Samson

Chapter 19

Mackenzie~

The rest of the day had sucked.

Charlie had been tenser than a tightrope, and Raiden had been radiating anger in waves. Samson had also told us during lunch that there was no practice after school today because the JV team was going to scrimmage, and they were going to need the entire field. So, we were going to have to witness another blow up between Raiden and Charlie again when all three boys would be available to drive us home. Then, when Samson had found us during P.E. to tell us that the coach had called for a quick fifteen-minute meeting, Charlie had just rolled her eyes before walking off. Now I was hanging out by her locker, waiting for her.

A few minutes later, when my phone rang, and I saw her name flash across the screen, I braced myself for her sour mood.

"Charl-"

"Here's what you're going to do."

My entire body froze.

"Br...Brayden?"

"Hi, Mackenzie," he said, his voice oozing with malice. "Miss me, darlin'?"

"What's going on?" I rushed out. "Where's Charlie? Why do you have her phone?"

"It's simple," he replied. "Your cousin is keeping us company. For how long, depends on you."

It felt as if I'd been sucker punched, and while a part of me wanted to call his bluff, he was calling me from Charlie's phone.

"What is wrong with you, Brayden?" I hissed. "Have you lost your mind?"

"The day you left me, Mackenzie," he snapped into the phone. "Now, here's what you're going to do. Do you know where the March cutoff is when leaving Eastwood?"

"No," I bit out. "I...I don't have a car, Brayden. I've never driven around the town."

"Well, you have GPS on your phone, so that works just as well," he replied flippantly.

"Did you hear the part where I said I don't have a car?"

"I don't give a fuck!" he yelled into the phone. "But you better find one, Mackenzie, or so help me God, I'll turn this sweet thing over to the entire football team." My hands began to sweat, and bile threatened to rise from the pit of my stomach. "I want you here in twenty minutes, or your cousin will be split from pussy to asshole."

"Brayden!" I screamed, so that he couldn't hang up on me.

"Come alone, Mackenzie."

"Brayden, I need more than twenty minutes," I pleaded, panic threatening to take over. "I...I need to find a car I can borrow if you expect me to go alone."

"Borrow your boyfriend's," he said snidely. "I'm sure he'd be more than happy to lend you whatever he has."

"Samson will ask questions," I reasoned. "I...my friend, Amelia, she has a car. Let me...let me find her. But...but Brayden I need more than twenty minutes."

He was silent for a bit, but then finally relented. "Text this number when you get your hands on a car, and then we'll go from there."

I let out a painful sigh of relief, though I still couldn't believe that this was happening. I couldn't believe that Brayden had basically resorted to abducting my cousin to gain my attention. I mean, this crap didn't happen in real life. Still, I knew in the end that I was going to have to call the police, but until then, I needed to make sure that Charlie was safe first.

"Let me talk to Charlie," I insisted. "Before I do anything, Brayden, let me talk to Charlie."

"Sure," he replied easily, and that worried me.