24. Sadie
Sadie
I come to slowly, my head heavy and my thoughts thick like they’re moving through water.
The first thing I feel is the rough fabric against my cheek and the hard surface beneath me that jolts with every bump.
I’m in a vehicle. A van or truck, from the way it sways and the low rumble of the engine.
My wrists are bound behind my back with something tight and unyielding, probably zip ties or rope, and my ankles are tied too.
I try to move, to shift my weight, but every motion sends a wave of dizziness through me.
Whatever they used to knock me out is still lingering, making my limbs feel disconnected and heavy.
Fear rises sharp and immediate in my chest, cold and twisting.
I try to scream, but my throat is dry and the sound comes out as a weak croak.
No one answers. There’s only the hum of the engine and the occasional murmur of voices from the front seat that I can’t make out.
I keep my eyes closed, trying to breathe through the panic.
The concert. Gia Golding and Silver Langford singing together.
The crowd pressing in. Jace's hand slipping from mine. Then the hands grabbing me, the cloth over my mouth, the world going dark. They took me. I’m guessing it’s Vanguard Helix.
The same people who have Nash and Sin. The same people who forced Billy into hiding all those years ago.
And now they have me because I was with Jace, because I’m part of this now.
My heart pounds harder against my ribs, and I focus on the feel of the floor under me, the way the vehicle turns and sways, trying to ground myself.
I think of Jace. His smile. The way he kissed me before we left the safe house.
The way he looked at me like I mattered. He’ll be looking for me. They all will.
The vehicle slows and stops. Doors open and close.
Rough hands grab me under the arms and drag me out into the night air.
It’s cooler here, the ground uneven under my feet as they half-carry, half-drag me forward.
I try to open my eyes fully, but the world’s still blurry.
An abandoned house looms ahead, dark and sagging against the night sky.
Windows boarded or broken. The front door hangs crooked on its hinges.
They pull me up the steps and inside, the floorboards creaking under our weight.
The interior is dim, lit only by a single lantern or flashlight somewhere in the main room.
There’s old furniture covered in sheets as dust motes swirl through the air catching the light.
But I push past the visual details and focus on the two figures chained to the far wall.
Two men. Both chained at the wrists and ankles to heavy bolts in the wall.
One has dark hair falling over his forehead, his face bruised but familiar in the way it echoes Jace's features. The other is broader, his expression grim even in the low light. Could it be Sin and Nash? It’s got to be them.
My stomach drops with a mix of relief and fresh terror.
They’re alive. But they’re here, chained like I’m about to be.
The men dragging me shove me down next to them, forcing my back against the cold wall.
I feel the rough texture of it through my dress, the way the fabric catches on something sharp.
They chain my wrists above my head to another bolt, the metal cold and heavy against my skin.
My ankles are secured too, the links clinking as they tighten them.
The fear’s a living thing now, crawling up my spine and making my breath come in short gasps.
I’m trapped. Chained in an abandoned house with two kidnapped men who are probably Jace's brothers. And no one knows exactly where I am.
Once the men leave, closing the door behind them with a heavy thud, I turn my head toward the two figures beside me. My voice comes out hoarse but steady enough. "Are you Sin and Nash? Jace's brothers?"
The one with the dark hair lifts his head, his eyes focusing on me through the dim light. "Yeah. I’m Nash. This is Sin. Who are you? How did they get you?"
"Sadie," I say, my voice cracking a little on the name. "Sadie Wells. I was with Jace at the concert. All your brothers were there. And your father. They drugged me or something. I woke up here."
“Our father?” Sin asks. “You saw him?”
I nod. “Yes, he’s alive.”
Nash shifts slightly, the chains rattling with the movement. His face is tired but there’s a spark of something like hope in his eyes. "How did you end up with Jace?"
I take a shaky breath, the cold from the wall seeping into my back through the thin fabric of my dress.
The chains dig into my wrists every time I move, a constant reminder of how trapped I am.
Fear sits heavy in my stomach, but I push through it.
Talking helps. Keeping them calm helps. Keeping myself calm helps.
"It’s a long story. I was in Halo City. My sister Anniston got into some trouble with Banks, and Jace was sent to protect me.
We ended up in Sunbreak Harbor. We found your father.
Billy. He’s alive. He faked his death years ago because of these people, Vanguard Helix or whatever they call themselves.
They threatened your family so he disappeared to keep you all safe.
We’ve been in Sunbreak Harbor looking for you both, and we found Billy. "
Sin lets out a low laugh that turns into a cough. "Dad’s alive. Nash and I haven’t been able to figure out anything useful. Just that they rotate the guards every twelve hours. Two guards each time."
Nash nods slowly, his chains clinking again. "If they took you, then we must’ve been close to finding them.”
I close my eyes for a second, the fear threatening to overwhelm me.
The house is quiet except for the occasional creak of old wood and the distant sound of what might be wind or distant waves.
My wrists ache where the metal bites into them.
My head still feels foggy from whatever they used.
But I force myself to keep talking. “Have you found any way to escape?”
Nash shifts again, his voice quieter when he speaks. "Nothing. Sin and I were trying to come up with something, but we haven’t been able to crack it yet."
Sin grunts in agreement, his chains rattling as he tests them. "These fuckers will slip up. They always do. The fact they haven’t killed us yet means they want something from us. So, that always gives us time."
I nod, even though the movement pulls at the chains on my wrists. The fear’s still there, cold and sharp, but talking to them helps push it back a little. These are Jace's brothers. Family. And they’re here with me in this nightmare. "I’m scared I’ll never see my sister again. Or Jace."
Nash manages a small smile in the low light. "You’ll see them again. Jace is a good guy. He’s lucky to have you."
I smile softly as the conversation continues in low voices, the three of us chained to the wall in this abandoned house on the outskirts of town.
I tell them more about the plan at the concert.
About how shocked they all were to see their father alive after so many years.
About the determination to rescue Nash and Sin and take down Vanguard Helix so Billy can finally stop running and lead a normal life.
They listen, asking questions when they can, their voices tired but hopeful.
I keep talking because it distracts from the fear clawing at my chest. The fear that no one will find us in time.
That Vanguard Helix will come back and do worse than chain us.
That I’ll never see Jace again, never feel his arms around me or hear him call me Wells in that teasing way.
But underneath the fear there’s a thread of hope. Jace is out there. Searching.