Going Mad For Maddox

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

MADDOX

I STEP PAST the rusted gates of the abandoned amusement park, the warped sign above me still faintly spelling "Happy's Fun Adventure" in peeling paint.

Loud obnoxious music thumped somewhere deeper inside, the bass vibrating through the cracked asphalt beneath my boots. The sound felt like a heartbeat—loud, steady, and alive.

I passed an old chipped carousel; the forgotten horses staring blankly in the distance, frozen mid-gallop, their glass eyes catching the faint glow of scattered string lights swaying in the wind.

I look away heading toward the back of the park; the potent scent of stale beer and pot drifted in the air, mixing with the metallic tang of rust.

I tugged my hood lower, the shadows of my face my only ally here tonight.

Laughter erupted from somewhere ahead, shrill and drunken, echoing through the skeletons of carnival games. I followed the sound, my boots crunching over shattered glass, and discarded clothing. My left hand rested lightly on the knife, hiding securely in my waist band, while the other grazed the cold steel of the pistol under my jacket.

Weapons weren't just insurance here—they were survival.

The Ferris wheel loomed ahead, its skeletal frame leaning to one side, the cabins like empty eyes watching my every step. Beneath it, a bonfire roared, flames licking at the night sky.

And that's where I find Gio gathered there with his delinquent-like friends that will never amount to anything—drinking, laughing, celebrating like kings in their broken kingdom.

Gio stands near the fire, his fingers clutching a bleached blondes ass as he snorts something off of her bare tits before lifting his head back and shouting up into the night sky. He shoves the girl away, not caring that she falls right on her ass, barely noticing the scowl she throws in his direction and starts walking towards the back of the house of mirrors, away from the party.

Bingo.

I keep my distance, my eyes transfixed on his figure that lazily trips over broken glass, moving like a man with nowhere to be.

He ducks into an empty employee only building, the dim glow of an old neon sign spilling weak light over his retreating back. I slipped in after him, my steps careful, controlled. My pulse hammered in my ears, each beat a reminder of why I couldn't lose him.

He had answers—answers that could help me find my Kodi. And every minute that ticked was a valuable time being wasted.

I saw her face flashed in my mind. Her laugh, the way her hand lingered on skin, the way her body had carved itself into mine as our bodies moved like a silent prayer together.

Fuck— I need to find her, I need to find my baby.

He turned again, cutting through another door near the back and I hesitated at the threshold, peering inside. The air smelled of mildew, and the dim interior was filled with the faint hum of a flickering bulb. He hadn't gone far—I could hear the faint scuff of his boots on the floor above.

Every nerve in my body screamed at me to move faster, to grab him now, but I forced myself to stay in control. He had to lead me to the truth. To her. If I jumped too soon, I'd lose everything.

As I climbed the stairs, I caught sight of him slipping into a room at the end of the hallway. My breath slowed, each step deliberate now. The door was cracked open, a faint sliver of light spilling into the hallway. I could hear him muttering to himself when a phone started to ring.