“I’m sure he is. Time escapes them sometimes. No need to worry.” Riley was going to say something else, but the front door burst open, scaring the hell out of all three of us.
“What the fuck, Riley!” Kaden shouted, appearing disheveled with a crumbled shirt and his hair sticking up in the back. His worried expression shifted into anger the closer he came. “I’ve been callin’ you and callin’ you. Where is your phone?”
Riley stood and met him halfway, her tone when she answered turning icy. “It’s charging upstairs.”
“You are to have it on you at all times. Do you hear me?” She didn’t answer which only made him angrier. He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her impossibly close. “Do you fuckin’ hear me?”
“Hey,” I shouted, hopping off the couch. Maddie stood but kept her distance. “Get your hands off her.”
“Mind your business, Chels.” He didn’t even bother looking at me when he basically told me to fuck off.
“This is my business.”
Kaden ignored me, lowering his hand to grab Riley’s. He pulled her away from us, but not far as we could still hear him.
“I mean it, Ry. Make sure your phone is on you at all times. I’m not playin’ around. And before you ask me why, I can’t tell you. Yet. Just trust me. And don’t go anywhere. Stay put until you hear from me.” He leaned down until they were eye level, his expression serious. “Do you understand?”
“Fine.”
“I’m serious.”
“I said fine. I don’t have anywhere to go anyway.”
“I don’t care if you did. You’re not to step foot out of this house until I get back.”
“Until you get back or until I hear from you? Which is it?” Riley’s back faced us, but I could only imagine the look she shot him.
“Don’t get smart.” These two went head-to-head, and while I’d witnessed them going at it before, I’d never heard Kaden talk to her like this. He was pissed but also seemed to be frightened, as well. Of what, I had no idea because he wouldn’t elaborate.
“Fine,” she repeated for the third time. Only then did he release her, slamming the door behind him a few seconds later.
I rushed toward her and touched her arm. She flinched, which only served to piss me off even more. “What the hell was that about?”
“I have no idea. And while the stubborn part of me wants to push back against him and leave, just to show him he’s not the boss of me, my gut tells me to listen.”
Maddie’s phone rang, her ringtone startling all of us. Boy, are we on edge. “Hello? Yeah, I’m here. Kaden just came by. Okay.” There was a brief pause before she said, “Can you tell me—” Another lengthy silence. I could hear Linc’s voice on the other end. There was some shouting, but I didn’t think he was yelling at Maddie. Instead, it sounded like someone in the background of wherever he was. “Okay. I promise.” She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked down at the screen.
“What’s goin’ on?” I asked.
“I don’t know. He called to see if I was still here, as if I had anywhere else to go.” The arch of her brows would’ve made me laugh had I not sensed something was seriously wrong. “He told me not to go anywhere. Said he’d call me soon, then he hung up.”
“I don’t like this,” Riley uttered, taking a seat on the edge of the sofa. “Not one bit.”
My thoughts drifted to Ace. Would he try and call me, too, even though we were done?
Would I answer if he did?
My skin prickled at the thought danger was the reason behind Linc and Kaden acting all funny, but I wasn’t about to throw myself into the middle of whatever shitstorm was brewing.
“I’m gonna take off.”
“I think you should stay here with us,” Riley urged, stepping in front of me when I tried to move toward the door.
“I’m good.”
“I think she’s right, Chelsea,” Maddie added, walking up next to me. She was so tiny, but the concern on her face was fierce. “We don’t know what’s goin’ on, but I believe you’ll be safe here.”
“Why would I be unsafe?” I continued before either of them could answer. “If it’s club related, I’m good. I’m not with anyone there so…” I shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”
I moved around my bestie quicker than she could stop me and managed to walk out onto the porch and jog down the front steps.
“Call me when you get home,” Riley shouted behind me.
“Okay,” I yelled back over my shoulder as I pulled open the driver-side door.
My ride home was riddled with questions and concern. Maybe I should’ve stayed at Riley’s with her and Maddie. What if they really were in danger? Then a thought barreled in that appeased my bout of worry. There was no way Kaden would leave her alone in that house if he thought she wouldn’t be safe.
Several heartbeats later, I flicked on the radio and turned up the volume, losing myself to the newest pop song by a singer I’d never heard of before. I needed to focus on anything other than the anxiety that curled into my veins.
Hours later as I lost myself to mindless television, I still couldn’t shake the thick bead of dread twisting through me.
17
My head was foggy, but my body was on fire, like someone took a torch to my skin and held it there for moments on end.
Labored breaths left my mouth as I came out of my slumber, my lids opening slightly before closing again, only to repeat until my eyes finally remained open. I saw a shadow in the corner of the room, and at first, I had no idea where I was or why I felt like shit.
“He’s awake.” It was a woman’s voice who uttered the two words. “Get Marek.” My head lolled to the side when the bed dipped beside me. “Ace. Can you hear me?” Tingles erupted on my temple as fingers trailed along my face. “Sweetheart, can you hear me?” she repeated. Even with my vision still hazy, I realized Addy was the woman next to me. This couldn’t be good. A quick deduction ran through my brain before I started to piece together what happened.
I’d walked out of Indulge after dealing with the issue with Jaz.
I’d been looking at my phone, intent on calling Chelsea.
I saw a car pull up and then three men pointed their guns directly at me. I hadn’t seen their faces, but I sure as hell saw the barrel of their guns.
Then my memory faded.
Trying to move proved futile because not only was I hit with a dose of mind-numbing pain, but Addy’s hands rested on my shoulders as she pushed me back on the mattress. “Don’t move.” I was about to argue, but I didn’t physically have it in me to do so. “Just breathe, Ace.” Her voice comforted me, and I did as I was instructed. One breath after another until I became fully alert, my eyes bouncing from her to Marek, who’d just walked in, to Brick and Linc who’d followed him.
“What happened?” Marek stood at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed, looking none too pleased. Was he pissed at me?
“I don’t know. One minute I’m dealing with the issue with Jaz, and the next, I’m in the parking lot when a car pulls in and starts shootin’ at me. I didn’t see their faces, but I have no fuckin’ doubt it was them.” Everyone in this room knew who “them” was. I didn’t need to specify.