Chapter Thirty-One - Chapter Thirty
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Chapter Thirty
I HAD NEVER known fear like this, the kind that claws at your throat, leaving you breathless, trembling in the suffocating darkness.
Every word Adam spat out about burying me alive played over and over in my mind, twisting my thoughts into a dizzying whirl of terror. My life was unraveling before me in a series of desperate flashes—Ellie’s innocent smile, Dad’s proud, loving gaze. How would they cope if I never returned? The thought of their grief was unbearable.
How could Adam do this?
Jarrod would be here, forced to witness this nightmare unfold, powerless to stop it. The emotion I saw in his eyes told me that would kill him.
Then, in a flash of movement, Jarrod surged to his feet, his voice slicing through the heavy air like a knife. “Run!” he bellowed. For a moment, I was paralyzed, my mind struggling to catch up, but instinct kicked in, propelling me into action.
I ran, legs pounding against the uneven ground, every breath a ragged gasp as I sprinted into the dark night. Panic gripped me—I had no idea where I was or which direction to go. The trees loomed like dark monsters, their branches clawing at my skin as I pushed forward, desperate for escape. My ears strained for any sound, any indication of pursuit, when suddenly, a sharp crack echoed through the woods.
A gunshot.
My heart stopped. Jarrod.
Oh God, was he hurt? The terror that had fueled my flight turned to ice, freezing my blood. Without hesitation, I pivoted, my feet skidding on the damp leaves, desperate to get back to him. I couldn’t leave him behind, not like this. Not when I—
The sound of footsteps crashing through the underbrush jolted me, and I darted behind a tree, my pulse thundering in my ears. The world was reduced to the deafening drum of my heartbeat, each beat a countdown to the inevitable. Then, a voice, familiar and blessedly alive, broke through the fear.
“Madeline!”
Relief slammed into me, leaving me breathless as I stumbled out from behind the tree. “Over here!” I called, running toward the voice, my body shaking with a mixture of fear and relief. When I saw Jarrod, standing there, alive and unhurt, I couldn’t stop myself from collapsing into his arms. “Are you okay?” I choked out, tears stinging my eyes. “I heard a gunshot.”
He held me tight, his breath hot against my ear as he murmured, “Adam’s dead. But we need to get out of here now, and fast. We’ve still got to save the others.”
I pulled back, scanning the shadowy forest around us, frustration bubbling up in my voice. “But how? We’re lost out here!”
He didn’t hesitate, grabbing my hand and pulling me forward with a determination that left no room for doubt. “We can’t be far from the road. Adam wouldn’t have been able to carry us too deep into the woods.”
We stumbled down a steep slope, our pace frantic, hearts pounding with the urgency of our escape. Ahead, the trees began to thin, a sliver of hope piercing the darkness. “There!” I gasped, pointing toward the break in the trees. We pushed ourselves harder, breaking into a small clearing where a black van sat silent by the dirt road.
I sagged against the vehicle, every muscle in my body screaming in exhaustion, as Jarrod yanked open the driver’s side door. “Dammit, he took the keys!” he growled, frustration clear in his voice.
My stomach twisted with dread as I leaned heavily against the van. “What do we do now?” The weight of what we were up against—the danger, the stakes—pressed down on me. Adam was dead, but he wasn’t done, not by a long shot.
Jarrod didn’t miss a beat, diving under the steering wheel, his fingers working furiously to hotwire the van. “I’ll get it started,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. The seconds dragged on, each one feeling like an eternity, until finally, the engine roared to life. He looked up, eyes fierce with resolve. “Get in. We need to push the pedal hard.”
Without another word, I jumped into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut as Jarrod floored the gas pedal. The tires spun, kicking up dirt, propelling us forward down the isolated dirt road as I silently prayed that we wouldn’t be too late.
AS THE VAN screeched to a halt at the closed gate, I breathed just a little easier. Adam had stashed us just a stone’s throw from the clubhouse, we made it in fifteen minutes. The sight of it brought a wave of both relief and urgency. We bolted out of the van, hearts pounding, and ran straight up the hill, not sparing a second for the startled shouts from the guys who spotted us.
“We’ve been searching all over for you two!” Davie hollered, but his voice barely registered. The only thing on my mind was getting to the women.
Ignoring him, I shoved open the clubhouse door, my voice cracking with panic as I demanded, “Did you put the women in the safe room?”
Patch’s growl cut through the air like a knife, his face intense as he advanced on me. “Valley! What the fuck happened to you two?”
But I didn’t have time for his questions. My eyes darted around the empty common room, my gut twisting. “The safe room! Are they in there?”
“Yeah, they’re safe,” Patch replied, but there was a frown on his face, like he was trying to piece together a puzzle. “What the hell is going on, Valley?”
“NO!” Madeline’s scream bounced off the walls, pure terror in her voice. “Get them out of there!”
“We need to get them out now!” I echoed her plea, my voice hoarse with desperation. “Adam set a trap for them!”
The moment the words left my mouth, Midnight was already moving, sprinting toward the safe room. I barely had time to catch my breath before Patch’s hand clamped onto my arm, yanking me close. His one eye twitching, demanding answers. “What the fuck did you just say? What trap?”
Before I could respond, Midnight burst back into the room, panic on his face. “The door won’t open, and the cameras inside are dead.”
A cold wave of dread washed over me as I watched Madeline collapse into a chair, tears streaming down her face. “Oh no, we’re too late,” she whispered, defeated.
Patch shook me violently, his voice a roar. “Talk, Valley!”
“Ease the fuck up, Patch!” Player snapped, stepping in. “He can’t explain if you’re choking him out.”
I pulled in a ragged breath, trying to think through the haze of fear. “We need to find a hidden room. Adam controls everything from there. We can still stop it.”
At least I prayed we could.
Without wasting a second, we tore through the clubhouse, heading for Adam’s room. He was the only prospect that had his own, having earned the luxury over the years. Right next to mine, too. It all made sense now. Damn, he had us fooled.
Every second felt like a lifetime as we scrambled to find the secret door. Jonesy’s voice rang out, “Here!” and the wall gave way to reveal a small, cramped space, no bigger than a small closet. A computer sat on the desk, and the walls were plastered with photos of Adam and Kezia, smiling and happy. He didn’t lie, they were close.
Scotch was on the computer in an instant, his fingers flying over the keys. “There’s something counting down on here,” he muttered, his voice tight with tension.
“We’re not too late, then,” I said, trying to calm my racing heart. “He’s rigged a chemical to release into the vents of the safe room. You’ve got to stop it.”
Patch’s voice was like steel as he barked orders. “Player, scour the vents leading to the safe room. Midnight, Vain, go with him. Snipe, Teach—work on that door, see if you can get it open.”
As the others sprang into action, Patch turned back to me, his face dark with rage. “Start talking. Now.”
I gave him a quick rundown, the truth burning in my throat. By the time I was done, Patch looked ready to explode. “How could Adam do this to innocents? Scotch, can you stop it?”
Scotch’s fingers didn’t pause as he replied, “Yeah, give me a minute. He left back doors everywhere, cocky bastard.”
We held our breath, the silence in the room suffocating as we waited. Finally, Scotch leaned back, a grim smile on his face. “It’s done. I’ve stopped it and reactivated the doors and cameras.”
The tension broke as we watched the screens, seeing the women inside the safe room, oblivious to the danger they had just escaped. They were chatting like nothing had happened, and relief flooded through me.
Patch’s voice was low, dangerous. “Adam is dead, right?”
I nodded, my voice flat. “Yeah. You’ll find his body where we left him.”
Patch’s face was hard, but he nodded. “We’ll take care of it.”
I spotted Midnight approaching me, his expression was filled with disbelief. “I can’t believe Adam would do this. I thought he was a friend.”
“We need to talk,” I said, my voice heavy. “Privately.”
The next half hour was spent in a tense, low-voiced conversation as I told Midnight what I knew—leaving out the parts about my cheating. I wasn’t ready to lose my best friend.
Not yet.
The guilt sat like a weight on my chest, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him everything. One day, I’d come clean, but not today.
When Midnight left with Hadleigh to talk to his brothers about the new information, like me, he was feeling a heavy load of guilt. If we’d only been more aware that night, if we hadn’t let ourselves get so drunk... maybe we could have saved Kezia.
But we were just kids, playing at being men.
I needed Madeline.
I needed her near to keep my head straight. But when I got back to the common room, she was gone. “Sean gave her a lift to her van,” Harker said, stepping up beside me. “She was in a hurry to get home; she knew her dad was worried.”
“Was she okay?” I asked, anxiety gnawing at me. Once all the adrenaline wears off, things will really sink in.
“Quiet, but she seemed fine considering what she’s been through,” Harker replied, his eyes searching mine. “If you really love her, you’ll find a way to work things out.”
A thought struck me—something I could do to show her how much she meant to me. Something that might make her understand just how deep my feelings ran and how much I needed her in my life. “Harker,” I asked, my voice steady with newfound resolve, “is Bethany still here?”