Maddox Blake reminded me of that. Just one fucking day with Maddox has changed my entire life, and I have no interest in death. Not today, and certainly not at the hands of Tad.
He can chase me, and he can hunt me, and he can taunt me, but Tad has nothing on Maddox.
Nothing.
And I roll under the car before he can kick me.
“Get out of there, Piper,” he hisses, but I don’t. I only have a matter of seconds before he grabs me and hauls me back out, but that’s fine. Every second counts when you’re fighting for your life. Every second matters.
My phone is on my belt loop, and I grab it and punch in my password. As I’m hitting Maddox’s number, Tad grabs my leg and yanks, but I kick at him with my other leg.
The call connects, and I drop the phone as Tad manages to pull me from beneath the vehicle. He’s bigger and stronger than me, but I’ve got Maddox and the entire police force on my side.
If I can just hold him off until they get here, everything is going to be all right.
“Help!” I cry out. “Help me!”
I can’t hear Maddox say anything, and if I’m lucky, Tad doesn’t realize I made a quick phone call. One thing is for certain, though: I won’t have to wait long for Maddox to get here.
He’ll come.
He’ll always come for me.
Tad hauls me to my feet and manages to twist me around so my back is pinned to his front.
“Stop fighting, darling, and this will be so much easi
er on you,” he hisses.
“Fuck you!” I spit out, and continue fighting. Flailing around is going to make me harder to hold onto, but it’s also going to make him more aggressive in turn. I take a deep breath and try to calm myself, try to steel myself, and then I make my move.
He covers my mouth with one hand, and I instantly jerk my own hand back toward his face. I’m aiming for his eyes, and when I hear him cry out, I know I’ve hit pay dirt. I jerk my hand back down, nailing him between the legs, and as soon as Tad’s grip loosens on me, I kick backward into his shins. Then I turn around and punch him in the face.
He tumbles, and I quickly reach beneath the car to grab my phone.
“Maddox? Yeah, I’m going to need you to bring the cops.”
Chapter 12
Maddox
By the time the police leave with Tad in custody, it’s late. Too late. It’s past midnight, and we’re both exhausted.
“You fought well,” Dylan says to Piper, and she offers him a hug in return.
“Thank you for coming,” she says.
Dylan looks to me and back to Piper. “Take care of him, okay?” He lowers his voice, almost so low that I can’t hear. “He’s the best partner I’ve ever had.”
Then Dylan, along with the rest of the police officers, leave the house, and Piper and I are alone.
She closes the door and locks it, and then turns to me, shaking her head.
“I can’t believe he found out where I live from the post office,” she says. “I was so careful. At least, I thought I was being careful. I never thought he’d follow me from there.”
“It’s not your fault, Piper, and you were fierce as fuck.”
I have to admit that I’m impressed with how she reacted to the asshole breaking into her garage. Piper totally kept her cool. She fought back like the incredible creature she is. She didn’t let fear guide her. She was strong, and I’m so very proud of her.