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MADISON

M y eyes pop open, my body jostled around as the sound of an engine fills my ears. My head pounds and I wince, trying to raise my hand to it. But I can’t. I look down, realizing my wrists are tied together with rope.

Son of a bitch. Fucking Ben.

Everything comes rushing at me, making me dizzy. Ben kidnapping Abby. The resulting headache I had when I realized that Jagger, Jason, and Ben had no idea where she was, nor how to get her back. I went upstairs to get pain medication from Jagger’s medicine cabinet and that’s when I saw the sleeping pills. As I read the dosage instructions, a plan formed. God, I hated doing that to Jagger, but I saw no other way. He and Jason were adamant they weren’t trading me for Abby. But Ben said if they didn’t trade me for her, he was going to kill Abby.

I took matters into my own hands and did what I had to do.

Now I need to figure a way out of this mess. It would have been much easier if Ben hadn’t hit me in the head so hard it temporarily knocked me out.

My hair tickles my nose and I lift both wrists, trying to push it away. It’s sticking to my sweaty skin. I try again and this time, I’m able to push it away. As I do, I feel the sticky substance near my temple. I know it’s blood before I touch it, but even so, when I lower my hands and see it, the pungent metallic scent assaulting my senses, nausea wells inside me. Swallowing hard, I breathe through it. Focus, Maddie . Closing my eyes, I turn my thoughts inward, focusing on the sound of my breaths, the rise and fall of my chest as my lungs expand and contract.

Opening my eyes, I take in the darkness, my body jerking as the engine roars, bouncing over bumpy terrain. I close my eyes again, trying to get my stomach to settle. Vomiting won’t help anything right now.

A low moan behind me causes me to stiffen. Taking a deep breath, I expel it, slowly moving my head so the world doesn’t spin again. I finally tilt it enough that I see the familiar outline of a body. Letting my eyes adjust to the darkness inside the van, a jolt of familiarity hits me. Mom.

“Mom,” I whisper. “It’s me, Maddie.”

A loud moan comes again as she shifts slightly. Her hands are bound in front of her, just like mine. As I shift and wiggle, I realize my ankles are bound with rope too.

Son of a bitch.

Finally, my mom’s low voice cracks through the vehicle. “Maddie.”

“Yeah, it’s me,” I whisper, not wanting to draw Ben’s attention. “Ben knocked me out and tied me up. Obviously, he did the same to you.”

She groans. “It’s starting to come back to me.”

“Shhh,” I whisper. “We don’t want him to hear us.”

My mom nods. “Right. I remember someone rushing through the door. I thought it was you.”

In an instant, Jagger’s conversation with Jason fills my head. She didn’t even bother looking for me . I was safe with Jagger, but that’s not the point. If Ben had me for that long, I would have been raped and dead without her bothering to even attempt to find me. A torrent of hurt rises inside, my lungs constricting. Does she even care about me?

“No, it wasn’t me.” I bite out in a whisper.

She hesitates, her brow wrinkling as she wiggles. “Why do you have a tone to your voice, Madison?”

I bristle. “I was safe, thank God. But the person I was with understands you weren’t looking for me.”

Her voice raises. “Why would I? I assumed you were busy working, writing, and spending time with your friend and roommate.”

“Nice of you to check on me, considering Dad died and I was still grieving.”

Her voice comes out in a huff. “You grieved for too long, Madison. You need to move on with your life.”

Jagger’s face floats through my mind, the agony of missing him so painful my heart aches. “I have moved on.” And how fucking dare she put a timeline on my grief?

My anger dissipates as I wonder if Jagger is awake and has read my note. I have no idea how much time has passed or how long the sleeping pills would work, but knowing Jagger, not for long.

God, he must be furious and so worried about me by now.

Determination makes my muscles tight. I will find a way to get back to you, Jagger. Any opportunity I get, I’m taking it.

My mom’s brisk voice brings me back to reality. “Good, I’m glad. Obviously, you were safe, so I don’t know why you’re mad at me.”

“Thank God I have someone who cares for me. I ended up witnessing Ben raping and killing a girl. The missing girl….” God, her name eludes me over the throbbing in my temples.

“ Brittany Smith?” My mom’s voice is full of disbelief.

“Yes, her. Ben raped and strangled her in the woods near campus. He’s the serial killer, mom.”

She squirms again, causing me to look over at her. “You saw him?”

“Yes. And he saw me. I took off running and if it wasn’t for Jagger…” my voice cracks, along with my chest. Tears fill my eyes. I miss him so damn much.

“Jagger?” She frowns, closing her eyes. “You’re not referring to Jagger Williams, are you?”

“Jagger Brandt.” I swallow the anger that threatens to choke me. Even though he’s never told me his previous last name, Jagger told me he legally changed his last name to Brandt. I’m certain we’re talking about the same Jagger but I decide to play dumb. “Who’s Jagger Williams?”

My mom snorts. “A problem child I dealt with in a previous career. A long time ago.”

“Why was he a problem?” I whisper, my body shaking from my anger and the bumpy road we’re on jolts me like an amusement park ride.

“He was mental. Believed his father abused him. I was working to have him committed, but then his father died. But he became someone else’s problem when a family stepped in and adopted him.”

My pulse hammers in my ears from my rage. I’d beat the shit out of my own mother if I wasn’t tied up right now. “He’s not mental,” I snap.

She stares at me in the dark van, our eyes adjusted to it enough that we can make out our figures. I see the whites of her eyes as they widen from my tone before she blinks. “So we are talking about the same Jagger. Really, Maddie? You know how to pick em.” Her sarcastic tone is like nails on a chalkboard. Her words like acid being poured down my throat. “First, a serial killer, and now a guy with mental issues.”

“I said he’s not mental,” I snap, my voice coming out as a hysterical shrill, anger overtaking me.

“Ladies, stop fighting.” Ben’s raspy voice carries back to us, a chuckle in his tone. “Although I’d have to agree with your mom. Jagger is mental.”

I hope he’s mental enough to kill both of you fuckers. I’ll help him.

My narrowed gaze is on my mom as she chuckles. She senses my glare and stops. “Ben has a point, Maddie.”

“Yeah? Well, Ben came into your house and knocked you out and kidnapped you. Agreeing with him may not be in your best interests,” I snap, not even bothering to lower my tone.

Ben’s evil chuckle is chilling. “This is entertaining, ladies. It’s fun listening to the two of you argue.”

“It’s not usual.” My mom gripes.

I snort. “Typical. We don’t seem to agree on much.”

Silence descends over us as the tires crunch over stones. Straining my ears, I start focusing my attention on my whereabouts, searching for clues as to where we might be.

After what seems like forever, the vehicle jerks to a stop and the engine shuts off. Squeezing my eyes closed, my heart beats frantically inside my chest, waiting for the inevitable moment I come face to face with Ben again.

The doors open and the cold air blows inside, making me shiver. I didn’t take time to put a coat on before I left Jagger’s house and the jeans and hoodie I’m wearing offer little warmth.

“Hello, ladies.” Ben’s voice is jovial, making my head pound. “Time to see your new home.”

Glaring at him with all the fury radiating inside me, Ben isn’t the slightest bit phased by it. He throws his head back, loud laughter echoing around us.

Echoing. Are we in the woods? I don’t have much of a view with him standing in front of me.

He reaches forward, hand wrapping around my ankle, dragging me toward him. I try kicking him away but his grip is too tight for me to be effective. Damn him .

Throwing me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, he whips around, making me nauseous from his sudden, abrupt movements. My tangled hair hangs in my face as he marches forward, his strides brisk.

Taking deep breaths, I lift my head slightly, a huge expanse of trees surrounding us. Then we’re climbing three rickety wooden steps before I hear the screech of a screen door opening, followed by a key turning in a lock. The door creaks open on rusty hinges before he carries me through it. The screen door bangs shut behind us, and then Ben kicks the wooden door shut before turning around and locking it. Very little light comes through the small rectangle window nor the small, dirty window beside it.

Ben strides through the room and I cringe as I see the peeling, dirty linoleum, and the ancient dirty hardwood floor beneath his feet. He tosses me on a dirty mattress, the musty, metallic scent wrinkling my nose.

“Home, sweet home.” He stands there proudly, gesturing around the room like we’re in a mansion, rather than some small, dirty, likely cockroach-infested cabin. I appear to be in the living room that holds an old wood stove, a dirty couch, a small stand, and a small television.

Drawing my knees to my chest, my eyes dart from the dirty couch to Ben’s gloating face. “So lovely.” My voice drips with sarcasm. “I’m sure the cockroaches adore it.”

He chuckles, running a hand through his hair, the leather gloves on his hands illuminated by the gray light coming through the small window. “Snarky.” His face tightens, eyes stormy like the ocean during a violent storm. “Not as nice as Jagger’s place, huh?”

“Not even close.” I wiggle my hands, the pins and needles sensation irritating me. “Can you loosen these damn ropes?”

Ben’s smile is pure malice as he says, “Hell no.” Then he spins on his heels, going after my mom.

I wiggle into a sitting position, my back hitting the wooden wall of the dingy cabin. My gaze darts around, taking in the small space with very sparse furnishings. It’s a very small, rustic cabin.

The faint sound of a door shutting reaches my ears before I hear Ben’s footsteps on the rickety porch. The doors open, the screen door banging shut behind him before he shuts the door. The click of the lock echoes like a gunshot through my head before his footsteps get louder. He hurries in, dropping my mom beside me on the mattress. He’s out of breath from carrying both of us and judging by what I just saw, my mom squirmed and wiggled just like I did.

As my mom wiggles into a sitting position beside me, shoulder-length blonde hair tangled and hanging in her face, my head turns to Ben.

Why the hell did he kidnap my mom and me? What sinister plan does he have in store for us?