Always Yours (Roommate Duet 6)

Just as I start to undress, a hard body presses against my back as an arm tightly wraps around my waist and a hand covers my mouth. I immediately try to scream and twist around in his grip, but he’s too strong and squeezes me into his chest. Eric’s probably twice as strong as I am, but I’m not about to go down without a fight.

“Maddie, quiet,” a whispered voice says in my ear, one that I recognize. “It’s Ty. I need you not to scream, you hear me?”

Ty? What the hell is going on?

I wiggle against him, trying to look over my shoulder to see for myself. When I’m met with his intense brown eyes and feel his facial hair scratch against my cheek, my body relaxes in his hold.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” he reassures, slowly removing his hand. When he’s confident I won’t yell, he turns me to face him. “I have a plan, but I need you to trust me. We’re getting you out of here tonight.”

His soft non-threatening voice is different from his normal commanding tone, but I like it. When I trail down his body, I notice he’s dressed differently too, similar to what Liam wears when he’s out on a job. Bullet-proof vest and a duty belt around his waist.

“Are you an undercover cop?” I ask quietly.

Ty slowly reveals a grin. “Not exactly, but I was undercover. You need to trust me, okay? Stay in your room and start packing your stuff. I’ll be back for you shortly.”

My heart rate quickens. “What does that mean? If you’re not a cop, then…”

“I’m a friend of Liam’s,” he tells me. “Tyler Blackwood. I know all about you, Mads.”

At the sound of my nickname, my eyes widen in shock. “Oh my God.” Blinking, I try to piece this information together. What? How? When? He must’ve been working for Victoria long before I was kidnapped.

“Is Liam okay? Does he know what’s going on?” I ask.

“He’s fine as far as I know. I texted him a couple of days ago to let him know I was getting you out, but that’s it.” He inhales sharply, then looks at his watch. “I reset the cameras, and in a minute, they’ll restart so I need to go. You’ll hear some noises, and then all the lights are going to go off.”

“Wait, what?” I panic.

“Stay here until I come back for you, got it? I need to take care of Eric and then handle Victoria so she doesn’t send backup.”

This is too much at once, and I feel like I’m going to let him down.

Ty opens the bathroom door, then turns. “Pack your stuff. We have five minutes or less.”

Then he walks out.

Frantically, I grab the suitcase and backpack I arrived with, then shove my clothes and books in them. In the midst of it, I hear shouting down the hallway and crashing as if they’re fighting. My nerves are shot, and I’m terrified of how this plan will affect Liam, but what other choice do I have? I put on my shoes and a sweatshirt, then impatiently wait for him to return.

Abruptly, everything goes quiet, and then moments later, the power goes off.

I see brightness as my bedroom door opens and blow out a relieved breath when I see Ty with a flashlight.

“Ready? We gotta move.”

Gulping, I put on my backpack, and Ty takes my suitcase. “The truck is out back. Let’s go.”

Ty leads us through the house, and my erratic breathing and the hard pounding of my heart are all that can be heard. What did he do to Eric? Where are we going? What happens if we get caught?

He throws my bags inside, then opens the passenger door. “Buckle up. We’re about to race the fuck outta here.” Ty winks, then rushes around to the driver’s side.

“I see your mind’s spinning,” Ty says after five minutes. “I know this is a lot to take in, but since Victoria was about to send a replacement for me, I had to execute my plan a little earlier than anticipated.”

“And what was your plan exactly?” I ask nervously.

“Well, basically this, but I had hoped to get Eric on board. However, since the bastard’s head was so far up Victoria’s ass, I realized there was no way it would happen. So, I took matters into my own hands.”

I’m too afraid to ask him what he did exactly, so I don’t. The less I know, the better in case this doesn’t work out. All I need to know is how we’re getting out of this.

“How do you know Liam?”

“I actually met him through Mason. I was his boxing trainer in Sacramento before I moved to Vegas and met Liam at the gym one day,” he explains, then something clicks in my head.

“I knew I never told you Mason’s name!” I point at him. “You slipped!”