LOGINJax's Pov The sound was like a gunshot in the cramped, wreckage-strewn VIP lounge. My head snapped to the side, the force of the blow jarring my teeth. The sting burned across my cheek, hot and immediate, but the sudden, suffocating silence that followed was worse. Every pair of eyes in the club was on us. The music seemed to fade into a dull hum, replaced by the sound of Maddie’s ragged breathing.I turned my face back to her, my hand hovering near my jaw. "Maddie—""Don't," she whispered. Her voice broke, and I saw the first tear spill over, tracing a path through the makeup on her pale face. "Don't you dare say another word, Jax.""I was protecting you," I growled, though the conviction was leaking out of me. I looked at Rave, who was wiping blood from his lip, then back to her. "You were with him. You know what he wants.""I spent weeks," she said, her voice gaining a trembling, furious strength. "Weeks, Jax. Trying to show you. Trying to earn your trust. I stayed when I should
Maddie's Pov Jax didn't just walk into the room; he invaded it. The heavy air of the VIP section seemed to suck toward him, fueled by the raw, jagged energy he brought from the club floor. I tried to stand, my mouth opening to explain, to tell him why I was sitting here with a man he considered an enemy, but the words died in my throat."Jax, wait—" I started, my voice thin.He didn't even look at me at first. His eyes were pinned on Rave, who remained casually leaned back against the leather sofa, a glass of amber liquid held loosely in his hand. The contrast was sickening—Jax, vibrating with a violent, feral need to protect or destroy, and Rave, the picture of cool, calculated authority."So this is where you go?" Jax’s voice was a low, dangerous growl that vibrated in my chest. "This is who you run to when things get hard?""It's not what it looks like," I said, finally finding my feet. "I was just—"He didn't let me finish. Jax marched across the plush carpet in three long, preda
Maddie's PovThe bass from the club floor was a dull, rhythmic throb beneath my feet as the Boss led me toward the secluded lounge. My heart was still hammering against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. I looked up at him, his profile sharp and unforgiving in the dim light of the hallway."Thank you," I said, my voice barely a whisper. I cleared my throat and tried again, louder this time. "Really. Thank you for helping me back there. I don't know what they would have done if you hadn't stepped in."He didn't look at me immediately, his hand still firm on mine. "They would have been a nuisance. Men like that don't know the value of what they try to touch." He stopped at a set of heavy, velvet-draped doors. Two large men stood guard, nodding instantly as he approached. "I don't like nuisances in my club, Maddie.""I just... I didn't expect anyone to notice," I admitted, rubbing my arm where the other man's grip had been. He turned to me then, his dark eyes searching my face.
Maddie's Pov The phone on Kiara’s coffee table vibrated for the hundredth time since Tuesday. The screen lit up with Silas’s name, the glowing rectangle mocking me in the darkened living room."Still?" Kiara asked, walking in from the kitchen with two glasses of wine. She didn't wait for an answer. She picked up my phone and tossed it onto the armchair across the room. "Maddie, it’s been four days. You’re turning into a ghost. Look at you.""I feel like a ghost," I whispered, pulling the fleece blanket tighter around my shoulders. My eyes were still puffy, and my chest felt like someone had scooped out the middle with a jagged spoon. "Every time I close my eyes, I see Jax’s face when I walked out. Or Dare’s hands shaking. They’re probably tearing the city apart looking for me.""Let them tear it up. Maybe they’ll find some common sense while they’re at it," Kiara snapped, sliding into the seat next to me. She handed me a glass. "You can’t stay in this apartment forever, Mads. You hav
Maddie's Pov The gravel crunched under my boots, the sound echoing through the heavy silence of the driveway. My fingers were cramped from gripping the handle of my suitcase so hard my knuckles had turned white. I didn't get five steps toward my car before the front door hissed open again."Maddie, stop! Just—wait!" Silas’s voice was a whip-crack in the night air.I didn't turn around. I kept walking, shoving my bag into the trunk of my car with a frantic, uncoordinated strength."You can't just drive off," Rook shouted, his heavy footsteps thudding on the porch. "It’s two in the morning. You’re upset, you’re not thinking straight. Let Dare drive you at least."I spun around, my back slamming against the trunk. The four of them were lined up on the porch like a firing squad—Silas, Rook, Dare, and Jax bringing up the rear, his face shadowed and haunted."I am thinking clearer than I have in months," I snapped, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and exhaustion. "And don't you dare t
Maddie's Pov My palm stung, the heat of the impact radiating up my arm. Jax’s head was turned to the side, his jaw tight. The silence that followed was suffocating.“Don’t you ever,” I whispered, my voice thick with tears I refused to let fall. “Don’t you ever suggest I wanted this. I wanted a job, Jax. I wanted a life that wasn’t dictated by your paranoia and your brothers’ shadows.”“Maddie, wait,” Kiara stepped forward, his expression pained. “Jax didn't mean it like that, he’s just—”“He meant exactly what he said,” I interrupted, stepping back and letting the boss's coat slide off my shoulders. It hit the floor in a heap. I looked at Rave, whose eyes were dancing with a dark, triumphant light. “And you. Stay away from me. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m done.”“Madeleine, be reasonable,” Rave started, reaching for me.“Don’t touch me!” I screamed. I turned to Jax, my heart breaking. “You think I’m doing this for attention? You think I enjoy being bullied by my co
Madeleine's POV The walls of this place felt like they were shrinking, inch by inch, every time I took a breath. I spent the morning counting exits. Kitchen door, back mudroom, the heavy reinforced front entrance—three ways out, all of them locked. My pulse hummed in my throat, a rhythmic, frantic
Madeleine's POV The second time I woke, it wasn’t to the damp chill of the forest floor, nor the metallic tang of my own blood. This time, a warm, savory scent filled my nostrils – something cooked, something real. My stomach grumbled, a deep, hollow ache reminding me of the cold, scavenged scraps
“Are you finally awake?”The voice came before my eyes even fully opened, but I did not answer immediately because my mind was still negotiating with the fact that I was lying on something that felt like real comfort, something that did not resemble the ground, the road, or the endless strain of ru
Madeleine POVThe wind kept tearing at my face, flinging grit and dust against my skin until my cheeks burned raw. Every gust felt intentional, like the night itself was trying to keep me awake, trying to make sure I did not escape into darkness. I did not fight it. I refused to close my eyes. If I







