Page 45 of Valley

Jonesy’s fingers were immediately at her neck, checking her pulse, then lifting her eyelids to peer into her eyes. “What the hell happened, Valley?”

“I don’t know!” I bit out, the fear in my voice betraying my usual carefree attitude. “I walked in, and she just... dropped. She looked terrified—like she’d seen a ghost.”

Jonesy slapped her cheek lightly, trying to rouse her. “Madeline, can you hear me? Wake up!”

Her eyes fluttered open, but instead of relief, a fresh wave of panic crashed over me as she shoved Jonesy away, her movements frantic. “I need to go home,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes wild as they locked onto mine. “Jarrod, take me home. Now.”

“Madeline, why did you pass out? What happened?” I demanded, my voice harsh, but I could already see the answer on her wrist—a dark, angry bruise in the shape of a handprint. “Who the fuck hurt you?”

“Please,” she begged, her voice trembling, her eyes filled with a terror that I never wanted to see on her face again. “Just take me away from here.”

Sean appeared in her line of vision, his face a mask of concern. “Who did this, Madeline? Who touched you?”

Sarah rushed in, her expression softening as she took in Madeline’s state. “You were attacked, weren’t you? We need to know what happened, then we’ll get you out of here. I promise.”

Madeline took a shaky breath, the words tumbling out of her mouth in a broken whisper. “I was looking for Sean... I just wanted to leave. Then I heard my name, coming from this room... it sounded like a woman.”

Ice-cold dread seeped into my veins as I thought of Kezia, but before I could say anything, Madeline continued, her voice cracking with each word. “I walked in, and there was someone... all in black, face covered. And then...” She choked on a sob, her entire body trembling.

Sarah gently urged her on, her voice soft but insistent. “What happened then, Madeline?”

“It... it said I had to die because of Jarrod,” she whispered, her words barely audible. “He had a knife and grabbed me, and I thought... I thought it was over for me, but he must have heard Jarrod at the door and let me go... disappearing.”

“He?” My mind was racing, fury and fear warring within me. This wasn’t just some ghost story—this was fucking real, and it was deadly. Jonesy shot a look at Sean, who immediately slipped out to alert Patch.

Madeline’s brow furrowed, her voice unsteady as she tried to piece it all together. “The voice I heard... it was a woman. But the one who grabbed me... it was a man. I’m sure of it. His voice was low, but... there’s no doubt.”

Jonesy’s voice was sharp, cutting to the chase. “And he said it was because of Jarrod—Valley?”

She nodded, her eyes searching mine, filled with fear, confusion, and something deeper—something that twisted like a knife in my gut. “Yes, he said... this was Jarrod’s fault.” Her voice wavered as she tried to push herself up. “Please, can I go home now?”

Jonesy turned to Sarah, his tone leaving no room for an argument. “Sarah, take her home.”

“I’ll do it,” I said, my voice rough as I moved to help her. “I’m heading into town anyway.”

“No,” Jonesy shot back, his voice firm. “She’s in no condition to ride on a bike, Valley. Sarah will drive her in her car. It’s safer.”

Sarah nodded, her hand gentle as she touched Madeline’s face. “He’s right. She’s still too shaken up.”

Madeline gave a weak nod, allowing Sarah to guide her out just as Patch stormed in, his face like thunder.

“What the fuck is going on today?” he growled, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. “Someone fill me in, now.”

As we relayed what happened, Patch’s expression darkened, his jaw set in a hard line. “This isn’t some random shit. Someone’s coming after the club, using our women to get at us. This feels personal to Valley, but I’ve got a bad feeling it’s bigger than that. This entire club could be in the target.”

“What’s the plan?” I asked, my mind spinning with a thousand dark thoughts, trying to make sense of it all—trying to accept the growing knowledge that this was more than just Kezia’s ghost.

Patch’s eyes were cold, calculating. “I’ll call church in the morning, but for now, spread the word—every member guards their woman like their life depends on it. Because it just might.”

I clenched my fists, the reality of what almost happened hitting me like a ton of bricks. “He was going to kill her,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “If I hadn’t come back to my room, she’d be...” The words died in my throat, too horrific to speak. The men nodded, their faces grim as they left the room.

Left alone, the rage inside me boiled over. I looked around the room, my vision blurring with anger. “You want a fucking war?” I snarled, my voice echoing off the walls, filled with a promise of violence. “Now you’ve got one!” With a final growl, I stormed out, slamming the door behind me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Chapter Twenty-Six

THANK THE LORDfor Sarah. She was a lifeline, helpingme pull myself together before bringing me home. The stop at the coffee shop was a godsend, a chance to catch my breath and wrap my mind around what happened—the danger that still lurked out there. When I finally walked through the door, I could pretend everything was okay, sharing dinner with Dad and Ellie as if nothing had changed.

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