Page 46 of Fought and Freed

“Hell, no. And there’s no way you’re driving home. You’re completely smashed.” Ryder caught him when Skylar stumbled. “I’ll drive us home.”

Skylar scowled. “I’m not letting you drive my bike.”

Ryder kept his hold on Skylar. “Well, it’s either that, or we leave it here.”

“It’s at the end of the building.” Skylar handed over his keys. “Why are you here, anyway?”

“Not important. What has you like this?” Worry entered Ryder’s voice. “Is something wrong with Maddy?”

“Do you really care?” Skyler sneered.

Ryder gave him a dirty look.

“What? You haven’t been around much,” Skylar scoffed. “Maddy’s fine. But we ran into Amber at her NA meeting, and she dropped a bomb on me. Amber’s pregnant.”

Ryder’s eyes got big. “No shit! She’s saying it’s yours?”

“Yeah!” Skylar ran a hand down his face. “I’m drunk. I want Jace and Maddy. Get me home, brother.”

Ryder swung his leg over the bike and kicked the stand. “Will you be able to hold on to me?”

“I hope so.” He climbed onto the bike behind his friend. “The question is, do you remember how to drive one of these?”

Ryder laughed. “I guess we’ll find out.”

As Ryder drove past the bar, Skylar looked back just as a person stepped out of the shadows. He did a double take, squinting at the man.

Was that Mike?

Naw, he must be so drunk he was seeing things now.

Wrapping his arms around Ryder, he rested his head against his back and focused on hanging on.

13

MADDY

Maddy and Jace fell asleep watching some stupid show.

If someone was to ask one of them what the show was about, Maddy was sure neither of them could have answered. Their minds weren’t on what was playing.

Someone stumbling up the stairs woke them, followed by Skylar’s loud voice, “Shh, you’ll wake everyone up.”

Maddy looked at Jace. “He sounds drunk.”

He nodded, and they jumped out of bed, running out of Maddy’s open bedroom door and toward the stairs, where they found Skylar sprawled out in the hall, laughing his ass off, while Ryder tried to get him up.

Skylar snickered. “I tripped.”

“Yep, you did.” Ryder tried to catch his hands, but Skylar slapped at him.

“Shh!” he slurred. “You’re going to wake big brother up.”

Jace’s breath hitched. “You’re completely wasted.”

Skylar’s head rolled toward Jace’s voice, revealing a face covered in bruises. He grinned, and a cut in his lip split open. “There’s my man.”

Maddy took in his condition. “Oh, Skylar, what happened?”

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