Worry etches across Elijah’s face. “I don’t know. He hasn’t shown up. Andrés and I tried calling him, but he won’t answer.”
Fear clamps down on my chest. What if something happened on his way here? What if he’s hurt?
This is the first game of the championships. No matter what’s going on between us, Maddox would never miss it.
Elijah drags a hand through his hair. “You know what’s weird? Lucas hasn’t shown up either.” He lets out a nervous laugh. “I just hope they’re not trying to kill each other.”
My heart pounds harder, the sound echoing in my ears. The horrifying image of Maddox lying lifeless on the cold ground flashes in my mind.
I shake my head quickly, forcing the thought away. Lucas might be awful, but a killer?He couldn’t be.
“I’m going to his house,” I say, already backing away. “I need to make sure he’s okay.”
Elijah nods quickly. “Please call me the second you know.”
As I’m rushing out of the stadium, my phone buzzes in my pocket. The screen lights up with a call from Maddox’s dad.
“Hello?”
“Annalise, I was able to track down the person behind the blackmail. Whatever program they used to block their number was highly encrypted, and it took me a while to hack into their system.”
“So who’s behind all of this?” My grip tightens around my phone, the anticipation growing.
“It’s Lucas Hilton—the guy Maddox went to high school with. His location is pinging at Maddox’s house. I’m on my way there now.”
The blood drains from my face, bile burning in my throat.
If he's behind this, then my suspicions were true. Chandler’s accident wasn’t an accident after all. With Chandler out of the picture, Lucas got exactly what he wanted—a spot in the starting five.
A chill races down my spine. If he could do that to Chandler, then who knows what else he’s capable of?
I end the call and take off for Maddox’s house, praying I’m not too late to stop whatever Lucas has set in motion.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
maddox
A piercing whinefills my skull, drowning out everything around me. Heavy footsteps thud across the floor and the sound of voices fills the room, but they’re distant—like I’m underwater.
The sharp metallic tang of blood saturates the air. My vision steadies just enough to find Lucas sprawled on the ground, his face twisting in agony. He clutches his arm, crimson leaking fast between his fingers.
My hands frantically sweep over my body, checking to find blood or a wound, but there’s nothing.
A shaky breath escapes me, air flooding back into my lungs as the weight of what just happened crashes down. I was inches from death.
Just moments ago, Lucas stood in front of me with a gun aimed at my chest. One pull of the trigger and I wouldn’t be standing here.
A tall man wearing a bulletproof vest grabs Lucas’s arms, cuffing them behind his back. He winces in pain, leaving a trail of blood as he gets dragged away.
A pair of hands lands on my shoulders, causing me to jump. “Mr. Kamado, are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?” a young paramedic asks me.
I shake my head. “No, I’m—I’m okay.”
“I need to do a quick assessment on you to be sure.”
Pushing myself off the floor, I get up to follow her.
“How did you guys know to come?” I ask as we walk out the door. “I didn’t even get a chance to dial 911.”
