Page 153 of Maddox
When a bug appears from beneath her body, a waxen caricature of the lively woman I once knew, squirming through the dirt before crawling up her skin, I jump to my feet and stagger away.
“Unh,” I gag, tears blurring my vision.
The bitter bile in my stomach swishes with every step and when I stumble into a tree, I claw the bark, pushing back the images that dance macabrely through my head.
Why? Why would anyone hurt her?
It doesn’t matter, Delaney. Go!
Pushing on, I don’t know how long I walk when a faint rustling sound in the bushes brings me around. I can’t see a damn thing though and judging from the windy conditions, I suspect it’s going to snow.
Assuming the rustling sound was the wind, I turn to continue my trek and bounce off the man standing before me.
My scream echoes through the trees and Josh raises his hands, saying, “Whoa.”
Why is he here? Why wasshethere?
Although adrenaline has made me punchy, I’m not sure I have the energy to run but I will not go down without a fight, I decide and raise my fists to ward him off.
“Delaney,” he says softly. “He lied. I never gave him the drugs. I promise.”
Drugs? What drugs?
Once again, I have no idea what he’s talking about, and I shiver, glancing over my shoulder.
It’s nonsensical because she’s dead but some part of me expects Darcy to be standing behind me with that damn hand outstretched once again.
I’m in a suspended state of motion when Josh touches my arm and I flinch away, whimpering as he says, “Del–”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
It’s the sweetest growl ever and I look over Josh’s shoulder, my limbs noodly while he turns and backs up, his hands in the air. “Nothing, I was trying to help.”
“I don't think I heard you right,” Maddox says, grabbing Josh and jerking him toward a tree.
“Fuck you,” Josh grunts.
It’s as though I’m watching through a tunnel when Maddox wraps his hand around Josh’s neck and spits, “Fuck who?”
Josh sways in his hold, scratching desperately at his fingers and I glance back the way I came before whispering, “Maddox?”
When I turn back, Maddox stares at me with eyes so black they’ve blotted out the irises before he shakes his head and drops Josh to the ground, saying, “You just signed your death warrant.”
Of course, Josh doesn’t respond, and Maddox grabs my hand, leading me away. Once we’re clear of the trees, he barks, “What the fuck are you doing here, Delaney?”
Sinking into his chest, I wrap my arms around him and rasp, “There’s…there’s…”
“Princess?” he says, grabbing my chin.
Raising my hand, I point over his shoulder and wail, “Darcy!”
Maddox
Darcy? What the fuck is she saying.
She’s trembling so badly that I drop to the ground and pull her into my lap.
I’m still trying to beat back the adrenaline surging through my system after finding her alone with Josh.
