Midnight (The Devil’s House MC: West Virginia #8)

Chapter Twenty-Four

I GROANED AS I turned over, pain shooting through my skull like a lightning bolt. My brain scrambled to attention, and then realization dawned. “Haddie?” I called, jerking upright, shaking my head to clear my blurry vision. Panic clawed at my chest as I scanned the surroundings, desperately looking for her.

Fuck, whoever hit me must have taken her. The thought sent a fresh wave of terror through me, and I grabbed the tree for balance as I stood, my legs trembling. The forest spun wildly, and dizziness threatened to send me back to the ground. Fighting the nausea and disorientation, I forced myself to move, each step a monumental effort. I had to get back to the cabin, swaying on my feet as I trudged through the underbrush.

“Kaven?” Fenix’s voice cut through the fog in my mind. He emerged from the porch, his face a blurry mask of concern, hurrying toward me. “What happened?”

“They have her,” I gasped, barely able to form the words. My legs wobbled as I tried to make my way to my bike, but the world tilted dangerously.

“Hadleigh? Who has her?” Fenix demanded, grabbing me by the midsection and holding me up as I swayed. His grip was the only thing keeping me from collapsing.

“I have to find her,” I insisted, my voice raw with desperation. I tried to shake him off, but my strength was failing me.

“Stop it, Kaven,” he ordered, his tone firm but laced with worry. “You were hit over the head, you’re bleeding. There’s no way you can drive in this condition. Get in my truck and I’ll take you back to the clubhouse.”

I knew he was right, but the urgency to find Haddie was overwhelming. With a frustrated growl, I relented, allowing him to lead me to his truck. He helped me inside, and I slumped against the seat, my head pounding. As we started down the mountain, the gravity of the situation bore down on me like a weight.

“What’s going on, Kaven? The truth, and don’t give me that bullshit about club business,” Fenix demanded, his eyes flicking between me and the road, his knuckles tight on the steering wheel.

Leaning my head back, I exhaled sharply. “It’s complicated. Long story short, I was hiding Haddie up here, thinking she would be safe. But that didn’t fucking happen!” My voice cracked with frustration and guilt.

“Shit, Kaven, a black Jeep Cherokee almost hit me head-on coming off the access road,” Fenix said, slamming his fist on the steering wheel in frustration. “There was some brunette chick driving and a passenger, but I was only focused on the driver.”

“Let me have your phone,” I demanded, my hands shaking as he handed it over. We were finally in an area with cell service. I quickly dialed the clubhouse, my heart racing. Adam picked up on the second ring.

“I need to talk to Patch now,” I barked, feeling the confines of the truck as I waited, every second feeling like an eternity.

“Yeah, talk,” Patch growled into the phone. I explained what happened, my words tumbling out in a frantic rush. The details about the black Jeep were crucial. I knew he would get Scotch and Kickstand on it right away. There was no time to waste. “Get your ass back here ASAP,” Patch ordered and hung up, leaving a cold dread settling in my stomach.

Fenix glanced at me, worry written all over his face. “You think whoever has Hadleigh will hurt her?”

I sighed, the weight of my failure pressing down on me like a physical burden. “I’m praying this is only about the reward her grandfather is offering. One condition is she has to be returned unharmed.” The thought of anything happening to Haddie was unbearable and I should have protected her better. But somehow, someone had found a way to her. It still baffled me how they located the cabin. “What made you come up the mountain?”

“I went to the clubhouse to talk to you since you weren’t answering your phone. Of course, they didn’t know where you were,” he griped, his frustration clear. “So, I figured you had come up to the cabin and decided to check to make sure things were okay. Thank God I did.”

I kept my eyes closed, trying to steady my racing heart as the truck sped down the highway. The roar of the engine was a constant reminder of the urgency. Every minute felt like an hour, the distance stretching unbearably between me and Haddie. The thought of her in danger was like a knife twisting in my gut.

Fenix’s truck tires hummed against the asphalt, the landscape blurring by as we barreled toward the clubhouse. My mind raced with scenarios, each one worse than the last. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, as if the pain could anchor me in the present and prevent me from spiraling into panic.

“She’s strong, Kaven,” Fenix said, breaking the tense silence. “Hadleigh’s tougher than she looks. She’ll hold on until we get to her.”

I nodded, though the fear continued to eat at me. Fenix’s words were meant to reassure, but the thought of Haddie facing this alone made my chest tighten. “We’ll find her,” I muttered, more to convince myself than anything.

Minutes ticked by, each one an agonizing wait. The headlights of passing cars seemed to mock our urgency, their bright beams indifferent to our plight. The closer we got to the clubhouse, the more the dread morphed into a burning determination. Whoever took Haddie would regret ever fucking laying a hand on her.

As the clubhouse came into view, a surge of adrenaline coursed through me. We would find her, and I would make sure she never had to fear anything ever again.