Page 53 of Valley

AS THE VANscreeched to a halt at the closed gate, I breathed just a little easier. Adam had stashed us just a stone’s throw from the clubhouse, we made it in fifteen minutes. The sight of it brought a wave of both relief and urgency. We bolted out of the van, hearts pounding, and ran straight up the hill, not sparing a second for the startled shouts from the guys who spotted us.

“We’ve been searching all over for you two!” Davie hollered, but his voice barely registered. The only thing on my mind was getting to the women.

Ignoring him, I shoved open the clubhouse door, my voice cracking with panic as I demanded, “Did you put the women in the safe room?”

Patch’s growl cut through the air like a knife, his face intense as he advanced on me. “Valley! What the fuck happened to you two?”

But I didn’t have time for his questions. My eyes darted around the empty common room, my gut twisting. “The safe room! Are they in there?”

“Yeah, they’re safe,” Patch replied, but there was a frown on his face, like he was trying to piece together a puzzle. “What the hell is going on, Valley?”

“NO!” Madeline’s scream bounced off the walls, pure terror in her voice. “Get them out of there!”

“We need to get them out now!” I echoed her plea, my voice hoarse with desperation. “Adam set a trap for them!”

The moment the words left my mouth, Midnight was already moving, sprinting toward the safe room. I barely had time to catch my breath before Patch’s hand clamped onto my arm, yanking me close. His one eye twitching, demanding answers. “What the fuck did you just say? What trap?”

Before I could respond, Midnight burst back into the room, panic on his face. “The door won’t open, and the cameras inside are dead.”

A cold wave of dread washed over me as I watched Madeline collapse into a chair, tears streaming down her face. “Oh no, we’re too late,” she whispered, defeated.

Patch shook me violently, his voice a roar. “Talk, Valley!”

“Ease the fuck up, Patch!” Player snapped, stepping in. “He can’t explain if you’re choking him out.”

I pulled in a ragged breath, trying to think through the haze of fear. “We need to find a hidden room. Adam controls everything from there. We can still stop it.”

At least I prayed we could.

Without wasting a second, we tore through the clubhouse, heading for Adam’s room. He was the only prospect that had his own, having earned the luxury over the years. Right next to mine, too. It all made sense now. Damn, he had us fooled.

Every second felt like a lifetime as we scrambled to find the secret door. Jonesy’s voice rang out, “Here!” and the wall gave way to reveal a small, cramped space, no bigger than a small closet. A computer sat on the desk, and the walls were plastered with photos of Adam and Kezia, smiling and happy. He didn’t lie, they were close.

Scotch was on the computer in an instant, his fingers flying over the keys. “There’s something counting down on here,” he muttered, his voice tight with tension.

“We’re not too late, then,” I said, trying to calm my racing heart. “He’s rigged a chemical to release into the vents of the safe room. You’ve got to stop it.”

Patch’s voice was like steel as he barked orders. “Player, scour the vents leading to the safe room. Midnight, Vain, go with him. Snipe, Teach—work on that door, see if you can get it open.”

As the others sprang into action, Patch turned back to me, his face dark with rage. “Start talking. Now.”

I gave him a quick rundown, the truth burning in my throat. By the time I was done, Patch looked ready to explode. “How could Adam do this to innocents? Scotch, can you stop it?”

Scotch’s fingers didn’t pause as he replied, “Yeah, give me a minute. He left back doors everywhere, cocky bastard.”

We held our breath, the silence in the room suffocating as we waited. Finally, Scotch leaned back, a grim smile on his face. “It’s done. I’ve stopped it and reactivated the doors and cameras.”

The tension broke as we watched the screens, seeing the women inside the safe room, oblivious to the danger they had just escaped. They were chatting like nothing had happened, and relief flooded through me.

Patch’s voice was low, dangerous. “Adam is dead, right?”

I nodded, my voice flat. “Yeah. You’ll find his body where we left him.”

Patch’s face was hard, but he nodded. “We’ll take care of it.”

I spotted Midnight approaching me, his expression was filled with disbelief. “I can’t believe Adam would do this. I thought he was a friend.”

“We need to talk,” I said, my voice heavy. “Privately.”