Hold Me Tight(12)

I’m about to tell Ben that he doesn’t have to do this when he bends his head and starts speaking in a low voice, “Ryan, I’ll do that thing you like if you just tell us where Ivy is.”

I wince inwardly at whatever Ben’s referring to. It gets Ryan to shut up as he contemplates the offer. Ben doesn’t look up. He braces himself against the sink, looking like he’d love to crawl down the drain and escape all this. His football jersey is bunching up above his belt, revealing a tattoo on the small of his back, one he probably doesn’t want me to see—a swooping letter R.

Ryan issues two sharp grunts, as if trying to say, “Okay.”

“You gonna tell us?” I ask him, pressing the toe of my boot into his back.

He nods somewhat reluctantly, and I hope to God he can be trusted.

“Because if you don’t, I’ll beat it out of you myself. You hear me?” I step down hard on his foot until he groans. He nods again quickly, shooting me an irritated look. It’s killing him to have to go along with my demands, but he’s not doing this for me. There’s obviously something there between him and Ben. Whether or not they both feel the same way about each other is another question entirely. Ben doesn’t seem too thrilled about letting Ryan think he can worm his way back into his life. But knowing the Price family, I can see why. Once they latch on, they never let go.

I lower Ryan’s gag, and he takes a few deep breaths, resting his head against the wall. Ben doesn’t get any closer. In fact, he doesn’t even look over at us. Seeing Ben withdraw into himself makes me want to punch Ryan in the face like I did the night of the gala, but I can’t. We’re going to have to let him go without a scratch and not leave any evidence behind.

“Where is she, douchebag?” I hover over him menacingly.

“Aren’t you gonna love to find out,” Ryan heckles me, his voice raspy.

“Get on with it. We don’t have all day.” I jam my foot into his side until he cries out.

“All right, already!” he exclaims, trying to glance around me to get a good look at Ben.

“Where’s your crazy-ass sister hiding Ivy?” I growl, losing my patience and pulling him back by his hair.

“I get what he promised me first. Then I’ll tell you where she is,” Ryan pants before licking his lips suggestively in Ben’s direction.

“That wasn’t the deal!” Ben shouts from across the room, his voice bouncing off the tiled walls.

“I’ll whisper it in your ear, Benny Boy. I know how much you like that.” Ryan smirks, straining against the plastic garbage bag ties the members of the Glendale High football team have restrained him with.

“You don’t have to do this, Ben. We’ll find her some other way.” My guilty conscience gets the better of me. I feel terrible for having to subject him to Ryan. It wasn’t supposed to play out this way. I promised Ben beforehand that I wouldn’t leave him alone with Ryan.

“It’s all right, Eric. I should’ve seen it coming. I know what he’s like.” Ben walks over to join me, looking down at Ryan sprawled on the floor.

“Forget it. Let’s just get out of here. C’mon, Ben,” I insist, pulling him by the sleeve.

“Yeah. C’mon, Ben,” Ryan mocks me, his eyes never leaving Ben’s face.

“I’ll get what you need out of him,” Ben says, his voice sounding dead to my ears. It’s like he’s already turned off his mind in order to do what he has to do.

“You heard him. Get the hell out,” Ryan orders me haughtily.

I back away, one foot behind the other, hating myself for what Ryan’s making me do. Ben grabs him under the arm, hoisting him to his feet. Ryan doesn’t waste any time pressing him against the wall. I can’t believe what I’m seeing as Ryan runs his tongue down Ben’s cheek before biting him hard on the lip, drawing blood.

Horrified, I keep walking even though I can still hear them.

Ryan chuckles as Ben pushes him away, trying to put some distance between them. But it’s too late. Ryan’s enjoying ripping open the scars he’s inflicted on Ben’s battered psyche.

“Why do you always have to be such a monster?” Ben growls, spitting onto the tile.

“Because that’s how you like it. Don’t lie to me. I know you do,” Ryan cajoles. “Now untie me, lower your pants, and face the wall. I want a taste of what I’ve been missing.”

I increase my pace, not wanting to listen to what’s about to unfold. Is it right to trade Ben’s self-esteem for Ivy’s life? Is it worth sacrificing Ben, allowing Ryan to victimize him like that? I just don’t know anymore.