Vincent hasn’t been at school for the last few days. I’m really worried about him. I want to catch the bus back to Fort Street, or use the car to go check on him, but I know showing up at his door is a really bad move.

I wish I could tell Dad the truth and get him to go and check that Vincent’s okay, but then he’ll know how much I care about him and I’m trying to avoid permanent grounding right now.

After the last few days, Dad’s practically feral with anger.

Uncle Conrad stole our stuff and took off without a goodbye. Max kind of alluded to the fact that he had some gambling debts, but it was a whispered conversation out of Dad’s earshot and I didn’t get too many details before Max skittered back to her room.

The tension in our house is unbearable.

Mom’s pissed off with Dad for letting Uncle Conrad stay so long and going on about how she knew something like this would happen. Dad’s pissed off with his brother for betraying us so badly. Max is hurting that her favorite relative has skipped out, plus she’s…

I glance at my older sister, sitting on the bench with this hard, tormented look on her face.

We’re currently at the last game of our season, the one that will decide if we get into the playoffs or not. It’s a big deal. Dad’s brought a scout over from Ohio University for the sole purpose of watching Max and recruiting her.

There’s just one monumental problem: Max doesn’t want to be here.

Her heart and mind are with Velocity and the Summer Rock Festival audition they’re supposed to be doing right now.

She needs to be there with them, but instead she’s stuck here with us.

Coach tells her she’s up next and she moves like a robot, putting on her helmet and grabbing the bat. She’s been edgy all day, but since the last inning she’s seemed to shift into a new zone. This weird kind of emotionless autopilot.

Crap, she really shouldn’t be here.

“Okay, good play. Good play!” Coach shouts and applauds Kingston’s bunt while Max shuffles to home plate.

“Yeah, Maximus!” Dad shouts from the stands. He’s working overtime to impress the scout. I’ve never seen him so friendly and jovial.

Max taps her bat on home plate, and my stomach jitters with nerves.

“Strike one!” the umpire shouts.

Maddie hisses beside me, as anxious as I am.

“Come on, Maximus!” Dad claps his hands. “You can do better than that!”

I frown at Dad, wishing he’d shut up. Like Max needs that added pressure right now.

“Strike two!”

“Ouch,” Maddie murmurs, standing up as Max slumps her shoulders. “She really needs to get her head in this.”

“How can she when her heart’s somewhere else?”

Maddie glances down at me, her expression pained. I think it’s kind of hurting her that Max wants to give up on baseball. She’s always loved how kickass her twin is, but maybe Max is kickass at playing guitar too. Velocity wouldn’t have asked her to join if she wasn’t. We can’t make Max feel bad that she’s passionate about something other than baseball. Just because she’s amazing doesn’t mean she should have to do it for the rest of her life.

The pitcher winds up and I hold my breath until I hear that sweet thwack of the bat smashing the ball. Letting out a surprised laugh, I smile as the ball arcs through the air—a sweet homer.

“Yeah!” Maddie raises her arms, laughing when Holden jumps over and lifts her off the ground in a hug.

“That’s it, Max!” Holden hollers and claps with the rest of the team.

I study my sister closely as she runs around the bases. She’s concentrating, determined, but as she hits home plate, I can tell by the look on her face that she’s not into it. She hit the homer for Dad… not her.

Her lips are drawn in a tight line as she storms off the field, ignoring all the congratulatory pats on the back.

As soon as she’s behind Coach’s back, she throws her helmet off and starts shedding her gear.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

She glances over her shoulder to make sure Coach isn’t watching.

“I’ve got to go.”

“What?” Holden steps up, having heard her soft comment.

She winces at him. “I shouldn’t be here, and I should have been honest about that a long time ago.”

“But you’re so good,” he whispers.

“My heart’s not in it.” She blinks, her voice thickening with emotion.

I share a quick look with Maddie, who hides her disappointment behind a kind smile. Gliding her arm about Max’s shoulders, she gives her a little squeeze and then sets her free. “It’s okay, sis. We’ve got you covered. Just go.”

“Yeah.” I grin. “Go for it.”

“Thank you.” She practically sobs the words before kissing Maddie’s cheek, then mine.

I giggle and shunt her behind me, putting on an innocent smile when Coach turns around to see what we’re doing.

“Max just needs the bathroom.” I point over my shoulder at my retreating sister, who is full-on running after her heart and a completely new dream.

Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of her.

The amount of courage that must take. She’s defying Papa Bear right now. There are going to be big repercussions.

It makes me think of Vincent and how I shied away from the entire truth the other night when I told my parents about what a good guy he is.

I wonder if I’ll ever find the strength to really lay it out straight.

I’m in love with Vincent Mancini, so deal with it.

The idea makes a shaky laugh escape me.

“I know.” Maddie nods, totally oblivious to what I’m really thinking. “The aftermath for this thing is going to be huge.”

“We’re going to get yelled at,” I murmur.

“Oh yeah, that vein in his forehead is going to bulge big-time!” She raises her eyebrows and all I can do is let out another jittery giggle.

* * *

Maddie was right. I’ve never seen Dad’s vein pop out that far. He is fuming, and since he shoved us in the car, demanding we take him to Max’s location, he hasn’t uttered a word.

I can’t decide which is scarier—Dad’s bellowing outside the locker rooms once we admitted that Max had taken off to Brazenwood to play guitar with her boyfriend Cairo Hale, or his stony silence since.

In an eerily calm voice, he instructed Mom to take our yellow Camry home and then ordered us into the back of his car. I don’t know why our Camry was still in the parking lot. I figured Max would take it to get to the club, but maybe she hitched a ride with a friend or something.

My confusion has been overrun by nerves. I can ask her when we get to the club…if Dad will let me.

I glance at Maddie and we cringe at each other.

I didn’t expect Dad to drag us along too, but I guess we’re partly responsible. We lied to get Max out of the game, and we even tried to lie when Dad first found us, saying Max was sick. It took him two seconds to see through Maddie’s lame attempt and before I could even speak, she was confessing everything in this fast, nervous clip.

We’re over halfway to Brazenwood now. Oh man, it’s going to be like a freaking fireworks display when Dad walks into that club and finds her. I feel sorry for Max already. And poor Cairo’s going to get it too. Yeah, Maddie confessed that little tidbit when Dad was towering over her, yanking out the truth like an expert interrogator.

Dad’s phone starts ringing. He grabs it off the dash, his face contorting as he answers it.

“You have some serious explaining to do!” he yells.

I flinch and Maddie reaches for my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Oh, I am already on my way,” Dad grits out, then glances over his shoulder. “Yes, Maddie and Chloe have been very helpful. I’ve even brought them along for the ride so I can blast you all together.”

Maddie and I shrink back into the seat as Dad turns to face the road.

But then he goes still, the anger in his voice evaporating. “Are you okay?”

Fear spikes through me and I bolt up straight. Dad’s tone is off. It’s that cool, calm one he sometimes uses when he’s really scared.

“Max, what’s going on?” Dad winces like he’s just been punched in the stomach. “Max? … Max! … Shit!”

He throws the phone onto the passenger seat and floors it.

“Dad is everything okay?” Maddie leans forward in the seat.

“When we get to the club, you two need to stay in the car. Got it?”

“But why?”

“Maddie, just do as I say.”

There’s that fear again, that gruff mask he wears when going into battle.

“I will. I just want to know what’s going on.”

“Your sister’s got herself into some trouble. This is what happens when you lie and go off and do things you’re not supposed to do!”

His words make me cringe as we speed into Brazenwood. I really need to tell him about Vincent. Not tonight, of course. I value my life, and his. I imagine after this that Dad will not be in a very charitable mood when it comes to matters of the heart.

As soon as we reach the club, Dad finds a parking space across the street and repeats his order for us to stay in the car.

Maddie and I nod, anxiously watching him cross the road.

“What kind of trouble?” Maddie softly asks.

“I have no idea.” I lean around her so I can get a better look at the club. The Escapar sign is glowing in red neon above the entrance. It’s written in this cool scrawl-like writing. It’s obvious the club is new. Everything about the place has a cool, modern edge to it. People are milling outside the club, a large line forming, but Dad walks right to the front and is allowed in without a hitch. I don’t know what he said. He didn’t even flash his badge and they moved aside for him.

I frown and study faces while we wait. It feels like an eternity.

“Is that Cairo?” Maddie nudges me with her elbow. “Look, there!”

She points out the window as Cairo and the rest of Velocity squeeze out of the club. Mr. Hale is there too, and that must be his wife, Mrs. Hale. They all look sick with worry.

“What the hell is going on?” I whisper.

“I don’t know, but screw waiting in the car.” Maddie shoulders the door open and we race across the street to get some answers.

Cairo doesn’t even see us until Maddie’s beside him, demanding his attention and a whole heap of answers.

“She followed your uncle Conrad. He was being dragged out the back by these two guys. I don’t know what’s going on, but…” His expression is pure agony and my insides are reeling.

Uncle Conrad’s back? He was dragged away?

What the hell is going on?

Wrapping my arms around my waist, I shuffle from foot to foot, my imagination turning from one ugly scenario to the next. Thank God Dad has gone in to fix this. Worry nearly eats me alive until I’m distracted by a short Latina woman who struts out of the club with a plastic smile on her face. She’s in stiletto heels and a dress that leaves nothing to the imagination. Her dark hair is perfectly arranged, as is her makeup. She looks like a model…and something about her is so familiar, but I can’t think where I’ve seen her before.

Cairo storms toward her. “Where is she?”

“She’s coming. Her father is bringing her out. Everyone is fine. Everyone is happy.”

Maddie scoffs. “I highly doubt that.”

The woman gives her a tight smile before leaning forward and saying something I can’t hear.

Cairo’s face contorts with anger. “I don’t know what the hell goes on back there, but if she even has one scratch, I am making it a big deal.”

“She’s safe, so don’t worry.” The woman’s voice takes on a hard edge as her eyes flash with warning. Then as if a switch has been flicked, she pastes on a charming smile and waves us a cheerful goodbye.

“Who was that?” I ask, staring after the woman as she struts back into the club.

“That’s Luisa Garcia.” Cairo scrubs his face with a sigh. “Her brother and husband own this club.”

“I take it she’s in charge of marketing.” Maddie’s voice is dry and unimpressed.

I glance at my sister and then look back to the club. Where have I seen that woman before? It’s bugging me that I can’t place her.

“There they are.” Maddie jolts away from me, running across to our family.

“I told you to stay in the car!” Dad thunders.

“Yeah, right.” Maddie brushes past him and yanks Max into her arms.

My poor sister looks lost and petrified. I know that expression. I felt it the night I was nearly raped. Alarm jolts through me and I race across to her, wrapping my arms around both my sisters and clinging tight to create a fortress around Max. I don’t know what the hell went on in that back room, but I’m nearly quaking with relief that Max made it out okay.

“Girls, get in the car!” Dad barks, but we all ignore him, still locked in a group hug that’s surging with unspoken emotion.

Cairo appears behind me, squeezing past so he can get close to Max and run his hand down her back. He leans his forehead against the side of her face and my heart melts. It’s so sweet. It makes me think of Vincent.

I want to see him so badly right now. I want to make sure he’s okay. I want to tell him about tonight.

Maddie and I pull away so that Cairo can hug her properly, but he doesn’t even get his arms around her before Dad ruins it.

“Get away from her.” He yanks Cairo back. “You are not to touch my daughter again.”

“Dad—” Max tries to intervene, but her argument evaporates when Dad points at her.

“You walk to the car and you get in. You don’t talk, you don’t look over your shoulder. You understand me?”

She looks devastated as she skims her eyes over Cairo, then nods and shuffles away. Maddie and I flank her, resting our hands on her back and guiding her to the car. She pulls in a shaky breath and as soon as we’re in the back seat blurts, “I’m sorry to drag you into this. I didn’t mean for it to…”

Her voice is cut off by this dry sob that tears at my heart.

“They’ve got Uncle Rad,” she sobs.

“What?” I whisper, but don’t have time to find out the truth before Dad slams into the car.

This creepy silence descends as Max shrinks in on herself. I glance over her shoulders to catch Maddie’s eye. Even she doesn’t have the nerve to speak right now.

But I’m dying to know what Max meant about Uncle Conrad.

Who’s got him?

Dad pulls away from the curb, muttering to himself, until he finally explodes.

“You could have been killed, Max!” He slaps the wheel and I can’t help flinching.

Max could have been what?

She whimpers and pulls in this raggedy breath. “Uncle Conrad came back to help make things right. He gave me a ride to the club, not knowing that the guys he was running from were going to be there.” She sniffs and wipes the tears off her face as she looks between me and Mads. “Those gambling debts have caught up with him, and now they’ve got him! And they won’t give him back until Dad’s paid the money!”

Maddie gasps, and all I can do is gape at my sister. This is unreal.

“It’s okay, girls. I’m going to make it right.” Dad’s deep voice is so sure and confident. “Uncle Conrad will be safe and sound by 8:03 tomorrow night. Believe me.”

I lean back in my seat, tuning out Dad’s assurances while I try to process the fact that my sister could have been killed tonight and my uncle is being held hostage until my father can pay for his release.

Holy crap! This is heavy.

As we head for home, my mind jumps back to that woman outside of the club. Luisa Garcia. Does she have something to do with all of this? She came out assuring Cairo that everything was fine. Was she covering for her brother and husband, who own the club? How does she fit into the chain?

Man, something about her is really bugging me, and I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until I figure out who she is and how I know her.