Lost & Found

by E B Brooks

  “I know, baby. You took care of me last time, big brother’s got me this time. You need to find out what’s going on with our Maddy.” He fought back tears. “We all need her.”

  Jace gave him a gentle but passionate kiss. “I’ll find out what’s going on.”

  37

  Jace

  Cody called Todd, and as they expected, he wanted Skylar to come down to the precinct and talk to the ATF agent.

  Ryder and Jace headed back over to Maddy’s apartment and knocked on her door again, but still no answer. Ryder even knocked on her neighbor’s door to find out if he’d seen her, but the guy was so baked he wouldn’t have seen his hand in front of his face.

  Other than break down her door, there wasn’t much else they could do, and they weren’t ready for that, so Ryder and Jace headed back home with their heads hung and hearts aching.

  They both headed to their rooms to sleep, and Jace didn’t wake up again until Skylar crawled into bed with him in the early morning hours.

  Jace pulled him close and listened as Skylar quietly explained what had happened.

  The AFT had found out what Amber and Lisa had been giving him. It was a new drug that was supposed to bring out a person’s aggression. They’d given him something to help calm his jitters, but he still spent the next day and a half sweating in bed, half out of his mind.

  They all took turns, using towels to cool him down. While it sucked, it would have been a lot worse if he’d stayed on the drug any longer.

  In between taking care of Skylar, the guys headed over to Maddy’s every day.

  By Wednesday, they’d had enough. They all went to Maddy’s apartment, even Skylar, who didn’t look well enough to be out of bed.

  When she still didn’t answer their knocks, Cody and Jace left to talk to her apartment manager and asked her to open Maddy’s door.

  Old Smokey told them she wouldn’t let them in, no matter what, and if they broke down the door as Cody threatened, she’d call the police and sue them.

  The old hag gave them an idea, though, and on their way back to Skylar and Ryder, they called Officer Todd.

  At first, he didn’t want to break into Maddy’s apartment. But then they explained everything, and Cody reminded him he owed them a favor.

  “If she gets mad that I’m breaking in, I’m blaming you guys,” Officer Todd declared.

  “Don’t worry about it; we’ll take full blame. I just have a gut feeling something’s wrong,” Skylar pleaded.

  Skylar wasn’t up to his full strength yet. He was still pale and sweating up a storm. At least he didn’t have to hide how he felt in front of Todd.

  He frowned at Skylar. “Should you be out of bed yet?”

  Skylar leaned against Jace. “When I’m in bed, all I can think about is Maddy. How I feel isn’t important.”

  Todd nodded and got his tools out. It only took him a minute to pop her door open.

  Skylar hugged Todd, and before Todd let him go, he made Skylar promise to take it easy.

  He promised and took off into Maddy’s room. The rest of them walked inside, and Todd shut the door behind them, leaving them to search for Maddy without him.

  They found her in bed. She appeared to have just stepped out of the shower, and her sheets were drenched. But her face had no color to it, and her lips were dry and cracked.

  Skylar was sitting on the corner of her bed, trying to rouse her. “Princess?”

  Her eyes fluttered open, then closed. She did that a couple of times before her eyes focused on him.

  “S-Skylar?” she stuttered out, her teeth chattering. She swallowed twice. “You need to leave… No good… Only cause problems.”

  “Silk, what are you talking about?” Ryder’s eyes skimmed over the rest of them to see if anyone understood what she was mumbling about before his eyes moved back to her face.

  “It must have been what she overheard when she talked to those bitches.” Cody walked closer to the bed. “We’re not leaving, little one, so forget about it.”

  “Baby.” Skylar touched her forehead. “Guys, she’s burning up. She needs a hospital, now.”

  “No, hos… pi… tal,” Maddy whimpered, thrashing around.

  Skylar took her clammy hand into his. “Maddy, honey, you’re burning up. You need a doctor.”

  A hand touched his shoulder, and he glanced up as Cody explained, “After you ran from the hospital, she told us she had a phobia of them.”

  “No. No.” She started thrashing back and forth.

  Skylar placed his hand on her chest to stop her from thrashing so much. “Okay, Princess, no hospital.”

  While Skylar calmed Maddy, Jace stepped out of the room to make a quick call.

  When he came back a minute later, everyone was looking lost.

  “What do we do?” Ryder asked, rubbing his eyebrow.

  “Ryder, go get a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Cody, fill up the bathtub with lukewarm water; make sure it’s not hot. We need to get aspirin into her,” Jace commanded, taking charge.

  “How do you know what to do?” Skylar questioned as he removed wet strands of hair from her face, then he grinned at Jace. “By the way, nothing turns me on more than when you order us around.”

  A flush crept across Jace’s face, and he stared at the floor, he rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure how Skylar would take his response. “I… umm… called James. He’s attending school to become a doctor.”

  Skylar left Maddy’s side to stand in front of Jace. Lifting his chin so Jace could see how proud he was, Skylar kissed him hard. When he pulled away, Jace couldn’t stop smiling.

  “I’m not upset that you called James,” Skylar said softly. “I’m glad you thought of him.”

  “He wants to come over, and I couldn’t say no. It’s for Maddy.” His searched Skylar’s eyes for a response. “I explained her phobia, and he said he’ll bring what he can to help her.”

  Skylar grabbed the back of Jace’s neck and kissed his nose. “That’s good. Just remember, you’re mine, and I’ll fight for you.”

  The smile returned to Jace’s face. God, he loved this man. They’d wasted so many years not being together.

  Skylar glanced back at Maddy. “Now, what can I do to help?”

  He wanted to tell Skylar to sit down, but he knew Skylar wouldn’t. “We need to get her ready for her bath.”

  Jace got Maddy to take the aspirin, gently soothing her. “We’re going to take your clothes off so you can get a nice, cool bath, okay?”

  They all decided that Ryder and Cody would bathe her.

  Since neither Skylar nor him had been intimate with Maddy, they weren’t comfortable bathing her.

  “One of you needs to get in and hold her while the other washes her,” Jace explained.

  While they did that, Skylar and Jace stripped the bed and put clean sheets on.

  By the time they finished, Skylar looked close to passing out, and Jace made him lie down in Maddy’s bed.

  As he closed his eyes, Jace ran a hand over his hair.

  “I thought you said it was a girl who needed my help” a stern voice said from the doorway. “If this is a trick to get me to treat your druggy boyfriend, forget it.”

  As Skylar’s eyes popped open, Jace turned around to face him. “James, calm down, I didn’t lie to you. She’s in the bath, like you recommended.”

  “Why is he here?” James pointed to Skylar, and Jace bit the inside of his cheek to keep from snapping. “I’m not stupid; he’s detoxing. You better not get me in trouble because of some illegal shit.” He huffed. “I don’t understand what I ever saw in you.”

  Pouting, he crossed his arms over his chest.

  Skylar pushed up on his elbow. “Calm down, you ninny, you’re not here for me. You’re here for her.” He pointed behind James, to where Ryder was bringing Maddy back to the bedroom. Skylar narrowed his eyes at James. “And you’re damn lucky someone like Jace gave you the time of day. I better not hear you talk to
my boyfriend like that ever again.”

  “James, you’re here to help Maddy,” Jace cut in before they got into a fight. “I promise, you’ll never have to see me again, so please, help her.”

  “Well, I might have overreacted a bit.” James’s eyes roamed Jace’s body with interest. “You’re a good fuck.”

  “Oh, hell no!” Skylar growled, ready to pounce on James, but Cody interceded by grabbing James by his collar.

  “Listen here, you little shit. Stop antagonizing my brother and help her, or you’ll have to deal with me,” Cody growled between clenched teeth.

  James held his hands up in surrender and started pulling things from his bag.

  Under all of their watch, he set her up with an IV and gave her antibiotics, then instructed them to keep her fever down. If it got above one hundred and five, she needed to go to the emergency room or risk brain damage.

  As he packed up and left, Skylar glared after him. “I never liked that guy. What did you ever see in that skinny, rude, dominating asshole?”

  At his obvious show of jealousy, Jace couldn’t help but grab him and kiss him again, so happy he could finally do that whenever he wanted.

  38

  Skylar

  Over the next two days, they made sure that one of them stayed with Maddy at all times. Skylar still wasn’t one hundred percent, and Jace convinced him to just sleep beside Maddy to make it easier to care for both of them.

  Jace had given her the last bag of IV fluids the night before, and by morning, her temperature was almost back to normal. Skylar had woken up a few minutes earlier and was content to just lay there and stare at her.

  She seemed to be resting peacefully, not tossing and turning like she’d been for the last two days.

  Crusher had stopped by the same night they broke into Maddy’s apartment, and he’d demanded to see Maddy. He got into a shoving match with Cody, demanding to know why he’d had to pick Maddy up on Friday night in the rain with mud all over her.

  Jace had calmly explained she overheard something and took it the wrong way.

  Lucca cursed all of them out for not taking her to the hospital, but when they explained Maddy’s phobia, and once he saw her, he calmed down.

  He refused to leave, though, until Cody promised to call him with any updates.

  Skylar hadn’t told them anything about what Lisa had revealed to him about Maddy’s past.

  The night he’d found out about the folder, he’d gone straight to Lucca’s apartment and started pounding on the door.

  Lucca yanked open his door, rubbing his eyes. “Anderson, do you have any idea what time it is?”

  Skylar tilted his head back and stared up at Lucca. “Is it true?”

  Leaning against his doorframe, Lucca frowned at Skylar. “Is what true?”

  Skylar sighed. “Maddy.”

  Lucca’s eyes widened, and he scanned the surrounding area before pulling Skylar into his apartment.

  Dragging him to the living room, Lucca pushed Skylar in front of a large leather sectional, almost making him tumble over it, and crowded into Skylar’s space. “Who told you?”

  Skylar pulled back his shoulder and lifted his chin. He wouldn’t back down from this. “Just tell me if it’s true or not.”

  Lucca searched Skylar’s face for a moment before admitting, “Yes, Maddy’s my fraternal twin. Now, tell me how you found out, because I only figured it out at her dinner party.”

  Skylar swore as he paced Lucca’s dark wood flooring, running his hands through his hair. “We have a big problem.”

  Skylar explained the folder to Lucca, and they decided to break into Lisa’s office.

  “How the hell did she get it?” Lucca asked, falling back on his leather couch.

  “No clue, but we need to steal it and figure out how to silence them.” Skylar sat down next to him. “That should be right up your alley.”

  Lucca shot daggers at Skylar. “Not funny. Let me be the one to tell Maddy about everything.”

  “I’ll keep my mouth shut, but I’m not lying to my family anymore.”

  “That’s fine, just ask them to let me tell Maddy.” Lucca ran a hand down his face. “There’s a lot to tell.”

  “I can only imagine, but first, let’s go get that folder.”

  Lucca and Skylar had broken into Lisa’s office and stolen the folder, but Skylar was still concerned about what Lisa, or Amber, might do with the information.

  They didn’t have any proof, but they could still cause a lot of problems.

  39

  Maddy

  Someone ran a finger down the side of Maddy’s face. “Come on, baby, you need to get better so I can explain what happened and what’s been going on with me. I miss you.”

  “You want nothing to do with me,” Maddy’s garbled, squinting her eyes open to see Skylar leaning over her.

  “No, baby, that’s not true. I’m so sorry I made you feel that way.” He tried to kiss her cheek.

  She jerked her head away. A pained expression formed on Skylar’s face. Maddy pulled herself up and grabbed the water bottle from her nightstand, taking a couple of sips of water.

  Leaning back against her headboard, she grabbed her pillow, hugging it in front of her. “You forgot, Skylar, I overheard what you said about me. ‘Since you met me, everything’s gone to hell. I’ve ruined your lives. You all need to get away from me.’ I left, I gave you an out, so why are you here?” Tears filled her eyes.

  “Baby, you only heard part of the information. You listened to what those bitches wanted you to hear. It wasn’t you I was talking about, it was Lisa. She’s the one who’s been ruining our lives. There’s so much we need to tell you.”

  Maddy rubbed her eyes. Could he be telling the truth? Did Jackie and Amber manipulate her?

  Maddy sniffled. “I’m listening.”

  “I don’t know where to start,” he said, scrubbing his face.

  “Why don’t you start with what happened at the party? Why were you so rude to your family and me?”

  He ran his hand through his hair and started telling her everything that had happened from the beginning. But, first, he apologized for his behavior at the party.

  “I don’t have any proof, but I think Kevin gave me something. I’ve been drunk before, but I’ve never lashed out at my family like that. But that doesn’t excuse all of my behavior. The green-eyed monster grabbed ahold of me and wouldn’t let go. In my head, I thought, since Cody and Ryder got naked with you, that was it, there was no way you’d want to be with me.” He rubbed both hands up and down his face. “It makes no sense, I know, but to my drunken mind, it did.”

  He cupped her cheek, his blue eyes caressing her face. “I have a lot of work ahead of me to gain your trust back, and I’ll do whatever that takes. No matter how long it takes.”

  He then told her how Lisa got him to fight for her in her secret fighting club by threatening to harm Cody and Ryder. And how part of the deal was that he dated Amber.

  The more he talked, the more things clicked into place.

  What he told her next surprised her, though.

  Cody and Ryder had been working uncovered with Todd? And when Skylar had told them everything about Lisa running another fight club, they’d been able to put two and two together and go after the right person.

  The whole time Gary had been their main suspect, and the police thought he was doing all the illegal things, and it was his girlfriend.

  “So, when I heard you say she was ruining your life, you were talking about Lisa and not me?”

  Skylar moved closer to her. “Yes. She wanted me to fight for her, and she’d do anything to get me to do that.”

  She throws her head back against the headboard. “God, I feel so dumb. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.”

  Skylar ran a hand through her hair. “You weren’t the only one, baby.”

  “I guess you’re right.” She huffed. “What happens now?”

  Skylar smiled. “Todd and a b
unch of officers raided her warehouse and office. She’s done for.”

  Maddy sighed with relief. “Good. That bitch belongs in jail. I’m glad she can’t hurt you anymore.” His expression turned troubled, and Maddy’s gut clenched. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Skylar sighed. “She got away. But if she shows her face anywhere around here, the police will take her down.”

  Maddy swallowed down her instant worry for her guys’ safety. She had to trust that the police would deal with Lisa. “What day is it?”

  “It’s Friday afternoon.”

  Her head snapped back to Skylar, and she raised her eyebrow. “You’re joking.”

  He shook his head.

  She’d been out for a week?

  After Cody’s fight, she had done little on Saturday, and halfway through the morning, she’d gotten tired and hot. She’d taken an aspirin, brought a bottle of water into the bedroom, crawled into bed, and that was all she remembered.

  She turned back to Skylar. “Wait, how did you get in here? I know I locked the door after Lucca dropped me off.”

  He explained how they knocked on the door for two days, tried the landlord, and finally called their friend, Officer Todd, to get them into her apartment.

  “So, he broke into my apartment?” Then she shook her head. “I’m not mad; who knows what would have happened if he didn’t let you guys in. Are the rest of the guys here?”

  “No, just me for right now. They needed sleep, and Cody’s washing your sheets and clothes.” Skylar scooted around on the bed to face her. “I want to tell you everything that’s been going on. If you want me to leave after, I will.”

  Maddy’s heart ached. She didn’t know if she could take another hit, but Skylar being here gave her hope. “I want to know, but I’d like to get cleaned up a bit.”

  As she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, a wave of dizziness washed over her. Grabbing her head, Maddy tumbled back onto the bed.

  When she blinked the room back into focus, Skylar’s half-naked body appeared right there beside her. She moved her head back as her eyes roamed over his sexy ass body.