Page 34 of King of Ruin

Trick’s fingers dig into my thigh as he presses harder on the gas. I close my eyes and sink further into the seat. Just a few more minutes.

It only seems as if one song has finished before it cuts off altogether. My eyes snap open to see the dozens of warehouses, lined in a perfect row on the street. The sun is at its highest, directly over the barren white building, giving a perfect view of the empty roads.

My pulse beats sluggishly, and my ears fill with an incessant buzzing.

No one is here.

No cars are parked in front of any of the buildings.

There’s nothing. Just us.

How are we too late?

Trick pulls over in front of the address Fiona gave Maddy. “Stay here. This could all be some sort of trap.”

Tigger shakes his head. “None of these warehouses have garages. I doubt they would all just be waiting inside to ambush us the moment we answered the door. How would they get away?”

“In our cars. We’d be dead,” Maddy points out.

I shake my head. “This isn’t a movie. They’d have to have all been dropped off here. Why go through all the trouble? Doesn’t make sense. We’re too late.”

Trick smashes his free hand on the dash, making my lashes flutter. He’s been so emotional the past few days and not even I have been able to calm him. Our entire relationship has been built upon him and Trigger caring for me and bringing me back from the edge. It’s only now I’ve begun to realize I haven’t done the same for them.

A thick knot forms in my throat as I turn to Trick and place a hand on his jaw. He closes his eyes and leans into my touch. “Shi.”

“What is it?” I ask, my voice a mere whisper. We’re all handling the situation in our own ways, that much is obvious, but his rage is so far from his normal reactions, I need to understand the deeper meaning behind it.

His eyes peel open slowly, and inside they are hues of ice and sea, battling for dominance on either side of the crater that is his pupil. His confliction and anguish is so evident, it’s palpable. My entire heart squeezes in my chest.

“Tell me.”

“If I can’t protect her–”’ He doesn’t finish and instead rips out of my hand and out his door, slamming it behind him. He draws his gun and signals the cars behind us for other guards to join him.

Trigger leans over the seat and presses a soft kiss to my temple. “He thinks if we can’t protect her, we won’t be able to protect you.”

“But that’s not true!” It’s been years since I’ve raised my voice, but my lungs are so tight I can hardly breathe. “Trick must know that’s not the case.”

“And why not?” Maddy shouts. “Boss had all of us, and we didn’t do a damn thing to stop any of this.” She starts to open the door but stops at the sounds of birds chirping from her jeans.

She rips her phone from her pocket and slams a finger on the screen, placing it on speaker.

“They knew you were coming. They moved her.” Fiona’s soft whispers come through the small phone.

“How?” Trigger asks, leaning past me to honk the horn in a rhythmic tone.

Trick and the boys hear it and stop their movement.

“They have people watching your estate. They saw you leave and called it in. They were gone before you even got out of the neutral zone.”

“And why weren’t we told sooner?” I ask, holding my hands out to Trick who reenters the car.

“I had to wait until the guard stationed with me was busy so I could use his phone. If he finds out, I’m dead.”

Maddy’s screams are piercing as she slams a fist against the door. “Fuck!”

“Mad–” She tosses the phone on the dash before jumping from the car not waiting for the girl to finish.

“Where are they taking her?” Trick asks his focus, along with Trigger and I, on Maddy who has her rocket launcher over her shoulder and aims at a building.

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