chair, reaching for her injured hands, taking them gently into mine. "But I will always be here to help. If it’s to hold someone down while you hit them, I’ll do it."
We both laugh at that, but I’m serious. And she knows it.
"He’ll get what he deserves."
"Why was he here?" She shakes her head, just as bewildered about it as we all are. "Was he here intentionally? Or was it a coincidence?"
"We’ll find out. But I don’t believe in coincidences. Not anymore. One good thing is that we know about Rory’s heart now, and Luci will make sure it’s taken care of."
"Yeah. That is a good thing," she sighs. "At least we know it wasn’t one of Luciano’s enemies after her. That would have been worse."
"Yeah," I agree. It definitely would have. "Are you sure you’re okay with still having the ceremony Saturday?"
"Yes! 100%!" Raya’s eyes widen at the question. "If Rory is okay with it, then I am, too. There is no way Hansen Rykard is going to be responsible for keeping us from saying those vows to each other."
"Okay." I kiss her knuckles before tugging her forward to kiss her lips. "Two days," I whisper against her.
"Two days," she smiles back. "Then I will be Mrs. Alexander Mobius."
"Damn right," I grin. "What do you want to do before then? Horseback riding? Deep sea diving? Hiking?"
"I just want to be with you," she says, dropping her forehead against mine. "That’s all. I’ve had enough excitement."
I hum my agreement, kissing her forehead. "I couldn’t agree more."
