Max Dread
I glared at Morty as he approached, nonchalant as fuck, like none of this mattered.
He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, baby brother. Why so glum?”
I tossed his hand off my body and stepped away. I had enough on my plate with what was coming tonight. Each moment spent waiting for Victoria to walk over, for Percy to stand up, tightened my throat like a noose around my neck.
I moved to walk away from him, needing air.
He grabbed me again.
“What the fuck is your problem?” I growled. “You think this is funny?”
His eyes narrowed, and he clenched his teeth, his smile morphing into a grimace. “Your future engagement to V while your twue wuv runs off to win The Quest?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Morty arched a brow. The fucking prick.
“I mean, your little princess figured it out.” He smirked, brushing off his shoulder. “Well, she asked the right questions to the Dread with all the answers. Then she took off like a little Lady on a mission to fight the good fight. You should be proud.”
I scanned the party over his shoulder, sure I’d be able to spot her in the crowd. Like I’d done the minute she’d stepped onto the lawn. She’d chatted with her bestie and then ran off in search of this asshole.
Assuming she’d been using her questions, but not expecting more than that, when I hadn’t seen her for a few songs, I figured she’d left early, knowing what was coming.
“She went to the tunnels?” I grabbed the collar of his shirt. “You sent her there?”
“I did my duty as Secret Question Answer Man. That’s a working title, of course. The position really needs a good name. No wonder pops shrugged it off to me. No one planned that out perfectly.”
Yanking hard, I dragged him within an inch of my face. “What the fuck did you do?”
He raised an eyebrow, eyes flicking down to where I choked him before waiting expectantly to be released.
“If anything happens to her—”
“What?” Morty asked, his smug tone testing the last of my patience. “You’ll run off and tell someone, but do nothing to stop it yourself?”
My eyes widened.
He chuckled. “Yeah, that’s right.”
I released him, stepping back and scanning the party again for Kingston and Landon.
“Better run fast, baby brother.”
Rearing back, my right fist connected with his jaw. Then I jabbed the left up into his chin. I pulled back to punch him in the stomach, but he hunched forward before I could. Expecting it. Ready for it.
But when he ran at me, I was ready.
I slammed my elbow down into his skull right before he tackled me. Thrown back, I hit the ground and pushed him off me. Scrambling to my feet. Spitting on his unconscious back.
And leaving him there to go after her.
I ran into a girl as I was rushing through the party, disregarding her wide-eyed stare as I tugged free of her grip and hunted for Kingston and Landon, but when I didn’t find them, I raced for the garage.
As I passed the empty shed near the garage, Kingston pulled away in a car. He’d be heading for the tunnels. Landon had to be on the bike.
There was only one other way to go. One other way to help.
I grabbed the keys of the closest car. The one I’d stolen the day I got Quinn arrested.
Gripping the chain around my neck, I sent one prayer up to anyone listening. Because if anything happened to Quinn Everly, I’d burn the world down.
And there’d be no coming back for any of us.