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“Shouldn’t Chad come with us, if there’s a meeting with the Walsh CTO?” I ask, turning to Preston, but he waves his head.
“No need to bother Chad. Jack only asked for you,” he says, gesturing toward the back of the space.
With butterflies swirling anxiously, I let Preston walk me to the meeting.
24
DAMSEL IN DISTRESS
After tense small talk with some Walsh executives, I scan the crowd again, instinctively seeking out Maddie. But she is nowhere to be seen.
Get a grip, I order myself harshly before striding toward the bar, Cade on my heels. I throw back a finger of whiskey, seeking liquid courage. Amanda appears at my elbow, peering at me curiously.
“Have you seen Maddie recently?” I ask impulsively.
Amanda's brows lift in surprise. “I haven't seen her for a while actually . . .”
Unease churning in the pit of my belly, I gesture subtly for Cade to go search near the dance floor while I continue toward Chad's boisterous laugh. A good-looking brunette stands beside him clutching a fruity cocktail.
“Chad, hi. Have you seen Maddie in the last while?”
He exchanges a startled look with the woman he was talking to. “Yeah, Maddie headed off with Preston, maybe ten minutes ago?” the woman replies in confusion. “Said you all were meeting about something.”
Icy dread trickles down my spine. I quickly gesture over Cade, muttering, “She apparently was last seen with Preston.” He swears under his breath as we both stride swiftly toward the seating in the back, my pulse hammering.
With a determined nod at Cade, we fan out as we approach the shadowed lounge area, startling several couples tucked away in the recesses. He cranes his neck to scan the dim space while I head directly for the hallway lined with separate private rooms, fear's icy grip throttling me. Who knows what Preston's intentions are, luring Maddie away under a pretense?
Jaw clenched, I throw open the first door without knocking. The small room is empty except for a couple springing apart in surprise. I bark an apology before continuing down the hall. Behind another door, the heavy stench of cigar smoke wafts out as the men's raucous laughter within cuts off at my sudden appearance.
“Sorry, have you seen a tall girl, early twenties, chestnut hair?” I demand roughly. Their heads shaking sends me barging into the next room.
In the third, a startled server stacking champagne flutes squawks in protest. I ignore her, scanning urgently for Maddie among plush leather chairs before backing out.
Cade appears, face lined with tension as I reach the last room at the end of the hall, marked Reserved. The locked handle rattles uselessly in my white-knuckled grip. I meet Cade's eyes, a cold stone of dread in my gut.
“On three,” Cade mutters. My chest heaves, mind swarming with dark possibilities. We exchange a tense look then kick the door open in unison, muscles coiled for a fight. Inside it, we find Maddie lying motionless across the plush leather couch, her dress askew. AC/DC is blaring from the speakers. But Maddie looks as if she is fast asleep. Preston is sprawled over her, one hand clamped on her breast, the other groping her thigh. At our explosive entrance, he springs up with a shocked cry. He must not have heard us trying to open the door over the loud music. Before he can react, I launch myself at him with an incoherent roar, violently wrenching him off and slamming him to the ground.
“What the hell did you do, you bastard?!” I land a brutal punch to his nose as Cade rushes to check on Maddie. She remains motionless. I grab Preston by the shirtfront, hauling him up and pinning him to the wall, forearm crushing his windpipe. “I swear, if you violated her, I'll kill you, Walsh,” I snarl through gritted teeth, barely restraining myself from choking the life from him right then and there. “What did you give her?”
Blood gushes from Preston's nose as he sputters excuses. “I didn't do anything! We were just talking, she had too much to drink . . .”
I slam him harder against the wall. “Bullshit! She barely drinks. What the hell did you give her?”
Preston's eyes dart wildly. “I swear, nothing! She just passed out without warning!”
My forearm crushes harder against his windpipe as my other fist connects with his gut. He chokes out a pained gasp. I grab his slick hair, wrenching his head back.
“Last chance before I rearrange your smug face beyond recognition. What drugs did you slip her?” I snarl.
Behind me Cade shouts urgently into his phone for an ambulance while checking Maddie's motionless form.
Preston's face purples, clawing at my iron grip. “Okay, okay! Just a harmless roofie . . . wanted to have a little fun . . .” he wheezes out.
A red haze clouds my vision. With restraint hanging by a fragile thread, I fling him down in disgust before rushing to kneel by Maddie. Her skin is clammy and cool to the touch. With infuriating helplessness, I gather her limp body in my arms.
“Please wake up, Little Bird,” I plead hoarsely, cradling Maddie's unconscious body. But her lashes remain still against her pale cheeks.
Sirens echo over the pulsing music as Cade squeezes my shoulder. “Ambulance is almost here.”
