Chapter 75
POV: Adam
"Surprise," she says with a playful tone, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You'd better walk fast, Adam."
My body fills with intense anger, a torrent of emotions I had never experienced before in my life. The heat of rage engulfs my entire being, like an insatiable flame, as my hands involuntarily rise and press Madison forcefully against the wall. The grip on her neck brings back memories of the marks I had just seen on the girl I loved, cruelly tied to a chair, while a timer counted down the thirty minutes that separated her from complete devastation.
"Where is she?!" My voice erupts in a piercing scream, like thunder breaking the silence. Madison finally shows a glimpse of fear, though her determination doesn't waver for a moment.
I'm choking her, and I know I could kill her immediately if Isaac hadn't shouted for me, snapping me back to the grim reality that Mia needed to be saved, that Mia needed me, and I had only a few minutes to do it.
Gathering my last reserves of strength, I release the pressure on Madison, allowing her to fall to her knees, gasping and coughing, while I step back, breathing deeply.
"Call the police and take care of both of them, Isaac." I direct my words to Isaac, the man in front of me, firmly.
"And what about you? You know you can't handle this alone, son..." He asks, concerned.
- I know who can help me. - I say, wiping the sweat that had started to fall from my forehead.
In the same instant, Isaac picks up the man's gun from the floor, keeping it for himself, before hitting him with the gun's barrel, causing him to stagger and finally fall to his knees, darkness closing in around him to prevent him from attempting to escape before the police arrive.
Without hesitation, I run as fast as I can away from that road, my mind focused only on finding my car, which I force myself to remember where it is, because now my sole goal is to have Mia in my arms once more.
Each step feels like an eternity, but I finally reach the vehicle and get in, starting the engine hastily. I grab my phone, dialing the necessary numbers, but it goes to voicemail. As I drive a little faster than usual, with my destination set, my mind races a mile a minute, like a movie of all the moments playing in my brain, along with the desperation to find a solution quickly.
"Adam Davis," I introduce myself at the front desk and hold the elevator door that was about to close. Luckily, in seconds, I'm on the required floor, pounding my fingers against the door.
Minutes after pounding insistently on the door, which had already received hundreds of knocks, it finally opens. Before me, Sam appears shirtless, and the scent of some cheap women's perfume mixed with alcohol fills the air. Without hesitation, I throw a punch, releasing all my frustration and disappointment.
"You bastard!" I shout in anger. "Tell me you know where she is, damn it, I should end you!"
Surprisingly, Sam offers no resistance, seeming completely disinterested and unmotivated. He just puts his hand to his chin.
"What the hell are you talking about? Get out of here." He says, closing the door in my face, but I hold it firmly so Sam can't fight back.
"You said you fell in love with Mia." I state, even though it makes me want to punch him more, while jealousy courses through my veins.
Sam, with noticeable melancholy but still displaying a resigned smile, replied, "Yeah, and she chose you, so I deserve that damn punch you gave me."
"So tell me what you know, tell me how to save Mia."
"What happened to the girl?" His tone changes. His voice sounds deep, with a normal tone but laden with tension, intense and worried eyes fixed on me as if nothing else matters to him now but protecting Mia.
Carefully, I take Madison's phone from my pocket and show him the footage of the girl. Now she keeps her eyes closed, tear tracks still visible on her cheeks, although a few minutes have passed since then.
Sam clenches his fists and punches the wall a few times, losing control, even though I'm sure this kind of situation is normal for him. He stares at the wall as if it's one of his underground fights, and I realize it's the only way Sam finds to relieve himself. He closes his eyes and leans against the wall for a few seconds, thinking, trying to find a solution. Seconds later, he smiles a little, and all Sam does next is grab the keys to his car.
"My man is playing on her side now; he also became a powerful man. Although he doesn't reach my level of influence, he leads a highly trained group that offers their services to me. They handle the casino's security when I'm not around. This is probably one of the places where they gather to strategize. And if Madison is willing to open her wallet to everyone, you'll need to hit harder," Sam taunts, not losing his knack for being obnoxious even in complicated situations, as he takes out and slides a gun into his waistband.
"What are you doing?"
"Making sure a wimp like you doesn't die."
"You son of a bitch!" I shout, preparing to hit him again when a message from Mia's mother appears on the screen. She reports that her daughter has been kidnapped, and the car is speeding, making any intervention impossible except for noting the license plate. Abigail makes a desperate plea for help, and I type a response assuring them that I will solve the problem, asking both of them to stay calm.
"The car's license plate." I show it to him, and he takes out his own device and skillfully enters the data.
"Now we have the precise location." He affirms, pointing to a red dot in the center of the screen, marking the address we should head to. "Time to do what's best in life, punch some guys." He comments to himself, as if trying to pretend he doesn't care so much.
He walks ahead of me, and I follow him to his car, a true racing machine. When I'm in the passenger seat, I can see Sam's face light up as he accelerates enough for the engine's roar to be deafening, before speeding off at an incredibly high speed. He drifts through the curves as I count the minutes on the clock and let the wind gusts hit me.
Although Sam is having fun, I can see the worry on his face, for the first time showing me that maybe I was wrong about my cousin. I don't look at him for too long, despite everything I still want to hate him for the rest of my life; I like our rivalry.