Chapter Forty-Three

DAWN. 

I raise my gaze to the direction of the voice; my body instantly relaxing along with my racing heart at the sight of Ryder. Alive and breathing. However, my heart clenches when I take in his appearance and the state he's in. 

His face is bruised and his lower lip appears cut, looking fucking bloody. Blood drips from inside the upper arm of the black suit he's putting on and down onto the floor. He looks damn messy. In a way it reminds of me of his bad days and that makes my heart aches. 

Who the fuck did him this way?

Glancing between me and Ryder, the security slowly removes his hand from before and I splint across the room to get to where Ryder is standing; not caring of the many watchful gazes in the room or the fact that he's injured — I jump into his arms, throwing myself into his embrace and burying my face in the crook of his hair to muffle my sobs. 

"I'm fine, Princess. I promise, I'm fine. "

No, you'