Tainted, Book One: Possessed

43. Trap

Gemma

On Friday, I found a note taped to the front of my gym locker.

Gemma,

Forget what we were talking about doing today. It was just a cover. Meet me in the dojo instead. I have a surprise for you!

Kerry

Smiling widely, I tucked the paper safely in my bag. It was the first note he'd ever written me and I wanted to keep it.

With Reilly Argaud out of my life, I felt as if I'd been freed from a crushing weight. I didn't have to worry that he was going to pop up somewhere to torment me or, worse, force Kerry's control to finally crumble.

So it was with a light heart and high spirits that I changed and bounded out of the locker room, curiosity biting at me. As I sprinted across the gym, I heard Tara call my name and I waved, but didn't stop.

What could he have planned? And why there?

I realized my mistake as soon as I entered the dojo and someone tackled me so hard, my head bounced off the hardwood floor like a basketball.

#

Kerry

"What's going on?"

I gripped the door handle and yanked on it again. Nope. Still locked. A bad feeling climbed up my throat.

"We can go out the way we came in and through the main gym entrance." Jax walked toward the front of the locker room.

I was pretty certain what he would find. And I was right. In seconds, he was back, shaking his head.

"It's locked, too."

We tried shouting, but no one heard us. Since we couldn't hear the noise of the gym through the heavy wooden doors, that wasn't a surprise.

"I hope Gemma is all right." That bad feeling was getting worse. "I don't like this."

"Let's keep positive," Jax said. "It could be a prank or a mistake. Do you know how to pick a lock? Or maybe we could use one of the benches as a battering ram?"

"If it's a joke or prank, it's a bad one."

She was probably fine. I had no proof she was in trouble, right? But my instincts were screaming at me, and Clem's words kept echoing in my mind.

The way to hurt you isn't to hurt you, is it?

I paced for a moment, then made my decision, willing to accept whatever consequences followed as long as it meant my girl was safe.

"Something's wrong, Jax. Stand behind the lockers. I dunno how far stuff's gonna fly."

"What's your plan?"

"I'm gonna smash through the door." I rolled my shoulders, loosening up.

"What kind of plan is that?!"

"If I'm wrong, you can yell at me later."

#

Gemma

Reilly drove his fingers further into my braid, pulling my hair so hard it brought tears to my eyes. I shoved against him with all of my strength, hoping to gain a bit of leverage, but he was too strong.

Light glinted off of something metallic in Reilly's hand, a simple gold chain with a round medallion. It looked exactly like the one Kerry had taken off of Travis Peale, and I began to panic. I did not want that thing around my neck.