"I'll kill him! I will take this gun and pop a bullet through the asshole!" I yell, grabbing hold of the gun. Tori stands up from the floor, shaking her head.

"You can't kill your Uncle Tobias. You need him to get your parents back."

I glare at her as I realise she's right. I don't want to admit it. I don't want to be the first one to give in to him.

What if the reason my parents have been taken is because of him?

"I can do this without him." I say firmly, sounding like a spoiled teenager. Tori raises her brow at me, her hand on her hip.

"Like hell you can Ruby Wentworth. Get his number and call him, now."

"I won't forgive him for walking away Tori. I refuse to forgive him." I say firmly, feeling my legs shaking underneath my weight.

"How has my life flipped completely upside down in the space of half an hour?" I wail, reaching up to run a hand over my face. Tori takes a step closer, holding me up.

"You need to call your uncle," she says softly, handing me my phone. I nod weakly, taking it from her hands. Silently, she stands up and walks away, leaving me alone. I'm sat cross legged on the floor, blocking out the vision of the chairs and blood beside me. The mere sight of them bring bile to the back of my throat but I need to stay strong, for my parents.

My hands are shaking as I scroll through my contacts, landing on Uncle Tobias. He's saved under - Backstabber. I grit my teeth as I breathe through my nose before pressing the call button.

It rings one, twice, three times.

Then goes straight to voicemail.

"Hey, it's Tobias. Leave me a message and if you're important enough - I'll get back to you."

I let out an annoyed huff, feeling the anger inside of me bubbling as I hear his voice. The phone beeps and I pause, thinking about my message.

"Hey Backstabber. It's Ruby. I'm your only niece incase you've forgotten who I am." I snap stubbornly, pinching the bridge of my nose. I breathe deeply, composing myself. I need to push my anger aside if I want to get my parents back, safe.

"Mum and Dad have been kidnapped. Crazy, right? There's blood here Uncle Tobias and I'm alone and really scared. Please can you call me back as soon as you can. Mum and Dad need you... I need you." I say quietly, biting back a sob. I tear the phone away from my ear and end the call, squeezing my eyes shut tightly. The grip on my phone tightens and I lean back, focusing on my breathing.

A few seconds pass and I eventually break down, kicking the dresser in front of me as I scream up at the ceiling. Tori comes hurtling through the door, her eyes wide.

"What is it?! What's wrong?" She yells, falling to my side. I can barely make out any words as my body begins to shake uncontrollably, silent tears streaming down my face. We clutch each other for the next few hours, darkness filling the room as we wait for a call back from Uncle Tobias.

He doesn't call back.

*****

I'm not sure what time it is but eventually, Tori and I end up drifting off. We both lay slumped in the floor, leaning on each other as we sleep.

I dream about them all night. My parents.

My phone suddenly starts ringing, letting me know I have an incoming call. I pull it up sleepily, glancing at the screen. It's 3:46 am.

"Hello? Mum? Dad?" I whimper, half asleep. There's a pause on the other end and then he speaks, his voice a low rumble.

"Ruby? It's Tobias."

I sit up straighter this time, clutching onto my phone tightly. Darkness completely engulfs the room and I bite down on my lower lip, forcing myself to remain calm. I remember last night, the phone call, the blood, the chairs.

"How quickly can you pack a bag?" He asks me, the sound of an engine in the background. I stand up, a little unsteady on my feet as I reach for the bedroom light.

"Half an hour?" I suggest sleepily, watching as Tori begins to stir awake. Her eyes widen as she notices me stood up, phone in hand.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes. Hurry Ruby."

He doesn't wait for me to reply and hangs up. I simply stare at my phone, my mouth hung open in slight shock.

"God, what an ass." I mutter, walking towards Tori with my hand outstretched. She takes hold of it and I pull her up to her feet, ignoring the blood staining the carpet besides us.

"We shouldn't have slept here," I say quietly, guiding her out of the room. She mumbles an agreement under her breath, her eyelids heavy with sleep.

"Tori, you need to go home. I have to go away with my Uncle Tobias." I say quietly, guiding her towards my bed. She takes a seat on it, swaying slightly.

"You have to go away? But I'm your best friend. Don't leave me Ruby." Tori protests, reaching forward to tug on my arm. I slowly pry myself away from her, pulling a backpack from the back of my wardrobe. I quickly begin to stuff it with some clothes and underwear. My mind is disorientated, thoughts crazily spinning around my head. I can't think straight and so I grab whatever I can, stuffing it in forcefully.

"Tori, I need to get my parents back. I'll call you, all the time. God, I love you. Okay?" I tell her, bending down and placing my hands on either side of her face. She looks at me with sadness in her eyes before she slowly nods —

"If you don't call me every single day, I will hunt your ass down."

I let out a small chuckle, my eyes glassy.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you. You can't tell anyone about this Tori, do you understand?" I say softly and she nods, her red hair flying around her head in messy knots. She holds out her pinky and I immediately wrap mine around it, holding her tightly.

"Sisters?" I mumble, a small smile on my lips. Tori nods slowly, sniffling.

"This isn't goodbye, right?" She murmurs and I shake my head forcefully.

"No Tor, this isn't goodbye."

*****

I shiver in the cold as I wait anxiously outside our front door. My backpack is swung over my shoulder and I check my phone every few seconds to see if Uncle Tobias has contacted me again.

Mum and Dad's car is still parked outside, everything appearing normal. Tori left a while ago, taking a taxi home so she wouldn't have to walk. It's pitch black outside, the street lamps the only source of light. Silence fills the streets, the sound of the wind howling through the trees keeping me company.

"Where the hell are you?" I mumble unhappily under my breath, sitting on my front step. The cold of the marble seeps it's way into my body and I shiver again. In the distance, I can hear the low rumble of an engine. I tense and listen carefully, waiting for it to get louder.

It does.

"This is it Ruby, don't punch him. Don't punch him." I repeat, inhaling deeply before pushing myself up and off the step. The noise of the engine continues to grow until it becomes almost deafening and I squint down the road, trying to make out his car. Within seconds, he comes into view.

I watch as my uncle who I haven't seen for years speeds up, hurtling towards me. He's on a jet black motorbike, completed with silver steel that gleams in the dark night. His face is covered with a full face helmet and he's dressed in a black leather jacket complete with matching bottoms. The bike roars as it charges towards me and he comes to a slow halt right in front of me as I simply watch, too stunned for words. I'm inches away from him as he kills the engine, pausing.

I can't make out his features, whether he's horrified or excited to see me. Do I really care?

Uncle Tobias slowly lifts the helmet from his head, exposing his face. He has the exact same features as Dad and I feel a kick in the stomach as I look up at him. His eyes aren't blue but a dark shade of brown, the only difference between them. A thin line of stubble runs along his jaw, styled and trimmed perfectly.

"Ruby," he says quietly, tucking his helmet underneath his arm. I open my mouth to reply but no words come out. It feels like my throat is being tightened by an invisible hand, squeezing the life out of me.

I thought I would feel mad when I saw him, possibly even lash out. But I don't. I simply feel... exhausted. Uncle Tobias holds my stare for what feels like forever, his eyes searching mine. He looks unsure but eventually stretches out his arm towards me, his eyes turning a shade warmer.

"Come here darling," he whispers and that's all it takes for me to fall into his chest, the pain inside me becoming unbearable to handle.

"Someone's taken them!" I wail continuously, my voice cracking to match the pain I'm feeling inside my heart.

"I know, I know."