“I get that. I do. But it’s the same with the kids. You said your mum will have Jasmine for you on the days you’re at work, but what about anyone else?”
“I don’t trust anyone else,” I tell him, meeting his gaze dead on.
His pupils dilate. “You trust me.”
“Yeah,” I whisper.
He pulls his gaze away, clearing his throat. “If you need any help when you go back to work, let me know. If I’m free, I will. And I reckon Jasmine will get a kick out of our work site.”
My eyes widen a tad because I can tell he’s being serious. “Maybe don’t take her to a place with heavy machinery.”
He nods, smirking. “Probably safer for my men.”
A yawn escapes me. “And what about Charlotte? Did you talk to her?”
“Not yet, and it’s not because any of us don’t want to.”
“What’s stopping you?” I ask, staring at him.
He exhales heavily, his brows pulling together. “Because we made a mistake when it came to Lily. Although none of us think we are wrong this time, we can’t take that chance. We need to be dead sure.”
“Have any of you tried talking to her since her outburst?”
“Her mum, Kayla, did. I’m not sure what was said, but her dad and uncles are getting antsy.”
“And her cousins.”
He grins. “And her cousins.”
“You’re very protective of each other,” I comment, ducking my gaze. I envy that. My brother would do anything for me, but he would have to be here to do it. He loves his job, and I’m proud of him, but sometimes I wish he had been here to look out for me. Maybe I would have listened, maybe I wouldn’t have. We will never know.
“Our family comes with drama. My dad and uncles had a shit childhood. It got better when they moved in with our great-granddad, but it was still tough on them. They’ve each fought battles and moved mountains for the women in their lives. Their loyalty and love was passed down to us, but then again, so was the chaos of finding their other half.”
My lips twitch into a smile. I’m intrigued to find out what he means by chaos. “What do you mean, chaos?”
He rolls his eyes. “My dad said all of them were happy to be single until they met their other half. Dad met Mum first, and from there it was a domino effect. Mason and Aunt Denny got together next, then Myles and Aunt Kayla, then Evan and Aunt Kennedy, Max and Aunt Lake, and then Maverick with Aunt Teagan. Now, Faith has Beau, Aiden has Bailey, Landon has Paisley, Lily has Jaxon, and Hayden has Clayton. It’s only a matter of time before the next one happens, and it always ends up in disaster.”
“Really?”
He nods. “Faith got robbed by an online dating guy while she was out to meet him. Then kept it from everyone. She ended up making a report to the police and that’s when all that crap blew up.
“Aiden found out he had a daughter the day her mum gave birth and passed away. He then met Bailey, who had a hearing impairment and never left the house because she was bullied badly. That was kind of crazy.
“Landon was kind of a jerk at first to Paisley, without really wanting to be. She got pregnant, he got stabbed, she lost the baby, and then that ended up with him taking down the guys who attacked him as well as a criminal organization.”
My eyes widen in shock. I thought he was going to say they broke up because something happened, then got back together, or that they had a partner before. Not this. Stabbed? I can’t believe it.
“And Lily?”
“None of us knew about Lily and Jaxon until the end. We beat the shit out of him, she hated us all and herself for putting him in danger, and the rest is history. They got married on New Year, last minute, and have been blissfully happy ever since.”
“And I guess Hayden’s was about the corrupt cop? I remember reading about it in the paper.”
He nods. “Kind of. Hayden’s chaos is within herself, so it was always bound to be a difficult ride.”
I chuckle, adjusting Asher on my breast. “She’s not that bad.”
He arches his eyebrow. “Tonight was nothing. Wait until someone steals her food.”
“You steal her food, don’t you?”
He nods, his chest puffing out. “I do,” he admits, grinning impishly. “What about you? Will you tell me more about your ex?”
I frown, wondering if I can tell him more. He pulls Asher off me, and I lift up my top as he begins to burp him. I roll onto my back, letting out a sigh. “He wasn’t popular, but he had a lot of friends, and then those who feared him. His family never had the best rep around town.
“I was just me. I was neither a nerd nor popular. I was in the middle. When he took notice, I felt special. He had a tough life at home with his mum. She was always drunk or off her face on drugs. He took cash-in-hand work just to feed her habit. He said it was worse at home when she didn’t get them.
“He looked after his younger brother by three years and his sisters, making sure they were fed. I guess seeing the guy be responsible made me fall for him more. He didn’t get into any of the stuff his mum did, or his mates. He stayed straight and worked on his grades, although there were times when he got into it with people.
“When I got pregnant, he changed. Not at first. It was slow. Then he made us move closer to his dad so he could work while I went to college, and it went to shit. He would get angry at the most ridiculous things. I let it happen,” I tell him, ducking my head in shame as I roll back on my side.
He places Asher back down next to me, lifting him a little until he latches on. When I meet his gaze, there isn’t pity or disappointment. It’s something else. “No guy should ever hit a woman. Ever. You didn’t let it happen; he did.”
“I guess. After the last time, I knew neither of us would be safe. I’ll never be able to forgive him.”
He runs a finger down my cheek before snatching his hand back. He clears his throat. “I know this is probably something you don’t want me bringing up, but, um, my mum… she’s a councillor for women who have been through a traumatic experience.”
My eyes widen. “I’m not talking to your mum about this.”
He holds his hand up. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. But she will listen if you want to talk about the stuff you’ve just skipped out on.”
“It would be weird, what with her being your mum,” I murmur.
Mum and Dad pleaded with me to talk to someone about Cameron. I held a lot of guilt inside, a lot of blame, and felt like a failure. But I couldn’t do it. Admitting what I let him continue to do without telling anyone… I’m ashamed. My group sessions helped me in a different way. I got to see abuse through a different perspective. It gave me some sort of closure.
“My mum was attacked when she was in high school. He nearly raped her,” he tells me, shocking me. “We were told when he was released from prison, and our parents wanted us to be careful.”
“Oh my God.”
“It was hard to hear. She was our mum. But he didn’t just hurt her. There were other girls he had hurt badly, my aunt Kayla included.”
“That’s awful. I’m sorry.”
“What I’m trying to say is, she knows about misplaced blame. She felt guilty for what happened to others. She also hated that my aunt Denny got kidnapped by his brother, so she wouldn’t testify.”
“Your family really have been through a lot.”
He grins. “Yeah, but none of them fucking beat us. We’re stronger together,” he reveals, and I hear the pride in his voice.
“I’ll think about it. Thank you for sharing that with me.”
His gaze softens. “I hope it helps.”
I yawn again, my eyelashes fluttering as I struggle to stay awake. “You should go,” I whisper. “He’s asleep.”
“Your couch is bad for my back and I’m too tired to move.”
“Maddox,” I warn.
He closes his eyes, pulling Asher from my chest once more. “Let us sleep.”
“You can’t stay i
n bed with me.”
“Why?” he asks, turning to look at me.
“B-because,” I splutter. I don’t have a good reason. He isn’t touching me. Hell, he isn’t even under the blanket. And this isn’t romantic.
“Go to sleep. You need the beauty sleep.”
My eyes close. “Arsehole.”
His chuckle shakes the bed. “Night.”
“Night, Maddox.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
MADDOX
I crack my eye open, taking in my surroundings—or try to. Black, wild hair is blocking my view of anything. Gurgling and cooing comes from the left of me, and the realisation of why it feels like I’m burning up, hits me. On my chest, my hand cupping his bum, lies Asher, happily trying to lift his head up.
On the other side of me—in the middle of the bed—is Jasmine. From what I can see, her head is on my shoulder, and her legs are all over her mum.
As I take Amelia in, I chuckle to myself. Her hair is just as tangled as her daughter’s. Her lips are parted, a light snore echoing into the morning.
“Hey, little man,” I whisper, lifting him further up my chest. “You wanting a feed?”
He continues to babble, and I nod along as if I understand.
Then it hits me.
I bolt up, keeping Asher in my arms as I slide out of bed. I take in the bed, the two girls sleeping soundly, and panic hits me.
This is too much responsibility. It’s too domestic. And that isn’t me. The only time those words were used to describe me were when someone would say, ‘He isn’t domesticated.’
My chest rises and falls with each heavy breath as I slowly back out of the room.
What were you thinking?
She’s going to get attached. She’s going to fall in love with me, and then I’ll lose the friend I desperately need. Or she needs.
It’s going to be a disaster.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I escape the room, slowly shutting the door behind me. Maybe if I leave before they notice, I can say she dreamt me coming over and falling asleep in her bed.
Women dream about me all the time.
I slowly move from the door, when Asher begins to babble. I freeze, my eyes widening as I hold him out in my arms.
Fuck!
I just kind of kidnapped a kid.
I glance back at the door, struggling with what to do. It isn’t like I can take him with me.
Can I?
I narrow my eyes down at him. “Way to go, kid.” His arms start flapping around, the babbling getting louder. “Sheesh, you have a lot to say this morning.”
A resigned sigh slips through my lips, and I reluctantly push the door back open. Amelia hasn’t moved position, but Jasmine now has her feet in her mum’s face and her head at the end of the bed.
I chuckle, stepping further into the room. Maybe I can let them sleep a little longer. It’s Saturday, and neither has to be up yet. Plus, it isn’t like Asher is screaming for food. He seems settled just being in my arms, like always.
It’s just past eight, and already I feel like I’ve had the best sleep in the world. It’s the longest I’ve slept in a long time. And strangely, the first time I’ve stayed the night with a girl who isn’t family. Whenever I went back to a chick’s house, I woke up a few hours later and left without a spoken word to the person whose bed I was leaving.
I guess I was exhausted because I can’t remember stirring once last night.
Voices break through the silence, coming from somewhere outside. I head to the window, but before I can make it, loud, thundering banging on the door shakes the house.
Shit.
“Amelia,” a woman screams.
Double shit.
My gaze shoots to Amelia, who begins to stir. I carry on to the window, peeking through the curtains to see the old bats from a few weeks ago.
The banging gets louder, and Amelia shoots up in bed, pushing her hair out of her face. “W-what? I’m coming.”
“Shush,” I hiss, keeping my voice low.
“Maddox? Am I dreaming again?”
I smirk, sitting on the edge of the bed. “You’ve dreamt of me before?”
Her eyes widen a tad before she masks it, snorting. “What is—”
When the banging continues, I grimace. “You don’t want to get that,” I warn.
“Is it the police?” she whispers. “About last night?”
“Shush, it’s not time to wake up,” Jasmine groans, and I chuckle as she immediately begins to snore again.
“No. Worse,” I reply.
“The Army?”
“No,” I answer, dryly.
“Is it the special police force?
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Where are you getting this?” I ask.
She drops her hand on the bedsheet pooled at her waist. “Who is it? Please tell me it’s aliens.”
“It’s, um, the Sanderson sisters. And a clue: one of them isn’t the hot blonde.”
Her lips part. “What?”
“I want lots of eggs,” Jasmine grumbles.
“What the hell do they want?” she asks, sliding out of bed. She grabs her dressing gown, sliding it on.
I shrug. “I’m good, but I’m not that good. Whatever it is, they aren’t happy about it. Maybe you shouldn’t open the door.”
She sighs, sliding her feet into her Ugg slippers. “They won’t leave until I answer anyway. If it gets out of hand, I’ll call the police.”
“Want me to answer it?” I ask, inwardly groaning as she stretches to put her hair up. Her top rises, showing the skin on her stomach.
“God, no. They’ll have a hissy fit then try telling everyone you got me pregnant.”
“What?” I hiss loudly, causing Asher to startle.
I follow her down the stairs. She pulls open the door, causing the trio to step back. “What do you want now?” she asks, then turns to the guy, her face paling somewhat. “What are you doing here, Devon?”
“See,” the goofy-looking woman yells, pointing her finger towards me. “She’s a slag. I told you she couldn’t keep her legs closed.”
“What are you on about, Carol?” Amelia asks, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s too early for this.”
“You know exactly what she’s talking about, you little cunt,” the sister with the darker roots snarls.
“We are having Cameron’s case appealed,” Carol reveals, stuffing her nose into the air. “He doesn’t deserve to be in there and you know it. He’s suffering while you fuck anything that looks at you.”
“This isn’t the best environment for a kid,” Devon murmurs, grimacing. “She needs stability.”
Amelia huffs out a breath. “Are you kidding me?”
“Amelia, they said—” Devon begins, but she holds up her hand.
“They told you a bunch of lies like they normally do, and yet you came anyway.”
The woman with something green on her teeth steps forward, wagging her finger. “Now wait a goddamn minute. You are keeping her grandbabies away from her. You aren’t fit to look after them. We should be their guardians.”
Amelia’s knuckles turn white as she grips the door, her body tensing. “This isn’t about Cameron or the kids at all, is it?”
The mum tenses, her guilt-ridden face turning red. “T-this is,” she stutters out.
The lad slowly turns towards her, his expression tightening. “What is she talking about?”
When she doesn’t answer, Amelia does. “She wants the child benefit money, and most likely the income support she’ll get since she doesn’t work.”
I watch the woman’s reaction, and I shit you not, Amelia hit the nail on the head. You can see it on her face.
“Is that right, Mum?”
“Of course it’s not,” she snaps. “She’s trying to change the subject because she knows what she’s done is wrong.” She bangs at her chest. “My boy. My precious boy is in prison because of her. Suffering. She deserves to pay. She hasn’t even gone to see h
im.”
“Because he nearly killed me,” she screams, her eyes glassing over with tears. “And our daughter. I don’t need this every time one of you feels like it.”
“He did not hit you,” Carol scoffs.
“Do they allow shower gel in prison?” I blurt out before Amelia can answer her.
“What has that got to do with anything?” she sneers, eyeing me up and down.
I feel violated and itch to take a shower.
I shrug. “Just wanted to point out he’s safe if they do. He gets fed, doesn’t need to pay bills, has a bed to sleep in, doesn’t get arse raped because he has soap, and there aren’t any women in there for him to beat on, so he won’t get into any more trouble. Seems to me he’s got it fucking easy, and you shouldn’t be worried.”
“Maddox,” Amelia hisses, but I can see her struggling not to laugh.
My brows pull together. “What? I’m right. So, it’s not about her son. In fact, she probably likes the drama.”
“I know that, Maddox,” she replies, rolling her eyes.
“Yeah, but does she know that?”
“I don’t know,” she retorts, throwing her hands up.
“Hello,” Carol calls out.
I turn back to the Sanderson sisters. “Goodbye,” I snap. “Don’t come knocking this early in the morning again. No one does that. It’s plain rude and insane. And leave Amelia alone from now on. She clearly has a good reason for not wanting you near her kids.”
“I’m her grandmother,” she snaps.
“You’re a nuisance.”
“Morning.”
I groan at the sound of the voice. Amelia pales next to me, arching her eyebrow questioningly. I shrug. “I didn’t know.”
“Liam said Hayden got into it with some trollops,” Max reveals, grinning. “Are these them?”
“Who are you?” Karen barks.
He rears back, his lips curling. “God, you remind me of the Sanderson sisters. And not the hot blonde.”
Amelia turns to me, leaning in. “Are you sure he’s not your dad?”
I suck in a breath. “Take that back,” I hiss out, before turning to Max. “What are you doing here?”
Maddox Page 17
