“HOW MUCH FARTHER?” Riley asks as we continue down the trail. She ducks her head, dodging a branch, while hugging tightly to the navy blue coat that hangs off her shoulders. I found it in the closet at the cabin. It’s a man’s coat and based on the faint musty stench and the amount of dust on it, it’s been hanging in there for years. It’s keeping her warm, though, and that’s all that matters.
“About another mile and we should be there.”
“And you’re certain no one will find us here?” she asks the dozenth question since we started our trek an hour ago.
“We’ll be safe there. I promise.”
Riley has no idea where we’re going, but I’m certain once we arrive she’ll know exactly where we are. All members who graduated from BCA know about the tunnels. They run underneath The Academy’s property, with many entrances and exits. Of course, students frequent them because they’re full of mystery and nostalgia, but there’s a spot, in particular, no one inhabits. That’s where I’m taking Riley for the foreseeable future.
Riley’s foot slips out from underneath her as she steps over a half-rotten log on the trail, and my arms sweep out catching her fall. “Jesus,” she gripes. “It’s like a tornado ripped through these woods.
“You’re not lying,” I tell her. “Doesn’t look like there’s been much foot traffic on these trails in a while.”
Her feet slow and mine do the same to keep going at her pace. “You’re sure we’re heading in the right direction?”
“Absolutely,” I tell her, scouring the area nervously, hoping like hell I’m right.
It’s been four years since I’ve been out here and I’m starting to think me and the guys were the last ones to take this path, considering how overgrown it is. Now that I think about it, that might actually work in our favor. The less people that know this area, the better.
A few minutes later, I see what I’ve been looking for. A smile grows on my face as I take Riley’s hand. “This way,” I tell her, pulling her with me as I pick up my pace.
It’s an old cabin that’s been here since before my grandparents’ parents’ time. Probably even before their parents, too. While it’s similar to the one we were staying in that Lev owns, this one is different because of the shelter underneath. What’s even more compelling is the history of The Blue Bloods that’s found underground. Maps, pictures, and letters dated back to the beginning of our times as The Society.
It’s also been fenced off to keep students out, and if any are caught out here, they face expulsion from BCA. It’s privately owned by a member now, though I’m not quite sure who.
“It’s been so long since I’ve been here,” I tell Riley. “I can’t believe this place is still standing.”
Riley pushes herself up on her tiptoes to steal a glance at the old cabin sitting a few hundred yards away.
She stops moving and tugs back on my hand. “No, Maddox.” Her face pales as her fingers tighten around mine. With a trembling voice, she whispers, “We have to go now.”
“Baby,” I say softly as I step in front of her. My hands glide to her waist. “What’s wrong?”
Shaking her head, she chokes on the words as they come out of her mouth. “We can’t be here.”
I chuckle in response. “It’s fine. The guys and I used to come here all the time. I know they’ve closed it off since then, but no one lives here, and no one visits.”
“This,” she begins, eyes darting over my shoulder toward the cabin. “This is Scar’s parents’ cabin. They’ve owned it for years.”
“No shit,” I wheeze. “How fucking ironic. But it still doesn’t explain why you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Riley gulps, still stunned for whatever reason. “Do you know what’s underneath this place?”
I’m taken aback at the fact that she knows what’s underneath this place. I shouldn’t be, though, considering her best friend’s parents own it.
“A bunch of old artifacts and papers,” I tell her. “Some of which are interesting, others that are boring as hell.”
“It’s a record of us, Maddox. Of our ancestors.” She shivers, as if a cold chill just ran down her spine. “It was also Governor Saint’s lair when he was stalking Scar, and all of us, during our senior year at Boulder Cove Academy.”
“Holy shit.” I draw my fingers around my mouth as I glance over my shoulder at the cabin. “I had no fucking idea.” I return my eyes to hers, understanding why she’s so scared right now. “Like I said, I haven’t been here in years. I heard it was fenced off and there was an order in place for students not to trespass, but I didn’t know why.”
“Scar’s parents put up the ‘no trespassing’ signs and put in the order with The Academy. They made it clear that if anyone came on this property, they would be reported to The Elders.”
“And the room underground?” I ask her, curious what’s happened with that.
“It’s been emptied. They struck a deal and agreed to hand over all the paraphernalia to The Elders so it could be sealed and kept safe, so long as they kept the rule in place that students were forbidden to enter the cabin and the east end of the tunnels. They’ve been closed off with a vault door.”
My inquiring mind is dying to see the inside of the cabin and the room beneath it. I know teenagers, and when they are told that something is off-limits, they want to know why. There is no way in hell not a single student has jumped this fence and ransacked the cabin.
I look at Riley, though her blank stare is focused on the space behind me. “We don’t have to go. If I’d known that this place was connected—”
“Actually.” She pauses, her tongue darting out to wet her lips nervously as her gaze shifts to mine. ‘I changed my mind.”
My eyebrows rise to my forehead. “You did?”
“Yeah.” She nods. “First of all, you left Ridge a note to meet us here. Second, for over a year, I’ve struggled to come to terms with what I did, but being here right now is a reminder of why I shouldn’t have regrets. I want to see that room.”
She brushes past me, the fabric of the old coat grazing the sleeve of my hoodie. Her feet gently crunch on dry leaves and twigs as she zigzags around the trees, heading right for the cabin.
I jog to catch up and walk by her side. “You’re sure about this? We can hide out somewhere else.” I need to be sure this is going to benefit Riley and not hurt her more in the long run. There’s no saying what sort of memories are going to be dredged up once she’s entered that place. She went through a traumatic ordeal because of the crooked governor and I’d hate for all her progress to be for nothing.
“I have to do this, Maddox.” Her eyes don’t even meet mine as she speaks, and it’s apparent she is a woman on a mission. “Can you stand guard while I go inside?”
“Not a chance in hell. If you’re going in there, so am I.”
“Fine.” She raises her shoulders, letting them drop slowly. “But if we get caught…”
“We won’t. It’s not like there’s a guard out here. It’s the sole reason I knew it would be safe to hide here.”
Riley stops abruptly and grabs the sleeve of my hoodie, jerking me around a tree. “There’s a camera.” She gasps. “Fuck!”
I peer around to try to get a look, and sure enough, there’s a mounted black camera pointed right at us. I step out to get a better look when Riley hisses, “What the hell are you doing?”
“We’re too far away from any towers. There’s no way they have a Wi-Fi signal out here.” I walk closer to the side of the cabin where the camera is mounted, knowing it’s already recorded us. “Chances are, it’s recording to a USB card.” My eyes skim the ground, and when I spot a long enough stick, I pick it up.
“What are you doing?” Riley asks breathlessly.
Without responding, I swing the stick outward and bring it forward, hitting the camera hard enough to knock it down.
Once it hits the ground, I stomp the toe of my boot to it repeatedly.
“Maddox!”
“It had to be done,” I tell her.
“No shit.” She crouches down and picks up the remnants of the camera. “But this is what we need.” Holding a small chip in the air, she smiles widely.
I lean down and press my lips to hers. “Good thinking, baby.”
She stands up from her crouched position, wiping the dirt off her hands with a satisfied smirk on her face. “And now we search for more.”
Ten minutes later, we’ve found three other cameras—one on each side of the cabin. Riley now has a stash of micro-USBs in the palm of her hand.
“Think there’s more inside?” she asks me as she stuffs them into the pocket of the coat she’s wearing.
“It’s possible,” I tell her, looking at the front door of the cabin. “We can’t take any chances. We need to make sure every surface and corner is checked because if we’re shown on those cameras, we’re screwed.”
Not wasting any time, Riley walks up the steps to the cabin. Her hand rests on the handle and I hear her audible exhale as she pushes the door open. I stay back, giving her a minute to reflect on her time at this place.
She stands frozen in the doorway, as if she’s peering into her past.
“You okay?” I ask, slowly making my way toward her.
Her head twitches toward the sound of my voice, a broad smile on her face that takes me by surprise. “Yeah. I think I am.”
Three long strides bring me to her and I place a comforting hand on her hip as we step into the unknown.
“It’s just how I remember it,” she says, her voice nothing short of a whisper.
I follow her line of sight, taking in the abandoned space.
My first instinct is to skim the area for cameras, but I don’t see any in plain sight, so I think we’re out of the eye of the owner.
There’s an old couch in the small living space to the left. The fabric is worn and faded and dare I say, in worse shape than the one in Lev’s cabin. A tall grandfather clock with tarnished brass hands sits against a wall and isn’t ticking.
In the center of the kitchen area is a round, wooden table with old newspapers on it. I walk over to them and run my fingers under one in particular from 1963.
“Damn. This is some old shit in here.”
“Over here,” Riley says, beckoning me to her side. I drop the paper and go to where she’s standing, angling my body to follow the line of her gaze. Her eyes are fixed on a piece of wood flooring that seems to be out of place. “That’s the door to the underground room.”
“That’s it, huh?” I draw in a sharp breath. “Then what are we waiting for?” I crouch down and drag my fingers along the edges, hoping to get a grip, to no avail.
Riley steps away as I fight with the damn floor to open, returning a moment later with a screwdriver. Without a word, she jabs it into a crack like she’s stabbing her worst enemy. Then she bends the screwdriver and lifts part of the flooring.
“Damn, baby,” I say in a slow breath. “Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you’re determined?”
She cracks a smile and continues to lift the flooring, now using her fingers. The next thing I know, it’s open and I’m staring down into a pitch-black hole.
On my hands and knees, I look over the ledge, noticing a ladder. Immediately, I fling my legs over and step onto the first plank. “Guess we’re going in blind since we have no light.”
Riley’s eyes widen in surprise. “You brought us all the way out here and didn’t bring any source of light in your trusty backpack?”
My shoulders lift and I squint in regret. “Our supplies were limited since Ridge took so long.” I reach one hand toward her. “Come on. I’ll be the eyes for us both. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Hesitantly, she takes my hand then sighs heavily. “I’m trusting you, Maddox Crane.”
“As you should.”
I’m forced to let go of her hand as I climb down, but she’s coming right behind me. Or, above me. However it’s described in a situation as such.
As I descend, I can’t help but feel the weight of guilt heavy on my chest. Riley trusts me, but she shouldn’t.
The truth is, I haven’t been honest with her. The note I left for Ridge didn’t tell him my plan. In fact, he’s not coming at all because he has no idea where we are.
When I overheard her talking to Scar about leaving to find Lev on her own, I knew I couldn’t let that happen.
Not only did I bring Riley here so she could hide out for a while, but I have every intention of keeping her here until I know it’s safe for her to leave. Even if it means keeping her against her will.
I just hope she understands I’m doing it with her best interests at heart. Because I love her—and I won’t lose her.
