Page 79 of Ready Or Not

I glare at her. “No. Let’s go, Rachel.”

“Noel raped me, Manson.”

My world slows. As the words sink into the room, there’s deafening silence. I knew this, but hearing her say it makes it horrifyingly real.

“He raped me when I was a kid. A lot.”

Rachel is frozen in my grasp.

I clench my jaw and look down at my wife—at her beautiful, soft, stubborn face. I don’t see pain in her eyes, but I feel it in my own. In fact, I don’t see much in her at all. It’s like she’s…gone.

And I want her back.

“I don’t remember a lot, Manson. But no, yours wasn’t the first dick I fucked. Happy?” Riley throws on a fake smile.

Anger fills me. Is that why she thinks I want to know? Does she think that poorly of me?

I snarl, “No. Not happy. Let’s go.” I yank Rachel with me. I’ll put her away, and then I’ll deal with Riley.

“Grab some clothes,” I snap. No way in hell I can focus with her looking like that.

Halfway down the stairs with Rachel, she trips. I yank her up before she hurls headlong into the bottom step, but her motion has pulled her in front of me. She grips my torso, looking up at me with something like panic in her eyes. “Don’t take me back to the basement.”

“Let’s go.” It’s hard to see where my next step will fall with her limbs all over me. That, plus Riley’s opinion of me, fills me with rage.

“Please!” Rachel just holds me tighter.

I rip her up into my arms, and she starts struggling. “No! Please! I’ll be good!”

“Rachel!” Riley snaps, bumping into me as I clear the bottom step. “Chill.”

Rachel lets loose a blood-curdling scream, thrashing back and forth. She’s not big, but she has surprising strength, and I have to actually hold onto her to keep her from thrashing loose. I cart her through the kitchen and to the top of the stairs, where her limbs hit the doorframe as she thrashes.

“You need help, Manson?” There’s a mocking laugh in Riley’s tone. “Looks like you’re struggling a bit, big boy.”

I shove Rachel through the basement doorway, then glare at Riley for a second before Rachel’s movement almost causes me to fall down the stairs. She threw clothes on, thank Satan. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Riley snorts. “Go where? You have a portal in here I don’t know about?”

I grunt, carting Rachel the rest of the way. She fights like she’s lost her mind until I’ve chained her up again. My hands shake as I do it.

“Manson, wait.” Rachel grabs my arm, and I shake her off, only for her to grab me again.

“We have to talk. About Riley.”

“Get off me.”

“She has to trust you.”

I stare at Rachel, realizing what she’s saying. She’s covering for Riley. Fear rushes through me, and I start to rush up the stairs.

“She’s not running!” Rachel gasps. “You’re being reckless! Just listen!”

I slow, halfway to the top of the stairs. I know she can’t get out, but some animalistic part of my brain wants to chase her down.

But I’m not fucking reckless. Riley can’t go anywhere; this house is locked down.

I turn back to Rachel. “What did you do?”