Chapter 39 – Madeline
The restraints bit into my wrists with every movement, but I didn’t stop trying. My hands were sore, my arms burning from the effort, but I kept pulling, testing the give, the strength. Sean thought he had me locked down, but he didn’t know me.
He didn’t know that the tighter the cage, the harder I fought.
I heard his footsteps coming closer, heavy and weighted, the sound sending a chill down my spine. He crouched in front of me, his face twisted in irritation, but there was a flicker of something else - hesitation, maybe? Fear? He was losing control of this, and he knew it.
“You just don’t know when to quit, do you?” he muttered, his voice low and sharp. “All you had to do was keep your nose out of it, but no — you had to keep going. What is it with you bitches...”
I didn’t respond. I just stared at him, silent and defiant, the fire in my chest burning hotter with every word he spoke.
“Do you think he’s going to come for you?” Sean leaned closer, his breath hot and foul. “Brooks can’t save you, sweetie. Not this time.”
I clenched my jaw, biting back the fear that threatened to crawl up my throat. I couldn’t let him see it. I wouldn’t.
The sound of a faint scuffle from the hallway caught Sean’s attention. He stood abruptly, his head snapping toward the door. “What the fuck was that?” he muttered, stalking toward the entrance.
I saw my chance. The chain on my left wrist had loosened slightly, and I yanked with all the strength I had, the jagged edges of the restraint biting into my skin as it gave way. My wrist slipped free, the metal cutting into me, but I didn’t care. The moment my hand was loose, I reached for the shard of rusted metal I’d hidden in my waistband earlier. It had dug into me and had probably torn my lower back to shreds, but I had long since felt any pain.
Adrenaline surged through me, sharpening my focus as I shifted my stance, the shard clutched tightly in my bloodied hand.
Sean hadn’t noticed — he was too distracted by the noise from outside the room, his focus snapping between the door and me. He was angry, panicked, trying to piece together what was happening.
Sean turned just as I stood, the chain from my other wrist still dangling, my bloodied hand clutching the makeshift weapon. His eyes widened in shock, and for the first time, I saw the fear flash across his face.
“Stay the fuck back,” I spat, my voice raw, my hand trembling but steady as I held the jagged edge toward him.
He laughed, but it was forced, the sound hollow and edged with his own growing uncertainty. “What are you gonna do with that, huh? You think you can take me?”
“I don’t think,” I said, my voice low and full of fire. “I know.”
His smirk faltered, just for a second, and it was enough to give me the edge I needed. I stepped forward, the shard clutched tightly in my hand, my voice rising with each word. “What the hell did you think was going to happen, Sean? Huh? That you’d kidnap me, drag me out here, and what — everything would just go back to normal after you got rid of me? Did you really think you’d get away with this?”
He shifted his stance, his confidence cracking under the weight of my words. “You don’t understand—”
“Understand?” I cut him off, fury bubbling to the surface, drowning out the fear. “Oh, I understand perfectly. You’re a coward. A spineless coward who thinks he can threaten and hurt people just because he’s too weak to face the consequences of his own failures.”
“Watch it,” he hissed, but there was no power behind the warning.
I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “Or what, Sean? What are you gonna do? Kill me? Is that who you are now? How far have you fallen?” My voice broke on the last word, but I pushed through it, the fire inside me refusing to die. “How many times have you done this before? How many people have you hurt, thinking it makes you strong?”
His jaw clenched, but he didn’t respond, and that only made my anger burn hotter.
“You’re disgusting,” I said, the shard in my hand steady as I pointed it toward him. “Men like you? You’re the reason people are afraid to walk down the street at night. Men like you are the reason why we carry our keys in our fingers like weapons. Why we cover drinks on nights out because people like you can’t be trusted not to drug us and take advantage. You’re the reason innocent people suffer while bastards like you roam free.”
Sean flinched, his sneer slipping for just a moment. I pressed forward, my voice rising. “You think you’re powerful? You’re not a man. You’re a coward who hides behind threats and violence because you don’t know how to face the mess you’ve made of your life.”
His sneer returned, brittle but defiant. “You don’t know what it’s like. You don’t know what I’ve been through.”
I barked out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “Oh, don’t you dare try to play the war card with me . Jaxon’s been through the same bullshit as you. He’s seen the same things, fought the same battles. Fuck, maybe worse. But you don’t see him using it as an excuse to hurt people, to destroy everything good around him.”
Sean’s lips twisted, but he didn’t respond, so I kept going, the words tumbling out like I’d been holding them back for years. “Trauma doesn’t make you do this, Sean. Pain doesn’t make you kidnap women or threaten people’s lives. That’s all on you. You chose this. You chose to be a monster.”
For a split second, something flickered in his eyes — shame, maybe, or regret — but it was gone as quickly as it came.
Sean took a step toward me. “You think you’re better than me?” he snarled, his voice shaking. “You have no idea what it’s like to live with that weight, that guilt—”
“You’re right, I don’t ,” I snapped, cutting him off. “But I know this: You had a choice. Jax had a choice. And while he’s out here protecting people, you’re using your pain as an excuse to hurt them. So yeah, Sean, I am better than you.”
Sean’s gaze flicked toward the door, his confidence waning as he realized he wasn’t in control anymore.
“My father,” I continued, my voice trembling with rage, “He died in prison for something he didn’t even do. He was a good man, Sean. An honest man.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but I didn’t give him the chance. “You don’t get to win this time,” I said, taking another step forward. “Not with me . Not ever again.”
I saw the fear in his eyes, real and unguarded. He wasn’t the predator he thought he was. He wasn’t the one in control.
Sean lunged for me, but I was ready. I ducked under his swing, driving the shard into his side as hard as I could. He howled in pain, stumbling back, but before he could recover, I grabbed the loose chain from my wrist and swung it, catching him across the face. The impact sent him sprawling, blood streaking down his cheek.
“You’re done,” I said, my voice steady as he crumpled to the ground. “Do you fucking hear me? Done. ”
The door burst open, and suddenly, Jaxon was there, his eyes wild and his weapon raised. He froze when he saw me standing over Sean, the chain in my hand, my chest heaving with every breath.
“Scout,” he said, his voice a mix of relief and disbelief.
My breath hitched at the sound of his voice, deep and steady like an anchor cutting through the storm raging in my chest.
He was here. Jax was here.
I hadn’t let myself believe it, not really, but hearing him say my name was like every piece of me that had been falling apart suddenly snapping back into place.
I blinked rapidly, swallowing the lump in my throat as I tightened my grip on the shard in my hand. I couldn’t afford to let myself go now. Not when the fight wasn’t over.
“I’ve got this, baby,” I said, my voice sharper than I felt. I didn’t look away from Sean as he groaned, clutching his side. My hands shook, but I didn’t lower the weapon. “But you can help.”
Relief surged through me again when Jaxon didn’t argue, didn’t question me. He moved like a force of nature, closing the distance between us in an instant. His hand went to Sean’s collar, yanking him up with a strength that seemed almost impossible. Sean’s head lolled back, his body limp as Jaxon slammed him against the wall with a force that made the building seem to shudder.
The sight of him, the way his broad shoulders filled the room, the way his jaw clenched in fury — it was like a dam broke inside me.
I’d held myself together for so long, forced myself to keep fighting, but now? Now I could feel the weight of everything start to settle.
Don’t cry, I told myself.
You will not cry.
I stepped closer, my hand gripping the chain tightly. Sean’s eyes flicked between us, the defiance in his expression replaced by fear.
“You thought I was weak,” I said, my voice shaking with adrenaline. “You thought you could break me. But you’re wrong. I’m am not afraid of you.”
“You messed with the wrong woman,” Jaxon growled, his voice low and menacing. “You should’ve run while you had the chance.”
Sean sputtered, blood dribbling from his mouth as he tried to catch his breath. “It’s not my fault… Calloway… It was all Calloway!”
I stepped forward, holding the shard, and glared at him. "Pathetic," I said, my voice trembling with fury.
I swung the chain one last time, the metal clanging against the floor as it hit just beside his head. He flinched, his body going limp in Jaxon’s grip.
He was out cold, his groans fading into silence, and I knew he was done.
Ready for the authorities to deal with him.
The tension in my chest loosened, but only slightly. My legs trembled as I finally let the jagged piece of metal fall from my fingers, the sound of it clattering to the ground echoing in the space around us.
I glanced at Jax, his shoulders heaving as he steadied Sean against the wall for one last second before letting him crumple to the floor completely.
He turned to me then, his expression fierce but softening the moment his eyes locked on mine.
He moved closer, steadying me with a warm, firm hand on my waist. "You did that," he murmured proudly.
I swallowed hard, my hands still shaking as I pressed them against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my palms. “I didn’t think I could. Not until…” My voice faltered, but I met his gaze. “Not until you got here.”
His hand came up to cradle my face, his thumb brushing gently against my cheek.
Tears burned in my eyes, but I blinked them away, forcing a shaky laugh. “You’ve got good timing, Brooks.”
Jaxon’s smirk faltered, replaced by a look of concern as his eyes roamed over me. “Maddie,” he said, his voice softer now, edged with something that sounded a lot like fear.
The room around me seemed to tilt, the edges of my vision blurring as the sound of his voice started to muffle, like I was underwater. My legs felt like they didn’t belong to me anymore, my knees buckling as nausea hit me in a crashing wave.
“Jax,” I whispered, my voice barely audible even to myself. “I think I’m gonna fold now…”
His arms were around me in an instant, steady and strong. They were the last thing I felt before everything went dark.