"I guess we're walking." Ryan shoved his phone in his pocket.
"No way." Natalie snapped. "What'd Jacob say?"
"Todd's not letting any of them leave the house."
"But he's cool with all of us freezing out here?" She shouted over the rain.
"Ben's missing, Aria's locked and Seth's close to dying, Todd can't send anyone out to us."
"Ben's missing?"
"Apparently he went off with Gabe and now he's not responding." Lighting flashed in the sky and I jumped towards Ryan. "That whole coven is out to get us. Daniel, Emma, Gabe; what about Peter?"
Natalie bit her lip. "I thought Peter was in Europe."
"I thought Daniel was in Australia." Ryan said through his teeth.
"Right. Well, what are we going to do? I don't think I could run back even if we didn't have her."
"Yea, I've been going all day. It's such a wonderful day! Why don't we go for a walk?"
"Funny." I said sipping up the drenched sweater I'd borrowed from Natalie.
"I thought so." He said grabbing my hand and swinging it.
"Do you even know which way we're supposed to go?" I asked.
"No idea."
"Great." Natalie mumbled. "Why don't we hitchhike?"
"Actually-"
"No. That's crazy!"
"Crazier than walking for hours in the rain?" Ryan pointed out.
"But-"
"Look, we'll all stay together. It'll be fine." Natalie assured me.
A van drove by and Ryan waved his hands in the air. It pulled over and he smiled at me. "Hi, can you give us a drive back to Rywood?"
"All three of you?" The driver, a black man around forty years old, asked.
"Yes."
"I guess. My name's Jack." Ryan gave me a cocky smile and opened the back door. He gently pushed me in as Natalie went to the front. "So what are you kids doing around here? Not running away from home are you?"
"Actually the opposite, we're returning. We went to visit our mom at Porter Manor."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
"Thanks." Natalie said somberly. I was even believing their story and I knew the truth.
"Yea, when the car broke down we were afraid we'd miss our dad's birthday."
"You're really helping us out."
"Who's your dad? I know everyone around Rywood." Jack asked with something more than curiosity in his voice.
"Alex James." Ryan said smoothly.
"He owns that big house up on the hill right?"
"Yup." Natalie said smiling.
"Didn't know he had any daughters."
"He doesn't. These are my step sisters."
"Huh."
I looked out the window and had to look again. "Ryan." I whispered.
"Uh huh?"
I pointed at the sign we just passed and watch his eyes follow. I expected Ryan would say something but it was Natalie who finally did.
"Jack? Aren't we going the wrong way?"
"Nope."
Her face tensed but only the slightest bit. "But this is Bassville."
"Yup."
I whipped my head to look at Ryan. One of his hands moved slowly to the door handle while the other grabbed mine.
"I wouldn't jump if I were you."
"Excuse me?" Natalie asked.
"I know where you're going, where you live. And all of your faces."
"We didn't do anything wrong."
"Really? That one's listed as missing which makes you two kidnappers since he has a wanted poster."
Before I could blink Ryan had pushed open the door and pulled us out of the moving car while Natalie grabbed the steering wheel and steered it away from the two of us on the street.
"Ow," I moaned stretching my arms. I had landed on Ryan, just the way he had planned but after he'd let go I'd fallen harshly to the ground.
"You okay?" He asked circling his shoulders.
"Yeah. Where's Natalie?"
"Oh crap."
"What? What's wrong?" But Ryan didn't have to answer because a cop had pulled him to his feet while another pulled me up.
"Leah Hale?"
"Yes." I said even though I was distracted by Ryan and his cop.
"Ryan James?" He didn't respond. "Ryan James."
"What?"
"You're in some hell of trouble boy."
He stared at the ground with an annoyed look on his face.
"Come on Leah, you're going home."
So anonymous may i ask where your review for the last chapter was? :/ But Insanity Streak reminded me i needed to update for everyone and thank you for that. Go Insanity Streak!