“I already ordered your Uber. It should be here any moment.”
“Thanks, Cheryl,” I hugged her close. “Let's get together after class on Monday, and you can tell me about your new guy.”
“Sounds good. Okay, your Uber’s here. Go get him.”
I laughed and was so caught up in my excitement to get back, I didn’t notice the driver looked familiar, and I didn’t notice we were going the wrong way until it was too late. I managed one text to Langden before I was knocked out,help, Sonya…
When I came to, I was tied to a chair, with my mouth taped—no calling for help. I started to panic. My heart was racing, and I thought I would die of a heart attack. Then Sonya and her boyfriend Brad walked in.
My eyes widened and then squinted with pain when Sonya ripped the tape away from my mouth. “Hello, Maddox.”
“Sonya, what the hell is going on? Is this some sort of joke?”
“I assure you, this is far from being a joke. You have been a serious pain in my ass.” I was genuinely shocked. What was she talking about? Then it hit me. She was the one stealing from the pub.
“You’re the one skimming, aren’t you?” She laughed, a maniacal laugh. Great! I was about to be killed by a crazy person. At least it wouldn't be from a panic attack like I always assumed would be the cause. I wouldn’t get to tell Langden how I really felt, or say goodbye to my parents.
“Oh, I assure you we do way more than skim from the profits of the bar. We have been stealing from the Ross family for years, haven't we, Brad.” Brad said nothing, just regarded me with glittering eyes that were reminiscent of a predator. I didn’t like the guy even though I’d only met him twice before. There was something about him that gave me the creeps, and now I knew why.
“Langden is expecting me. When I don’t show up, he will call the cops.”
“Oh, poor you,” she pretend pouts, “the bar brat and her rich daddy. I assure you after the message I sent on your behalf. Not only will he not call the cops, but he probably won’t think of you ever again.”
Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to cry. “What do you want with me?”
“Originally, we were going to hold you for ransom. After all, you managed to get close to the reclusive bachelor and capture his heart. But well, as we have gotten rich fucking around with the Ross family, it’s time to just get revenge and leave. But for shits and giggles, Brad’s going to fuck you up a bit, and then we’ll send some images to Langden, so he knows that his little bar bitch didn’t ditch him but was stolen and killed, just like his parents. He can’t save you, just like he was unable to save them.”
“I’m sorry, did you just say you killed his parents?” Sonya laughed evilly. “Hell yeah, we needed to remove the brains of the empire. Langden and I were in class together. Of course, he doesn't remember me because I wasn’t Sonya back then, and I didn’t look like this. Plastic surgery and hair dye allowed me to continue to wreak havoc on him and his stupid family.”
I thought back to the Google search, and the report on his family’s death MVA and the cops never found the hit and run driver. It had been Sonya, or maybe Brad. “Why, what did the Ross family ever do to you?”
She glared at me, “not that it’s any of your business, but I will grant the dying girl's wish. The Ross family stole the tech from my family and became rich, while the defeat of losing out to them broke my family and drove us into poverty. So yeah, I got my revenge, and now I’m going to enjoy it for the rest of my spoiled, rich life.”
She struck me so fast that my head snapped back. She did it again, several times. My eyes were swelling shut, and my one cheek throbbed painfully.
“Come on, Brad, let's give that about twenty minutes to develop and then take pictures as the bruising should be visible by then.” She sneered again and they left the room.
I tasted blood and recoiled from the taste of iron. Then I allowed the tears to fall now that I was alone. There was no one to hear me, except maybe God, and so I said my goodbyes and shared my regrets, and when the couple reappeared twenty or so minutes later, I was as ready as I could be.
Sonya took a bunch of pictures, which she presumably then sent to Langden. I hung my head, no longer able to hold it up. At least I wasn’t dying a virgin which left only one regret, leaving the safety of his penthouse. I wished I could take back my stupid moment of panic and imagined what we would be doing right now. I stayed with that, imagining us together in his super big comfy bed, wrapped in each other's arms.
“Say, goodbye princess,” Sonya’s lips pressed together as if firming herself for what came next. Eyes clamped shut, I flinched at the sharp, metallic snap of a hammer being cocked.
Chapter Eight
Light is the soul’s way of shattering the dark.
I heard the elevator open and close but didn’t panic. I assumed Maddox would have morning-after remorse and would run to her bestie for advice. I was right, and after Maddie left, Cheryl texted me to let me know she was on her way back.
It was a twenty-minute drive, and when she hadn’t arrived after a half hour, I tried texting her. That’s when I saw a text from her, it was two words,help… Sonya. Shit! I ran for my car and followed the tracer I’d put on her wallet. Her phone had been disposed of, and the trail ended blocks before the one in her purse.
Maddox had typed Sonya, but the only one I knew was my bar manager. Could she be the thief? Maybe all she wanted was a ransom, then why not call me. I was approaching the location of Maddox’s tracker when a ping came through. It was a picture of Maddox, her face beaten. I swore under my breath Those fuckers were going to die for this.
The industrial park was off the beaten path and a perfect place to kill and hide a body. I snuck into the unit and listened.Voices came up from beneath me, and, taking off my shoes, I moved quickly down the stairs.
When I arrived at the bottom of the staircase, I found only one room and in its center was Maddox tied to a chair, her eyes closed. Sonya, my bar manager, and a guy stood a few feet away, and he had a gun pointed at Maddie’s head. Without hesitation, I drew my gun from my waistband and shot before he could pull the trigger.
The guy went down, and Sonya spun on her heel, reaching for the gun her comrade had dropped. But before she could retrieve it, I shot again, and she dropped like a rock. I quickly untied Maddox, who had passed out, probably from shock, and rubbed life back into her hands, then I scooped her up and raced back up the stairs and to the hospital.
