Ryley's Revenge

by L. P. Dover

  His smile faded and he turned his head, tossing back his whiskey. “So do you want me to help you or not? Either way, I’m getting those two apart. But if you want to drown your sorrows be my guest. I don’t like to waste my time on pathetic pussies.” He laid a few high bills on the counter and pushed off the stool, getting to his feet. “Come on, guys. We’re wasting our time here.”

  Goddammit, what the hell am I doing? Closing my eyes, I swayed a bit, as I envisioned Ashleigh with Ryley. I didn’t want them together, but I was going to need help. I guess I’d need to cross over to the dark side.

  “Wait,” I called. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Camden stop and turn around. A leer spread across his face, and I knew I had sealed my fate. “What did you have in mind?”

  THANKFULLY, OUR DATE went perfectly. We ate dinner and as soon as we got back, I was so exhausted I passed right out. However, right at this moment, it’d all caught up to me. Gabriella knocked on the bathroom door and opened it a crack to peek inside. She found me sitting on the cold tile floor with my arms around the toilet. Morning sickness was no joke.

  “Ash, are you okay?” she asked, sliding through the door. Ryley had already left to go to the gym, so at least I didn’t have to worry about explaining to him why I was sick.

  Groaning, I sat up and ran my hands through my stringy hair, fingers getting stuck in intermittent knots. I really needed to take a shower. “Yeah, I’m fine. I usually start feeling better as the day goes by. It’ll pass. I just feel so tired all of the time and my boobs hurt like hell.”

  “The joys of being pregnant,” she replied flippantly. “Why don’t you take the day off and rest. Keeping up with Ryley can’t be easy.”

  Getting to my feet, I chuckled and shut the toilet lid so I could sit on it. “You got that right. Are you getting ready to leave?”

  “Yep, in about twenty minutes. I can toast you up a bagel if you want. Although it might be kind of hard to find them with all the seashells lying around.”

  Grinning, I ran my hands over my face and laughed. “I think I went a little overboard picking them out yesterday. My intention was to make something special for the baby. One of my first real dates with Ryley was at the beach, so I figured it’d be something we could all treasure.”

  “Oh, Ash, that’s a great idea. I’d love to help.”

  My stomach growled and my hand immediately went to my abdomen. “That would be awesome. I think I might take you up on the offer of a bagel though. I’m just going to take a shower and I’ll be right out.”

  “You got it. My niece needs to eat and get strong.”

  “I thought you said it was going to be a boy?” I countered.

  “I did, but then I got to thinking. Ryley desperately needs a little girl to wrap him around her finger.”

  The thought made me smile. “That would be something. In my mind though all I can see is a boy, one that looks exactly like him.”

  “In that case, you’re going to have some trouble when he gets older. Imagine a miniature Ryley.”

  Smiling, she shut the door and left me to my thoughts. I didn’t care if it was a girl or boy, as long as they were healthy. There was no way I could keep the pregnancy from Ryley much longer, not when a bump started to show. I just had to pray he’d understand why I didn’t want to tell him right away.

  After showering quickly, I threw my hair up in a towel and put on a pair of black yoga pants and a pink T-shirt. When I walked into the kitchen, Gabriella had my bagel ready, with a glass of orange juice sitting beside it. She was nowhere to be seen, but the door was wide open. Grabbing my bagel, I took a bite and was about to shut the door when Gabriella sauntered in holding our mail. She flipped through the stack and held out a large brown envelope.

  “It’s addressed to you, but there’s nothing on it other than your name. It was sticking out of our box like someone tried to jam it in there.”

  Taking it from her, I ran my hands over it to get an idea of what was inside; it felt like a disc. Almost instantly my skin prickled and crawled, chill bumps fanning across my body. I had a feeling I would regret opening the package, the bad juju was just rolling off of it in waves. Ripping open the envelope, I took a deep breath before reaching inside. I was right, it was a disc with Watch me written on it in bold black letters.

  “What the hell? Really?” Gabriella snorted disgustedly, snatching the disc out of my hand. She held it up, her eyes blazing. “This is the same type of shit Kyle pulled on my brother’s wife. What do you want to bet this is all Camden?”

  “I don’t have to bet,” I replied, taking it from her. “He’s taken Kyle’s place, so it doesn’t surprise me that he’s resorted to similar antics. Obviously, he wants Ryley and me to stay apart.”

  I slipped the disc into the DVD player and turned on the TV. Gabriella stormed over and turned it off, blocking my view. “Please tell me you’re not going to watch it. It’s all a ploy to mess with you. It’s going to be nothing but lies.”

  “And you’re trying to tell me you wouldn’t sneak and watch it behind my back? You’re just as curious as me. Admit it.”

  Huffing, she stared me down and then rolled her eyes, sliding away from the television. “Fine, I’m curious. Just turn it on before I change my mind.”

  She sat down on the couch while I grabbed the remote off of coffee table and took a seat beside of her, my hands shaking as I hit the play button. The video came to life and at first it was fuzzy and dark, but then it cleared up. It was loud with strobe lights all around, like the person was in a club. Then that’s when I saw what I was supposed to see. It was Ryley, dancing with a horde of women, touching them.

  “Can we stop watching this?” Gabriella snapped. “You and Ryley were broken up. Yes, he went out and messed around, but it’s not like he cheated on you.” I knew that, but it still made my heart hurt. I couldn’t blame him for the things he did, although it still didn’t make it easy to watch.

  “I guess I just like the torture,” I grumbled, leaning my head on my hand. “Is Camden constantly going to try and come between us?” There was no need for Gabby to reply. The answer was a simple . . . yes.

  The video suddenly switched scenes to another club atmosphere and this time Ryley was kissing the dark haired girl he was dancing with. There were different videos of different scenes all depicting the same shit, Ryley kissing multiple girls and feeling them up. I lost count after a while. Unfortunately, the videos steadily kept getting worse. The next one had escalated to something more. It was in the gym locker room, where another dark haired woman was on her knees in the shower, sucking him off.

  Gabriella gasped and hung her head. “Fucking shit, Ash, this is insane. You don’t need to be watching this.”

  Turning my head, I closed my eyes and felt the bile rise up in my throat. “Do you know any of these people?” I asked.

  “I know the girl in the shower,” she admitted. “She’s a regular at the gym.”

  When I glanced at the video again, Ryley and that same girl were in a different room, doing the same thing. He was with her more than once. “He told me he didn’t have sex with anyone, Gabby,” I choked. “It appears that was all a lie.”

  Gabriella reached over and took my hand in hers, squeezing it tight. “Well, maybe he didn’t actually have sex with them. There’s nothing in the video showing him doing that.” She grabbed the remote control and turned off the television.

  I watched the screen go black and wished I could erase the images out of my mind. “It just hurts knowing he was with all of those women. When I left him, I had a feeling he would go back to the way he was.”

  Letting her hand go, I stood and marched to the kitchen to wrap up my bagel. I had to get out of there for a while. My hair was still up in a towel, but I didn’t care. I flung it off and ran my hands through my wet tresses, not caring that I looked like shit.

  “What are you doing?” Gabriella asked, following behind me.

  I drank my glass of orange jui
ce and snatched a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. “I’m leaving. I need to clear my head and I can’t do it here. I just want to be alone for a while.” Sliding my bagel and water into my purse, I grabbed my car keys and started for the door.

  “Where are you going? Do you want me to come with you? I don’t want you alone when you’re this upset.” She chased after me, down all three flights of stairs, and before I could get into my car, she gripped my shoulder and turned me around. “Please don’t leave like this,” she pleaded.

  Sighing, I placed my hand over hers. “I’ll be fine, Gabby. Your brother would kill me if I made you miss a practice. I’ll be back later, I promise.”

  “And Ryley? What about him?”

  I unlocked my door and slid in. “I don’t know, but after today I think it’s time to come clean . . . both of us.”

  Shutting my door, I started my car and sped out of the parking lot, only to have my silence interrupted by the incessant ringing of my phone. I huffed and put in my earpiece, knowing it was going to be Gabriella scolding me for letting the video get the best of me. “I don’t want to talk about it, Gabby. What did you not understand about me wanting time alone to think?”

  “Uh . . . maybe because I’m not Gabby,” Colin replied. “What’s going on?”

  Great, the last thing I need is to hear him mouth off about Ryley. “I don’t really want to talk about it, Colin.”

  “Is it Ryley? What did he do?”

  Gritting my teeth, I kept my eyes on the road and stayed silent. I wasn’t going to talk to him about it.

  “Okay, I get it, you don’t want to tell me. All I’m saying is, you knew he was going to be a problem.”

  “Colin,” I growled, gripping the steering wheel with brutal force.

  He sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Listen, I got some good news this morning. I think I have the perfect place for you to get away to.”

  “Oh yeah? And where would that be?”

  “New York, baby. I know you’ve been dying to go there. I got a call this morning from one of the scouts saying they want me. They’re flying me up this afternoon and I want you to come with me. We can go anywhere and do whatever you want. This would be the perfect chance for you to clear your head.”

  I’d dreamed of going to New York for so long a part of me was excited about the thought. “Colin, it sounds great . . . but I can’t go. It’s not the right time. I would be running away again, when really, I need to stay and face my problems. I’m happy for you though. I wish I could go, except there’s something I need to do.”

  I could hear the disappointment in his voice when he spoke. “All right, I understand. I’ll be back on Friday for your celebration dinner. Take care of yourself, babe.”

  “Don’t worry about me, I will. Be careful while you’re out there.”

  “Will do. I love you, and will see you soon.”

  “Okay, see you later.” I wished I could tell him I loved him too and have it not lead him on. I did love him, but not in the way he wanted. He waited on the line for a moment, but then sighed and hung up. My guilt consumed me. There was only one place I wanted to go, where I knew I could think clearly. Hopefully, this time away would be what I needed.

  AFTER LEAVING ASHLEIGH sound asleep in her bed, I came in early to the gym so I could get done sooner. Danny helped me with my first round of training and then left for lunch, while I stayed behind to work more. I was giving my brother until the afternoon to have his shit out of my house. He hadn’t been into the gym yet, which didn’t surprise me one bit.

  “Do you want to spar with a real partner today?” Matt asked, sidling up to the ring. He lifted his dark brows and smiled, waiting on an answer. Gabriella hadn’t shown up yet, which was kind of odd since she was always on time. Her brother would make her pay for it though.

  “How can I refuse?” I replied. “Just make sure you go easy on me. I’m not as big as you.”

  Matt chuckled and opened his gym bag, pulling out his gloves. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I’ve been watching you the past few weeks. You’re technique has really gotten better.”

  He jumped into the ring and smacked his fists together, getting into stance. “What you lack is a real partner. I haven’t seen your brother much lately. Where’s he been?”

  “That’s what I’d like to know,” Danny interrupted, throwing down his gym bag. “He called and basically said I was fired. I wonder if he was being serious?”

  Matt jabbed left and I went right, swinging around to powerhouse kick him in the head. I didn’t want to think about my brother, other than hoping he was packing his shit up and moving out of my house.

  “Honestly, I’d say good riddance, Danny. I don’t give a shit where he’s at or what he’s doing, as long as he moves the fuck out of my house. I’m done being his keeper.” Matt’s eyes went wide in disbelief, and Danny huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

  “I can’t believe this,” Danny grumbled. “That boy is fucking up. Your dad would have a heart attack if he was still alive.”

  The thought of my dad made me falter and Matt advantageously punched me right in the jaw, knocking me back. Fuck, that hurt.

  “You lack focus, Jameson,” Matt chastised. “I know you’re having issues with Camden, but you need to put all of that out of your mind. You can fight with anger, but if you don’t have the focus, you’ll make a wrong move. Take lessons from my fight with Kyle. He almost had me down because I was angry with him. Once I was able to clear my head, I fucked his shit up.” Danny jumped into the ring and he nodded at him, then fist bumped me.

  “I’ll work on it, Reynolds. Thanks for the help.”

  “No problem. I just wish Gabby would get here. I swear that girl never shows up on time for anything.”

  “I resent that.” Gabriella stormed in, her lips pursed.

  Matt chuckled and met her on the floor, while Danny slid on his gloves. Now that Camden wouldn’t be my sparring partner anymore, I had to go against him. Gabriella talked heatedly to Matt and glanced up at me, a solemn expression taking over her face. Something was wrong. When Matt nodded at her, she climbed into the ring.

  “Danny, do you mind if I talk to Ryley? It’s kind of important.”

  Furrowing his brows, he looked at her and then at me. “Yeah, fine. He deserves a break after working so hard this morning.”

  Gabriella watched him until he was out of earshot.

  “What’s going on, Gabby? I don’t like the look on your face.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. “Yeah, well, that might be because you’re not going to like what I’m about to tell you.”

  “Fucking shit,” I grumbled. “Just tell me and get it over with.”

  “Okay, but I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” she began. Taking a step closer, she looked around the room before leaning in. “Your brother sent Ash a video and it wasn’t good. She’s taken off, and I don’t know where she went.”

  “What do you mean she took off? And what kind of video are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about live footage of Deep Throat Natalie sucking your cock in the locker room. Also included, numerous videos of you dry humping a shit ton of women. Ashleigh told me you said you didn’t mess around with anyone while you two were broken up. Why would you lie about that? Now she knows you lied to her.”

  “Goddammit,” I hissed, ripping off my gloves. “I didn’t lie to her, Gabby. Yeah, I messed around with more than a few, but I never slept with any of them. That wasn’t a lie. But what was I supposed to do? Give her details on how I let other women suck my dick?”

  Gabriella sighed, uncrossing her arms. “No, I don’t think she would’ve wanted to know the details. It just hurt her to see you with other women. Be glad I turned off the TV before she could watch the rest.”

  Danny watched me shove my gloves into my gym bag and nodded. He knew I wasn’t going to stay. “The rest? What more could there have been?”

&n
bsp; “Oh, believe me, there was a lot more, but I’m assuming it wasn’t you, since you just confirmed you didn’t screw anyone else . . . it must’ve been Camden. He was in your room, fucking three women, Ryley. The room was dark, but I could still see three women and you, I mean Camden. Whatever, the girls were even moaning your name.”

  “You have got to be fucking kidding me,” I exclaimed. Grabbing my bag, I slung it over my shoulders and jumped out of the ring. I bolted out of the front door and Gabby stopped me with a hand on my arm. Breathing hard, I didn’t turn around, but I listened.

  “What are you going to do? Ashleigh left, and I have no clue what she’s thinking. She wouldn’t talk to me.”

  That was what I worried about the most. If I watched a video of another man touching her, I’d be out of my mind with rage. I needed to find her, but first . . .

  Gabriella let my arm go and I finally turned around to face her. “Right now, I’m going to go to my house and make sure every trace of my brother is gone. And then, I’m going to go look for Ashleigh. However long it takes, I’m going to find her.”

  She nodded, her attitude melancholy. “Good luck, Ryley. I don’t know what it is about you two, but you have a lot to work through. I guess love is never easy.”

  Not in my life it’s not. Turning on my heel, I ran to my car and sped out of the parking lot. Camden better pray he was not at my house. If he is, I don’t care about the consequences . . . I’m going to break his fucking face.

  By the time I got to my house, there were no cars in the driveway and the house looked vacant. Even when I opened the garage, Camden’s cars and motorcycle were all gone. Did he actually leave? I figured he would make a big scene. When I got inside, I marched straight up to his room and slammed open his door . . . everything was gone. There was no trace of him at all. The rest of the furniture in the house was all mine and it was all still in place. However, when I got to my room, it wasn’t how I left it.

  My bed was unmade, the sheets in disarray, with a note left on top of my deep blue comforter. It was folded over once with my name written on the outside in Camden’s handwriting.