Broken Hill Havoc: The Broken Hill High Series (Book 5)

by Sheridan Anne

  “You want to know my intentions?” he continues. “Well, here they are. I want her back. I want to love her right and I want to love her more. I want to be consumed by her. Everything she does, I want to be a part of. Now, I’m no fool. I know there’s a very good chance she’ll never let me in like that again, but for now, I’m just happy being around her. If she decides later on down the track that she can forgive me and consider a future with me, then that’s amazing. If not, then she’ll know that I’ll always be right here, loving and supporting her. No matter what.” Maxen pauses a second and watches me. “Does that answer all your questions.”

  I think it over for a minute. “Say she comes around and allows you to try again, how do we know that you won’t hurt her again? I doubt she could just trust you after that.”

  “I guess that’s something you don’t know. Only I know that I will never do it again and that’s something you’ll have to learn to trust. I’ve learned the hard way and lost the woman I loved over foolish shit and I’m not prepared to do it again. I want to fight for her and I want to prove to her that she can love and trust me again. I want to have babies with her. I want my ring on her finger. I want it all, I just have to get her to see that first.”

  “You know there’s a chance that she doesn’t feel that way about you anymore.”

  “Really?” he scoffs. “You see the way she looks at me just as clear as I see the way you look at Nate. She loves me just the same as the first day we got together, that’s the one thing I can always count on. But you’re right. there’s a chance she won’t give me the time of day after finding out that I want her back. She might not be willing to risk letting me in again.”

  I shake my head at him. “I don’t like it.”

  “I know,” he says. “If I was in your position, I wouldn’t like it either.”

  “You’ve really changed, haven’t you?”

  “I don’t think I’ve changed,” he tells me, considering my question. “I’m still the same person, I still make stupid mistakes, but I like to think I’ve grown up. Things that I would have done last year aren’t exactly things that I’d consider doing now. I want to make something of myself and I want Brooke there, by my side. I’m my best self when she’s around and I want to be that for her, even if it means watching all those bullshit shows she likes.”

  “Shit,” I sigh. “I should have kicked you in the nuts harder last year. She’s not going to be able to resist that gooey crap your spouting.”

  A throat clears behind me and we both jump before spinning around to find Brooke leaning against the wall at the opening of the hallway with watery eyes. Maxen goes white. “Fuck,” he panics. "How long have you been standing there?”

  “Since the words ‘hit me with it’,” she tells him.

  I think back and realize those were the words the first said and that she’s heard the entire conversation. I try to pull her attention away. "Are you ok?”

  She doesn’t respond, just looks back at Max before slowly walking forward. She comes around the front of the couch so she can face him front on. Not a flicker of emotion crosses her face, the only sign that this means anything to her is the watery eyes, though I can’t tell if it’s a good watery or a bad watery.

  She steps forward, placing herself right in front him before she drops down and straddles his thighs. Maxen’s hands instantly take her waist and I watch as his thumb rubs back and forth over her skin. She watches him for a second, both remaining silent, the only sound throughout the house are their shallow, nervous breaths mixed with my impatient ones.

  “Do you mean it?” she finally questions.

  He nods, not once moving his eyes from hers. “Every fucking word.”

  She swallows and the tears finally drop from her eyes, making me realize I’m still sitting here in what should be a private moment between the two.

  Brooke’s lips come down on his as I make a hasty exit.

  I hurry down to my room and grab my phone off the charger before searching through my things for my keys. I know I put them here somewhere, the only question is where?

  I find them kicked under my bed and grin at the little bastards. Gotcha.

  I jam them down into my pocket before making my way back out. I stop by the kitchen and scrawl a little note, letting Brooke know that I’ll go to Nate’s mom’s place for the night to give them privacy to talk and… well, I’m assuming catch up for missed time.

  I think I can safely say that they’re back together, and watching them now on the couch, I can see it’s a good thing. Maxen really has grown up from the foolish boy he was in high school. He’s a man now, a man who knows what he wants and how to get it. A man who knows right from wrong and is willing to do whatever it takes to earn trust and forgiveness.

  Before that talk I was hesitant, but now, I can see that this is what’s best for her, and from the look in her eye, I’d dare say she agrees. He still needs to earn my trust back, but for now, we’re cordial.

  I pull my phone out of my pocket as I finish up with the note and call Nate. He picks up on the third ring before his low voice cuts through the line, making all my insides swirl with need. “Hey, babe. What’s up”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just finishing work. I was about to come home.”

  “No, don’t bother,” I laugh, passing the two making out on the couch on my way to the door. “I think Brooke and Max just got back together and they’re fornicating on the couch.”

  “Really?” he laughs. “About fucking time. He’s been pining over her for the past few months.”

  I roll my eyes as I walk down to my car. “Yeah, well they could have waited until I left the house.”

  “Are you coming here?” he questions.

  “Nah, I thought I’d go to your mom’s place. Hang out with Jesse and Kaylah until you’re done. We might have to stay there the night.”

  “Mom would love that,” he laughs. “I’ll be there in-”

  My body is slammed hard into the door of my car. I cry out in pain, taking in the hand shoved hard against my back. What the hell is happening?

  “Babe?” Nate questions.

  A large body presses in behind me and not a second later, I see his reflection in the car window.

  Josh Henderson.

  “Nate,” I yell. “It’s Josh.” The phone is ripped from my fingers before it’s thrown down onto the pavement, smashing into tiny little pieces. His laugh sounds in my ear as his chest vibrates against my back.

  I try to squirm from his touch but he’s holding on too tight. I don’t doubt my body is already covered in bruises. His hand curls around my mouth, clamping down and keeping me from screaming out as my eyes frantically search the street for anybody passing by.

  It’s no use, it’s completely empty and Brooke and Maxen are way too caught up with each other to notice anything is going on outside the door.

  “Night, night,” he says a moment later, meeting my eyes in the car window. The hand on my mouth curls around until the crook of his elbow is pressed against my neck. He pulls tight and I want nothing more than to let out an ear-shattering scream, but I can’t suck in a breath to make it happen.

  His hold around my neck tightens as he flexes his muscles.

  I take short quick breaths, breathing in what I can as I claw at his arm, but my mind soon grows foggy.

  I’m running out of oxygen.

  With wicked laughter in my ear, he completely cuts off my airway and the world falls into darkness.

  Chapter 20

  Nate

  "Nate," Tora yells, her voice filled with nothing but undeniable terror. "It's Josh."

  My heart comes to an immediate stop as all my fears come to haunt me with those two simple words I’ve been dreading hearing over the past few months. I knew it was coming. I fucking knew it. I just hoped against it.

  After a whole fucking year, he finally managed to get to her and there's no knowing what he's going to do.

  "Get
back in the house. Fucking run," I roar down the line.

  No response.

  "Tora?" I demand, desperate to hear that angelic voice coming through the line.

  I run to the car with the phone held tightly against my ear, launching myself over things that lay on the ground, desperate to get into my car. "Tora?" I yell again only to get no fucking answer.

  I hear rustling in the background and knowing how fucking scared she would be, has me pushing myself faster. Harder. I need to get to her.

  I swear to any fucking god that's out there if that fucker harms even a single hair on her beautiful head, I'm going to end him once and for all.

  As I drop down into my Camaro, more rustling sounds before the line goes completely dead.

  "Fuck."

  Pure panic overwhelms me as thoughts I've never dared to think start circling my mind. I have to get to her. Something screams inside my head that he’s got her. What if she couldn’t get away? What if he hurts her? What if he tries the same bullshit as he tried last year and I can’t get to her in time?

  I peel out of my shop faster than I've ever driven on any track and race towards our place. I think back to what Tora was saying on the phone and remember her telling me Maxen was there with Brooke.

  Within a second, I bring up his number and hit call.

  The phone rings out and goes to voicemail, and at that moment, I’ve never wanted to hate my cousin more. I could strangle his neck right now and not give it a second thought. Choosing a fucking pussy over answering my call. If he wasn’t so consumed with Brooke, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Tora wouldn’t have felt the need to abandon her home and put herself at risk like that. She wouldn’t be terrified and she sure as hell wouldn’t be fighting to save herself.

  I get to our home in about four minutes and narrowly avoid hitting the house as I race my car into the drive. Tora’s car is still parked on the side of the street and I don’t miss the smashed glass and crumpled metal of her phone on the sidewalk.

  I hurry up the path to the front door and slam through it. “Tora?” I yell frantically as I find Brooke and Maxen about to start fucking on the couch. They both gasp as I intrude on their special little moment. Brooke hastily covers her tits while Maxen looks as though he’s about to tear me apart for interrupting.

  The look in my eye has them both shutting the fuck up. “Is Tora here?”

  “What?” Max grunts. “She just left.”

  Realization hits me like a bullet to the chest.

  She couldn’t get away.

  “Why aren’t you answering your fucking phone?” I roar. “Josh just took Tora from out the front and you were too fucking busy getting your dick wet to keep her safe.” Brooke’s eyes widen in fear as they both spring to their feet. I throw myself back out the door and yell over my shoulder. “Call the boys. I want every mother fucker out there looking for her.”

  I drop back down in my car and try to work out where the hell he would have taken her. I come up blank. I have no idea where the fucker lives and no idea who the hell he’s been hanging out with.

  All I know is that football was once his life, so that’s where I’m starting.

  I reverse out of the drive and punch the gas until I’m flying down the street, heading towards one of the many houses that the football team rent from the college.

  I call Jesse on the way, and thankfully my brother is smart enough to answer the fucking phone when I call. “What’s up?” he yawns.

  “It’s Tora,” I say, getting straight to the point. “Josh took her. I need you here.”

  “Fuck.”

  I hear him getting up and racing around. “Where do you want me?”

  “Don’t know yet. Just start heading this way,” I tell him as I speed around the corner and head straight through a red light, getting honked by pissed off drivers. “We take him down once and for all.”

  “I’ll call the boys.”

  I hang up, not bothering to tell him that Max already is. The more calls that are placed, the better the chance is of getting to my girl and making that fucker pay.

  No one touches my girl and gets away with it.

  I pull up at a house that I only know of due to the many parties held here every few weeks. I could have gone down to Jackson’s place, but I know he’s out and it’s further away. I want answers now, and I won’t stop until I get them.

  I barge my way into the house and four guys sitting around a PlayStation jump to their feet, ready to take defense to any threat of their home. “What the fuck?” some dude in a yellow shirt demands, taking lead. “You can’t just barge your way in here.”

  “The fuck I can’t,” I growl, ready and willing to knock this fucker out if he doesn’t give me what I want.

  “Whoa, calm down,” some other guy says, stepping forward and placing a hand on the yellow guy’s chest. Familiarity pulls at me but I don’t have the patience to work out how I know him. “This is Nate Ryder. He’s cool.” The guy turns to me. “What’s up, man? What do you need?”

  The longer I look at him, the more obvious it becomes. I went to school with this guy. He was on the football team and naturally, I had nothing to do with him. I don’t bother to remember his name. “Josh Henderson,” I say.

  “Yeah,” the guy scoffs. “What about him?”

  “Where can I find him?”

  “Aw, come on, man,” the footballer laughs as his housemates watch on with curious eyes. “Are you guys still at each other’s throats? Wasn’t this shit buried last year?”

  “Where is he?” I demand.

  His eyes widen. “Fuck,” he grunts with a cringe, clearly remembering who he’s talking to. “Yeah, um… He’s been hanging out with this frat house. They live just off campus.”

  “Where?”

  He shakes his head. “Nah, man. You don’t want to get involved with those guys. They’re bad news.”

  “Josh just took Tora off the side of the fucking road. I ain’t playing games. Now, tell me where the fuck to find him.”

  His eyes widen again, but this time for a whole new reason. “Shit,” he says. “It’s the big brick house opposite the gas station. The one with the broken letterbox.”

  “How many of them are there?”

  “I couldn’t be sure,” he says as the yellow shirt guy speaks up. “Maybe thirty of them. Only a few live there, but it’s their main house, people are always there. They’re into some heavy shit. They won’t hesitate to fight, and believe me, they fight dirty.”

  “Good,” I grunt. I could use a fucking dirty fight right now, especially if I find anyone has touched her. It'd be more than fucking dirty then.

  I turn and storm back out the door but a voice calls behind me. “Wait. Tora’s a cool chick. I don’t want her getting hurt by Josh again,” the kid from high school says, quickly glancing between me and his boys inside. “We’re in. You’re going to need all the help you can get.”

  I nod, truly appreciating it, but I don’t have time for all the bullshit ‘thank you’s’ right now. Tora is depending on me to get to her, and that trumps everything. “Then hurry the fuck up. I’m not waiting for anybody. Call all your boys. I’m taking these fuckers down.”

  He nods and not a second later, the four of them are piling out of the house and climbing up into someone’s truck. They peel out of the driveway right behind me as I speed down the road.

  Flashbacks of the first time Josh grabbed her seep through my mind, just as they always do every time Josh is around. I want to wring his fucking neck for what he did to her. The recording he took of her back in that broom closet plays on repeat, over and over again and I have to force it out of my mind. I need to focus.

  I grab my phone and call Jesse, knowing he’s probably driving around the streets with the rest of the boys, waiting for my call.

  He answers with one word. “Where?” he demands, not bothering to ask if I was able to find something. He knows I get the job done. Every fucking time. Just as I know he’s ci
rcling the streets with Jackson, Tyson, Maxen, and Puck, each of them ready to go.

  I give him directions and he tells me they’re two minutes away.

  I throw my phone down, not bothering to check if I even ended the call. All that matters now is getting to her.

  Chapter 21

  I wake with a start as a sharp pain stings my arm.

  My eyes flick open and a gasp sails out of me. I scramble away from the dark eyes staring down at me in pleasure.

  Josh laughs as though my fear is his elixir for life and I rear back, but it’s not exactly the easiest thing to do on this small couch. “Where are you going, princess?” he laughs as he places something down on the table beside him. “It’s taken me so long to find you, we wouldn’t want to end our fun so soon.”

  I risk taking my eyes off him for a second and look down at the table. Bile rises in my throat as I take in the syringe sitting before me and recall the sharp sting in my arm.

  My eyes instantly flick down to see a drop of blood running its way down my arm towards my wrist before I look back at Josh. “What did you do?” I demand. “What did you give me?”

  “Oh, nothing,” he smirks with a dark amusement within his eyes. “Just something I’ve made up to help you relax. You’re so freaking uptight. It’s a party. We’re here to have fun. You should be thankful,” he laughs. “My guys pay big money to get this shit and I’ve just given it to you for free.”

  I suck in a breath, but he continues on. “You know, I would have gotten you sooner. I saw you at that party a few months ago and I would have taken you then, but those fuckers, Jackson and Jesse wouldn’t leave you the fuck alone. Took me until now to realize that was your actual place.”

  As he says the words ‘party’, I forget about the fact that he just admitted to dealing drugs and distantly notice the music coming from somewhere within the house, maybe downstairs? I don’t know, but a brief relief flows through me knowing there are other people here. Maybe I have a shot of getting out of this fucked up situation.

  I go to stand, but Josh thrusts his hand into my shoulder, forcing me back down into the couch with a hard push. “Not yet, sweetheart,” he says, fingering the syringe. “You’ll need a few minutes for this baby to sink in, then we can party all you want.”