Page 73 of Madness & Mayhem

Posie grabs my sweatshirt and shirt, hauling them over my head. I cover myself, averting my eyes as I feel the gaze of both Kyler and Archer on me. Posie helps me out of my pants and boots, then shoves me into the bathtub, closing the curtain around me.

I settle into the tub, swallowing down a cry when pain hits my skin. The cold against hot leaves my skin feeling as if it’s burning, as if my flesh is boiling from my bones. Hissing through my teeth, I grab onto the walls, settling down as comfortably as I can.

“So, the question is, what’re we going to do now?” Kyler shouts from the other side of the curtain.

“We’re going to get him out,” Archer says simply.

My eyes widen, and I grab the corner of the curtain, pulling it around my head. “What do you mean?” My heart pounds against my chest, and I stare at Archer and Kyler, both who watch me with blank eyes. “How can we do that?”

Archer crosses his ankles, leaning against the sink. “We’ll have to figure it out. Come up with a plan. I’m sure he’s going to Hellcrest Heights Jail. Usually we could pretty much walk in there and grab him and get out, but with the FBI there, I don’t know if he’ll get transferred somewhere, or if the FBI have an extra watch on it.”

I release the curtain, letting it fall closed. It grows dark around me as the curtain blocks the light in the bathroom. I sink deeper into the tub, until the water curls around my neck, closing my eyes.

“We’ll get him out, Lakyn. Don’t worry about it,” Kyler says from the other side of the shower curtain.

Tears flood my eyes when I think of Reign looking at me in rage, telling me to run as he puts his hands in the air, falling to his knees in the middle of a ton of police officers. How he risked his life to save mine.

Fuck, please don’t let anything happen to you.

Knock, knock, knock.

My eyes widen, and I grab the shower curtain, ripping it back. “Who is that?” I whisper.

Posie’s face goes pale. Kyler bolts from the bathroom, going to the nearby window.

Archer rushes up to me, grabbing the towel over the curtain. “Get out, Lakyn. Get out now.”

I stumble, my limbs a mixture of numb and in pain as I leap from the tub and straight into the towel. Archer wraps the towel around me, pulling me out of the bathroom. “Posie, get into the tub, now.

Posie nods, ripping her clothes off her body and jumping into the bathtub. Archer pulls me from bathroom, dragging me down the hallway. He ushers me into his room, opening his closet. It’s a walk-in, and in the corner is a large chest. He opens it up, lifting me into his arms. “Sit in here. Don’t move. Don’t make a sound. If you’re caught, this is all over. Do you hear me?”

Knock, knock, knock.

Ding, dong.

“This is the police! Open up!” an officer shouts from outside.

A broken cry breaks from my chest as I settle inside the hard, wooden chest. I’m cold once again, the water dripping from my body quickly cooling. A shiver rolls through me as I curl into a ball, staring up at Archer.

“Not a sound, Lakyn,” he whispers, closing the chest door. I can feel something sit on the top, and my breathing instantly picks up, claustrophobia clutching my throat and holding me in its grip.

“Don’t panic. Don’t panic,” I chant to myself, my fingers clutching the towel to my chest.

I can hear voices, though they’re muffled and I can’t make out the words. It feels like it goes on forever, each second making me feel like the air is growing thinner, my oxygen slipping away with every breath I take.

The voices grow louder, and I squeeze my eyes shut, my hands slipping from my towel and grabbing at the sides of the chest. I hold my breath, my lungs screaming at me.

I don’t know how long it goes on for, but my vision fades in and out, and I feel like I’m near passing out when I hear movement above me.

My heart pounds in my ears as my eyes spring open, and I stare above me, ready for the moment the officer hauls me out of here and brings me to jail.

I’m a murderer. I’ll never be free.

The chest swings open, and there stands Archer, staring down at me with a worried look on his face. “You okay?”

I gasp in a breath of oxygen, panicked and terrified. “Are they gone?” I whisper.

He nods, reaching down and grabbing me. He lifts me into his arms, carrying me out of his closet and into his room. He sets me on his bed and walks to his dresser, pulling clothes out, tossing them at me. “Get dressed and meet us downstairs. We need to talk.”