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Hunter: Anyone ever tell you that you’re an asshole?
Liam: A few chicks, but then they’re usually screaming my name while I bend them over.
Hunter: BYE.
I laugh, tossing my phone on the coffee table. Poor guy has been knee-deep in wedding planning, and considering baby Aaron was born a couple of months ago, we haven’t gotten the chance to hang out much. Between him being a dad, our work schedules, and life in general, this weekend is a much-needed escape even though it’ll be short.
Lounging on the couch, I enjoy the solace as I watch TV. It’s short-lived because the front door soon whips open, and everyone crowds inside, being loud and energetic as fuck.
Sophie picked up Maddie from school, and Mason must’ve gotten off work at the same time. Great timing, I suppose.
“Hey, Hulk,” Maddie singsongs, dropping her heavy bag on the couch as she sits next to me. “Got the mail.” She hands me a small pile, and I thank her with a curt nod. “Don’t forget to start packing for the wedding. I saw your mountain of dirty clothes, and I’m not getting tricked into doing your laundry again.”
I snicker at the few times I’ve accidentally added my clothes to her wash when she wasn’t looking. Then she stuffed them in the dryer, and once she started folding everything and realized what I did, she whacked me across the head and cussed me out. Of course, I thought it was hilarious, but Maddie wasn’t amused.
“C’mon, I’ll pay you five bucks.”
“Hard fucking pass.” She glowers at me.
“I thought you wanted to save money for a car?” I taunt, knowing that’ll grab her attention.
“Five bucks won’t do shit unless that’s per item. In that case, I might actually entertain the idea.”
I grimace, crossing my ankles. “No, babe. Five bucks per load.”
“Five bucks per load…” Maddie repeats, snickering before standing and taking her bag. “Is that in your Tinder bio?”
I roll my eyes at her annoying reference to my dating life. “Whatever, your loss!”
“Not really. Keep your gross underwear away from my clothes!” she calls out, walking to her bedroom.
“You two fighting already?” Mason asks, taking her seat and holding two beers. He hands one to me before taking a sip of his.
“Nah, that’s just how we communicate,” I quip, then take a large gulp of my drink.
“How was work today?” I ask as Sophie comes and sits on his lap. These two lovebirds are inseparable, and though I’m happy for them, I could go without seeing all the PDA.
“Eventful and busy as usual.” He shrugs, wrapping his arms around Sophie and pulling her closer.
The moment she leans down and kisses him, I push myself up and stand. “Gonna get started packing,” I say, grabbing my stuff and heading toward the stairs.
“Good idea,” Sophie calls out. “We leave in seventy-two hours!”
Grunting, I roll my eyes. “I’ve packed for a seven-day trip with ten minutes’ notice. Pretty sure I can manage a weekend.”
“Yes, but bring nice things! Did you get your tux yet?” she asks as I step on the stairs, eager to escape the conversation.
“I will tomorrow. Anything else, Mom?”
“Clean socks and underwear too!”
Mason laughs, knowing she’s not kidding.
“How about you worry about Mason, and I’ll worry about myself?”
“I have all my shit together already!” he brags.
“Of course,” I mutter, then take the steps two at a time.
Once I’m in my room, I set down my beer and go through my mail. Most of it’s junk since we pay the majority of our bills online, but on the bottom of the pile, I see a manilla envelope with my name on it but no return address. It’s probably nothing, but I open it anyway.
I slide out a single piece of paper, and my heart stops.
It’s a five-by-seven glossy picture of Maddie and me leaving the house together. Last weekend, she’d begged me to take her to a bakery for donuts, and we ended up leaving with two dozen. In the shot, I’m smirking at her as if one of us had just told a joke or something. Hell, I look fucking smitten as we walk side by side toward my truck. In fact, I’m positive I’d just teased her about paying for gas because I drive her around all the time. She retorted that being in her presence was payment enough.
However, the photo being taken outside our house isn’t what I’m most worried about. It’s the red target drawn over Maddie’s face.
I flip it over and see sloppy handwriting.
Pay up, or she’ll be the one paying.
The clock is ticking.
-JJ
PS—You really didn’t think we’d use every resource to find you?
Boss wants your head mounted on the wall, so you better get your ass back here immediately.
Or he’ll come get you himself.
My fingers ball into fists, the nails digging into my palms as I swallow hard. I assumed they’d eventually find me, but I didn’t think they’d really bring my friends into it, though JJ had warned me. Who knows how long they’ve been following me. Considering the picture is recent, there’s no telling when they found me or if they’re still watching. On top of all this shit, now I have Maddie to worry about. Will they take her? Hurt her?
