Chapter 10
TEN
LONDYN
It’s been two hours. The witness is still talking, but I’m not hearing much anymore. My mind keeps drifting back to Ty. Excusing myself, I step out into the hallway, to call my Mom.
No answer.
I call again. Four rings, then voicemail. It’s not unusual. Mom’s always leaving her phone on the counter or buried in the laundry. Still…
Frowning, I check the time, then dial Dad’s number. Same thing… rings, then voicemail.
My thumb hovers over the screen. I try again.
Still nothing.
My stomach twists. I blink fast, suddenly aware of how loud the hallway feels. My fingers start to tremble. I press the phone to my ear one more time, but it’s like the silence is mocking me.
Tony rounds the corner, his face tight. “Londyn. You need to come with me.”
I straighten. “What’s going on?”
He hesitates. “I’m not sure yet. The patrol unit we sent by your parents’ place? They did a second pass. Said they saw a black SUV leaving the area fast and the front door was left open.”
I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. A tight pressure builds in my chest, like my ribs are closing in.
“What do you mean… open?” The words come out slower than I intend, like my brain’s trying to catch up to what I just heard.
Tony hesitates. Just for a second, but it’s enough. His eyes won’t meet mine, and that silence says more than I want to hear.
“They called it in. Went in to clear the house. That’s all I’ve got right now.”
I don’t think I just move. By the time it registers, I’m already halfway down the hall, heading for the garage.
“Londyn, wait. I’ll drive,” Tony calls, quick on my heels.
I don’t argue. Just toss him the keys without slowing down. My hands are shaking too hard to drive anyway.
The ride over is dead quiet. Tony grips the wheel, glancing at me every few seconds like he wants to say something but doesn’t.
I’m staring at my phone, thumb tapping the screen harder each time. Mom. Dad. Ty.
Call. Voicemail. Redial.
Again.
My fingers fumble, too shaky to hit the right contact on the first try. I curse under my breath, and try again.
Still nothing.
They probably just didn’t hear it. Maybe the ringer’s off. Maybe they’re in the backyard. Maybe…
But the pit in my stomach is spreading. Hope’s still there, but it’s fading fast.
I keep calling anyway because the second I stop, I’ll have to admit what I already know.
When we turn onto their street, I see the lights…red and blue flashing against the trees. First responders. Uniforms. Tape going up. My parents’ house is lit up like a crime scene.
The front door is wide open.
I’m out of the car before Tony can stop me.
“Londyn, wait!” he calls, grabbing for my arm.
I rip away from him. “Don’t. Don’t you dare.”
I take off.
Two uniforms step into my path near the tape. “Ma’am, you can’t go…”
I shove past them shoulder first. “Move!”
Another officer tries to block the porch. “Detective, you need to wait for…”
I don’t hear the rest. I’m already pushing through, my boots hitting the steps hard.
The smell overtakes me the second I step inside. Blood, gun powder, death… it clings to the back of my throat, thick and choking.
Then I see them.
Mom. Dad. Tyrique.
Tied to the same chairs I used to climb on, mouths sealed with tape.
Their heads hang forward, and there’s blood everywhere…
walls, floor, their clothes. It’s soaked so deep into the carpet it looks like the house itself is bleeding.
Their faces are swollen, beaten, smeared with so much blood they’re almost unrecognizable.
Whoever did this didn’t just kill them. They tortured them.
“No… no, no, no…” My knees hit the floor hard, but I don’t feel it. Crawling to Ty, I grab his arm, his shoulder, his face. “Ty, baby, wake up. Please. Please, just open your eyes.”
I shake him. Harder. “Come on, Ty. You’re okay.
You’re okay. Just wake up. Please.” Maybe if I repeat the lie often enough, it’ll become the truth.
But in my heart, I already know the truth…
he’ll never see another sunrise. Never get the chance to beat his addiction. Never… just never anything again.
His head lolls, his skin still warm, and that’s what breaks me because warmth shouldn’t exist without life. Pressing my fingers to his neck, I desperately feel for a pulse. I count. I wait.
Nothing.
I reach for Mom next. Her hand is stiff in mine. Folding over it, I rest my forehead against her knuckles as the sobs finally rip free.
“Please, Mom. Please. I need you. I need you.”
She doesn’t answer. She never will again… answer.
Dad’s slumped sideways, eyes open but empty. It’s hard to look at him, yet, I can’t look away.
I can’t breathe. Every time I try, my chest clamps down, my lungs refusing to expand.
Tony’s behind me now. “Londyn. Come on. You can’t be in here.”
I scream at him. “Get the fuck away from me!”
I turn back to Ty, and cradle his face in both hands. “You were safe. I said you were safe. I promised… oh, God…”
My voice breaks. I’m crying so hard I can’t see. My whole body’s shaking uncontrollably. Slumping against him, I press my forehead to his chest, begging.
“Please. Please, Ty. Just breathe. Just one breath. Please, just give me something.”
There’s nothing.
Just silence.
Just blood.
Just me.
I stay there sobbing, whispering his name like it might pull him back.
My voice is shredded, my throat burning.
I can’t stop shaking. This… this is the kind of grief I see when I have to make a notification.
The kind that guts a person from the inside out.
Pain so sharp it feels like someone’s ripping your heart straight out of your chest.
Once again, Tony’s voice cuts through the static. “Londyn, come on. You need to get out of here.”
I don’t move.
He steps closer. “Londyn.”
I scream again, louder than before. “Don’t fucking touch me!”
Clutching Ty’s shirt, my fingers curl into the fabric like I can hold him here.
“I should’ve stayed. I should’ve… stayed”
My body buckles, folding in on itself like it’s trying to disappear. Each breath comes faster, shallower, until I’m gasping, mouth open, lungs refusing to fill. The air feels thick, like I’m drowning.
Sound warps. Tony’s voice is somewhere behind me, but it’s muffled, distant, like I’m drowning. Even the sirens outside fade into a low, pulsing hum.
The room tilts as my vision smears at the edges. The floor sways beneath me, and I can’t tell if I’m falling or floating.
Reaching for Ty one last time, my fingertips brush his cheek, desperate to memorize the shape of his face.
Then everything goes dark.
Nightmare
It’s late-afternoon when we roll up to Londyn’s place. The street’s quiet, nothing moving. No car in the drive. No sign of her or Ty.
Steel nods at me and we cut around back. The yard’s empty, blinds drawn. Pulling a pick from his vest, he works the lock. It only takes a few minutes before the bolt gives way.
Stepping inside, the kitchen’s dimly lit. Counters clean, no dishes, nothing indicating that they’re here. I move through fast, checking every inch of the house. Living room, hall, bedroom, and upstairs. Empty.
Steel shakes his head. “Nobody’s here.”
I take one last look around. No shoes by the door, no jackets on the hook. Feels like no one’s been here all day. Relief settles in my chest. She must’ve gotten my message and cleared out.
Stepping back out, we head to our bikes. Engines rumble low as the others wait. I’m about to mount up when Turbo’s voice cracks through the comms.
“Got another address. Parents’ place. Sending it now.”
I glance at Steel. He just nods.
“Alright,” Mav says. “Let’s roll out.”
It only takes us fifteen minutes to get there, but as soon as we turn on the block, we see the lights. The street is in total chaos. Parking along a curb, we take in the scene.
Cops are everywhere. Crime scene tape is strung around the perimeter of the house. Neighbors are standing around, hugging and crying. A couple of them are pointing at the house.
Three body bags are being wheeled out the front door.
My heart pounds in my chest, bile rising in my throat. An ambulance is parked at the curb, back doors open. Londyn’s inside, surrounded by paramedics. I can’t tell if she’s hurt, but they’re not rushing to get out of here.
There’s too much going on for anyone to notice us, so I move in a little closer.
Mav’s voice cuts in through the helmet. “Double back. Now. Clubhouse.”
I don’t move. I can’t move.
“Night. You hear me? he barks, grabbing my attention. Back to the clubhouse. Now.”
Gritting my teeth, I take one last look at the house, then hustle to my bike, falling into formation.
Back at the compound, I’m already pacing, adrenaline still crawling under my skin.
“What the fuck was that?” I demand. “What just happened?”
Maverick holds my stare for a long second.
“I don’t know, but we need to find out.”
I’m already out the door.