Chapter Twelve
Maddy
Present
“What was your plan, dear sister?” Madison says, kicking the leg of my chair. “Did you think Blackhawk, Dillon, was going to save you? Did you think you could get a message out? Well, I have news for you, bitch, he didn’t fall for it. I just spent the past several hours with him and we laughed until our sides hurt. And don’t even expect King to come and save you. He could barely stand to look at my face.”
She laughs and seeing so much evil on a face that looks like mine is unnerving.
“He only said a single word to me and it was like pulling teeth,” she continues. “By the way, I need the keycode to my apartment building. I should probably get things packed and sold before I move away.”
“Is all of this about money?” I ask, ignoring the pain from the burns on the corners of my lips. “You can have it. Take my money. Take my apartment. Just please, leave me and my parents alone.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” my mother says. “I started this plan the day I found out I was having twins. I want everything they have to offer.”
“I have a trust fund,” I admit. “I’ve never used it so it has hundreds of thousands of dollars at this point. Take it all. Hand me my phone and I’ll have every last penny transferred to whatever account you want.”
I’m not lying. When I turned twenty-one my parents told me about the trust fund they had set up when I was first adopted. I tried for weeks to turn them down. I didn’t want their money. They taught me to fight for my dreams and that’s what I did. I had just gotten my bachelor’s degree in special education and was making my own way.
But dad had insisted that I keep my trust fund and maybe one day I could give it to my own child. That had been my plan from that moment forward. I wouldn’t touch that money unless I had to.
But I would give it up in a heartbeat to save my parents.
“Why would we settle for your measly thousands when we can have your parents millions?” my mother says.
“You know that she doesn’t give a crap about you, right?” I tell my sister. “She’s using both of us. She said it herself. From the moment she found out she was having twins she planned to use us for her own gain.”
“Shut the fuck up,” the woman yells. “Don’t listen to her, Maddi. I told you that we would share the money we make.”
“I’m not worried about her, mom,” Madison smirks down at me. “She’s so fucking pathetic. Look at her. She has no idea what living hard means. She couldn’t possibly understand the desperation you felt back then. The desperation we both have lived with since the day I was born.”
“So, what, you’re just going to go out there and live my life pretending to be me? Someone is going to figure it out. You’re not going to be able to fool everyone.”
“Maybe not,” she cackles. “That’s why you quit your job, listed your apartment, and plan to move away in an attempt to grieve the loss of your parents in peace.”
“Please,” I beg, tears once again mixing with the burns on my face. “Please, don’t hurt them.”
“Enough. Mom, how much longer do we need to keep her alive? I don’t think there is anything left that we need from her.”
“At least until after her parents are dead,” the woman answers.
The thunderous storm in my head drowns out the rest of their conversation. Images of my parents being burned alive, crushed under their car, and even shot, race through my mind. I need to find a way to warn them.
They’re going to make it look like I left to deal with my grief. No one is ever going to know that I was killed.
My mother, whose name still eludes me, walks over with a freshly lit cigarette.
“Now, give your sister the information she wants,” she says, taking a long puff.
“Why?” Rage like no other etched into my voice. “You’re still going to kill my parents. You’re still going to kill me. I refuse to make any of this easier for you. You’re not going to get another peep from me.”
And they don’t. Time after time, the woman presses her burning cigarette against my skin. When that one runs out, she lights another one. Then another, and another.
But, no matter what, I don’t utter a sound.
***King***
“Tell me the number of the trailer?”
“Ten,” Ghost responds.
Once Blackhawk dropped Madison back off at the house, he came to meet us at the gas station. Not even five minutes later, Madeline’s car flies by. We sat there for another twenty minutes before squeezing Blackhawk into the back of the van and following. Luckily, Knox was able to track the car. It took us two hours to get to the location where the tracker stopped moving.
“Does the van blend in?” Knox asks.
We’re sitting in a trailer park but we have eyes on the car Madeline took parked just a few trailers down.
“It’s relatively dark now,” Ghost answers. “And it’s too cold so there isn’t anyone outside. We’re safely hidden.”
“I’m going to go and look through the windows,” I announce.
“No, wait, King,” Knox rushes to say. “Give me just a minute.”
“Knox,” I growl.
“I know. Please, just a second.”
With bated breath, I wait.
“Alright. I have access to their Wi-Fi.”
“What good is that going to do?” Viper asks. “We’re already sitting here and I don’t think they have a security system.”
“Maddy might not even be in there,” Venom says.
“She’s there,” Knox says, his voice suddenly rough.
“How do you know, Little one?” Blaze asks.
“Because I’m looking right at her.”
“Explain,” I order.
“Once I gained access to their Wi-Fi network I was able to look for any IP address used,” he explains. “A lot of people don’t know this, but their laptop camera can easily be hacked. That’s why I always have mine covered with black tape.”
“Knox,” I growl with barely controlled rage.
“The laptop is open and I turned on the camera,” he whispers. “It’s pointing right at her.”
“Fuck,” Steel curses. “Before you tell us what you see, will they know that someone has access to the laptop's camera?”
“Only if they notice the light,” he sniffs. “But this is an older model so it might not even have the little light.”
“Is it bad?” Ghost asks, looking back at me.
I already know what he sees when he makes eye contact. My always-controlled emotions are about to fucking erupt.
Silence is our answer.
“Double fuck. King, do not get out of this fucking car. Knox, tell us.”
“She’s sitting about five feet away from the laptop,” he starts. “But she’s tied to a chair. Her arms are secured on the handles. I can’t see her legs but there’s a rope also wrapped around her chest securing her to the back of the chair.”
He’s not telling us something.
“What else?” Blackhawk speaks from the back. “Is she okay?”
“Her head is bowed forward but she’s alive,” he says. “Her lips are moving but I can’t make out what she’s saying. The speakers to access sound must not be working on the computer. But she’s not okay. She has these strange marks all over her body.”
“Marks?”
“I don’t know how to explain it, Ghost. They’re small, round marks. They look red and irritated.”
“They’re burn marks,” I hear Colt say from Knox’s end.
“From a lit cigarette,” Jax confirms. “She’s being tormented in there.”
I’m out of the van before anyone can stop me.
“Damnit, man,” Blackhawk hisses. “Use that damn brain of yours. They might have weapons inside. We need to make a plan.”
“I’m getting her out of there,” I say, ignoring the hand on my shoulder and marching forward.
“Don’t make me tackle you down, brother,” Blaze says. “Just stop and think.”
Fucker. He can do it, too. Big ass bastard.
“I want to get her out of there, too,” Blackhawk says. “Let’s just be rational.”
“No need,” Ghost says, hopping out of the van. “Apart from Maddy, there are only two people inside. Let’s just go knock on the door.”
“Viper, you’re the least scary-looking one,” Blaze says. “You knock and we’ll stand to the side.”
“It’s pronounced the most handsome,” Viper jokes.
We all lean against the trailer just out of eyesight while Viper knocks.
“What the hell is someone doing here this late?” A woman shouts. “Maddi, did you order something?”
“Why the hell would I order something woman? I have a freaking mansion filled with whatever the hell I want.”
“Little bitch,” the woman mumbles. “I picked the wrong damn twin to get rid of.”
The door swings open and Viper smiles.
“I don’t want to go to your damn church,” she grumps. “Don’t you people usually come in pairs?”
“Hello, my name is Travis and I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time?”
“Well, that depends on how long a moment is,” she laughs. “I don’t normally accept someone’s advances but I’ll give you a pleasurable moment. Fifty an hour.”
“Gross, mother. He’s not asking to have sex with you. He’s probably selling something.”
“Actually, I’m here on behalf of a friend,” Viper smiles. “You see, his woman is pissed at him because he was a dick. Now, I offered to help him get over her via Cinderella style. So, are there any princesses here who want to try on a glass slipper?”
“I mean, if your friend looks anything like you,” Madison laughs. “I’m all in.”
“He is quite handsome,” Viper smirks. “But, you see, the thing is, he’s so caught up on this female. He’s in a rather bad mood so I don’t think he can be gentle.”
“Oh, I don’t mind a little rough play,” she says.
“Good,” Viper chuckles, stepping aside.
Knowing my queue, I step up onto the porch. The woman before me looks so much like my Madeline that it hurts to look at her. But her eyes are wrong. There’s no softness there.
“King,” her face pales as she takes a step back. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to go back to my parents’ place when you were ready to talk?”
Not bothering to waste my time with the vile woman, I step around her and head down the only hallway. With each door I pass, I force the door open. Bedroom. Bathroom. Closet.
Only one door left.
I open the door and there she sits. Just as Knox described, she’s tied to a cheap office chair. Her skin is pale and clammy and she is covered in burn marks.
“Baby,” I croak.
Madeline slowly raises her head until she’s looking me in the eyes. She looks so tired. Her eyes scream in pain.
“King?” she whispers.
Hurt clouds her face but this pain isn’t from the suffering her physical body inflicted. It’s the pain I caused.
“Shortcake,” Blackhawk says from behind me and it’s only then that I realize I haven’t moved.
Racing to her side, I ignore her flinch as I start undoing the rope.
“Get out of my way, boy,” Venom says, shoving me aside.
The only reason I don’t break his fucking face is because Doc has taken over.
“Damnit Doc,” Ghost grumbles. “Can’t you see that King is on edge?”
“I don’t give a damn if he steps off,” Doc says. “He was in my way. Can you tell me where all you’ve been burned?”
“Just my face, arms, and legs,” Maddy says gruffly, avoiding looking in my direction. “And the bottom of my feet.”
“There are a few that look pretty deep,” Doc says. “We need to get you to the hospital. They’re going to need to be cleaned and you need to be put on some antibiotics to avoid infection.”
“Dillon,” Maddy cries. “My parents?”
“They’re fine, Shortcake,” he answers. “King got them to safety.”
“She was going to kill them and then move away,” she sobs. “No one was going to know I was even missing.”
“We knew, Shortcake,” Dillon says, looking down at his phone. “From the moment King and I stepped into the room, we knew it wasn’t you.”
“Can you stand, baby?” I ask gently.
She nods but still refuses to look at me.
“I’ve been sitting in this chair for a really long time,” she says quietly. “So, I probably stink. My back isn’t doing too well and the bottom of my feet hurt to stand on, but I want to get out of here. Please, get me out of here.”
“The police are on their way,” Blackhawk says. “Why don’t you guys go ahead and take her to the hospital and I’ll wait. They’ll probably be in soon to ask you some questions, Shortcake.”
“The police?” I growl. “I don’t fucking think so.”
“Let the police handle this one, King,” Ghost says. “There’s no sense in getting your hands dirty if you don’t have to.”
“Look at her,” I yell. “Look at what they fucking did. No! They’re going to the chamber.”
“King,” Madaline whispers. “Please. I just want to go home.”
I look back at my beautiful woman and swear.
I try to ignore the heartbreak in her eyes as I kneel in front of her sitting form.
“My sweet baby,” I whisper. “They hurt you and you want them to walk away?”
“I want them to be punished,” she cries. “But I don’t want you to kill them. Killing them is too easy. Let them stay locked in prison for the rest of their lives.”
Everything in me screams to kill the ones who dared touch my woman, but I shove it down and nod.
“Come on,” I say. “I’m going to carry you to the car.”
“You’re going to do no such thing,” she exclaims. “I’m not going to have you embarrass me by trying to pick me up only to fall or drop me. I’ll walk.”
Growling, I lean down to lift her regardless but the look on her face causes me to stop short.
“I’m going to walk myself, King,” she says, slowly standing. “I’m going to walk past my birth mother and my twin on my own two legs.”
I take a step back with pride. I know she doesn’t think I can carry her but she’s very wrong. However, I want her to feel powerful as she walks by those bitches. They didn’t break her and they’re lucky as hell that I’m not breaking them.
Disappointment is strong knowing that they won’t be visiting my chamber.
Madeline holds her head high and she slowly walks through the trailer. The women never utter a sound. They must have been threatened.
By the time we reach the van, I can see sweat coating Madeline’s forehead from the amount of pain that I’m sure she’s in.
“Fuck,” Blaze says. “You guys go ahead. Steel and I will stay here with Blackhawk until the police arrive.”
“Get in the van and get out of here,” Blackhawk calls from the door. “I don’t want the police looking into you guys over this. I already have my men working on removing Ben’s trail to King. Just get gone.”
“I’ll squeeze back there with you and Venom,” Viper says. “Maddy can sit up here.”
“I gave you your walk,” I tell Madeline as I open the door and take my seat. “You’re sitting on my lap where I can keep you safe. Squeezing between me and Venom will only cause you pain.”
“King,” she starts.
“Please, Madeline,” I beg. “I know you’re pissed at me. I know I hurt you. These are things we will talk about some other day. For now, please, just let me hold you.”
“I don’t want to squish you,” she whispers. “I can just sit in the front. Viper says he’ll give up his seat.”
“Are there any burns on your back?” I ask. “Or the backs of your knees?”
“Uhm, no,” she answers. “Why?”
Without another word, I get out of the car and pick my stubborn ass woman up bridal style before turning and getting back in.
Her gasp is the only sound she makes as I adjust us enough to shut the door.
After everyone is in the van, Ghost pulls out of the trailer park.
“Is she good to go to Harborbrook General, Doc?” Ghost asks. “Or do we need to get her someplace closer?”
“She’ll be fine,” Venom says. “Doc told me to grab the pain killers from his bag and give her two. They’ll make her pain subside a bit but they might make her sleepy. Is that alright with you, honey?”
Madeline, sitting stiffly on my lap, nods.
“We all have a lot to make up for, Maddy,” Venom says, handing her the pills and a bottle of water. “King isn’t the only one who did you wrong. We’re all so damn sorry.”
The men mumble their agreement and all I want to do is hold my woman a little tighter. But I don’t dare.
I adjust her so she’s leaning further into my body.
“Just relax, baby,” I whisper against her temple, placing kiss after kiss against her skin. “I know you don’t trust me, but I promise to keep you safe. Relax, my sweet baby.”
It takes her over ten minutes before her body relaxes against mine and she falls asleep.