Magic or Madness (The Wreck Me Duet #1)

OZZY

There is nothing harder than leaving Fallon behind to do a job, but I take comfort in knowing she’ll be here with us, at least in Bluetooth spirit.

We’re geared up, driving down the highway when we finally approach Journey and Lex’s exit. Oliver watches them take the off-ramp in the rearview until we lose sight, signaling that we’re alone.

The cash is in the middle seat, and we’re ready to make this handoff. Oliver’s my backup, and this move solidifies my choice to appoint him as my number two. It’s always been Oliver and I, the only one I truly trust, and there’s no greater feeling than running shit with him beside me.

“How long?” I ask, the time feeling like it’s moving at a snail's pace.

“Thirty minutes until the meet, ten minutes until we reach the warehouse,” Oliver says, giving directions and calming my nerves all at once.

Soon enough, we’re in place, and I click on my earpiece, eager to hear what the guys see, but more importantly, I need Fallon’s voice to keep me going.

I adjust the gun in my waistband and drop the bag of cash on the ground at my feet. We’re about twenty minutes away from the meet, and I’m confident in the plans we came up with.

“How are we looking?” I ask, but it’s silent, nothing coming through.

We triple-checked the connection, so there shouldn’t be any technical difficulties.

“Street cams are clear and we have eyes on you both,” Lex finally says, a slight hesitation in his voice that I can hear crystal clear.

“Bambi? You copy?” I muse, waiting for a smart-mouth comment that never comes.

Everyone is silent as we wait for Fallon to answer, but that moment passes, as well as a few more, and I feel the panic rising in my throat.

“Lex, Journey, have you guys heard from her?”

Whatever is going on, they’re not sharing, and anxiety is coursing through my veins. Something isn’t right, she was more ready for this than all of us, and she’d never just not answer.

“No, Ozzy. We haven’t heard from Fallon yet, we’ve been on comms for about twenty minutes, attempting to make contact,” Lex answers slowly, and I feel the rage burning from my toes, making its way up into my chest.

“Okay, maybe she forgot how to use it. Double-check the cams at the dealership, please. Just check that she didn’t leave or anything.” My breaths feel like sharp stabs to the chest, no one answers me, and Oliver and I exchange a look of panic, knowing that this is completely unlike Fallon.

Before I can say anything more, two black cars pull down the road, and the client is early.

I can’t tell if that’s a good or bad sign, but everything else has to wait as I need to put on my best poker face. I stand tall, one hand in front of me, the other gripping my waistband in case things take a turn.

Oliver assumes the same position, and we offer a united front as two men exit the vehicle, covered head to toe in black clothing.

They’re wearing the same face masks that we are, and there goes any hope of identifying them. I glance at the cars, noticing the license plates, and I hope Lex is paying attention, getting all the information he can while we’re vulnerable out here.

One of the men steps forward, so I do the same, nodding at Oliver to stay behind me.

“We have the cash,” I say, but he doesn’t respond, almost as if he’s waiting for something.

I notice that he has a Bluetooth device in his ear, just as we do, and when he nods, I realize he’s gotten his orders. Most likely from the man we’ve been in contact with.

“This is for you. Next time, you’ll understand the terms set out beforehand,” he says, almost like he’s reciting lines that have been fed to him.

The second man isn’t as big, but he steps up, handing me a small box, and Oliver immediately flanks to my left, his weapon drawn.

“What is this?” I yell, but neither man responds, turning away and walking back to the cars.

They don’t even bother with the money, and I have a twisted sense that we’ve been played.

None of this went as planned, and the box I’m holding feels like it weighs a million pounds.

“What is it?” Oliver asks, but I can’t move, I’m frozen, staring into the abyss in complete disbelief.

What did I miss?

“Hey, Oz. Open it.” Oliver shakes me slightly, tearing me out of my dead stare while I look down at the cardboard in my hands, slowly pulling the tape and opening the flaps.

My jaw drops, and I feel full panic cascade over me, stealing my ability to breathe. It hits me all at once, like a fucking semi-truck, and I can barely say the words out loud.

None of this would be concerning, but altogether, it’s fucking alarming. The bells are sounding, the troops should be deployed, and we’re caught in a full-scale war, walking in completely blind.

I’m staring down at one of our Bluetooth earpieces, the Athena necklace I bought for Fallon’s birthday, and a small lock of purple hair.

Finally, it clicks into place, and the panic has disappeared, being replaced by something much more dangerous: u nfiltered rage.

“Taken. She’s been … taken,” I choke out, and Oliver’s hand rests on my shoulder, tearing me out of my thoughts.

Rather than repeating myself, or explaining, I hand him the box and his eyes go wide as saucers.

“Lex, check all the cameras at the dealership, street cams, too. Fallon’s been kidnapped.” Oliver’s voice echoes through me like a boomerang, the words swirling around my mind and making this situation much more real.

He’s dragging me by the arm back to the truck, but nothing makes sense, and the whole world seemingly begins crashing at my feet, my thoughts somersaulting from bad to worse.

Without Fallon, everything is meaningless.

She’s the only ray of light, the only thing that makes life worth living, and to me, she’s fucking priceless. Since I met her, I’ve become a different person, all because of her. That wild hair, her sweet smile with the dimples, how everything inside of her mind is unrated genius, all of it makes her the most important person on this planet. If something happens to her, I won’t be the same, and I will burn down every single building, vehicle, and person standing in the way of getting her back home safely.

“Oz, you with me?” Oliver snaps his fingers in my face, pulling me back to reality.

I didn’t notice him driving, or how fast we were going, but he’s speeding back the same way we came. Lex is yelling through the comms, but I can’t understand a word he’s saying, everything sounds like it’s underwater, and I feel like I’m drowning, attempting to fight my way back to the surface.

I can’t give up, though. Fallon is out there, and she needs me. I can fall apart later, once she’s home, but right now, I muster up every ounce of strength that I have, ready to fight for my Bambi.

“What do we have?” I ask, and instead of good news, or even a sliver of hope, I hear a chorus of deep breaths.

“She was taken, Ozzy. About fifteen minutes after we left,” Lex says sympathetically, but I can barely contain my rage.

I want to punch everything in sight, light fires, and blow shit up, but none of that unfiltered anger will bring her back to me. All of my energy needs to be directed toward finding her.

“Do you want to hear the rest?” Oliver turns to face me, his face a shade of white that even a ghost couldn’t achieve, but I nod, encouraging him that I’m alright to continue.

Unfortunately, I need all the details if I’m going to find her. It’s the most torturous, punishing moments of my life, but I have to be present. As much as it kills me, or rips my heart into shreds, I have to hear this.

“Three black cars pulled up to the dealership, and they carried her out, putting her in one of the three identical vehicles. She looked to be … drugged or maybe unconscious,” Journey finishes, and I ball my hands into fists, holding myself in check.

“I’m on it, Ozzy. I’m checking cameras everywhere, and when we find the car, we’ll find her. I promise we’ll bring her home safely.” Lex rushes to explain, but I shake my head, not wanting to hear the ifs and maybes .

“Any emails from the client?” I change the subject, knowing that this is the retribution he’d alluded to in one of the messages.

Everyone is silent, except for the clicking and keys smashing coming from Lex’s end.

“Nothing yet. He’ll make contact soon, I hate to say it, but he has no leverage if Fallon’s dead. That’s a good thing,” Lex says, and as much as I know he means well, I want to scream.

My mind is racing, and there’s a piece of me missing with Fallon gone. I never wanted her involved in this part of my life, and right now, I regret ever inviting her in.

She should be like Cami and Pepper, going on shopping trips and getting her nails done while we work, not throwing herself in the middle of the job and becoming one of us.

Fuck.

“Oliver, call Camila. Get the girls back to the dealership, we need to keep them safe, too,” I blurt out, and he scrambles, reaching for his phone.

I relay the same message to Lex over the earpiece, and both guys get in contact with the girls almost instantly. It’s a luxury I don’t have at this moment, and something so small that I’d give up everything on this Earth to have.

“They’re coming home,” Oliver whispers, and I feel a pang of jealousy coursing through me.

It’s evil, and not the best reaction, but I want nothing more than the same thing.

“You’re going to take them to a hotel a few towns over, pay with cash, and be so fucking serious that they cannot leave the room under any circumstances,” I order, my tone coming out harsher than I’d like.

Before I’d even realized it, those two girls became important to me, too. Not just because they could be hurt by someone wanting to get to us, but because they’re family. They’re our family.

“Absolutely, Oz. She’s coming home, alright? They didn’t only steal from you, just remember that,” he says with a slight crack in his voice.

After what feels like an eternity, we get back to the dealership, the front door left wide open, and I take a deep breath, preparing myself for the carnage waiting on the other side of the threshold.

My Bambi put up a fight, but my heart stops when I see a small trail of blood coming from the office, leading to the middle of the floor where it ends. I can only hope that she got ahold of one of them, rather than the other way around.

If even one hair on her head is hurt, I will turn bloodthirsty, desperately seeking revenge until I destroy them all.

Three cars, three men, three lives I will take without a second thought.

Then there’s the boss, the client, the man who ordered this kidnapping. He’ll be dealt with, but in a much slower fashion, and I will take nothing but pure satisfaction from it all when I end his life, too.

I don’t know what to do, or how to move forward without raging against everything in my path.

“Someone find Max. He’s a fucking idiot, but not collateral damage!” I yell, and Journey jumps on it without a single objection.

“It looks like the car carrying Fallon exited the same route that we did, but it’s rural out there, and I lost them a few miles after the traffic light,” Lex explains, and I rest my head in my hands, the more I hear, the less confident I feel.

I’m sure she’s waking up by now, depending on what they gave her, and she’s terrified. She knows I’ll come for her, though, and her faith in me will keep her strong.

I find myself wandering to our room, staring at the photos of us plastered all over the walls. We’ve been so happy together since the day we met, solidifying a connection that most people would kill for, and I gently run my fingers along the B she carved into my chest.

My beautiful girl, my Bambi.

“Hey, boss. The girls are here, we’re heading out,” Oliver interrupts, and Cami bursts through the door with tears streaming down her face.

“You better fucking bring her home, Ozzy! Please!” She yells, pounding her tiny fists on my chest, but her voice slowly trails off into a whisper.

“I will, Camila. I promise.” I grab her wrists, slowly pushing them back into her body, and she sniffles, pulling me in for a quick hug.

“I love her too,” she cries, and I feel my heart crack a little more at her words.

“I know you do. Keep Pepper safe, okay? Stay in the room, and don’t come out unless it’s one of us,” I tell her, and she wipes her tears, nodding along as I speak.

As much as I want to, I can’t break down like Cami did, not right now, and not until Fallon is safely in my arms. Everyone here is counting on me, looking at me to be strong, to be their leader, and I can’t fail them too. I already lost one member of this family, and I refuse to let it happen again.

Now that Oliver has taken the girls away from here, I can breathe a little easier, knowing that they’re not getting caught in the crosshairs of our mess.

I find Lex and Journey in the office, lost in their laptops, and they both look up at me with somber faces.

“Max has been blowing off steam at a bar, staying at a shitty motel downtown,” Journey says, and I contemplate the positives versus the negatives of bringing him home.

He’s still pissed, and that energy is the last thing we need at a time like this, but he’s family and deserves to be protected as such.

“It’s your call, J. He’ll listen to you if you want to bring him home,” I tell him, leaving the ball in his court.

“He’ll never let you hear the end of it, Oz. The last thing we need is another fight,” he counters, but I shake my head, uninterested in anything that doesn’t have to do with the demons we can’t see.

“I’m in no mood for a fight with anyone besides the people who took Fallon.” I turn my attention to Lex, but he immediately folds, informing me he’s got nothing new.

I know how this works, eventually, we’ll have something, or contact from the client, but every moment that passes feels like a lifetime, and my patience is running very thin.

“Oz, what can I get you? Something to eat, maybe some water?” Lex asks, but I feel it all at once, collapsing onto the couch.

I’m fucking lost, not a single clue of what to do, and the only person I could ask is the one who isn’t here.

Fallon is my sun, moon, and every single star in the sky, even the ones that can’t be seen.

I can’t think clearly, she’s the only thing on my mind, front and center, and the clarity I’m lacking is what could ruin our chances of getting her home safely.

“I just … need her. Nothing else will suffice,” I say, using one of the fancy words she taught me.

“How about some sleep? You’ve been burning it at both ends, and she needs you to be strong.” He hands me a drink, knowing it’s the one thing that will put my mind at ease long enough to numb the pain.

“I can’t sleep in there without her. I’ll crash here, but you better fucking wake me up if we have anything. I don’t care how small.” I chug the drink in one long sip, letting it burn as it flows through my body, everything slowly coming to a screeching halt as it catches up with me.

Lex agrees, but he sounds like he’s far away, and I slowly let my eyes close, the exhaustion creeping in once I rest my head on the cushion.

The stress of Fallon’s kidnapping, on top of everything else we’ve been through these last few weeks has my body feeling seriously depleted. I don’t know what comes next, or how to find and bring Fallon home, but I just have to believe that when the time comes, I’ll know what to do.

The waves crash onto the shore delicately, and I watch from our blanket as my favorite girls swim in the ocean, the sun shining down on all of them.

There’s splashing, wave riding, lots of laughter and smiles, making this the absolute perfect beach day.

There are kids making sand castles, moms and dads digging pre-made sandwiches out of their coolers, and teenagers tossing a football away from the lines of towels and umbrellas littered across the shoreline. Some have been here since daybreak, some are just getting their day started well into the afternoon.

A small plane flies overhead, a silly insurance banner flapping in the sky as people point and shield their eyes from the sun to get a glimpse.

Seagulls stomp through the sand, looking for scraps of french fries or chips scattered from the ocean’s breeze. Music blares from the beachside bar, loud enough to hear the bass, but not enough to drown out the sounds of screaming, laughter, and memories being made.

“Come here!”

I smile, hearing the calls of my girls coming from the water, and I get up to join them.

Fallon and Cami are splashing each other, their smiles infecting everyone around them.

Pepper rides the waves, holding hands with a girl who looks familiar, but I can’t remember her name.

Her hair is tied in a slick ponytail, and her bathing suit resembles a tank top, rather than a bikini like the other girls.

Something about her feels comforting, and her presence puts me at ease, like everything is okay here.

Masha.

Her name comes back to me in waves, ones similar to the water splashing at my feet, but I can’t get closer. I’m cemented in place, the sand keeping me here on the shore, almost like a punishment.

I can’t get to Masha or Fallon.

I can’t keep them safe.

I can’t keep any of them safe.

They’re pretending they can’t hear me screaming, begging them to come out of the water, blissfully unaware of my presence.

Am I here?

Where is here ?

This place is different, and when I look around me, nobody can hear me.

A group of kids walk right by me as if I’m not standing in the water, bumping into my arm.

I say sorry, but they don’t even turn my way.

I try harder to move my legs, pushing my body to move one inch, then another, but I’m sinking lower, my feet becoming buried under the sand and water.

I scream louder, yelling at the top of my lungs, but I can’t get through.

Come here.

Come here.

Please, come here.

Come … Here …

“Ozzy! Hey, we have a new email, come here!” I hear Lex yelling, but I’m not on the beach anymore.

I open my eyes, realizing that I’m in the dealership, and everything in my head was a lie.

It was a dream.

It felt so real, with Masha and Fallon, but I wasn’t there with them, wherever that place was. I’m still trapped in the confines of my own hell, begging for something to help me find Fallon.

“Come here, Oz,” Lex repeats, and I rub my eyes, bringing myself into reality.

“What is it?”

“New email. He’s proposing a deal, and you aren’t going to like it,” he says, spinning the laptop around to face my side of the desk.

I read it over multiple times, trying to process what he’s demanding.

In exchange for Fallon, he wants a million dollars, and our word that we won’t back out on him again. He’ll also keep Doc’s disappearance a secret, but that sounds like more leverage to me.

“What do you think?” Lex pulls on my arm, begging me to say something, and I throw my hands in the air, at a complete loss.

“Fuck! I don’t know. We need her back, but what, we’re his lackeys now? We live terrified that he’ll pluck one of us out of bed when we talk back? This is fucking insane. We have nothing else to lead us to her?” I run my hands through my hair, desperate for this to be over with.

“Hey, what can we do to help?” Journey interrupts, with Max standing behind him.

He’s a fucking mess, unshaven and in the same clothes he was wearing the night he smashed shit, but he’s here . That’s all that matters.

When I see the daylight beaming through the windows I realize I was out all night. Lex must’ve slipped something in my drink because for the first time in a while, I feel like I actually slept.

I’m not happy about it, but that’s nowhere near the top of my priority list.

“Are you here to help, or to talk shit? Fallon is the only thing that matters right now,” I bark, nodding my head at Max and allowing him one split-second to stay, or run.

“Here to help, Ozzy. I’m so sorry –” he starts, but I cut him off, not interested in apologies.

“Go clean yourself up. We need you,” I tell him, turning my attention back toward the computer.

I scan the message again, and I close my eyes, trying to think of what Fallon would say to this.

The money we can get. It’s in Jacksonville, and someone can make that drive. It’d be here in twelve, maybe thirteen hours. Working for this guy is where I pump the brakes, not sure if it’s the right move. I could lie, agree to the deal, then turn our backs, but then we’d end up in the same predicament we’re in now.

This guy wants us, and I can’t figure out why .

The Doc blackmail isn’t enough to hang over our heads, and rather than walking away, he’s upped the stakes, kidnapping Fallon in return for our employment.

It’s all so very strange, and I have to wonder if he’s someone we know, or even was connected to Doc, in a different era. It’s too personal to be random, and if anyone’s been watching us, they’d know Fallon is our weakest point.

“Lex. We’re being watched,” I say ominously, thinking out loud.

“How so?”

“It’s too personal. Someone has to know us to weaken us at the knees this way. Taking Fallon wrecks us all, and whoever he is, knows that. We’re being watched,” I explain, pacing around the small office.

“I have software for that, nobody has hacked our phones or laptops,” he says, tapping away at the keys.

“Then it’s up close surveillance. Have you noticed anyone on the cameras, or in town, maybe?”

“I’ve been monitoring them every day, as I always do, and nothing has come across as alarming. I will comb over some footage again, maybe there’s something I missed,” he offers, and I nod, letting him get on it.

An idea forms, but I know everyone will push back on it. It’s the reason why Max left, and we tried so hard to keep things under wraps.

In our world, murdering your leader is a huge risk, especially if the circle is so tight that there are never any rumors as to why. That’s what happened when Max called a mutiny on Doc, and why it had to stay hidden. We’d never be respected again, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.

That day is one I’ve wished a million times that I could forget, but today, I’m grateful that I have every detail memorized.

It has to be the perfect execution, and I need the group majority before I can put a plan in motion. We won’t tolerate blackmail, and we’re getting Fallon back.

Once Max is showered, and Oliver is back from bringing the girls breakfast, I sit everyone down and update them on the latest.

“We can either go public or let this be used against us, held at someone else’s mercy for who knows how long. I say, we follow this plan, and slowly let the news of Doc hit the streets. Who is against it?” I ask, my plans written out on the infamous whiteboard.

Everyone is silent, and I didn’t expect full cooperation without a little pushback.

“I’m doing whatever you want, Ozzy. Anything to get Fallon, and our lives back,” Oliver interjects, and all the guys nod along with his words, Max included.

“Do it. I can’t live with this over my head anymore,” Max says, and I know exactly how he feels.

It’s settled, Doc is officially dead. The least important part of this plan, but the biggest obstacle.

“As for the money, who’s willing to take a ride?”

Immediately, Max volunteers, with Journey calling shotgun. I didn’t expect Max’s full allegiance, but maybe this is his way of making amends, for everything.

“Go, and get it all. It doesn’t do us any good in a storage unit,” I order, and they both hustle, grabbing their essentials and heading toward the door.

Within an hour, everything is in motion, with the option of working with this client still up for negotiation. That, I keep to myself, saving it for when I see him in person.

“This is good, Oz. She’s coming home.” Oliver slaps my shoulder, but I shake my head, not even close to convinced that this is going to work.

“The parts are in motion, but I’m not handing anything over until there’s proof of life,” I say softly, and the room goes silent, my voice cracking as the words escape my lips.

Proof of life.

I can’t move forward, hand anything over, or blow up our lives until I know she’s alive. That’s the hardest part about this. I don’t know if she’s okay, and although I’ve tried to keep focused on getting her back, pushing the endless possibilities out of my mind, I can’t help but wonder what’s happening to her.

Lex types away on his laptop, drafting a reply I assume, and when he swings the screen in my direction I read it over carefully.

He kept it simple, demanding a one-minute phone call with Fallon, setting a deadline for four hours from now.

This is a negotiation, and the first one to agree to terms – loses.

He’ll counter and probably argue for less time to avoid any interference or call tracing, but we’ll accept that. I’m letting him think he has the power before we blindside him with the information leaking about Doc’s death.

It’s a big risk, but one I have to take to fight for our freedom, and my girl. Everything is in place, the dominos slowly cascading in a line, toppling one after another, and when the client least expects it, every piece of leverage he has over us will be gone, rendering him powerless. The clock starts now .

Twelve hours until the final piece is in place.

“You’re doing the right thing. It’s time to come clean.” Oliver pulls me out of my thoughts, his presence bringing a sense of calm over me.

“I fucking hope so. If not … it means nothing without her.”

His hand rests on my shoulder, and he offers me a cigarette, something I rarely partake in, but I could really use an outlet right now.

“Let’s go outside, get some air,” he suggests, holding his hand toward the door.

I look back at Lex, and he waves me on, his way of letting me know he’s on it all.

The sun is blinding, and I can’t help but let my mind wander.

What is Fallon doing? Is she okay, are they torturing her? Fucks sake, for all I know they could be forcing her to give up information, or worse, taking advantage of her.

With that thought, the rage boils over, and I can’t control it this time.

I punch the side of the building with my right hand, the pain searing through me, but I can finally fucking feel something. I do it again, this time with my left, hooking the brick as if it wronged me somehow.

I do it over and over again, connecting my fists until blood pours from my knuckles, the crimson-red liquid pooling onto the pavement in slow drips.

I examine the damage, knowing that this is going to hurt like a son of a bitch later, but it’s better than feeling nothing at all.

“Did it help?” Oliver teases, passing me the cigarette, my fingers staining the filter with blood, and I sigh, letting the nicotine work its way through my body.

My body buzzes in reaction, and all my senses feel heightened, the adrenaline coursing through my veins with every drag.

I look down at my hands again, and the blood makes me think of my Bambi, the night we did our oath. This feels like a connection to her, and through my pain, I can feel her terror, but also her strength.

Suddenly, I’m certain that she’s okay, like my terrified thoughts were heard and immediately debunked. She’s going to be alright, and she’s coming home to me. I believe that wholeheartedly.

If there’s one thing I learned from Fallon, is that anything is possible, and I choose to take this as a sign that what I’m doing is right, and she’s waiting for me.

“We’ve got something!” Lex yells from inside, and I stomp the cigarette out, following Oliver back inside.

This is it, the first round of negotiation.

Lex reads the email aloud and I close my eyes, letting the words cascade over me. I’m soaking it all in, carefully listening to the twisted demands of a sick man.

He listed the meeting place, the requirements, and will allow me a fifteen-second proof of life call with Fallon that will take place thirty minutes before the meeting.

This person loves to be in control, like he thrives off it, and I’m prepared to let him have his way. My revenge will come at a different time, but today, I’ll comply with whatever it is he wants, as long as Fallon comes back to me.

I look to Oliver and Lex, who are waiting for my command, and I give the green light.

“Let’s make a deal.”

It’s time to bring Bambi back home.