Chapter 5

Five

R yan slept for a few hours, and it was the best sleep he'd had in ages. He had been completely exhausted and Ormenus made him feel safe in a way he didn't quite understand. He didn't wake up once thinking he heard his sister crying or to check the door. He just slept and it was wonderful .

When he woke up, he was quite refreshed despite the dull ache lingering in his body. Ormenus was human once more and being in his arms was nice, but…

Ryan knew he couldn't stay here.

He had to get home.

He had to get back to his sister, Bonnie.

Although Ryan did enjoy his very unique extracurriculars to satisfy his darker urges, he still had a responsibility waiting for him at home who needed his attention and care. She sure as fuck wasn't going to get that from their piece of shit father.

That's where Ryan came in.

He made sure Bonnie had everything she needed for school, toys and new clothes when he could afford them, and above all else, he did his best to keep her safe.

Granted, he couldn't do that when he wasn't there.

He was used to the guilt.

This time was different though.

After all, it wasn't as if he'd ever stayed the night with any of his victims before.

Well, his victims had never turned out to be not human, come back to life, and still insist they still have sex either, so the last twenty-four hours were definitely full of some unique firsts to be sure.

But now he had to get home and hope that his father was at work and that Bonnie was safe at school…

He didn't want to think about the more unpleasant scenarios that might be waiting for him instead.

With a sigh, Ryan kissed Ormenus on the cheek and then slipped out of bed.

Everything throbbed pleasantly from their evening together, and Ryan did his best to tiptoe around the room and not wake Ormenus.

He found his clothes waiting for him in a nearly folded pile in the bathroom, and there was a large stack of cash beside them.

Huh.

Ryan didn't know why, but he almost felt guilty taking the money.

Still, he clutched it against his chest as he crept back out into the bedroom. He noticed that Ormenus had left his suit jacket on the chaise at the foot of the bed. Ryan didn't remember seeing it there before and couldn't resist snatching it up. He put it on and then stuffed the money in the pockets.

Ryan made his way out of the house, the doors magically letting him pass this time.

He glanced longingly over the Aston Martin as he walked by it, and a strange jingle made him pause. He looked around and didn't see anything, but there was an odd tug in the jacket pocket. He reached in and pulled out a set of car keys. He laughed. "No fucking way."

Yes way, apparently, because they were totally the keys for the car.

Ryan giggled as he slid behind the wheel.

Holy fuck, this was awesome.

Spirits high, he drove to the small house he shared with his father and sister. He had ten grand in cash in his pocket, he was behind the wheel of a gorgeous car, and oh yeah, his very not-human date last night had been kind enough to fuck him stupid after miraculously not being angry about the whole murder thing.

Things were looking up.

That is, until Ryan saw his father's truck in the driveway.

Shit.

His father, Wayne, should have been at work by now.

Which likely meant that Bonnie wasn't at school.

Ryan quickly turned around and drove down a few blocks to park the car so it would be out of sight from the house. It was a risky choice, but he couldn't begin to explain to Wayne how or why he had a brand-new car.

He took the cash out of the jacket and stashed it under the seat. He hesitated to take off the jacket, but that was one more thing he didn't want to have to explain. He took it off, held it up to his face to breathe in Ormenus's scent, and then stuffed it under the seat with the money.

Fuck, Ryan really hoped he got to see him tonight.

He locked up the car and then hid the keys under some broken bricks in a neighbor's flower bed. He jogged back to his house, his body screaming at him in protest. He had to hurry. He went to the back door and hissed when he realized someone had locked the dead bolt.

"Fuck my life," Ryan muttered.

He didn't have the key for the dead bolt, so now he'd have to go through the front door. He walked back around with a groan, and he heard a rapid tapping sound. He looked up to see Bonnie in her bedroom window on the second floor.

She was crying and shaking her head. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but she was waving him away frantically. She was trying to tell him to leave.

Ryan saw red .

That was it.

Fuck it.

They were leaving right fucking now.

He had a car, money, and he could get them far, far away from here.

Head held high, Ryan stomped toward the door. He unlocked it and then flung it open furiously. He could see Wayne at the kitchen table from here, swaying back and forth in his chair, clearly wasted already.

Wayne glared at Ryan, taking in his scantily clad outfit with a sneer.

Ryan slammed the door behind him. "Let's get this fucking over with."

Wayne stood and growled. "What the fuck are you wearing?"

"Clothes." Ryan snorted. "Maybe you've heard of them before."

"You look like a fuckin' bitch." Wayne was fast even when he was drunk and he was across the room in seconds. He grabbed Ryan, slamming him up against the wall hard enough to rattle the picture frames.

Ryan grimaced. He could taste the beer on Wayne's breath and tried to twist away as he spat, "Guess I got it from you."

Wayne laughed.

Ryan knew what came next.

Wayne hit him and Ryan hit the floor.

Ryan curled up, nursing his split lip and swallowing back a mouthful of blood. The room spun and he couldn't focus for a few seconds, seeing double of his hands on the floor as he tried to push himself up.

"What's my one rule, huh?" Wayne snarled, not giving Ryan a chance to answer before he kicked him ruthlessly. "You left your sister alone to go whore yourself out, bitch boy. You're fucking disgusting. You're fucking pathetic."

Ryan closed his eyes, taking all the abuse with quiet grunts and soft cries of pain as he collapsed against the wall.

"Give me your phone," Wayne snarled. "Right fucking now."

"Wh-what?" Ryan croaked.

"Give it to me. Right fuckin' now."

"No. No way. I'm not going?—"

"Fuck you, you little brat." Wayne dropped to a knee, smacking over Ryan's body until he found the phone. He hit Ryan when he tried to take it back and sneered as he stood so he could stomp up and down on it. "Don't need this, do you? Nobody needs to talk to a little bitch like you."

Ryan didn't bother arguing anymore. He knew from experience the only way this ended was when Wayne got bored. He wished he was stronger. He wished he was braver.

He'd killed so many men. He'd cut them down and ended their lives without mercy time and time again. He'd spilled rivers of blood, reveled in the violence and the sick satisfaction it gave him, and yet…

Here before his father, all he could do was tremble and wait for the end.

He felt so small, weak, helpless .

Pathetic.

Just like his father said.

Eventually, Wayne got tired, spat at him, and stumbled back to the kitchen.

No doubt in search of another fucking drink.

Ryan stayed as he was, slumped on the floor, until it was over.

"Bitch," Wayne muttered, the word slurred.

Ryan said nothing.

He waited until he heard Wayne clumsily making his way to the bathroom. As soon as the door shut, he sprang to his feet to bolt up the stairs. Every step hurt, his body burned, and he had to swallow back more blood, but he didn't stop until he'd made it to Bonnie's door.

He knocked softly. "Bonnie?"

There was a long pause before the door opened and her tiny face peeked out. "Ry? Are you okay?"

Ryan flinched when he saw how red Bonnie's left cheek was. "Hey, it's fine. Let's go. Let's get your bag packed, okay?"

Bonnie blinked. "What?"

"Come on." Ryan urged her out of the way so he could come into her room and shut the door behind him. He found her pink backpack and stuffed it full of clothing and her favorite My Little Pony toys. "We're leaving."

"L-leaving?" Bonnie trembled. "But, but Ry! That'll just make him mad!"

"We're done, sweetie. We're going, okay?"

"But you don't have a car. You can't take Daddy's truck—" She cried and shook, pulling frantically on Ryan's arm. "You're gonna get in more trouble!"

"I have a car, I have money, and we're fucking leaving," Ryan said firmly as he headed to the window. "Remember how we used to climb down the tree? We're gonna do that. And then we're gonna run as fast as we can. We're getting out of here."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "You said a bad word."

"I know." Ryan cringed. "Look, I'm probably gonna say a lot more if we don't hurry up, okay? We need to go."

Bonnie started to cry again. "What about my blankies? My, my pillow?"

Ryan struggled not to lose his temper. "Elizabeth Leigh, listen to me. We're going somewhere else, okay? Somewhere better. Somewhere that piece of shit can't fucking hurt us ever, ever again. And I will get you new blankets and pillows and anything you want. But we have to go now."

Bonnie's eyes filled with more tears, but she nodded slowly. "O-okay."

Ryan hugged her tight and kissed her forehead. "Let's go."

Bonnie went out the window first, with Ryan right behind her with the backpack slung over his shoulder. As soon as he hit the ground, he scooped her up and ran toward the car as fast as he could. He thought he might throw up. Everything hurt. He was nauseated. He thought he heard the front door opening behind him but he refused to look back.

He ran and ran, stopping only to kick over the bricks where he'd hidden the keys. He unlocked the car and set Bonnie down, urging, "Get in, get in."

Bonnie fumbled a little and he had to help her open the door.

"There we go. Get your seat belt on." Ryan ran around to the driver's side so he could get behind the wheel.

Gotta go, gotta go, go go.

Ryan cranked the car up and drove and fucking drove.

He couldn't even fathom relaxing until they hit the highway, and he reached over to take Bonnie's little hand. He was dizzy, exhausted, and every inch of him hurt…

But they were free.

He drove all day, stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks, until he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. They made it into a neighboring state, and Ryan decided the budget hotel advertised at the next exit was good enough for tonight.

Bonnie was quiet, having only spoken up when she wanted to change the music on the radio or to request a snack. The redness in her little cheek had faded and she dozed on and off, cuddled with her backpack to keep her possessions close when Ryan parked in front of the hotel office.

Ryan grabbed Ormenus's jacket to cover up and used a credit card that definitely did not have his name on it. He handed the man at the counter enough cash not to ask any questions.

He carried Bonnie to the room, backpack and all, and he gently dropped her off in one of the beds. He locked the door, checked it twice, and then finally collapsed right on the floor. The day was a blur of adrenaline, aching pain, and the occasional twinge of regret.

Ormenus.

Ryan was definitely missing their date tonight.

Shit.

Wayne had destroyed his phone.

Shit.

Ryan checked all of his pockets, but he couldn't find the card Ormenus had given him.

Shit, shit, shit .

He sighed miserably and held his face in his hands. He needed a shower. He needed to change clothes. He needed to eat something other than gas station junk food or fast food crap. He was bruised, drained, and worn down to his very bones.

He had no way to contact Ormenus and express either his gratitude or his regret, and he was startled by how much it hurt to think he'd never see the handsome man again. It took everything Ryan had to drag himself to the bed where Bonnie was curled up to collapse beside her.

Bonnie rolled over in her sleep, cuddling up to Ryan's chest.

He held her close, shut his eyes, and hoped he'd dream about Ormenus as he drifted off to sleep.

There was a knock at the door.

Ryan's sleep was far too deep to hear it. He continued to snooze, blissfully unaware that there was someone here to see him.

Bonnie, however, woke up right away.

She rubbed her eyes and yawned, trying to shake Ryan awake. "Ry. There's someone at the door."

He didn't stir and now Bonnie was worried.

"Ry? Please wake up," she pleaded. "Someone is here. I dunno who it is."

Ryan still didn't move and only seemed to snore louder.

The knocking came again and Bonnie whined softly.

She was far too short to see through the peephole, so she dragged the lone rickety chair in the room over to look.

There was a man there with a bottle of wine and a bouquet of beef jerky.

Well, it wasn't their father, and the man looked very nice.

And he had food.

Bonnie moved the chair out of the way so she could open the door a tiny crack. "Who are you?"

The man flashed a dazzling smile, but then he looked confused. "I'm Ormenus. Who the hell are you?"

"Elizabeth Leigh Dew," she shot back, standing up as tall as she could. She eyed the beef jerky suspiciously. "You know Ryan?"

"In a carnal nature far beyond your elementary school understanding," Ormenus replied curtly.

"Ew, you're talking about sex." Bonnie wrinkled her nose.

"Ah. Well, I suppose you could say we are talking." Ormenus smirked. "Isn't that what the kids say these days?"

"Does that mean you're his boyfriend?"

"If I say yes, are you going to let me in?" Ormenus smiled sweetly. "You can continue questioning me if you'd like."

Bonnie frowned. "Is that your jacket he's wearing?"

"If I say yes, will you let me in?"

"I'm not sure I should."

"Come on, darling. I want to help Ryan. I've been very worried about him. And look, I brought snacks."

Bonnie wrinkled her nose at the bouquet. "Those are gross."

"All right. A woman with discerning taste." Ormenus kneeled so he was on Bonnie's level, smiling kindly. "What do you like then, hmm? Candy? Sweets?"

Bonnie's eyes widened. "Can I have nachos with marshmallows?" She frowned. "And you'll help Ryan?"

"Oh, absolutely," Ormenus promised. "And hmm, it's funny you mention the nachos." He reached behind his back. "I just so happen to have that bizarre combination of food right here!"

Bonnie gasped when Ormenus presented her with a plate of nachos with roasted gooey marshmallows on top. She was too excited to care where they'd come from or what had happened to the wine and beef jerky. "That's, that's for me?"

"Of course, sweetie." Ormenus smiled. "All you have to do is let me in and you get to enjoy your weird treat and I can help Ryan. He's so very good at helping me, and I would love to return the favor. Deal?"

Bonnie shut the door so she could drag the chair back over. She had to climb up to unhook the chain, hop back down, and move the chair again. She opened the door and snatched the plate. "I see why he likes you."

Ormenus bowed. "Why, thank you."

Bonnie grabbed Ormenus's sleeve and dragged him inside the room. "He's still sleeping."

Ormenus shut the door behind them, following Bonnie over to the beds.

Bonnie hopped up on the other bed to dive into the food, shoving a big handful into her mouth. She watched curiously as Ormenus sat down next to Ryan, not sure she understood why he looked so upset.

Ormenus reached out as if to touch Ryan's bruised face but pulled his hand back. "What happened?"

"He got into a fight," Bonnie said automatically, a lie she and Ryan had practiced often.

"A fight?" Ormenus frowned. "And with whom did this fight occur?"

Bonnie fidgeted and nibbled on another gooey nacho.

"You can tell me, sweetie," Ormenus urged. "I'm very concerned about Ryan."

"Did you give him kitty pajamas?" Bonnie asked. "He said someone got him kitty pajamas."

Ormenus could tell that Bonnie was deflecting, but he still replied, "I did. I can get you a pair if you'd like." He nodded to the end of the bed, where a small set of bright pink pajamas with kitty cats appeared.

Bonnie gasped, nearly dropping the plate. "How did you…?" She laughed. "Are you a magician?"

"I'll never tell," Ormenus teased with a wink. "Why don't you go put those on and let me wake up Ryan, hmm? I promise I'll be very gentle."

Bonnie clutched the pajamas to her chest. "Oh… Okay." She turned up her nose as she strolled to the bathroom. "You'd better be nice or, or I'll call the police. I know the number."

"I absolutely believe that you do." Ormenus snorted out a small laugh as Bonnie headed off to get changed, and he turned his attention back to Ryan. Only when they were alone did he finally pet Ryan's hair. "Wakey wakey, darling."