Page 140 of Maddox

Smoke was everywhere, but surprisingly the electricity was still working. I flicked on every light in hopes of keeping the horses from being too disoriented.

They were all whinnying, most kicking at the door to their stalls. I moved from one to another, flipping the latches.

“Go. Get out!” I smacked one on the butt and he responded instantly, snorting as he ran toward the flames. With every gate open, I moved to the main back door as flames licked up the walls. There was no stench of gasoline or any other fuel the jerks might have used.

My hackles continued to be raised. As pieces of the wall started to fall, I realized one of the horses was cowering, too frightened to escape the flames.

“Come on, Sadie. It’s okay, girl.” I approached, coughing several times from the thickening smoke. She was panting, rearing her front legs as I approached.

“Maddox!” Kage called.

“I’m coming out.” I patted her nose, methodically moving to her side. This was going to get dicey. “I gotta get you out of here.”

“The fire is getting worse.”

No shit. There was no way this was the act of three local men with axes to grind. I took a chance, jumping on the horse’s back. She reared up immediately, almost knocking me off. This proved I was no cowboy. I leaned over, grabbing her mane.

“We can do this.”

Both entrances were covered in flames. The smoke was burning my eyes. I pressed my hand against her side, praying to God she’d trust me. As soon as I pressed my knees into her, she bolted.

“That’s it. Keep going. Keep going.” I was certain she was prepared to skid to a stop when she got close to the flames, but to my surprise, she took a giant leap.

We didn’t exactly sail over the flames, but the momentum was enough we made it through. The crash of timbers behind me sounded off immediately.

I rode her further away, only slowing down when I knew there was enough distance.

“My fucking God. This wasn’t an accident,” Kage said.

Chuck jogged closer. “No, it wasn’t an accident. This was used to detonate the fire.”

I grabbed what was left of the detonator, hissing as soon as I did. “He’s here. Fucking Misha is here.”

As I bolted toward the fence, Kage and Chuck followed closely behind. I’d barely jumped inside the truck when I started the engine, slamming the gear into drive. Playing the cat and mouse game had been a mistake. It was possible I couldn’t save her.

Finally, we heard sirens in the distance, but I wouldn’t stop and wait.

This had been a clear setup to get me away from the house. If only I’d followed my instinct.

The tires squealing, I roared the engine as I headed for the house. The drive normally took a few minutes. I was there in two.

With my weapon in both hands, I stormed toward the door, kicking it open and lunging forward.

There was no one in sight, but as soon as I headed into the kitchen, I noticed the back door was wide open. Think. I had to think. With my training kicking in, I threw open the pantry door, yanking out a duffle bag I’d stored inside. There was another in the bedroom, one in the office.

Pulling out three flashlights, I tossed them at the two men.

“What is this for?” Chuck asked.

“The fucker took her. We need to find her quickly.”

“Why didn’t the cameras sound off an alarm?” Kage yelled.

“If I had to guess, I’d say he disabled the entire system. He had help. My guess is he came in through the forest. There’s a road on the other side.” If he managed to get her into a vehicle, there was a slim chance I could save her.

We fanned out, rushing in through the trees. With Chuck also being military, I was confident about what he was capable of. At this point all that mattered was getting to the woman I fucking loved more than life itself.

After a couple of minutes, I stopped and listened.

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