Precarious

“It’ll crush her, break her into a thousand pieces. She cares about you, Maddox. You don’t tell her this shit soon, that’ll be gone forever. You willin’ to risk that?”

Maddox steps closer to him. “Don’t fuckin’ talk to me about carin’ about someone, Krypt. I’m doin’ this because I care.”

“Fuck,” Krypt growls. “Fine, but you’re goin’ to have to face this when it comes out.”

“And I fuckin’ will,” Maddox says, running his hands through his hair. “But that time ain’t now.”

“You’re holdin’ back on her, because you know she’s goin’ to hate you. You’re takin’ every, last moment with her before it’s revealed. You selfish prick.”

Maddox snarls, baring his teeth in a dominating way. “She is all I’ve breathed for five years. I’ll do whatever I can to see her fuckin’ smile every morning for as long as possible. I will tell her Krypt. When I’m ready.”

“Fine, you fuckin’ moron,” Krypt grunts, turning away.

I stare, mouth opened just slightly. Maddox is hiding something big from Santana, that’s clear by the heated conversation between the two of them. What it is, though, I have no clue. Obviously it’s enough to destroy her, because Maddox is holding back for a reason and that reason is because he knows she’ll hate him for it.

Secrets, they have a way of destroying peoples lives.

I hope Maddox knows what he’s doing.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Chaos wakes me from my nap.

Sirens. A lot of them.

Then a loud booming voice. “Come out with your hands up. Bring out the hostage.”

I sit up in bed, rubbing my eyes. I look over to see Krypt is no longer beside me. We fell asleep that way, but certainly didn’t wake up like it, it would seem. I slip out of the bed and pull on some clothes before staring out the window. There are police cars everywhere.

My eyes widen and I spin around, running out of the room. The guys are in the living area, talking frantically. Krypt notices me and reaches out, snatching me close to him. “Don’t go out there,” he orders. “Under any circumstances.”

“Why are they here, Krypt?”

“One fuckin’ guess,” Maddox barks. “Howard gave them our information; he’s settin’ us up. We not only have fuckin’ Claire, but Ash, too. Fuck.”

“What are you going to do?” I ask, my eyes darting around the room for Claire.

“We don’t got a fuckin’ choice,” Maddox snaps. “We gotta show with the girls.”

“No fuckin’ way,” Krypt says. “They see me, I’m goin’ back to prison.”

“They got this place surrounded, Krypt. Nothin’ we can do.”

My heart twists and panic fills me. I don’t want Krypt to go back to prison. Maddox reaches forward, taking my arm. Claire appears beside us, reaching her hand out to him. He stares at her, before curling his hand around hers and pulling us to the front door.

“Fuck, Maddox, there has to be another way,” Krypt barks.

“It’s okay,” I whisper, swallowing down my tears. “I’ll tell them the truth. It’s going to be fine, Krypt.”

Maddox opens the door, stepping out.

“Let them go,” a police officer barks.

Maddox lets us go, and puts his hands up. I put mine up too, and so does Claire.

“Come,” an officer encourages us, his gun raised and pointed at Maddox.

“They aren’t holding us hostage,” I say, my voice wobbly.

“Just come closer and we can talk.”

“I won’t come closer until you listen,” I say. This time, my voice is stronger. “They aren’t holding us hostage.”

“Miss—”

“She’s right,” Claire says. “The person who took me from my home and beat me was Howard. This club kept me safe.”

The officer stares at her. “If you’ll come to the station to make a statement—”

“No,” I say defiantly. “As soon as we’re gone, you’ll hurt these guys behind me, and they’ve done nothing but keep us safe.”

“Tell me how you got here, Ash?” the cop says, his eyes still trained on Maddox.

“Howard ambushed the prison transfer, killing everyone. Beau Dawson saved me, by getting me out and helping me.”

“Then why didn’t you turn yourselves in?”

“Because the guards are corrupt and were making death threats. We were unsafe and scared.”

He narrows his eyes. “What proof do you have of this?”

I meet his eyes dead on. “I’m sure you found your proof when you checked the crime scene.”

I don’t dare mention that I know it wasn’t Maddox’s gun at the scene. It would give it away. He set Howard up, and I don’t want to ruin that.

“After all,” I go on. “If you thought it was this club who took Beau and I, you would have come in before this.”

“We raided the house,” he says, his voice gruff. “You weren’t here.”

“That’s because we were trapped in the wilderness for days, hungry and alone.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “And you expect me to believe this story?”

“There are enough witnesses, right here.”

He flicks his eyes to Claire. “You say this club didn’t hurt you?”