by Mj Fields
We lay in bed naked wrapped in each other���s arms. Maddox kissed my head and then sat up.
���You���re shivering. Let me grab you a shirt and turn up the heat.���
I watched as he walked over to his bag and grabbed a sweatshirt, the one that said Brody Hines Band on the front, with the faded British flag. My favorite one to wear whenever I missed him. The one I did wear when he and I weren���t together while I attended Cornell. I sat up and he pulled it over my head. He pulled my wet hair out from the back as I pushed my arms through the sleeves.
���Better?���
���Almost.��� I lay down and he slid in beside me.
He pulled me closer and wrapped his arm around me holding me tightly against him.
���Better now?��� He asked.
���Perfect.���
CHAPTER SEVEN
Freezing Temps
Maddox
I had kept my cool throughout that whole mess. When all I wanted to do was throw my fist through those dirty ass cops faces. Now Harper was trying to keep me from going with Lucas to confront the man who had tried to press charges against my Harper.
I know what she was trying to prove in the bath. She was taking control of a situation that was normally mine to control. It wasn���t unenjoyable or uncomfortable per say, but what she was trying to do wasn���t going to happen. I am a man and she was mine. I wouldn���t be told not to do something that every part of me was fighting to do.
She was wrapped up in my arms, peacefully asleep looking like an angel. I would take it all in now because the next few days would be cold ones. She was going to be angry but hopefully she would understand.
I will not allow her to be talked to or treated like she was today. Hell, if she gets too upset I could always tell her if she had told me she was coming she would���ve been safe. She would have been closer to me.
Fucking Tomas, where the hell was he when she was struck and spoken to like she was. Yes, he and I would definitely be having a chat very soon.
I held her tighter, closer and allowed myself to close my eyes long enough to sleep for a couple of hours.
���Can you see them?���
���Maddox, yes I see them. Relax.���
���Relax; yeah that���s just what I���ll do. Ever been on the shit list Surge?���
I watched him peer up in the rearview mirror at me. ���Yes I have. The list is normally yours.���
I rolled my eyes and sat back but he was right. I had been hard on him since England.
We pulled over right behind Lucas���s black Audi SUV. I jumped out and followed him across the road.
���Wait up!���
He stopped and looked back. ���What the hell are you doing here? I left early enough so Tessa���s boys would stay the hell out of the situation and now you? Maddox, I want you to turn around and go back.���
���I won���t.���
���Listen up kid; this is all about me now. I don���t need������
���She���s mine to take care of! I go with you or I go alone!���
He looked at me frustrated. ���This conversation stays between you and I Maddox. I know what needs to be said and done. This is because of him and me.���
���Not the girls who put their fucking hands on Harper. Not the bitches who said they were glad my child died because she wasn���t good enough!���
He held his hands up stopping me. ���I am very sorry that happened to you. More than you could begin to understand. I love that little girl Maddox. I���ve watched her grow up, how could I not? What people say about us, about you and her doesn���t mean shit. It���s unfortunate that people are that shallow. They see you and want something from you. They see Harper as something getting in their way. Unfortunately you both have to grow a thicker skin. I���m not saying it to be rude, but to protect her you can���t live like that. You���ll ruin it between the two of you. Show her how much you adore her every day. Ignore the demons and the self- doubt or you���ll lose yourself and her in the process.���
���I get that but I���m still going.���
���Maddox it���s a public restaurant. If you walk in there with me, you keep your cool. You let me say what I need to and you don���t ever repeat a word of it or I won���t go in there. Do you understand?���
���I���ll do my best.���
���No Maddox, you���ll do as I ask. Trust me on this.���
I knew he wasn���t budging. ���Fine.���
I followed Lucas into the hotel restaurant that was full of people enjoying a Sunday breakfast. The hostess tried to stop us but Lucas kept walking and I followed him.
We walked up to a group of men sitting in a back corner. Lucas grabbed a chair from a table next to theirs filled with women. He winked as he dragged it to the table.
He sat backwards in the chair next to a man I didn���t recognize and reached over to his plate and grabbed a piece of bacon.
���Sam Hammond just the man I was looking for. Oh and hey Maddox, do you recognize these two?��� He handed me a piece of bacon. ���Pigs?���
Sam started standing and Lucas pushed his chair forward trapping him. ���Oh please don���t get up Sam. Don���t waste your pleasantries. Maddox you have your phone?���
���Yeah.���
���Great how about you get a few pictures while I explain why the fuck the shit that went down last night will never happen again.���
I did as I was asked.
���Perfect now Sam, your daughters������
���One daughter Links. The other girl was my niece, Senator Robertson���s daughter.���
���Which little bitch hit my fianc��e���?���
Sam looked back at me, ���My daughter moved her arm, it just so happens her face got in the way,��� Sam looked over at the cops from last night. ���A complete accident.���
���And who was talking about a young woman whose father and child had just been murdered?��� Lucas pushed his chair just as Sam was talking a drink.
���Fucking asshole you spilt my drink.���
���Oh I am so sorry.��� Lucas said sarcastically.
���You can tell your little bitch to keep her mouth fucking shut!���
Lucas looked up at me and shook his head no. ���Here���s the deal, stay the fuck away from my kids. Stay the fuck away from Maddox and his family. And you two boys need to really think about who you align yourselves with.���
���We have photos now proving the link between you scum.��� I held up my phone. ���Sent to others so don���t even try to deny it.���
���Links how���s your wife?��� Sam snarled.
���She���s just the same. But yours is looking a little lonely. Give her my number?���
Lucas stood up and then returned the chair to the ladies at the table next to them. ���You catch all that?���
They smiled and nodded yes.
���Perfect.��� Lucas smiled and waved the waitress over and he handed her money. ���Please see to it these beautiful women are well taken care of.��� He turned around and sniffed at Sam Hammond���s table. ���Smells like shit over here. Let���s roll Hines.���
I turned around and walked back to Sam Hammond and whispered in his ear and then walked away.
���You couldn���t help yourself could you boy?��� Lucas put his hand on my shoulder and we walked out the door.
���Nope.���
We sto
pped in front of his car and Surge pulled the car in front of it. ���You���re on the shit list you know?���
���She won���t like it but she���ll understand.���
He laughed. ���Was it worth it?���
���I know his name and his face. So yes, it was.���
���Good. Okay let���s get back to the hotel. With any luck they slept in.���
When we got off the elevator Harper was pacing at the end of the hall along with her mother, my mother, Dad, and well everyone except London and Lexington.
���She a foot stomper?��� Lucas chuckled.
I looked at him and nodded.
���It���s gonna feel like a heat wave outside for a while boy, and it���s fucking February.���
He patted me on the back and we walked down the hall to the angry mob assembled.
���Links������
���Dad, he didn���t even know I was following him.���
���Maddox I can speak for myself.���
���Harper������
She turned around and stomped into her our suite. I followed her into the bedroom where she grabbed her suitcase and started throwing clothes in it.
I grabbed it away and she snatched it back. ���I told you NO!���
���You asked me not to go.���
���And what that���s not enough? You know what Maddox you ass, I���m not talking to you!���
She threw some things in her bag and when she turned to grab her stuff from the bathroom I dumped it all out.
She walked out arms full and gasped. ���What the hell are you doing?���
���Stopping you from remove acting foolishly.���
I started holding her shirt and she snatched it away. ���I���m not staying here with you.���
���Yes, you are.��� I grabbed her clothes and held them.
���You���re a child. Do you have any idea,��� she stopped talking and walked out the door and across the hall slamming the door to her families suite shut.
I sat on the bed, exhausted and pissed off, still holding her damn clothes. What the hell was I gonna do keep them hostage? Shit, I knew she was gonna be pissed off but not to this degree. Holy hell she was fuming. Fuck it, she was gonna have to talk to me in order to get her clothes back.
I sent Surge a text asking that he come take her damn pajamas and get them fixed. I knew I wasn���t getting into her panties tonight and she may as well be wearing those damn things.
Dad came in and looked at me. ���What were you thinking?���
���I was thinking,��� I stopped talking when Ava came in the room.
���Harper would like her clothes. She is going to shower and get ready for the football game.���
���We aren���t going. We talked about it last night.��� I snapped at her.
���Oh she���s going. Her clothes please.��� Ava held out her hand.
���Tell her if she wants them come and get ���em.���
Ava laughed as she walked out of the room. I watched from my bed as she opened the suite���s door and Harper was standing there waiting.
���Maddox, she was worried.���
���Well now there���s one less thing she needs to worry about Dad.���
I grabbed her bag and shoved her clothes in it.
���You want me to take them over?���
���No Dad, I want her to come talk to me.���
I shoved the bag under the bed and looked up into my Dad���s shocked and slightly amused eyes.
���Don���t you think that���ll make things worse?���
���No. She���ll need clothes at some point.���
���And you���re not afraid that���s pushing a bit too much?���
���I don���t know Dad you tell me. What would you do if Emma was being unreasonable?���
He looked at me stone face.
���You handle things your way and I will mine. She loves me she���ll understand.��� I looked away.
I was still sitting on the bed an hour later when Harper walked in with a tight little shirt on and loose fitting belted pants. She walked in and right past me. Immediately I noticed her tits were free. She grabbed her boots and shoved her feet in them and then grabbed her handbag. She looked at me and rolled her eyes and grabbed her coat and threw it on.
She started walking towards the door.
���Where the hell are you going?���
She turned around and scowled, ���To the game Maddox.���
���With no fucking bra!��� I was infuriated.
���Well it seems I don���t have clothes anymore. So no bra or panties.���
She walked out the door quickly and slammed it shut.
I scrambled to my feet and grabbed the bag from under the bed and grabbed a blue lacy bra. I ran to the door and opened it ready to haul her little ass back in here and shove her tits in that thing myself if she fought me I didn���t care.
���You coming?��� Lexington smiled.
���Yes, yes I am. Just one minute please. Harper I need a moment.���
She scowled at me and stomped in the room. I shut and locked the door behind her and held up her bra.
���Put this on.���
���Kiss my ������ She stopped and grabbed it and turned around and quickly latched it in front of her and turned it pulling her arms under the obscenely tight top and pulling it up.
She turned around and glared at me. ���Better?���
���Whose fucking shirt is that London���s?��� I hissed even though I knew I shouldn���t be pushing my luck.
���It���s Ava���s.��� She walked past me and out the door.
I threw a hat on and shoved my feet in my boots, grabbed my coat and I was out the door.
Dad looked at me and snickered.
She didn���t ride with me, instead she road with Lucas and his kids. Fuck she was pissed. I sat staring out the window as we went into the tunnel. I could still see Lucas���s tail lights and Harper sitting in the backseat with Ava. I would make damn sure she didn���t ignore me today.
We pulled into the parking lot behind them and parked next to the SUV. Lucas opened the back and pulled out some sort of table and began unfolding it.
���What is going on?���
���Tailgate party Maddox.��� He smacked my back and laughed as he pulled out a cooler.
I watched as he and Logan set up a grill and Ava pulled out another massive cooler. She reached in and grabbed two drinks and opened one and handed it to Harper. Harper laughed and took a drink and I watched as she made a face as it went down.
���Be careful Harper.��� Tessa laughed and patted her on the back.
Ava handed Tessa the other. ���I shouldn���t.���
���Yes you should. We���re tailgating come on let your hair down girl.���
Ava grabbed another and handed it to Emma. ���Thank you Ava.���
���Alright little ladies lets go grab you some fan gear.��� Dad took the girls to a vendor walking around selling foam fingers and tee shirts.
Ava held her drink up. ���A toast to you and a toast to me, and a toast to the boys that lick us where we pee!���
Lucas gasped and all the girls laughed.
Logan held up his drink. ���May the girls with Itty Bitty���s let me pet their pretty kitties.���
���Alright you two that���s enough.��
� Lucas tried scolding his kids. ���Logan hand it over now.���
CJ held up his beer. ���Here���s to the girl on the hill who says no way but her sister will.���
Matthew held his drink up. ���To a fine selection, no rejection, a firm erection, a clean injection, and no infection.���
Tessa covered her face and laughed. It was great to hear her laugh again.
And then I heard my sweet little Harper.
���To the hole that never heals, the more I rub it the better it feels.���
I���m sure my jaw hit the pavement and Ava pointed at me and laughed.
Dad and Lucas both looked at me and quickly away.
���Here���s to those who wish us well and those who don���t, can go straight to hell!��� Tessa laughed.
���To the ones we love and the others who hate. May we know the difference while standing face to face.��� Lucas took a drink looking distracted momentarily. ���Alright let���s cook some steaks.���
Harper completely avoided me and I completely wanted to crush the skulls of every one of the guys who stopped to talk with Harper and Ava. She didn���t chat long, she would find a reason to be closer to me than the three foot distance she had been keeping and I was grateful for that. What wasn���t cool was that my Harper, the Harper I had not seen drink more than three or four times, was getting tanked. She had never drunk more than a glass of wine and she had pounded at least three Mike���s Hard Lemonades in the hour and a half we froze our asses off in the parking lot. Or tailgated as London pointed out.
We were finally going into the stadium. Tessa, Ava, Emma, and Harper were extremely giggly. Everyone seemed to be having a good time except me. We walked past a group of girls and they immediately noticed Dad and me. Their shrieks stopped Harper dead in her tracks. She turned around and looked at me as the girls approached asking for autographs.
Dad signed a few programs and so did I. I pointed Harper out to the girls and mentioned fianc��e before politely excusing myself. I made sure Harper heard me.
Inside the box was warm; there were televisions, food and booze. The game started and Tessa was all mouth. London was extremely impressed with her knowledge of football and laughed when she cursed at the Giants. Harper and Ava were giggling and had both had three more drinks before half time.
