Chapter 29
Penny
Even before Ryder climbs back into the truck, I know our plans are about to change.
I can’t hear what they are saying, but I can read enough of their body language to know that Maddox is asking Ryder something.
Ryder disagrees at first, but then his shoulders slump down in defeat as he nods slightly.
Mojo’s heavy head is lying on my lap. I run my fingers through his soft fur, letting it calm my nerves a little.
Ryder opens the door and gets into the driver’s seat while Maddox’s bike roars to life beside us. Even after Ryder closes his door, the motorcycle is so loud, I can feel the vibration come off it. Or maybe that’s just me shaking in fear.
“He found Tucker, and we’re going to stay with Maddox tonight. You’ll be safe there.”
“That’s what you said when you took me to the club too.”
“And? Did someone hurt you at the club?”
“Well, no, but…” Your friends almost raped me.
“But nothing. I kept you safe like I said I would.” He turns on the truck and pulls out of the parking lot.
“Okay,” I agree. It’s not like he is going to change his mind anyway.
We drive for much longer than I expected. I figured Maddox would live close to the club, like Ryder, but he actually lives about an hour away.
“He doesn’t come here much. He stays at the club most days,” Ryder answers one of my unspoken questions as we are driving down a long and winding driveway.
I haven’t seen another house in about five minutes, which means he has no neighbors. I’m sure him being secluded is by design.
As we get closer to the house, the attached garage opens, and Maddox pulls his bike inside. Ryder parks his truck in front of the garage and kills the engine.
My mind is whirling as I look up at the two-story house that looks like a large family lives here. I wonder if he lives here on his own? From what little I know about Maddox, he is a loner. I doubt he has a girlfriend or anyone else living with him.
I’m so lost in thought I flinch when the back door opens.
Ryder lifts Mojo out of the truck, and I slide out of the seat behind him. When I get out, Maddox is standing next to the truck, his arms crossed in front of his broad chest.
“Relax, I gave Ryder my word to leave you alone,” he tells me, his tone letting me know he is anything but happy about it.
I simply nod and follow Ryder inside the house, through the garage. Mojo is still walking sluggishly, and I’m sure he is going to pass out as soon as he gets a chance to lie down somewhere.
The inside of the house is surprisingly cozy.
We enter the kitchen first. White, weathered cabinets wrap around the corner, and a large kitchen isle, with pots and pans hanging from the ceiling above it, sits in the center of the room.
Ruffled sunflower curtains hang over the window above a deep double sink, giving it a country house flair.
Pictures cover the wall of the staircase—a family with three young children, and I wonder if this is actually Maddox’s house.
The living room is just as nice as the rest of the house. A large sofa is sitting in front of a brick fireplace, a TV hanging above the mantle.
“Just put Mojo on the couch,” Maddox says, reminding me he is right behind me.
“Sit down and stay with him,” Ryder tells me when he gets Mojo settled.
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I walk around the couch and sit down, cuddling up to Mojo carefully.
The guys disappear into another room, but I know they are not far because I can hear their muffled voices. Awkwardly, I sit on the couch and wait for them to be done with their private conversation.
When they return, they look just as pissed off as they were before. I’d hoped maybe talking it out would resolve whatever they are fighting about. Apparently not.
“We’re going to leave you here for a bit,” Ryder announces. “We’re going to take care of Tucker… after, I’ll take you back to your place, and you’ll forget the last few weeks ever happened.”
His words shouldn’t hurt me this way, but they do.
They cut so deep I feel like my heart is bleeding.
Not only is he sending me away, but he also wants me to forget.
I should be glad, I should be relieved that he is giving me an out, a way to start my life the right way, but my stupid heart is not letting me.
Tears prick my eyes, but I force them away. I’ll have plenty of time to cry later in private.
“That should knock him out for a while,” Ryder says as he gives Mojo a pill wrapped in cheese. “You can go upstairs to the guest room.”
“I’d rather stay here with Mojo,” I tell him, my voice shaky from unshed tears and a million emotions swirling around in my core.
“Suit yourself,” Maddox joins our conversation. “There is food in the fridge.”
I assume he means to tell me I can eat something without saying the actual words.
“We’ll be back in a few hours,” Ryder gives me a look that says, don’t do anything stupid.
“Okay.” I nod and watch them disappear through the front door. I cry as soon as the lock clicks in place. Ryder walking out the door without looking back is too much of a representation of what he is doing to me.
Silently, I let the tears fall freely and take comfort in the warmth Mojo’s large body gives me.
Mojo falls into a deep sleep not long after they leave. I keep petting him long after he is out, just enjoying the way his fur feels between my fingers.
When I can’t sit still any longer, I get up and walk around the room for a bit. I feel weird being here, especially on my own. That doesn’t stop me from snooping around just a little.
I inspect the picture hanging up on the wall. Close up, I realize the children are two boys and one girl. They seem all close in age, maybe each a year apart. Both parents look happy and in love.
The first few pictures are taken when the children must have been in elementary school. As I get further down the hall, the kids get older until they are some at high school graduation. That’s when I recognize him for the first time.
He looks like a different person without the tattoos, beard, and constant angry frown on his face, but I’m certain this is Maddox. I can’t help but wonder how he changed so much. What happened to him? What happened to his family?
With those questions still nagging me, my stomach growls, matching the sound of Mojo’s soft snoring coming from the couch. I walk into the kitchen, deciding to hunt down something to eat.
Even though Maddox said there was food, when I open the fridge, I find it almost empty. Like a typical guy, Maddox has more beer and condiments than actual food. I do discover some cheese and sandwich meat hiding behind the six-pack.
I rummage through the cabinets for bread but give up my search quickly. Getting out a plate, I put some cheese and ham on it. The smell of the meat fills my nostrils, and a wave of nausea overcomes me.
My hunger suddenly turns into my stomach churning, and I dry heave. What the hell?
Running over to the sink, I grab the counter on each side and let my head hang. Closing my eyes, I take some deep breaths through my nose until the queasiness subsides.
More tears spill from my eyes and over my face. I don’t have to be a genius to know what this is. Our constant sex without a condom caught up to us. I don’t get my period regularly, so I couldn’t go by that alone, but being nauseated on top of that is a clear sign.
“You better get the morning-after pill then. Because I’m not taking care of some brat,” Ryder’s words run through my mind. Me being pregnant will change nothing. He is still going to send me away…still going to leave me.
How am I going to take care of a baby? I can hardly take care of myself.
The moment the thought of abortion enters my mind, I push it out. I could never go through with it. No matter how hard it will be, I could never do it… never.
Ripping a piece of paper towel off, I dry my eyes and grab my plate.
That’s when I hear something breaking. A glass, or a vase, maybe.
I run into the living room, sure Mojo must have stirred and knocked something down, but when I get to the couch, Mojo is still out.
I don’t think he has moved at all, and there is nothing broken in the room either.
Am I imagining things?
Holding my breath, I stay still and completely quiet, listening for any sound. There is nothing but silence for a long moment. Then I hear something move… right behind me.
I don’t have time to turn. Someone slams into my back. Two arms coming around my body, caging me in.
“Hello, little pet.” Tucker chuckles into the shell of my ear. “It’s finally just the two of us. We’re going to have so much fun together.”
No! I’m screaming in my head. I can’t let this happen.
My heart sinks, and my blood runs cold in my veins as Tucker turns me in his arms, so I come face to face with him. His eyes are crazed, more of those of a wild animal than a man.
His lip curls up into a malicious smirk, as if he is thinking about all the violent things he is going to do to me.
I shove against his chest in a feeble attempt to get away, but he just chuckles and throws me over his shoulder like I’m a sack of potatoes and carries me away.
I know I shouldn’t fight, I know it will only make it worse, but I have to try to get away.
I have to because it might not only be me I have to protect.
If I am really pregnant, I owe it to that life growing inside of me to fight for us.
I bang my fists against his back and move my knees to free myself, but he only holds me tighter.
“Keep fighting, that gets my dick even harder.” He slaps my ass and laughs.
When we’re outside, I hear him opening a car. He throws me into a trunk. Literally throws me. My back landing harshly against the bottom of the trunk, knocking the wind out of me. Before I can regain my bearings, he shuts the trunk, trapping me inside and plunging me into darkness.
I bang, kick, and scream the entire drive, hoping that someone might hear me. I don’t know how long we’re driving, but it feels like an eternity. With every bump, my body is bouncing over the unforgiving trunk floor.
When the car finally comes to a stop, my throat is sore from screaming, and my hands hurt from beating against the metal.
Tucker opens the trunk, and I have to squeeze my eyes shut, the sudden light blinding me. I swing my fists blindly, kicking my legs out while yelling for help at the top of my lungs.
His fist comes out of nowhere, hitting me on the side of my face. My head snaps back, and my vision goes black for a moment.
“Shut up. You’re hurting my fucking ears,” Tucker growls.
He lifts me and throws me back over his shoulder. I lose consciousness for a moment, and when I come to again, we are inside. Disoriented, I look around. We’re in some kind of abandoned building, a storefront judging by the empty shelving on each wall.
We walk into some kind of backroom, where tucker puts me down on a mattress. As soon as he has me on my back, he puts his knee on my chest, digging it into my diaphragm.
“Don’t move.” He grabs something from beside us, which I quickly realize are cable ties. “Give me your hands,” he orders. I do it because I’m already gasping for air. If he puts any more weight on my chest, I won’t be able to breathe at all.
He ties my hands together first, then my ankles, leaving me completely at his mercy. That fact becomes more apparent when he pulls a knife from his boot.
“We’re going to have so much fun.” He smiles maliciously. His eyes are dark, his pupils so dilated they drown out the surrounding green. The hateful look on his face has only one word coming to mind.
Evil.