WILDER

My eyes twitched before they half-opened. I saw my phone flashing between the sheets. The ringing was muffled, but the vibration woke me up.

I stretched my tired heavy arm to look for my phone. The buzzing kept drilling into my head. Every sound seemed a hundred times louder and every light bugged me as if the sun was shining straight into my eyes.

I grabbed my phone, but whatever it was doing, it stopped now. So, I let go of it, resting my hand.

I looked around. Empty bottles of liquor and a whole lot of junk food lay on the sheets.

How long have I been on this bed?

It was almost dark outside. I must have slept through the whole day. Well, not actually slept, but intoxicated myself to sleep. After hearing Tristen's voice trying to convince me to take the exam, I couldn't stop crying. I should be glad that he called, but I still cried.

My feelings were a mess. I didn't know how to react to anything anymore.

I forced myself up and rubbed the remaining tears from my eyes.

Then I remembered, My phone. It was acting weird. It wasn't a call. It had a different ring to it. An emergency ring. And it was flashing different colors.

My eyes narrowed before they opened wide.

"Oh, shit!"

I quickly snatched my phone and unlocked it. The first thing that popped up was an SOS message from Tris.

My heart rate jumped and my stomach flipped. This can't be happening.

"Shit, shit, shit."

I climbed out of bed, pacing. My throat felt dry all of a sudden, and I was sweating. I felt like I was having a panic attack.

I opened the message. There were three things in it: a 5-second-long voice note, a picture, and a live location. The picture was plain dark. The location was at the Goldwin's hotel, but it was moving. And finally, I clicked 'Play' on the voice note.

I heard Tris mumbling in a muffled kinda sleepy slow tone, "W-where are we goin'?"

He didn't sound okay. He sounded... drunk?

Then a man replied to him, "To a place I call home." Then he addressed someone else, "Take him to the Limo."

As soon as I recognized that voice, I yelled at my phone, "SON OF A BITCHHHH."

It was Rick Goldwin. Of course! That mother fucker had his eyes on Tris since the party. He was turned on by Tristen's body and adorable beautiful face. I should've known that he wouldn't be able to resist his charm. I hardly managed after all these years, and in the end, I still fucked up.

I was shaking. I'm gonna kill him. How dare he lay a hand on my Tris?

Led by my rage, I grabbed my car keys and left. I knew the police wouldn't get there fast enough. Based on the map on my screen, I was closer. So, I got into my car and drove as fast as I could, dialing 911 on the way.

A woman answered, "911, what's your emergency?"

"H-hello."

"Yes, sir. How may I help you?"

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself enough to speak coherently.

With one hand on the wheel, I put the phone on speaker and said, "My friend's in trouble." I gulped between my breaths. "His name is Tristen Butterfield, and he's being kidnapped by Rick Goldwin as we speak."

"And how do you know that, sir?"

"He sent me an SOS message with a recording and a live location. I'll share it with you right now."

I took an exit ramp at high speed and the tires screeched.

"Sir, are you driving?" she said as I heard her typing on a keyboard.

"I think they're in a black Limo." I tapped on the share button and sent all the details. "I'm going to follow them."

"Sir, for your safety, I advise you not to follow them. I received the location. Help is on the way."

I ignored her advice. I ran a red light and turned, barely missing a honking car on my left.

"Thanks. Please, hurry."

I hung up and checked the map. The Limo should be right in front of me by now. I watched the car ahead move to the right, and that was when that black unmistakable car of a devil showed up.

The plates read 'G0LD W1N.'

Now what? I didn't think this one through. All I know was that I had to stop the car before it reached that bastard's house.

Only a few minutes away!

While still on their tail, I tapped on my contacts list and dialed 'Marshmallow,' Tris' contact name. The reason I picked that name for him was that he's as fluffy and irresistible as a marshmallow, but I lied to him and said he remained me a bit of the DJ, Marshmallow. Tris was so gullible and innocent enough to buy it.

The phone rang as the Limo stopped at a red light. I thought about leaving the car and going after them on foot, but I dismissed it as a stupid idea. What if the doors were locked and Rick sees me? He'd tell his driver to go full speed away from me and I wouldn't be able to go to my car in time to follow them.

The car moved again and I followed right behind it. The windows were tinted so I couldn't tell who was there or what was happening inside.

The phone rang for so long until it stopped. Tris never answered. Panic rose inside me by the second. If Tris fell unconscious in that car then that meant Rick could do whatever he wanted with him.

I gritted my teeth and almost snapped the phone in my hand as I squeezed it. There was another number I could call and I dreaded calling it. It was Rick's number.

I called him. One ring. Two rings. He answered.

"Well, hello there, Wilder."

His voice was dark and full of smug. It irritated me enough to want to punch him in the face.

"Stop... the Limo," I said, fighting the rage with my every being.

"Oh," he calmly said. "I would love to, but I'm kinda busy right now."

That was when I snapped.

"YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH." I punched my car horn and I could hear the sound it made through Rick's end. "I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE."

"Oh, so you're the one following us." A sinister slow laugh vibrated from the other end of the line. "You rascal."

"Stop the car right now!"

"Or what?" Then he ordered his driver, "Faster, please. Some lunatic is following us."

That bastard!

The Limo sped up, but so did my car.

"Cut the crap and let Tristen go!"

"So, I guess you heard," Rick admitted as I heard him shifting in his seat and letting out a sigh. "Tristen and I are having so much fun without you."

He was trying to get under my skin, and it was working. My driving was getting reckless the more words that came out of his mouth. I barely had any control over my car, or myself.

I had no control at all, but I had to keep following them.

Only a couple of minutes left to reach Rick's house.

I heard a sloppy smooch. Then another. Then more kisses. At first, I was confused. I thought Rick was sending me kisses, but then I heard a sound that shocked me to the core.

"Stop..." Tristen was mumbling in a soft slurred voice, "Stop it..." Then he whimpered, "Wilder... Stop him."

My jaw dropped. My eyes were as big as saucers. At that very moment, I malfunctioned as I listened helplessly to what was happening at the other end of the line.

Hearing Tristen's voice pleading with that bastard to stop touching him with his dirty hands drove me to the edge. A red haze covered my eyes as I imagined their bodies writhing on the floor of that Limo; Tris begging Rick to stop and weakly pushing him away; Rick catching Tris' small wrists, pulling his arms above his head, and sucking at his neck.

A moan came through the speaker. A moan that I knew too well from a few days earlier. A moan that once turned me into a horny beast has now had another effect on me—Rage.

"Did you hear that, Wilder?" Rick ended his taunt with a chuckle. "Your little friend here makes the cutest sounds when he's with me."

Rick shamelessly continued using Tris, my Tris, for his pleasure. A wet kiss. A satisfied hum. A lustful breath.

My breathing grew heavier and heavier. I was losing it. Boiling blood rushed through my veins.

No one was allowed to touch my Tris like that! No one!

Then it happened—I lost my mind.

"AAAAAHHHHH." A monstrous scream erupted from my throat. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU, RICK," I yelled at my phone before throwing it on the passenger seat. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS, YOU PIECE OF SHIT."

I grabbed the wheel with both hands and stepped on the gas pedal all the way. The tires screeched, then my car pushed forward at max speed. The tail lights of the Limo were staring back at me moments before—

Crash!

The last thing I saw was blue and red flashes.

The last thing I heard was police sirens.

And the last thing I felt was pain.

Holy shit! 😱😱😱😱

Did Wilder just slam into Rick's Limo?? 😱

Dude, what the fuck???? 😫😫😫

NEXT CHAPTER: Pure Connection >