Chapter 37
“LAST RESORT” PAPA ROACH
T he house was quiet when Madison and I gathered some of her belongings and packed them in her car.
The sun hadn’t risen yet, and everyone was still asleep.
We grabbed only the bare necessities—clothes, makeup, toiletries, and whatever prized possessions she couldn’t part with.
I plan to get the rest of her things, but I warned her she may never see them again.
Jerry is a malicious cunt, and once he knows I “took” his daughter, he may destroy everything.
If I’m gonna be honest with myself, I’m preening over the fact that I’m taking his daughter from him. It’s one of the best paybacks I’ve come up with. I’ve hated this man since the first day I met him. For years, I thought of ways to make him pay for every bruise he left on my body.
But this is bigger than payback.
I’m in love with Madison. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think about her, even if I just steal glances at her to make sure she’s okay. Now she gets to be my safe place to land and my epic vengeance.
I eye the kitchen entryway, checking if Madison has come down from our bedroom yet.
She’s been up there for most of the day, arranging her clothes in our closet and making it into her room too.
Warmth fills my chest at the thought of us sharing the same space.
When I grab a T-shirt from my dresser, I’m sure I’ll find her clothes next to mine.
It’ll be a nice reminder of her always being within touching distance.
I head toward the staircase so I can let Madison know I’m going to the grocery store to stock up on food. The cupboards are still bare to the point of embarrassment, and now I have more than myself to worry about.
My phone vibrates in my pocket from a new text message. I grab it, and my eyes narrow at the unknown number.
Unknown sender
I have something of yours.
My head snaps up and I look at the staircase.
Madison.
I bolt toward the stairs, my mind blazing with the visceral need to check on her. She’s been upstairs this whole time. I didn’t hear anyone come into my home or any sounds of a struggle.
She’s fine.
No one took her from me. And if someone did, then I’ll find them and slowly kill them all for touching her.
I’ll gouge out their eyes and feed them to them covered in ranch.
I’ll cut their hands off and shove them up their asses.
I’ll cut off their tongues and?—
“What’s going on?” Madison’s soft voice draws me out of my thoughts.
My steps falter, and I blink away the red haze of rage from my vision. A breath shudders out of me, and my knees wobble from the flood of relief.
Madison closes the small gap between us and rests her palms over my chest. Her touch works its magic, loosening my tense muscles.
If she’s here, then?—
My phone pings with a new message, and I read it.
Unknown sender
It’s fitting, really. He loves to fuck his sister, too. His screams for her are *so* amusing. Like music to my ears.
If you want to save your friend, meet me here. And don’t tell anyone. I’d hate to end this game before it’s even begun.
They send the address where they want me to meet them.
The earlier rage returns, and my vision turns red.
“Ryder?” Madison’s voice breaks through the haze just enough to pull me out and shift my focus back to her. “What’s the matter?”
I school my features so I don’t concern her any more than I already have. “Nothing, baby. But something came up, and I need to leave for a while.”
She tilts her head, her eyebrows pinching together in visible confusion. “Okay. I’ll be here when you get back.”
I shake my head and tuck a blue lock of hair behind her ear. “Why don’t you go visit Nova or Olivia for a while? I’ll pick you up when I’m done.”
Madison hesitates, and I brace myself for her questions. Like why I want her to hang out with her friends instead of in her new home. Or what business I need to take care of.
She surprises me when she nods and offers me a tiny smile. “Sure. Want to walk there with me?”
I dip my chin in a slight nod and return her smile to put her at ease.
Madison grabs my hand and laces our fingers together as we walk out of the house and down the street to Aiden’s place.
The whole way, an eerie calm blankets me, one that I’m not a stranger to.
It’s like an old friend to me. One that’s kept me in its clutches since I was a young boy, fighting like my life depended on it. This time, it may very well be that.
“Looks like it’ll rain soon,” Madison says as she tilts her head back to look at the darkened sky.
I hum in response, but don’t say anything.
She looks at me with a slight frown. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I give her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I promise, doll.”
Madison side-eyes me but doesn’t say anything else. I walk her up Aiden’s driveway and knock on the front door. Checking the area, I don’t find his motorcycle in sight.
Did they grab him too?
I shake away the thought and cup Madison’s cheeks. “I love you, baby. I’ll see you soon.”
The door opens, and Nova appears in the doorway. “What are you guys doing here?”
Madison ignores her friend, her focus locked on me. I expect her to pull away, but she surprises me.
“I love you, too,” Madison says without a hint of shame.
I kiss her hard. It’s quick, but it’s filled with desperation, love, devotion, and a promise to always keep her safe.
I rest my forehead against hers and play with a lock of her hair at the back of her head.
Madison tangles her fingers in my hair, earning a groan from me. “This isn’t goodbye, so don’t make it seem like one.”
“Behave, sis.” I flash her a smile and kiss her one more time before I pull away and jog back to my house.
I ride like a bat out of hell, with my cellphone perched in its holder on my bike’s tank in front of me.
I glance every few seconds at the screen, hoping to see a message from my friends in the group chat after I sent them a text asking if they’ve seen Jaxon.
Every time I check, I’m let down when I find no new messages.
The storm clouds gather in the sky. With every passing minute, they block out more of the setting sun, bathing the evening in darkness.
The GPS on my phone directs me out of town and onto the highway.
I zip past cars that are going the speed limit, earning honks from a few of them.
Some try to chase after me in a fit of road rage but can’t keep up with me.
I continue weaving through the traffic with little care for my safety.
Not when my best friend’s life is on the line.
The more distance I put between me and the town, the more the sinking feeling in my gut deepens into an ache that’s getting harder to ignore.
Something about this doesn’t feel right. I just can’t put my finger on it.
Time blurs, and by the time I take my exit, I’m surrounded by trees in the middle of nowhere.
I follow the directions to the location and slow my bike, stopping outside the abandoned house from the image.
Boards are nailed over the windows, and rot eats away at the old wooden structure.
All but one step has fallen away from the stairs, and the last soldier clings to thoughts and prayers to hold its place.
I switch off my bike’s engine, grab my phone, and storm toward the house. Adrenaline pumps in my veins, right along with simmering rage. I slip my hand into my pocket and finger my switchblade.
My notifications chime, one after the other. I shove my tinted visor up and read the new messages in the group chat.
Aiden
Sorry for the late response. We’ve been busy fucking up a rider we snatched the other night. Would have told you about it, but we wanted to give you some time to rest up.
Hawk
How you feeling, bro?
Jaxon
You good?
My eyes widen, and my heart lurches to my throat.
“Fuck.” I sprint to my bike. “It was a fucking trap!”