Page 172 of Straight to Me

Mustn’t stop. Keep going. Run to him.

My skin turns clammy as sweat beads cascade down my back from the pain more than the running. I’m shaking uncontrollably as I wave at the next car driving past and it rolls to a stop.

I feel my muscles go rigid with tension. A lady steps out of her car and takes in the sight of me. For a second, I allow myself a sigh of relief.

“Mads!” Alex’s shrill voice accelerates my heart rate, fear automatically gripping my soul. The sound of slow running comes from behind. He’s up.

I turn and see Alex getting closer, his hand holding his lower stomach as he tries to prevent me from getting away. “Please. I need your help!” My voice is riddled with terror, the high pitch shrieks making the lady stay behind her car door. “I need to get away from him.” I point to Alex, his face enraged, staring at me like he could kill.

“Get in,” she nods.

As I slam the door shut, she accelerates, speeding away from him before he has time to reach me. The woman takes a right at an old church at the top of the hill, out of Alex’s sight. My eyes desperately search for any signs that he’s following.

“Where do I go?” she asks, her voice trembling slightly.

“I need to get to the Rippers MC clubhouse.”

“Where!?” she questions, clearly having no idea what that is. I wouldn’t even know how to describe getting there, I’ve only seen the old church we passed once before. From here I wouldn’t have a clue.

“It’s a massive yard. With vehicles and trucks all parked there all the time?” She looks out her window, checking for traffic as she turns back on herself.

“With motorbikes out the front?”

I nod, panicking that we’re turning around, heading back towards where we left Alex. Our eyes fleetingly meet as I look at her. “I think I know where you mean,” she says, “it’s this way.” I nod again, thanking God she knows where she’s going. “I don’t mind dropping you off, but, I don't want any trouble,” her voice shakes.

She looks scared. “Can you get me close?” I ask, unable to answer her properly.

“Yes.” She looks at me and I smile as best I can, grateful for her help.

My head is on a swivel, constantly watching for Alex as my rescuer takes unexpected turns to avoid a game of cat and mouse. “What did he do to you?” she asks breaking the silence. Hot tears roll from my eyes. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Besides she shouldn’t be involved any more than she already is. It really isn’t safe. “Should I be taking you to the hospital?”

“No,” I cry. She watches me wincing in the passenger seat. “If you can get me to where I need to go, you’ll be helping me more than you know.”

After a moment she nods again, this time more sternly.

“This is it!” my voice croaks, a hot lump blocking my throat. The woman pulls up outside the front of the clubhouse quickly. I thank her before shakily shutting the door behind me. I run to the entrance, looking back at her briefly just before I go in. She smiles a half smile, then pulls away without looking back. I should have thanked her more, but time is of the essence.

I push the door open with a bang, Travis turns startled. He glares with a look of horror on his face. Feet suddenly empowered at the sight of someone I can trust, I run to him, stumbling into his open arms. “Mads.” He holds me briefly before taking my head in his hands, checking for any injuries. “Where the fuck have you been?”

Sobbing, I wipe my face. “They took him, Travis. They took him!”

“We know, Mads,” he says more calmly than I feel.

The adrenaline makes my body tremble. “Where is he?!” I ask.

Like moths to a flame, my sudden arrival brings those downstairs to where we stand. “Listen to me,” Travis says, scooping me in his arms to hold my trembling body. "He’s alive.”

Those two words make time stop still. Pulling away, Travis looks me square in the eyes. It settles me briefly. “You hear me? He’s alive.”

“He’s alive?” I check and Travis nods. “How do you know?”

“The girl.”

Lauren. She must have answered his phone call or called him. She knows him enough to contact him, knows I trust him.

“Where is she?”

He lets go of me as I stand back, sniffing away the constant flow of tears. “She's fine, she spoke with Rocco.”

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