Westside

Dylan

⚠️TW⚠️ mentions rape and physical abuse

I made it to my office in record time. I'm sitting at my desk, looking through blueprints when I get a notification.

Ry: you have some explaining to do.

I sigh, but he deserves to know what's happening.

Me: 3rd floor, last set of double doors

Ry: be there in 5.

I put my phone down but then remember to call Mariano.

"Mariano! Cíao! Listen, I need a favour. Yeah can you and Amanda be here on Thursday? Pack a bag, enough clothes for 4 days. No clue how long it'll be. Thanks Mar. Ahaha I know! Thank god we're on good terms right? Ok I'll send info later. Cíao!" I hang up my phone quickly and rub my temples. God this was stressful.

"DYLAN?" I hear Ryder shout and I can't help the small smile that emerges on my face.

"IN HERE!" I shout back and the doors bust open.

"Dylan what is ACTUALLY happening? And don't give me some fucking bullshit response, D, I've known you for over a month, I trust you and I hope you trust me. So why exactly is my life in danger?"

Shit I wasn't expecting him to be this mad.

"Sit down, this could take a while."

He looks at me curiously but sits down. I walk to the other side of my desk and sit on it, directly in front of him, swinging my legs back and forth.

"Ryder, this is gonna get graphic at points. You sure you want this?"

"I thought you were telling me why someone wants me dead..."

"To understand why, you need to know everything everything. Including my...including my past."

"Ok then. Lay it on me princess."

"I'm adopted. When I was 3, I started getting abused. It was low scale, seeing as I was 3. Mostly just getting slapped or spanked.

"Fast forward to 7 years old. I already have scars, bruises, all that shit. I've been pushed down stairs, gotten a concussion, broken bones, the usual. This was also a big year for little Brooklyn Caldwell. Because on my 7th birthday, I was sold. As a sex slave. At 7 years old. Granted, I was bought back by my adopted parents but still.

"Horrifying I know. But that's what happens when the people who adopt you don't ACTUALLY give a shit. In an extreme case.

"The guy's name who bought me at the AUCTION, yes a human auction, was Greg Baker. He had a son, Landon Baker. I was stuck with Landon even after Gloria and Richard took me back. He threatened my life if I didn't stay as his girlfriend. So naturally I did. We broke up a year ago when he started threatening my friends.

"Yeah so I was raped, assaulted, almost impregnated, stabbed, and beaten.

"From ages 7 to 11. Full abuse was from 3-11. Gloria and Richard then died in a drug deal gone wrong. Very wrong.

"The guy said they had gotten the wrong shit and shot them both 3 times: stomach, heart, brain.

"They died almost instantly. Lucky me!!

"So me being 11 years old, and the only one able to inherit the gang, I took over.

"At age 12, apparently my biological father decided he didn't want to run the mafia and told...someone to give it to his FIRST son/firstborn. That kid didn't want the job. So it was passed through 4 older kids until me. So apparently I have 4 brothers. I don't know anything about them.