Page 132 of Done Waiting

“Your mother was the one bringing the drugs into this town. When Jagger’s dad became hooked, she used him to help her get where she wanted. All the while she was taking classes to move from working with children and youth to prisoners. When she succeeded in that goal, she met your father and married him. She hoped to make your dad fall in love with her enough that he’d join her in her corruption, but he wastoo good.” He sneers as he says the last words, disgust lining his face.

My mind whirls. I already know most of what Ben said from Jagger, but his accusations that Jagger is only using me for his own game cuts deep. Jagger and I fought about it at his cabin, but a slight doubt about Jagger giving us his revenge gig for me caused my heart to clench.Is Jagger being truthful with me? Did he really give up his revenge for me, or has this all been a game he capitalized on?

Ben watches me carefully, his expression gleeful as he twists the knife deeper. “Jagger never loved you, Maddie. You are a means to an end. A pawn in his warped game, just like you are in mine.” He stares at me, something indecipherable in his eyes. “Although, my plans have changed slightly.” His hand trails over my face softly as the tears fill my eyes. I try not to let them fall, but my gaze swims with them, causing Ben to be nothing but a blurry, rain-soaked windshield. I blink and like wipers clearing the rain from the glass, I can clearly see Ben’s victorious expression.

Then he hammers a nail in the coffin of my trust in Jagger. “He may have revealed some of his plans to you in an effort to win your trust. But those people he killed were all to cripple Maura. To make her burn with a vengeance so she’d come after him.” He pauses dramatically, his face inches from mine. “She’s the leader of it all, Maddie. She brought corruption to this town. And the only thing that stood in her way from being at the top of the chain and completely untouchable was your father.” He gives a shrug. “She took care of him in that motorcycle ‘accident’ that claimed his life.”

His laugh echoes around me as I squeeze my eyes closed, my heart splintering and breaking into thousands of pieces.She killed my dad?

Turning my head, I meet her tear-filled blue eyes and see the guilt in them and I have my answer.She did. My mom killed my dad.

My head spins from Ben’s—and my mom’s inadvertent—revelation as I try and fail to process them. Despair fills me, making my body heavy before the numbness descends over it.

Has everything I’ve known been a lie? Did Jagger only use me, pretending to love me, to get to my mom?

52

THE STALKER

Sitting in Ashlynn’s living room, Jason and I fill her in on everything that has transpired since that night. I leave out the part about the drug dealers in the warehouse that I killed after I fucked Maddie and then dropped her off here, leaving her to believe I just used her.

God, that still fucking hurts. I hate that I made her feel that way.

Tugging at the neck of my sweatshirt, my body overheats as I look out the window, darkness blanketing the land.

What is Ben doing to Maddie? Is he hitting her?Bile rises in my throat as I close my eyes.Forcing himself on her.

“Jagger.” Jason’s voice pulls me back to the present moment. “Are you okay?”

My eyes snap open and I nod weakly.No, I’m not okay. Not until I have her back.

“Let me get you guys some water.” Ashlynn jumps up, hurrying to her refrigerator. When she returns, she hands us the bottle of water and begins telling us what she knows about Ben. Unfortunately, it’s not much, other than some specifics of how she didn’t like how he treated Maddie when he dated her. Isqueezed the water bottle, the crinkling sound filling the room, causing Ashlynn to stare at me with interest.

“Can I just say something? I know you’re jealous, hearing me talk about Maddie with… him.” She flashes me a small smile. “But when Maddie stayed here, all she could talk about was you. I’ve never seen her look like that. The dreamy expression on her face told me she was clearly very smitten with you. Far more than she ever was with Ben.”

The tension in my body eases. “I’m in love with her,” I blurt out, agony coursing through me that she’s not here. Ben fucking has her and I still have no clue where to search.

“Let me text some friends and see what I can dig up on Ben.” Pulling out her phone, her fingers fly over it. When she’s finished, her eyes meet mine.

“I’m sure Maddie told you I stalked her.” Ashlynn nods, saying nothing, waiting for me to continue. I heave out a breath and say, “I was watching her when she stayed here. I… Well, I heard her tell you about the boy from Falls Creek Park. Her ‘dark hero’ that she met there.”

Ashlynn smiles. “Yes, that was a sweet story. That little boy intervened and made quite the impact on her.”

A fist squeezes my heart, making it hard to breathe. “I’m him. That boy was me.”

Ashlynn sucks in a breath, eyes wide as she stares at me, then looks at Jason. “What? It’s you?”

I nod, not saying anything else, too overwhelmed to find the words.

Ashlynn cocks her head. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. After all this time, the two of you reconnected. Does Maddie know?”

“I told her.”

She moves closer, her hand moving to my arm. “We’re going to find her and get her back. Why don’t I accompany you?I’m happy to help you look for her.” She looks from me to Jason before adding, “It can take some of these guys a while to respond. But if I’m with you, I can let you know as soon as they do.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” Jason says, his hopeful eyes on me. “It can’t hurt.”

I nod. “No, it can’t.” Turning my gaze to hers, I say, “Come on. Let’s head out to my truck. If you guys don’t mind, I’d like to hit a drive-through and grab something to eat. It’s been hours since I last ate anything.”

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