Page 83 of Battered Moves

“Fuck, track her,” Jax urges.

“On it,” River says, quickly opening his phone.

“What’s wrong?” I ask when he frowns.

“This can’t be right,” he mutters.

“What?” Jaxon, Ryder, and I all ask in unison.

“It says her phone is in a parking lot in the warehouse district, forty minutes from here,” River says.

My heart sinks.Something’s wrong.

“Send me the location,” Jax demands through the speaker, and I hear it ping on his end. After a pause, he says, “It’s only twenty minutes from where I am. I’m going to check it out.”

“No, Jaxon, we should call the police and go there together. What if it’s dangerous?” I plead with him.

“Even more reason to hurry the fuck up,” he nearly yells at me. “Call the police, go there with them, but I’m going there now.”

He hangs up on us, and I turn to River, who’s already calling the police.

Ryder sprints into my office and returns with his car keys.

“Let’s go,” he says urgently, ushering us out of the studio.

What the hell happened, Liv?

* * *

Jaxon

I get to the location River sent me, and spot Gunner’s Land Rover parked in the lot, but there’s no sign of anyone inside it. Looking around, I notice three abandoned warehouses around the lot, and a gut feeling tells me that Liv is inside one of them, but which one? I scrutinize all three and decide to check the warehouse on the right first. I enter and scout the first floor, but there’s no one there. As I climb the stairs to the second floor, a bloodcurdling scream echoes around the building, and I freeze in terror.Sunshine.

The scream came from the warehouse on the left side, and I curse myself for not choosing it first. Without any hesitation, I sprint down the stairs and head towards the warehouse from where the scream originated. My heart pounds in my chest, I’m panting, and I know I should wait for the police. I’m alone and have no weapon to defend her or myself, but I can’t ignore the fact that my girl is in danger and I need to get to her.

As I reach the second floor of the warehouse, I hear another scream, much closer this time, coming from one of the rooms on the left side of the hallway. I pick up my pace while trying to remain as quiet as possible. The door to the room is slightly ajar, allowing me to peek inside without being seen. I spot Gunner at the back of the room, sitting upright on the floor, propped against the wall. His head is bowed down to his chest, he seems to have a bloody wound on the back of his head, and his wrists are secured in silver handcuffs. Although I can’t see his face, I know he’s out cold.

“You don’t want to do that, Liam,” I hear Liv say. “Gunner never did anything to you. Leave him here. You can take me, and we can just leave.”

Over my dead fucking body.

“All of this, Olivia, it’s your doing!” Liam shouts. “You accuse me of being a psychopath, but you’re the cause of all of this! It was because of you that I was forced to hurt them, and it was you who made me hurt him now too!”

I can hardly wrap my head around how unhinged he sounds.

“You’re right, all of this…it’s my fault.” Her voice quivers as she tries to soothe him. “Let’s just leave this place, okay? We can talk things through. I’ll make it right.”

Nervously, I edge closer and slowly push the door open a bit farther, desperate for a better look. There’s Liam, with a gun aimed at the unconscious Gunner.Fuck, I hate guns.

“You took everything from me, Olivia. Even my closest friend sided with you in the end. He sided with…with some whore who can’t keep her legs closed!” He spits out his words with a mix of disgust and despair. “He was my only friend, the only one who was left after what you made me do! And now, he’s tainted…just like you.”

Liam grips the gun with both hands, pivoting slightly as if preparing to aim at Gunner. Liv surges forward, trying to disrupt his shot, but he’s ready for her move, shoving her aside. She crumbles to her knees, and he steps in front of her, pressing the muzzle of the gun against her forehead.

“I would’ve preferred you to see him die first, you know. There’s a certain poetic justice in everyone you hold dear dying because of you, while you’re forced to watch, but I don’t mind speeding things up a bit.” He pats her head in a disturbing gesture, making her shudder.

I have to think quickly. I see a metal rod on the ground next to me and pick it up, intending to use it as a weapon. I slowly push the door open and step inside the room, holding the rod in front of me. Liam turns around and sees me, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Hey, dickhead!” I shout.

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