Page 117 of Fought and Freed

She recognized Grant’s voice and unlocked the passenger side door.

Grant jumped into the Jeep. “Go!”

Through his window, she saw dark figures chasing after him.

She slammed her foot on the gas, and it took off, almost swiping a tan sedan as she careened around the bend.

“Oh, shit! Oh, shit!” Maddy’s voice trembled. “What the Hell have you gotten into, Grant?”

“Nothing,” he said defensively as he got himself situated in the Jeep.

“That wasn’t nothing,” she hissed.

He stared out the window, ignoring all her questions.

How dare he put her in danger and not tell her?

“Since the time we came out of rehab, I’ve done nothing but worry about you. My boyfriend gave you a job, and you screwed that up,” she seethed. “Now, you ask me to come get you when I don’t even have my damn driver’s license yet and begged me not to wake one of my boyfriends. I stupidly listened, only to find people chasing you, and now, you won’t tell me why!”

She slammed to a stop in front of Pathways. “If this is how our friendship has turned, then I don’t want any part of it. I’m done.”

Grant sat there for a bit, not saying anything, before he opened the door. “It’s for the best. Goodbye, Maddy.”

Tears streamed down her face as she watched him walk up to Pathway and disappear inside. Then, she laid her head on the steering wheel and bawled.

She didn’t understand what had just happened.

The door to the Jeep opened, and Maddy jerked upright.

Instead of Grant, she found Ryder frowning at her. “Maddy, what the Hell are you doing driving? You don’t even have your license.”

Maddy stared at him in confusion. “How did you find me?”

Then, the tears overflowed once more, and she started crying again.

“Oh, Silk, what happened?” He climbed into the passenger seat and pulled her over to sit on his lap.

She buried her face against his chest, gripping his shirt as she cried her heart out.

He ground his teeth together. “What did that asshole do? Do I have to go kill him?”

She sniffled and told him what had happened.

Lifting her head, she stared at him through her wet lashes. “Are you going to tell me how you found me?” She bit her bottom lip. “Did you tell the rest of the guys?”

“Tonight was my last night at the bar.” He brushed the tears from her cheeks. “My co-worker was driving me home, and we were almost there when I saw you driving away. We followed you.”

She looked behind the Jeep and cringed when she saw the tan sedan she almost hit on her race out of Homewood. “Sorry I almost hit your co-worker.”

Ryder brushed that aside. “Do you know what Grant was doing in that area?”

She shook her head.

Worry filled his eyes. “I saw some of those guys who were chasing him. They’re part of the Palvenko gang.”

She shook her head. “No, Grant wouldn’t go near Mike’s gang.”

Ryder rubbed her arm. “I’m not one-hundred percent sure, but I saw them a lot at the fights.”

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