Heart of Redemption (Hearts #2)

43. Liam

Chapter 43

Liam

I walked Adrianna to class as Grayson had been called in by coach to the hockey room.

“So how are your classes doing?” She asked me as I jolted up.

“What?” I nervously scratched the back of my neck as she rolled her eyes.

“You definitely have dad’s hearing.” She let out a harsh sigh as I laughed.

We walked as she nervously glanced up at me, “You aren’t acting weird because of me, are you? I’m not coming off too strong with the whole sister thing… because you’ve been acting different lately.” She muttered.

I forced a smile, though I could feel the weight of the secrets pressing down on me. “Yeah, just a lot on my mind with practice and all. Don’t worry about me.”

She nodded, though her eyes betrayed that she wasn’t entirely convinced.

As we neared her classroom, Adrianna waved to Margo, who was standing by the door. “Hey, Margo!”

Margo glanced up briefly but didn’t return the greeting, her attention quickly diverted elsewhere. Adrianna’s smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly brushed it off.

“That’s weird, she never ignores me.” Adrianna looked confused.

“Did you guys get into a fight? Is it because of me?” I asked as she shook her head.

“No, something’s wrong.” Adrianna alarmed, “We’ll talk about it later.”

“Okay.” I replied, giving her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

I really hoped that the reason Margo had ignored Adrianna was because of me. Because if there was any other reason, I wouldn’t know about it.

Margo never ignored Adrianna, which had to mean that something was going on behind the surface.

And it couldn’t have been good.

MARGO

I felt like a bitch ignoring my best friend, but I had to keep remembering that it was all going to end soon. I just had a feeling that Ben wasn’t as nice and squeaky clean as he let others believe.

I had to prove it to everyone. I had to do it for myself, and my friends.

I waited for the sun to set, as the moon cast its silver glow over the quiet neighborhood. My determination solidified even more as I couldn’t shake the gnawing suspicion about Ben.

He had left the house because he had to go do some unfinished work. Stealthily, I crept to out the bedroom window, carefully unlatching the lock with my practiced hands.

Every creak of the floorboards seemed amplified in the silence of the house. I paused, listening intently for any signs of movement from any of Ben’s hires.

The steady hum of the heater and the muted sounds of the television downstairs were the only indications of life.

I slipped on a pair of my running sneakers; I had a feeling it wasn’t a stilettoes night. I grabbed nothing but my phone then, I took one last glance around my entire room, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves.

I pushed the window open and swung my legs over the sill, landing softly on the grass below.

I made my way through the backyard, and I ducked behind the large oak tree, using its shadow for cover. The gate squeaked as I opened it.

I winced, freezing momentarily. I felt Ben’s presence as he closed the front doors.

I knew I was taking a risk, but I had to gather evidence against Ben. I had to protect Adrianna and the others from whatever he was hiding.

With a final, resolute glance back at my prison, I stepped closer to Ben’s car and jumped in the trunk hoping that he would lead me to whatever he was up to.

As the car started, I felt the engine’s vibrations through the trunk. The confined space was claustrophobic, and I had to remind myself to breathe steadily. The car started moving, and every bump in the road jostled me, intensifying my anxiety. I could hear the faint strains of music playing from the car radio, but it did nothing to soothe my mind.

The drive seemed endless, each minute stretching into an eternity. I tried to focus on the task at hand, reminding myself why I was doing this.

But it didn’t change the fact that I was horrified of what Ben might’ve been capable of.

The car finally turned off, I pulled the lever to open the trunk of his car, only to sneak off before he left his vehicle.

I remembered this place; I was back in Brownsville. The place I was kidnapped and followed the same night.

Back to the night where I was kidnapped by the guy that had the same tattoo as Ben.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. The abandoned warehouse loomed ahead, its dark windows, like hollow eyes watching my every move. The memory of my previous encounter with the place made my heart race.

Carefully, I walked to the back of the building again, I avoided the broken glass and debris that littered the ground. The entrance was ajar, its rusted hinges protesting as I nudged it open just enough to slip inside.

The interior was the same, it was dimly lit by the moonlight filtering through the cracks in the walls, casting eerie shadows that danced across the floor.

I moved silently; each step calculated to avoid making any noise that could alert Ben to my presence. I knew he was hiding something here, and I was determined to find out what it was.

As I navigated the labyrinth of corridors, the stench of mold and decay filled my nostrils, making it difficult to breathe.

Finally, I found what I was looking for— the door was unmarked at the end of a long hallway.

I heard someone call Ben’s name as he walked out with an angry look plastered on his face.

My heart pounded in my chest as I reached for the handle, praying that it wasn’t locked.

To my relief, the door creaked open, revealing a small, cluttered room filled with papers and old furniture.

As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I scanned the room, trying to make sense of the chaos. My breath caught in my throat when I noticed a large corkboard against the far wall, covered in photographs.

I stepped closer, my heart thudding in my ears.

The photos were all of me.

Candid shots from different times and places—at school, at home, even on my morning walks with my friends.

There were photos of me at Greece, before I even knew Ben.

Each one was meticulously pinned to the board, and some had notes scribbled beneath them, detailing dates and locations.

A chill ran down my spine as I realized the extent of Ben’s obsession. He had been watching me for a long time, documenting my every move. I felt violated, my privacy shattered by this disturbing shrine.

There was a picture of me inside Verina’s house having a drink with her brother. I remembered hearing a noise on the balcony that night only I assumed it was Xavier.

Despite my fear, I forced myself to keep looking, hoping to find some clue that would explain Ben’s motives. My eyes landed on a recent photo, taken just a few days before my kidnapping.

It showed me and Liam in his bedroom; Ben knew that I had cheated on him.

I felt my heart drop to my stomach. I felt a surge of anger mixed with terror.

Why was he doing this?

What did he want from me?

I felt footsteps approaching, and quickly walked into a dark room, I closed the door behind me.

I felt horror creep up my throat as I turned on the flickering light, only to display the dozens of drugged women, who laid on the floor.

I wanted to scream but let my hand cup my mouth to keep me from screaming. I pulled out my phone quickly and texted Adrianna a quick SOS before dropping it on the floor.

Lost in thought, I didn’t hear the footsteps approaching until it was too late. The door behind opened, a hand had wrapped around me and slammed the door shut.

I spun around to see Ben standing there, a twisted smile on his face.

“Enjoying the gallery?” He sneered, stepping closer. “I've been waiting for this moment.”

My mind raced, searching for a way out. But I was surrounded, by Ben and his other friends I was guessing.

There were three other men who surrounded the room. I wasn’t going to get out of here alive.