by Kim Jones
She raises her glass. “Me too.” She says like she doesn’t want to go.
“What are you dreading about it?” I ask, intrigued.
“You’ll find out soon enough.” She looks back at her drink before lifting it and taking a sip. “This is our song,” she says, and I take sudden notice to “Old Habits” by Hank Williams as it plays around me.
Grabbing my glass, I take a drink of the liquid poison that burns its way through me before standing and grabbing her hand. “Then you better dance with me.”
Leading her onto the small, makeshift dance floor, I pull her to my chest. Buzzed or not, Maddie’s steps follow mine as she looks up at me with a lazy smile. “I like this,” she says, relaxing further into me—forcing me to bear her weight. I don’t mind.
“The only thing that’s missing is a little hell-raising.” I smirk at my words. Maddie and I had done this before, but it usually ended in bloodshed before we went home.
“The night is young, Mr. Yates. There’s still time for hell-raising.”
“No.” My warning has her laughing.
“Come on…” she whines. “It could be fun.”
“I’m on parole, Maddie. The last thing I need is a bar fight.”
She looks away and shrugs. “Fine.”
“Maddie…”
“What? I said fine.” The uneasiness inside me begins to build rapidly. We need to go. Now. I don’t trust her. Not even a little.
I feel her start to pull away and tighten my grip. “I mean it, babe.” Grabbing her chin, I move her face so she’s forced to meet my glare. Her eyes are glassy and full of mischief. My uneasiness grows.
“I’m going to pee. Pay the tab and we’ll leave. No hell-raising. I promise.” This time when she pulls away, I let her go. My eyes follow her to the bathroom until she is safely behind the door. I motion for the bartender, who nods and rings up our tab.
Lighting a smoke, I shake my head at the ridiculous amount on the piece of paper. Five drinks my ass. More like ten… I throw some cash down on the ticket, and look up to tell the lady to keep the change, but she’s nowhere in sight. When I hear Maddie’s raised voice, and the growl of a man, I already know what’s coming. Closing my eyes, I reach for the pistol at my back.
I ignore the commotion as I slide the gun inside Maddie’s abandoned boot. Throwing back what’s left in my glass, I crack my neck and my knuckles and turn to the shitstorm Maddie’s created on the other side of the room. She would have to pick the biggest, burliest motherfucker in here.
“Don’t.” My one-word demand somehow carries across the floor and into the ears of the man who looks like he wants to slap the hell outta Maddie—which I’m pretty sure she deserves.
“Don’t what?”
I keep my eyes on Maddie as I slowly walk over. Her mouth is parted, her breathing harsh and the look of lust weighs heavy in her eyes. “Just … Don’t.”
“I orta choke this bitch out.” Despite the circumstances, I smile.
“I can’t let you do that.” Reluctantly, I turn my eyes to the man who is fuming and standing less than six inches from Maddie. “If anybody deserves to choke the bitch, it’s me.” Out of the corner of my eye I see Maddie give me a sour look. “What did she do? Hurt your ego? Call you a name? She’s drunk man, let it go.”
“She stole my wallet.” Same shit…
I cut my eyes to find her shaking her head innocently. Too innocently. “No, I didn’t.”
“Give the man his wallet, babe,” I demand through my teeth.
“I don’t have it. I swear.”
I drop my tone. “Maddie…”
“Marty I swear.” She pats her clothes and looks around, her eyes growing wide with sincerity. “I don’t have your wallet, asshole.”
“You lyin’ bitch I-“
“Don’t talk to her.” My warning cuts him off. “You got something to say, talk to me.”
“I’m not scared of you or that bitch.” My adrenaline spikes at his words.
“Call her a bitch one more time.” We glare at one another, him sizing me up and me thinking he’s wasting his fucking time. I don’t care how bad he thinks he is. I’m worse.
“Hey man.” The young guy who was sitting close to Maddie at the bar, walks up to the man who’s still glaring at me. “I found this in the bathroom.”
Blood sizzles through my veins. I’m pissed. Not only did this guy accuse Maddie of doing something she didn’t, but he had me accusing her too. Now, I want a fight.
“Told you I didn’t take it,” Maddie says, crossing her arms over her chest. By the look on the guy’s face, I know what he’s going to say before he says it. I’m closing the distance just as the word slips through his lips.
“Bitch…”
I gave him a warning. He didn’t heed it.
Now, he’ll pay the price. And just like Hank says, old habits really are hard to break.
“Oh, FU—“
My hand covers Maddie’s mouth, muffling her screams as I drive inside her again. Having sex inside a dimly lit, tiny bathroom that smells like beer and piss wasn’t the way I pictured my post-fight, makeup sex and it sure as hell doesn’t feel like I thought it would either. It feels a fuck of a lot better.
The moment after they dragged the man’s unconscious body from the bar, Maddie was jerking her head toward the bathroom—telling me to follow her. As soon as the door closed behind me, we were all mouth and teeth and tongues. I could tell by the way she clawed at my skin and crawled up my body that she wanted it rough, hot and hard—just like old times.
It took all of ten seconds to push her pants down her legs, release my cock from my jeans and throw her against the wall. The second the head of my dick brushed up against the warm, smooth, full lips of her pussy, I had to fight like hell to keep from coming.
Slowly and painfully, I pushed through her tight, velvety walls and buried myself balls deep inside her. Closing my eyes on a groan, I let her squeeze me to the point of pain before pulling out and pushing inside her again. Two thrusts in, I had to pause to keep from exploding inside her.
She waited patiently, nibbling on my neck, biting my ear and telling me how much seeing me bleed made her wet. To elaborate, she sucked my lip into her mouth and ran her tongue over the small cut—the only wound I had on me. As soon as the throbbing in my cock stopped and the fog in my head cleared, I started moving again.
Now, I’m giving it to her just how she likes it. I fuck her hard, pinning her against the wall while I hold her ass in one hand and keep my other over her mouth. Part of me wants to keep going while the other part wants to stop and take her home so we can do this a little differently.
I want to strip her completely naked so I can get a full view of what I’ve been missing. I want to be able to smell her, taste her and touch her in places that I’ve been dreaming about for years. But I can’t argue that right now, is pretty fucking good too.
When her body stills a split second before she screams against my hand, I know she’s reached that point of bliss. I let her contract around me—pounding harder and deeper inside her until she’s limp and shaking with the aftershocks of her release. Then, with one final thrust, I find my own.
She shakily untangles her legs from around me. I keep my hand on her waist until she’s steady on her feet. We’re still catching our breath even after we’re both dressed. I back her against the wall, letting my hips hold her in place. Bringing my hand to her face, I rub my thumb across her cheek and dip my head—giving her a soft kiss before pulling back to look at her.
“Marty, this doesn’t—”
“What is it about dirty bathroom sex and bar fights?” I ask in an attempt to avoid hearing the end of the this doesn’t mean anything line. When she smirks, I know my distraction worked.
“I don’t know, but nobody does bathroom sex and bar fights quite like you.” I frown at her admission. Had she done this without me? Noticing my look, she rolls her eyes. “Not that I would know…” she adds, and
even though she’s trying to play it off, I know she’s telling the truth.
Pushing past me, she straightens her hair in the mirror before opening the door. Stopping, she looks over her shoulder at me. “Oh, and by the way. I did steal his wallet.”
Of course she did.
Looking at Maddie across the table, you wouldn’t think she’d been up against a wall having her brains fucked out less than an hour ago. She’s done her best to ignore me, and I’ve returned the favor. If we paid too much attention to each other, people might get the wrong idea.
This family is known for jumping to conclusions. And I’m not ready to answer any questions. Hell, I don’t even fucking know what’s happening. What I do know is that I’ve fucked Maddie twice since I’ve been home. And I liked it. A lot.
“You need some help with those pipes?” Luke asks, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his stomach like an old man.
“Nah. I’ll get it. Probably won’t start till next week. It’s gonna be too fucking cold this weekend.”
“No shit,” Regg says. “And we have to make that four hour ride to Lake Charles.”
It’s the first I’ve heard about the trip. I don’t like being on the outs. Luke, noticing my frustration, steps in to explain.
“They called this morning. It’s Ronnie’s birthday. I didn’t figure you’d be up for going.” For some reason, his eyes swing to Maddie before coming back to me. I don’t know what he’s insinuating, but if I had to guess, I’d say Maddie wasn’t going to Lake Charles either. “It’s supposed to be one hell of a party. A lot of people.”
I nod in understanding. The last thing I want is to be surrounded by a crowd. As much as I want to celebrate my brother’s birthday with him, I’m not quite ready for that kind of atmosphere.
“You should stay with Maddie,” Red suggests. “I mean, since your pipes are busted and all.” Her eyebrows wiggle suggestively. I scowl. But surprisingly, Maddie shrugs.
“Fine with me. I have a big bed.” She winks and although I don’t show it, I’m shocked at her boldness. It’s not like her at all. I figured the last thing she wanted was to lead people on. I guess I was wrong.
The sound of a phone ringing breaks my concentration. Maddie mumbles something to herself before draining her glass of wine. She leaves the table just as Dallas answers her phone. A few seconds later, she follows Maddie out of the dining room. The sudden tension in the air has the hair on the back of my neck standing up.
A heated conversation starts in the other room. I can’t make out the words, but there’s no mistaking the animosity in their tone. It seems everyone at the table is aware of what’s going on but me. Once again, I’m on the outs.
Regg stands, saying his goodbyes to me and Luke before shooting a look at Red. Clearly, she doesn’t want to leave. But something in his eyes has her saying her goodbyes and following him out the front door.
“Motherfucker,” Luke mutters, as the argument in the other room erupts into a yelling match. I follow him into the living room, and am greeted with an enraged Dallas.
“I’m not doing this shit again!” she screams, pacing the floor in front of Maddie who is sitting on the couch wearing a blank expression.
“So I’m just supposed to do whatever makes you happy? Live my life to your standards?” Maddie sounds exasperated and a little bored. I get the feeling this conversation has happened before. This must be why she was dreading coming. She lets out a breath of laughter as she drops her head. “You’re unbelievable.”
“And you’re a selfish bitch!”
“Dallas!” Luke’s roar is deep enough to shake the windows. I don’t notice Dallas’ reaction because my eyes are still on Maddie. She seems entertained by Dallas’s outburst, but otherwise unaffected. Her eyes hold mine a moment before she swings her gaze to Luke.
“It’s okay, Luke.” She offers him a small smile before pulling her phone from her pocket. “I’m not selfish, Dallas. I’m just tired of living under a microscope.”
She punches in some numbers before putting the phone to her ear. “Yes, this is Maddie Pittman. I need to make an appointment.” She keeps her eyes on me while whoever is on the other end of the line speaks. “Soonest available. Perfect.” Glancing at Dallas, she offers her a wink. Dallas’s lips press into a thin line, but she refrains from saying anything. “Thank you. I’ll see you then.”
Maddie holds the phone up for everyone to see. “See? Call made. Appointment rescheduled. Now everything is right in the world.” She calmly walks away, patting Luke on the shoulder as she passes him. When he says her name in an attempt to stop her, she just holds her hand up.
When she’s out the door, I turn my attention back to Dallas, and narrow my eyes in confusion. “Is there something I should know?”
“She’s not going to therapy. And she disappears for days at a time without telling anyone.” Stomping to the kitchen, she pulls a bottle of wine from the fridge. “I knew this shit was gonna happen,” she mumbles to herself.
“How do you know that?” Luke’s frustrated tone confirms my suspicions about this not being the first time this conversation has taken place.
“She’s been MIA for nearly a week. Claimed she was doing some group therapy shit. Like an idiot, I believed her. Then this morning, I get a call from the doctor’s office, telling me she missed another appointment … that’s three times in a row. Which means she hasn’t been in three fucking months.”
“Shit…” Running his hand over his hair, Luke lets out a heavy sigh.
I feel like there’s a piece of the puzzle I’m missing. “What’s the big deal?” I ask, feeling the heat of Dallas’s death glare as she burns her eyes into me. “She looks like she’s doing fine to me. Maybe you should cut her some slack.”
“Slack?” At her tone, Luke gives her a look full of warning. “Don’t look at me like that,” she says, pointing to Luke but focusing on me. “She doesn’t need slack. What she needs is stability. Structure. Therapy. Give her an inch and she takes a mile. Why? Because she’s sick, Marty. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she is taken care of. She’s my responsibility.” My blood turns to ice in my veins. Sick?
Luke’s hand lands on my arm. “Mentally sick. Physically she’s fine. But Maddie has some serious demons, man. She’s got severe anxiety and depression issues. The therapy works. Trust me.”
Luke is my brother. Of course I trust him. But I’m only getting one side of this story. So I refuse to pass judgment until I know everything. I don’t have all the answers right now, but I will soon. And I know exactly where to get them.
CHAPTER NINE
Marty
Before I left, I promised both Luke and Dallas that I would keep my eyes on Maddie while they were out of town. That included making damn sure she went to her appointment tomorrow. Then I stopped by my place to pack a bag before heading to Maddie’s where I’d spend the next few days. Or however long she wanted me there.
I don’t feel guilty for not going with my club. It seems I’m needed here, anyway. After all, Maddie is the club’s responsibility. Therefore, it’s my job to protect her. Just like I would any of the other women.
Luke seemed a little too happy that I wasn’t going. I’m sure it has something to do with him hoping Maddie and I can work out our differences. That isn’t going to happen. When I shot him a look that confirmed it, he changed the subject—telling me we’d be leaving for Mobile the first of next week. In a roundabout way, he was also letting me know how much alone time I’d have with Maddie before my club needed me.
Maddie’s house is dark when I pull in. I bang on the door several times before digging my old key out of my wallet and letting myself in.
I find her sitting on the kitchen counter eating a bowl of cereal. She doesn’t act surprised to see me as she takes me in while I make my way through the small living room and into the kitchen. “I figured you’d let yourself in eventually.”
Giving her a half smile, I reach around her for the ashtra
y and take a seat at the bar. “Smoke?” I ask, holding one out to her. She takes it from between my fingers, leaning down so I can light it. She smells like fresh laundry. The white t-shirt she’s wearing makes her already tanned skin look even darker.
Keeping her eyes on me, she takes a deep pull before blowing the smoke over the top of my head. “So what’d they tell you? That I’m crazy?”
“No.”
She gives me a smirk. “Then they didn’t tell you the truth.” Her words catch me off guard, but I remain impassive as I look back at her—letting her know that I’m only here to listen.
“The same day you went to MAX was the same day I found out that Logan was leaving. I thought I could handle it, but I couldn’t.” She shrugs, thumping the ashes from her cigarette and taking a few drags before finally continuing. “After Logan left, I lost it. For weeks I suffered. I felt like I had nothing. Then one day I drove to the lake, walked out on the pier and dove in head first. Some campers saw me, called the police and they took me to the hospital. Dallas was convinced I tried to kill myself.”
“Because you jumped into a lake?”
“In her defense, it was December. The lake was shallow. And I’d been in a black depression for several weeks.”
“So you weren’t trying to kill yourself?”
She gives me an evil grin. “Nah. I just wanted to go for a swim.”
I narrow my eyes. Maddie’s always been an open book, and as far as I know, she’s never lied to me. But this Maddie seems … different. “Then what happened?”
“I spent the next two days in the hospital on suicide watch and the last four years of my life on club watch. I agreed to see a therapist every month to—,” she makes quotes with her fingers, “get the help I needed. I stopped going a while back. I didn’t tell anyone because it wasn’t any of their business.”
“Why didn’t you just tell everyone you weren’t trying to kill yourself? If you really just wanted to—,” I mirror her finger quotes, “go for a swim.”
