Chapter 1

“Would you two cool it down?” I side-eyed my best friend, who was currently inhaling his girlfriend’s face.

Without tearing himself away, Jet flipped me the bird, keeping Annie straddled across his lap with her knees pressed into the hard metal on my truck’s tailgate. I grinned and rolled my eyes. They didn’t actually bother me. It was just fun to get a reaction. Hell, they’d be screwing already if there wasn’t a crowd around after Jet just won that race. I had no doubts that Izzy and I would make it home long before them tonight.

I glanced down at my phone at the thought of her. She’d gone to the restroom a while ago. I was trying not to be the overprotective boyfriend, but with the rougher crowd here in Outer Ridge, it was hard not to worry.

Annie sucked in a breath, jerking back from Jet, and my head whipped towards her.

“You okay?” Jet asked, concern crossing his tanned brow.

“Um, yeah.” She seemed confused. “I just need to text Izzy.”

I was instantly on alert. That freaky twin thing of hers usually only popped up if something was wrong.

Annie’s fingertips tapped on her sunflower phone case after she typed a quick message, her eyes fixed on the screen. Jet waited calmly in front of her, but every nerve inside me was on edge.

Like some kind of sixth sense I couldn’t explain, the hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stood on end right before Annie stiffened, her eyes going vacant. Jet clutched her, gently grabbing her chin to bring her gaze to his, guiding her back into the present.

She blinked, alarm now covering her features when she looked at me, and I sprang up even faster than she scrambled from Jet’s lap.

“Did she text back?” I snapped over my shoulder, already running past my truck. The crowd was thick, several vehicles blocking my view of where I’d last seen Izzy headed.

“No.”

Annie was right on my heels, Jet right behind hers. “Y’all head that way.” I pointed to the left while I headed right, my eyes darting from car to car, sweeping over each and every person, every face as I passed. Someone hollered at me to slow the fuck down, but there was no effing chance of that.

My stomach dipped, realizing how stupid I’d been for letting Izzy head off alone. Here, at least, of all places. Jet was confident Zane had said he’d be going out of town, but what if he wasn’t? The races were as much his haunt as it was starting to become ours.

I gave my head a mental shake. I was thinking too far ahead. It could be anything. She could’ve just fallen. Like Annie’s radar would go off over something that small.

I sped up, rushing around a large diesel truck at the back of the crowd, the empty field leading to the single porta potty now laid in front of me. My eyes swept the area, looking for anyone or anything out of place. Nothing. A few figures darted out at the other edge of the crowd, where it looped around. Annie and Jet stared back at me, just a second passing for us to confirm we hadn’t found Izzy.

Annie took off at a sprint, running up to rap her fist at the porta potty’s door as Jet and I hurried to follow, the last bit of my hope fading when she turned around. She slunk back against the ugly green plastic. Her head shook, and she looked at Jet, her expression begging for answers.

“Call her again.”

Annie nodded, tugging her phone from her back pocket with slightly shaking hands. Jet and I reached her as the phone started to ring, but it wasn’t Annie’s that we heard through the line. I spun around, my heart dropping in my chest.

On the ground, just a few feet behind where we stood, was Izzy’s phone, Annie’s name flashing across the screen in the call she couldn’t take.

I screamed, the sound coming out muffled as my world went dark. A muscular pair of arms wrapped around me, yanking me back as I was shoved into the back seat of what felt like an SUV. My teeth grit against the cloth in my mouth as I fell face-first into the smooth leather of the seat, and my shoulder slid off the edge as my knee banged into the floorboard. I grunted at the impact.

Panic flared through me, and even through the shock, I knew I couldn’t let him shut me in. If this car drove off with me in it, there was no telling what could happen.

I scrambled onto my hands and knees, trying to back my way out, when I was shoved so hard my head whacked against the door. I winced, stars dancing across my vision in the precious few seconds I had. A large presence crawled in behind me before I could recover.

My eyes widened, panic now cording through my veins, streaming through my system faster than my blood, and again I tried to scream, the gag making my voice muffled and faint. No one was coming for me. I knew it. Everyone had been too far away. Even if Annie felt my panic, my friends would never make it to me in time if this car drove off with me in it.

My fight or flight response picking its side, I kicked out and made contact with my kidnapper, the heel of my shoe jabbing into flesh. I heard a rough grunt before he grabbed my ankle, and my other foot shot out, connecting again as my hands scrambled for the door handle on my side. I kept my legs kicking as hard and fast and random as I could before my heels were ripped from my feet. The guy blocked what he could as my nails scraped along on the smooth surface of the door for too many seconds before finding their target. Hope blossomed for only a fleeting moment until I pulled the handle, and nothing happened.

And then the door slammed closed.

Ready to cry out in desperation, my body was suddenly thrown back as someone slammed on the accelerator.

Dread absolutely filled me as I realized there was another kidnapper in the car. Tears born of fear and terror now rolled down my face, and I knew I had to do whatever it took to get away.

Pulling both my knees up to my chest, I lashed out with a hard kick, satisfaction hitting when I felt my bare heels strike hard against the guy’s jaw. There was a thud with what I could only guess was his head hitting the window, and he growled before grabbing both my legs, wrapping his arm around them to pin them down by his side.

“Will you fucking stop it?!”

Like I’d been thrown under a wet blanket, I stopped thrashing, my body falling still.

I knew that voice. And I didn’t know if it was better or worse that I did.

A semblance of eerie calm fell over me, and my thoughts began to reason. I slowly reached for the cloth that covered my head, my hair crackling with static as I struggled to pull it off.

A sharp fluorescent blue hit the edge of my vision from the dash as soon as I’d wriggled it free, and a smirk met me in the dim light of the car. My stomach filled with lead.

Ryder.

I knew it was him, the second I heard him speak, I knew it, but I’d prayed I’d been wrong. At the same time, not. Because surely this was still better than a random kidnapper. Ryder and Micah, I knew. And while they terrified me, I doubted they’d kill me.

It was what else they might do that made dread fill my entire body.

“Surprised?”

I stared back, frozen now as every possibility rushed through my thoughts.

“You look sexy like this. Tousled and gagged.”

I nearly gagged, feeling nauseous just at that comment, something about it yanking me back to life. I reached up, unknotting the cloth at the back of my neck and pulling it away. The corners of my mouth rejoiced, free of the hard stretch, and I ran my thumb and index finger over the sore edges for some relief.

“You’re dreaming. You know that, right?” My voice came out way too calm for how I felt.

“Ah, gorgeous. You only wish I was.”

“Ryder.” Micah’s voice bit from the driver’s seat.

“Sorry. Getting off track.”

“You were off track the moment you grabbed me. Do you really think Tucker’s going to forgive y’all for this?”

His eyes darkened in what felt like a feral warning, and I let out a little screech as he yanked at my legs. My back fell against the seat, a buckle digging into my hip as Ryder leaned over me, his broad chest and corded muscles pinning me down. His face lowered, the tip of his nose just a breath away from mine.

“You fucking say a word to Tucker, and you’ll wish for this night to be the only thing I’ve done to you. You fucking say a word about anything I’ve ever done to the cops or anyone, and I’ll make sure you regret it. You hear me?”

I nodded, afraid to even breathe with the way he had me pinned. Something in my look must have told him I meant it because the ferocity in his expression shifted, a slow grin sliding onto his features.

“Good girl, gorgeous. Now, how about we make this a little more fun?”

He planted his lips against mine as his hands spread my legs, his hips immediately pinning me back down. I cried out, vigorously shaking my head as my hands pushed against his shoulders, but the power in his stance was too much. He grabbed my wrists, yanking them above my head in a harsh grip as he thrusted his hips, his hard length pressing against my most intimate parts through my clothes. Everything in me cringed, and knowing no one was coming to my rescue, I bit his lip hard, tasting blood. He jerked back, falling to the floorboard as the car came to a screeching halt.

“Fuck!”

I scrambled back against the door as far as I could go, preparing to leap over into the front and escape from the passenger side if I could, when the door on Ryder’s side suddenly flew open, and he was yanked out as though he weighed nothing.

“I told you we weren’t taking it that far.” Micah slammed his brother against the side of the SUV, his arm crushing his throat. “You were supposed to warn her off. That’s it.”

“Like you really thought that was it.”

“That’s all it was fucking supposed to be. Or do you want Tucker to fucking shun us forever? You’re with him now, aren’t you?” He met my eyes in the backseat.

Shaking, I nodded, staring at the ferocity between the two brothers, stunned at the turn of events. All of the times Micah had aided Ryder in the past, and he’d just pulled him off? I had to be missing something.

“Izzy, climb up front. I’m taking you back. And you can wait here.” He shoved off of Ryder, staring him down.

“The fuck?!”

I flinched as Ryder lunged forward, and seconds later, light flooded the area. Micah and Ryder froze before flinging themselves against the SUV as a silver muscle car came to a sharp halt right where they’d been standing.

The door flew open, and relief filled me when David leapt out, his door like a blockade between us and Tucker’s cousins. He leaned in, his eyes sweeping over me. “Shit. Izzy, come on,” he demanded, holding out a hand, but it was like my body was paralyzed, stuck in shock. “Shit.” He reached out, grabbing me and my high heels at the last second before dragging me across the seat into his arms and then helping me stand.

My eyes widened at the sudden movement, but it jostled me back to the present, and I quickly put on my shoes. “How did you–”

My words fell off as I watched Zane stalk around the front of David’s Firebird, fire so intense in the dark depths of his eyes that I was momentarily thrown back to that night only a week ago.

David tugged on my hand. “Come on. Zane will handle them. Let’s get you safe.”

But that look in Zane’s eyes was still front and center in my mind. Just another evil I now had to choose between. Weighing my options, I looked up at David, at the sincerity in his eyes. While he might be here with Zane, I’d known him forever, and he was close with Jet. I doubted Zane would pull anything with him here.

I nodded, following him around the back of the car, and watched the standoff between Zane and Tucker’s cousins from the front seat, their conversation covered by the rock music pouring from the radio. In a solid minute that felt like ages, Micah and Ryder tore off, and David hopped back out to let Zane in the back seat.

“You okay?” That familiar voice of silk I’d fallen over for months asked. I shivered at the sound.

I wasn’t. I really wasn’t. I mean, I was. I was physically fine, but I was not okay. Except I had to be. I shrugged, unable to look at Zane.

“Izzy?” I heard David next. “Izzy, you’re shaking.”

“Am I?” I held up my hand, watching it waver in the bright green lights of the dash. Huh. I turned it, watching from different angles.

“Shit. What did they do to you before we got there?”

“They better not have fucking touched a goddamn hair on her head.”

I snapped out of it at Zane’s voice. “You’re one to talk. I’m fine, David. Thank you for coming for me.”

“Well, no shit, we were coming for you. Luckily, Zane looked back when he was heading to my car. He’s the one who saw them. Are you sure you’re okay? Nothing happened, did it?”

I shook my head, trapping my shaking hands beneath my thighs on the seat. “Nothing I can’t deal with. Is it okay if I ask you to take me back to the races? I was there with Tucker.”

Zane growled from the backseat, and David glanced in the rearview before shifting the car into drive. “Yeah, sure.”

We sat in silence, aside from the old Green Day song Basket Case coming through the speakers, and I stared out the window at the empty, dry field pouring past the window. It wasn’t until we turned the last corner and the races came back into view that David spoke up again.

“Was that Tucker’s cousins?”

I nodded. They were gone for college now, but everyone on the Ridge knew who the Pierce brothers were.

“Shit. That’s fucked up.”

I just nodded again.

“And you fucking picked him.” I felt Zane’s scowl from the backseat, but I chose to ignore him.

We pulled up at the edge of the crowd a few minutes later, my nerves just now seeming to kick in from the incident, even more so now that I was realizing I was about to face my friends. That I’d have to find some way to tell them. My gut twisted, nausea sweeping through me in one large swoop. I forced myself to swallow. It’s fine. I’m fine. The words began like a chant in my head.

“Thanks. Again.” I quickly threw open the door as soon as David stopped and scrambled out, surprised when I saw him getting out, too. “You don’t have to–”

“I’m at least walking you back over to Tucker.”

His expression told me arguing would be pointless, and I nodded. To be honest, it was a bit of a relief. We walked side by side through the crowd, my thoughts just now turning to how I was going to explain everything to my friends when David gently bumped my arm with his elbow.

“I know you’re with Tucker now. Saw y’all earlier. But Zane’s really beaten up about it. If there’s any chance–”

“There’s not.” I cut him off, my voice like stone, and David’s brow rose at my hostility.

“Whatever happened, Izzy–”

“You mean how he cheated on me and then hit me? No thanks, David. He might regret it, and you’re free to be friends with him, but there are some things that can’t be taken back.”

I stared up at him, my own fire glinting in my eyes with my festering anger and resentment, something I knew I’d have to deal with at some point, and after a few seconds, David nodded.

We kept walking until Tucker’s truck came into view, and like the invisible tether connecting us was yanked, Annie’s head jerked up. Relief rolled over her features, and she pushed past Jet and Tucker to race over, throwing her arms around me so hard I stumbled back a few steps.

“Oh, my God, you had us so worried. Where were you?” She sobbed against me, and guilt spread through me at making her or any of them worry. “We found your phone and couldn’t find you anywhere.”

I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tight as Tucker and Jet ran up, tears now rolling down my own cheeks.

“She–”

I shot David a look, shutting him up.

“I didn’t realize I dropped it. David found me, and we were just talking a little. I’m so sorry for making you worry.”

“Fuck.” Tucker swooped me up the second Annie let me go, and my legs wrapped around his waist, my head burrowing into his neck, taking in the smell that was just simply…him. My nerves calmed the second I was in his arms. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“I’m sorry.” I kissed his neck, feeling the way he was shaking. “I should’ve realized.” A sickening feeling spread through my middle at the lie, but Ryder’s words twisted through my thoughts like venom. I knew I couldn’t hide it from Tucker forever, but I needed to get my head around it first. Find a way to deal with it without the drawbacks of those threats. “Can we go home?” I whispered.

He kissed the side of my head at my temple. “In a heartbeat. But I want to talk about it later.”

I nodded, trying to hide my hard swallow.