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29
Penny
Even before Ryder climbs back into the truck, I know our plans are about to change. I can’t hear what they are saying, but I can read enough of their body language to know that Maddox is asking Ryder something. Ryder disagrees at first, but then his shoulders slump down in defeat as he nods slightly.
Mojo’s heavy head is lying on my lap. I run my fingers through his soft fur, letting it calm my nerves a little.
Ryder opens the door and gets into the driver’s seat while Maddox’s bike roars to life beside us. Even after Ryder closes his door, the motorcycle is so loud, I can feel the vibration come off it. Or maybe that’s just me shaking in fear.
“He found Tucker, and we’re going to stay with Maddox tonight. You’ll be safe there.”
“That’s what you said when you took me to the club too.”
“And? Did someone hurt you at the club?”
“Well, no, but…”Your friends almost raped me.
“But nothing. I kept you safe like I said I would.” He turns on the truck and pulls out of the parking lot.
“Okay,” I agree. It’s not like he is going to change his mind anyway.
We drive for much longer than I expected. I figured Maddox would live close to the club, like Ryder, but he actually lives about an hour away.
“He doesn’t come here much. He stays at the club most days,” Ryder answers one of my unspoken questions as we are driving down a long and winding driveway.
I haven’t seen another house in about five minutes, which means he has no neighbors. I’m sure him being secluded is by design.
As we get closer to the house, the attached garage opens, and Maddox pulls his bike inside. Ryder parks his truck in front of the garage and kills the engine.
My mind is whirling as I look up at the two-story house that looks like a large family lives here. I wonder if he lives here on his own? From what little I know about Maddox, he is a loner. I doubt he has a girlfriend or anyone else living with him.
I’m so lost in thought I flinch when the back door opens.
Ryder lifts Mojo out of the truck, and I slide out of the seat behind him. When I get out, Maddox is standing next to the truck, his arms crossed in front of his broad chest.
“Relax, I gave Ryder my word to leave you alone,” he tells me, his tone letting me know he is anything but happy about it.
I simply nod and follow Ryder inside the house, through the garage. Mojo is still walking sluggishly, and I’m sure he is going to pass out as soon as he gets a chance to lie down somewhere.
The inside of the house is surprisingly cozy. We enter the kitchen first. White, weathered cabinets wrap around the corner, and a large kitchen isle, with pots and pans hanging from the ceiling above it, sits in the center of the room. Ruffled sunflower curtains hang over the window above a deep double sink, giving it a country house flair.
Pictures cover the wall of the staircase—a family with three young children, and I wonder if this is actually Maddox’s house.
The living room is just as nice as the rest of the house. A large sofa is sitting in front of a brick fireplace, a TV hanging above the mantle.
“Just put Mojo on the couch,” Maddox says, reminding me he is right behind me.
“Sit down and stay with him,” Ryder tells me when he gets Mojo settles.
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I walk around the couch and sit down, cuddling up to Mojo carefully.
The guys disappear into another room, but I know they are not far because I can hear their muffled voices. Awkwardly, I sit on the couch and wait for them to be done with their private conversation.
When they return, they look just as pissed off as they were before. I’d hoped maybe talking it out would resolve whatever they are fighting about. Apparently not.
“We’re going to leave you here for a bit,” Ryder announces. “We’re going to take care of Tucker… after, I’ll take you back to your place, and you’ll forget the last few weeks ever happened.”
His words shouldn’t hurt me this way, but they do. They cut so deep I feel like my heart is bleeding. Not only is he sending me away, but he also wants me to forget. I should be glad, I should be relieved that he is giving me an out, a way to start my life the right way, but my stupid heart is not letting me.
