47. Jace

47

JACE

W e speed back toward campus, the urgency pushing me to hit the gas harder than I've ever driven before. My hands grip the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white, as Devin and Alec sit in the back, their faces etched with worry.

I'm trying to keep my focus, pushing aside the gnawing fear that Max could be hurting Tessa right now. As we pull onto campus, we spot Ryan walking away from the Sentinel office and I slam on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt.

Without waiting for the engine to fully die, I throw open the door and charge toward him. Ryan's eyes widen in surprise as he sees me barreling toward him. He doesn't have time to react before I shove him up against the side of a nearby building, pinning him with a force that leaves him gasping.

"Where is she?" I growl, my voice low and dangerous. "Where the hell have you taken Tessa?"

Ryan's face goes pale as he struggles to regain his composure. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

I tighten my grip, pressing him harder against the wall. "Don't lie to me, Ryan. We know Max is behind this, and if you think you can play dumb with us, you're sorely mistaken. Tell me where he's taken her, or I swear?—"

Before I can finish, Ryan's eyes flicker with fear and resignation. He finally stammers out, "I-I can't tell you. Max will kill me if I say anything!"

"Talk!" I yell.

"He promised he wouldn't hurt her!" Ryan bursts out. "He said he just wanted to talk."

"Where is he?" Alec shouts, getting into Ryan's face. He shrinks back, staring at the three of us helplessly. "Where is he?" Alec repeats. "We have no qualms about hurting you if you don't start talking."

"There's a cabin in the woods," he stutters out. "He's got a family cabin in the woods, about ten miles outside of town. He said that he didn't think she would listen to him if he didn't get her somewhere private."

"If you truly believe he wouldn't try to hurt her, you're a bigger idiot than I took you for," Devin growls out.

"He promised!" Ryan insisted. "He said he just wanted her to know his side of the story."

But Alec is already searching Max's family property records online and he finds an address immediately.

"Is this it?" he says, thrusting the phone in front of Ryan's face. Ryan looks nervous but nods.

I let Ryan go, not caring that he drops to the ground in a heap as the three of us sprint back to the car and pull out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell.

I'm driving over 120 miles an hour now and praying that it's not too late. I feel sick as I think of all the ways Max might be hurting Tessa even now. My mind races, but I try to focus on the road, blocking out all other distractions.

It feels like the drive takes forever, but really we arrive in record time, pulling to a screeching halt just as we watch Max walking out of the cabin, his hands in his pockets.

My stomach drops, a kind of fear twisting inside me that I've never felt before when I look behind Max to see that there's a fire spreading rapidly inside.

Devin and Alec jump out of the car before I've even parked. Devin doesn't waste a second. He bolts past Max and slams into the cabin, disappearing into the smoke and chaos. I see Alec already charging at Max as I kill the engine.

Max sees Alec coming and braces himself. When Alec tackles him, the two of them hit the dirt in a cloud of dust. Max grunts and fights back with surprising strength. He's grown stronger and more resilient, and it's clear that prison didn't weaken him—if anything, it hardened him.

I jump out of the car and run toward them. Max gets his knees up, forcing Alec off-balance but I don't hesitate, charging at Max, and throwing a punch that lands squarely on his jaw. He staggers but recovers quickly, his eyes blazing with defiance.

Max swings back, catching me in the side and knocking me to the ground. I roll to absorb the impact and spring back up, ready for the next move. Alec and Max are already in a furious grapple, rolling in the dirt and trading blows.

I charge back in, aiming a kick at Max's ribs. He grunts, momentarily distracted, and Alec manages to land a solid punch to Max's face. But Max is relentless. He sweeps Alec's legs out from under him, causing him to hit the ground hard.

Alec cries out, a cloud of dirt bursting around him as he makes contact with the ground. He rolls to the side but it's not fast enough. Max throws himself at Alec, punching him in the back of the head. Alec cries out and something burns inside of me.

I growl and throw myself at Max again, trying to land a series of quick punches. He's not going to get away with this. I can't let him defeat us. Not when Tessa's life is at stake.

Max deflects most of them, but one of my hits connects with his gut. He grunts and attempts to grapple with me, his arms like iron bands. I use my weight to push him back, trying to gain the upper hand.

Alec gets back on his feet, shaking off the daze and joining the fray. Together, we manage to overpower Max. We land a series of blows that finally force him to the ground. I hold him down, pinning his arms with my weight, while Alec delivers a few more sharp punches to his face, making sure he's not getting back up anytime soon.

Max's defiant smirk fades, replaced by a grimace of pain. His struggles weaken as he realizes we're not going to let him escape.

"Find something to tie him up!" I shout at Alec as I pin him to the ground. Max gives a feeble attempt to throw me off, still conscious enough to fight back.

Alec runs back to the car and comes back with a roll of duct tape, holding it up. The tape makes a satisfying crackle as he peels the end off the roll and approaches Max with an almost maniacal gleam in his eyes.

Max continues to try to throw me off even as Alec approaches. We shove him down into the dirt hard and yank his arms and legs behind his back as we tear strips off, wrapping them around and around so he's securely tied up.

Rolling him onto his back, the two of us stand over him with matching grim expressions. "You're done," I say, wiping my face and leaving behind a smear of dirt across my nose. "It's done, Max. It's over."

Smoke is filling the air and I look up, unable to tear my eyes away from the sight of the cabin. An inferno of flames licks higher into the sky, smoke billowing in its wake.

My chest is tight and I look at Alec. "We need to go after them!" I shout. Alec grabs me, pulling me back. His grip on my shoulders is ironclad. "It's too dangerous!" he yells back, his voice nearly drowned out by the roaring fire.

"Let me go! We can't just leave them!" I struggle against him, my heart racing with desperation.

Before Alec can respond, the cabin erupts in a deafening explosion. The roof collapses in on itself, sending a torrent of sparks and debris into the night. The windows explode outward, raining down sharp, glinting shards.

I'm thrown to the ground by the force of the blast, the heat scorching my face. Alec and I hit the dirt, covering our heads as debris flies overhead. The smoke thickens around us, swirling in choking clouds as the fire continues to rage.

Alec and I stare at each other. Tessa and Devin are still inside.

"There's no way they could've escaped that," I say, my voice hoarse. My eyes are locked on the burning wreckage, searching for any sign of life.

Alec's face is full of determination. "We have to believe they're still alive. They might've found a way out."

I shake my head, my throat tightening with fear. "How? The explosion was massive. They should've been outside by now if they'd gotten out."

Alec's eyes are red, his face set in a grim line. "We can't know for sure. We need to wait for the fire department. They might be able to get in and check."

I nod, though my stomach churns with dread. "But what if they're not? What if?—"

Alec cuts me off, his voice strained. "We can't think like that. Not yet. We have to hold on to hope."

The fire rages on, consuming everything in its path. I glance at Max, bound and struggling on the ground, and then back at the inferno. My heart pounds with fear and uncertainty, the thought of whether Devin and Tessa made it out alive hanging over us like a dark cloud.