Page 11 of Twisted Empire

Beckett was tucking a pistol into a holster at his waist. “I’d say so. Thank you for your help—and Blood Hunter, don’t hesitate to call on the Storm if you feel we can return the favor.”

“Never hurts to have an extra ally in my back pocket,” she said, and both of the lines cut out.

Slade and I stood up in unison. We hustled with Logan toward the door as Beckett followed behind us, already placing a new call on his phone. “Yeah, I need you at this spot as quickly as you can get there. I’m going to need reinforcements.” He recited the address we’d learned as he pulled out his key fob to unlock the doors on his van.

Slade glanced over at me as we clambered into the back, a sense of urgency vibrating through the air. He let out a strained laugh. “Never thought I’d see the day when I’d be racing off with a criminal overlord to rescue the woman I love.”

Neither did I, I thought, so automatically that the truth of that statement only fully hit me a second later, with the lurch of the van surging toward the road.

Itwastrue, wasn’t it? This wrenching pain in my chest, and the frantic need to know Madelyn was okay. The chill that stabbed through me at the thought that she might have been hurt—the rush of relief when I imagined pulling her away from whatever Logan’s mom had dragged her into.

I’d never worried about anyone like this before. I’d never wanted to protect someone so badly. A thrill shivered through me with the recognition of how much Madelyn meant to me, but it came with a terrifying flipside.

For the first time in my life, I could say that I loved someone—and if we didn’t act quickly enough, I might lose her before I ever got a chance to tell her that.

CHAPTERFIVE

Madelyn

The stairs rushed by beneath me so quickly that I knew if I tried to think about it too hard, I’d stumble. So I just let my feet fly on, focused only on reaching the bottom. On making it all the way to the door.

When I hit the bottom of the staircase, my breath coming short, I eased more carefully to the windowed door. The dark lobby beyond looked totally empty, no one in the security booth near the front entrance. A few pieces of paper were tacked to the walls, like the kinds of information sheets you’d find in a building under construction.

Was this building even really open yet?

No one arrived in the brief time I was watching, and I knew I couldn’t afford to linger very long. If Doom’s Seed’s people had been going up to Yvonne’s apartment in the elevator, they’d have found her trapped in the closet by now.

I pushed out into the lobby and darted across the thickly carpeted floor. At the main door, I glanced around quickly and, seeing only a few cars cruising by under the glow of the streetlamps, slipped out. I strode away from the building as quickly as I could while trying to give the appearance that I was simply in a hurry and not fleeing for my life.

My phone—where was my phone? I had to call the guys—I had to have it in my hand so I could dial 9-1-1 if a bunch of criminals came after me.

I groped inside Yvonne’s purse, the contents rattling around my fumbling fingers. But just as I caught hold of what felt like my phone’s case, a familiar white van roared around a corner just a couple blocks ahead and raced toward me.

In the first second, I froze, my legs tensing to propel me in the opposite direction in case this was some kind of threat. There was nothing to say Doom’s Seed couldn’t use white vans too. But before I could dash off, an even more familiar face appeared through the open passenger window.

“Maddie!” Logan called out, his voice ragged.

I bolted toward them rather than away. The van screeched to a halt by the curb with Beckett’s face, unusually frantic, staring at me from behind the wheel. Slade and Dexter spilled out of the back, Slade grabbing my arm.

“I’m so glad we found you,” he said, yanking me into a swift hug before dragging me toward the van. “Come on. I have the feeling we’d better get out of here fast, yeah?”

“Yeah,” I said shakily. “I think that would be a good idea.”

I clambered into the back after the guys and dropped into one of the benches against the wall. As Beckett gunned the engine again, Logan twisted in his seat to peer at me. His eyes narrowed.

“Your cheek is bruising. Who the fuck did that to you?”

The protective growl of his voice sent a welcome shiver through me, but the thought of answering him made my stomach clench up.

“Your mom,” I admitted.

He winced, his mouth tightening.

“I take it you got away from her,” Beckett said, shooting me a quick smile of relief over his shoulder. “You always manage to impress me even after I think I know what you’re capable of.”

“I had no idea if you guys would even be able to find me,” I said. “It didn’t seem like I had much choice if I wanted to get out of there. But I’m glad you’d already figured it out. You have no idea how happy I am to see all of you.”

“Take a little while to rest and recover while we get you to someplace safe.”

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