“I OFFICIALLY HATE YOU,” I tell him, truly believing what I say as he hammers another nail into the board at the top of the ladder.
“You can hate me now, but I know you’ll love me again later.”
“Nope,” I quip. “I’m going to hate you until I take my last breath on this cold floor in this dark and dirty room. Because that’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to die down here. Be it starvation, hypothermia, or even murder. It’s going to happen if you don’t let me out.”
“Murder, huh?” He chuckles. “You plan on killing me?”
My shoulders rise and fall slowly. “I’ve contemplated it.”
“Guess I better sleep with one eye open then.”
He hammers another nail into the board. When those idiots cleared this space out, it would’ve been nice if they took all their tools and shit with them. Somehow Maddox stumbled across some old two-by-fours and a box of nails. He couldn’t find a hammer, but he improvised with a big flat rock. Fortunately, he’s doing a poor job of getting them in all the way, which should make it easy for me to get them out.
“So,” he begins. “How do you plan on taking me out?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe with that rock in your hand.”
He laughs again as if I’m not serious. Which I’m not. I could never hurt Maddox, but I have every intention of making him realize how extremely pissed off I am right now.
I grab his backpack and reach inside to pull out an individual bag of pretzels. “Or starvation. Maybe I’ll just eat all these snacks until you’re so hungry, you’re forced to take down the boards on that trapdoor and go out for food.”
I rip the top of the bag apart and reach inside to grab one, then I pop it in my mouth, smirking at him.
“I’ve gone days without food before. I can do it again. Especially for you. I do suggest you eat the food sparingly, though.”
My entire hand goes in the bag and I bunch every pretzel in my fist, then I stuff them all in my mouth until my cheeks are stuffed full with every last one.
I glower at him as I hastily chew on the dry pretzels out of sheer defiance. “Don’t tell me what to do,” I say as a powder of crumbs puffs out of my mouth.
Maddox sighs heavily and rubs his temples with a smirk on his face. “You are something else.”
I swallow in one gulp, barely chewing them all. Suddenly, I feel the prickle of a jagged piece scratch against my throat. I try to cough, but a small piece gets lodged. When it doesn’t come up, I panic.
Beads of sweat form on my forehead, and my heart races as I claw at my throat, trying to dislodge the pretzel.
Oh my god. I’m choking.
This is how I die.
Death by pride—in the form of a pretzel.
“Jesus Christ, Riley.” Maddox hurries down the ladder as I push myself up on my knees, choking on a fucking pretzel. “You’d literally choke yourself to death just to prove a point.”
He runs to my side, but before his assistance is needed, the pretzel dislodges. I cough and sputter then swallow the rest of the food in my mouth. “Water,” I tell him, fingers snapping in the air. “Hurry.”
Maddox retrieves a bottle of water from the bag, swiftly takes the top off, then shoves it toward me.
I grab it, spilling some of the liquid sitting at the top of the rim. I tip it back and chug half the bottle.
Once I’ve caught my breath and I’m certain I’m not dying, I pound my fist to my chest. “Don’t you dare tell me to drink this water sparingly.”
Maddox throws his hands up in surrender. “Wouldn’t dream of it because knowing you, you’d drown yourself in it just to prove you can.”
I bite back a smile, not willing to give him the satisfaction. He’s also right and I refuse to agree with him.
His hand grazes my back softly, and even though it’s on top of many layers, I still feel the heat of his touch. It’s comforting. Even when I’m pissed. Then again, I’m not sure who I’m more pissed at right now—him or myself.
“Maddox,” I say softly, feeling a bit emotional after my near-death experience. “Can we please leave?”
He exhales a shuddering sigh and his shoulders droop. With his gaze fixed on the area between his feet, he leans into me. In a low, desperate voice, he says, “I can’t bear the thought of losing you, Riley.”
“Hey,” I turn to face him, while taking both his hands in mine, “you’re not going to lose me. You want to know how I can be so sure?”
He quirks a brow. “How?”
“Because I can’t bear the thought of losing you either. Therefore, I would never put myself in a position where it’s a possibility. We’re in this together—whether we’re down here,” my eyes lift to the partially boarded up trapdoor, “or up there.”
“I hear what you’re saying.” His voice is barely a whisper, as if speaking these words pains him. “I really do. But it’s not a risk I’m willing to take.”
I tip his chin with my forefinger. “I didn’t do what they’re accusing me of. If—and that’s a big if—I do get myself caught, I’ll get myself out of it.”
“You don’t know how serious these people are, babe.”
“What people, Maddox? The Elders?” I chuckle. “As in, my mom and my dad and all the other parents of the students here?”
“No!” he stammers as he gets to his feet. Pacing back and forth, he acts as if he’s sorting through a million different thoughts. He stops, a look of shame on his face. “Not just any Elder, or any parent. My dad. My parent.”
I push myself off the floor and walk over to where he’s standing near the ladder. Softly touching his arm, I ask, “What the hell does that even mean?”
“You say you didn’t do what they’re accusing you of, but babe, you did.” There’s a fearful look on his face that has me wondering if he truly is worried for my life.
It doesn’t make sense, though, because he’s wrong. I didn’t do the things I’m being accused of.
“I didn’t kill Cade, or Zeke, or those other guys. That’s why they want me. That’s why everyone is on lockdown.”
“Everyone has their own motive, Riley. Even The Elders. Cade’s dad wants vengeance for his son’s death. Zeke’s parents want the same for their son. And those other men have a connection to the governor, which raises suspicion and has everyone thinking they were killed by the same person who killed the governor.”
“Everyone? Or your dad?”
“Let’s just say, some people, but mostly my dad.”
“Why, though? The governor committed suicide. Why isn’t that enough for him? It was enough for his kids, and his fellow members. Why does he even care?”
Maddox shrugs his shoulders and I can tell he’s as confused as I am. “I really have no idea. But I know he’s got some sort of connection to him. I just haven’t had a chance to figure out what that connection is.”
“Well, maybe they were just friends. I mean, it could be something as simple as that.”
“Doubtful. No, my dad is definitely hiding something and I get the feeling he has an agenda of his own in finding out who killed the governor and punishing them.”
I slap my hands to my thighs and exhale profoundly. “Which was me. I killed him, and now he wants me punished.”
“I truly believe he’s the one who is in every Elder’s ear trying to blame this all on you, because he has some sort of proof that it was you who killed the governor.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “This is all too much. How the fuck do I get myself out of this, Maddox?”
“You hide. Just like we’re doing right now. You keep a low profile, and when suspicion is shifted elsewhere—because it will be. Ridge will make sure of it—then you can come out of hiding as an innocent person.”
My cheeks inflate with air and I blow it all out in one sharp exhale. “I had no idea your dad was so hell-bent on proving I killed the governor.” My eyes lock on his. “This is fucking scary, Maddox.”
“No shit. Now do you understand?”
“I…I guess so. I think I was just in defense mode and thought I needed to do everything possible to protect my reputation. Now, I just want to hide away to protect my life.”
Maddox wraps his arms around me, and while normally I would break down in tears, I don’t. It’s proof that I’m stronger than I imagined. It gives me hope that I will make it out of all this alive. Until then, I suppose I’ll just hide.
There’s just one thing I have to do before I get too comfortable down here.
