Hendrixx stood up, then leaned down and carefully slipped one arm under my knees and the other around my back on my uninjured side, easily lifting me from the ground.
“You okay, Blake?” he asked quickly.
“Yeah honey, just worried about Lancelot,” I admitted, deliberately keeping to myself that the pain was getting worse now my adrenaline was wearing off. When it first happened, I had been so worried about Lance, the pain had been tolerable, it hurt like a bitch, but not like it was now.
“I’ll call Fenixx and get him to come back as soon as possible to look him over, now can you worry about yourself for a second please, baby?”
Settling as comfortably as I could against his chest, I sighed.
“Anything you say, Hendrixx,” I allowed, telling him what he wanted to hear.
“Ha! That will be the day,” he chortled, starting up the hill towards where the utes were parked.
“Um, excuse me, can you not see me standing here?” Mr idiot Roberts sneered, his narky tone stopping Hendrixx mid-stride.
“You are lucky my girl is in my arms mate, if she wasn’t, then you would be eating your own teeth about now,” Hendrixx threatened, his arms around me tensing.
“I am buying a horse from the owners of this establishment, such as it is. It is appalling to me that instead, this woman,” he spat out the word like it was an insult, “would show me a horse worth the money I am prepared to pay. Where exactly are the owners? I expected to be shown the colt by someone who knows what they are doing. Not that she isn’t easy on the eyes, a bit dirty and rough around the edges, but fair breasts and a decent face for a country girl that is.”
I gaped open-mouthed at the audacity of him, Fenixx might have spoken to him on the phone to set up the appointment, but I am the one that meets with them, walks them through the procedure, and initiates the meet and greet between buyer and horse. Friggin’ all of it!
I was about to tell him this when Hendrixx’s whole body stiffened, turning us around, Drixx gently lowered me to the ground.
“Stand here for a minute baby, don’t move from this spot,” he murmured softly, but his blue eyes were firing, his jaw ticked, and his face was like a thunder cloud, but I didn’t feel even an ounce of fear. Hendrixx was mad and was about to live up to his last name.
Nodding once, he took my hand on my good side, he turned back to face Mr Roberts, then hooked my fingers in the back of his belt. “Close,” he muttered, and my heart melted on the spot. Being loved by this sweet man is going to be a real good ride, I had no doubts about that.
Curling my fingers tighter around the leather belt, I followed Hendrixx as he stalked two steps forward, getting right up in Roberts’ personal space.
“Your name, what is it?” Hendrixx demanded, his tone demanding compliance.
“Liam Roberts, a friend of mine, Arabella Conger bought a horse from the Triple H last year and referred me to the Hott brothers. Who are you?” Roberts sniffed, giving Hendrixx the once over with narrowed eyes. Obviously, the idiot had never done a hard day’s work in his well-manicured life, nor seen anyone in jeans and boots that didn’t have a fancy designer label with the designer price tag.
“Well, Liam Roberts, my name is Hendrixx Hott, COO of HBC and co-owner of the Triple H. The lady behind me is the head horse-breaker and stables manager. She says if a horse can be sold and to whom, and guess what mate?” Hendrixx leaned forward, grabbing Roberts by the scruff of his silk necktie. “You won’t be getting squat. I will be ringing Bella to let her know the Triple H won’t be doing business with you.”
I would have jumped with glee if my butt didn’t hurt so much from falling on it and if I didn’t have a hoof imprint on my collar bone, instead, I did the next best thing and looked around Hendrixx and gave the idiot my middle finger in a gesture he probably didn’t understand but deserved.
“You are Hendrixx Hott? But you look like a common stable hand!” The spluttered reply came out in a rasped and scared voice, most likely because Hendrixx still had his tie in a choke hold.
“It’s called work mate, you might want to try it one day. Oh, by the way, for future reference, when addressing a woman the way you just did Blake, I suggest you don’t talk that way about a woman ever again. And that goes especially for the love of my life.”
Just as I was about to voice my agreement with another finger gesture, Liam inexplicably crumbled to the ground.
What the hell? Did he faint?
“What happened to him?” I asked surprised, leaving my position behind Hendrixx to gape at the sight of the crumpled unconscious man, momentarily forgetting the pain to prod Roberts with the toe of my boot.
“Glass jaw, typical suit,” Hendrixx grunted, taking me in his arms again, dismissing the form on the ground to give me his attention.
“You hit him! When?” How did he do it? When did he do it? All I saw was Hendrixx holding onto his tie, and the next, it was lights out for Roberts.
“Baby, please,” Hendrixx scoffed, continuing up the hill with me in his arms, “Living with Nixx and Noxx, you learnt how to throw a sneaky punch and run. This guy, however, isn’t as tough as my brothers, so no running needed.”
“Honey, he is going to make trouble for that hit, you know that right?” I worried, thinking that he might file a law-suit or even go to the police, giving the farm issues.
“That fucking weasel is responsible for you being hurt, and after the way he spoke about you he is lucky I didn’t beat him bloody. Now, stop worrying sweetheart, I’ll call Noxx to give the legal team a heads-up.” His lips brushed my temple in a whisper-soft touch.
“You are my hero, Drixx, and such a romantic,” I teased, nuzzling his cheek.
“Only for you baby, only for you.”
HENDRIXX
“Liam Roberts is suing us,” Lenoxx announced as he jumped out of his car and strode up the path to where I was waiting for him at the stable door.
“He is fucking welcome to try,” I answered, my blood boiling at the mention of the preppy prick who had been responsible for Blake getting hurt by spooking Lancelot five days ago.
“How is Blake?” Noxx enquired “and Lancelot?”
“The big bloke is fine, he was a little flighty for a couple of days. I couldn’t get his bridle on over his ears, but he seems to be settling down. Blake worked with him today for the first time since it happened, she lunged him in the arena for an hour. Luckily, both of them escaped any serious injury. Blake is about ready to nut me, she says she is fine and went back to work for the first time today when she exercised Lance.”
Blake required ten stitches to close the gash caused by the hoof hitting her, miraculously no broken bones, but that knowledge didn’t help my anger. Liam Roberts was lucky, all I did was punch him and not rip him apart.
When I heard Eddy shouting for me, the last thing I thought I would see when I came running out of the main stable was Blake on the ground crying in pain and then to find blood oozing from an open wound on her shoulder. The second I saw her, I bolted, desperate to get her in my arms, the stranger standing beside her didn’t even attempt to help her or look concerned that a woman was hurt and on the ground.
“I know what I would’ve done if that’d happened to Makena, so I don’t begrudge you snotting the prick. The legal team in Melbourne are on top of the suit, they don’t think we will even have to settle,” he said, then quickly put up his hands when I opened my mouth, “not that we were going to mate. He was on private property and Blake’s statement is enough to prove he was in the wrong.”
“Fucking oath he was in the wrong,” I muttered darkly, “what kind of idiot goes up to a horse and screams like a dickhead? Blake said she had been feeding Lance a sugar cube at the time, she was fucking lucky he didn’t bite her.” Just the thought of Blake getting bitten put me back on edge, suddenly needing to see her. I only just left her in one of the healing rings with a new horse brought in by a mother and daughter worried about the girl’s horse who had be
en mistreated while being boarded on an agistment.
Some people really needed to be strung up by their dicks for hurting such a majestic animal, in my opinion.
“Makena is with her, left them fifteen minutes ago after sitting Makena on a chair ordering her not to move her sexy arse even a millimetre.”
“So, why did you get out of your car just now?” I asked, confused why he drove the car the short distance from the ring to here, which was not more than three hundred metres if that.
“If she goes into labour, it will save time by driving back up there rather than running,” he answered, looking at me like it should have been obvious.
“You’re a dickhead, Noxx.”
“Fuck you, Drixx, her due date is this week, yesterday, in fact. No way am I risking anything going wrong this time. Her delivery with Daxx was wrought with drama and she nearly died for fuck’s sake. I will not lose my wife or my daughter,” he vowed vehemently.
“I get it Lenoxx, but nothing is going to happen. You are with her this time, the hospital may be small and rural, but they are well equipped to deal with Mack,” I laughed, referring to her many visits in the past. The hospital had even named a wing after her in honour of her clumsiness.
“Not funny arsehole, the receptionist rang up the other day and asked if Makena was all right. When I asked why she was asking, the chick replied by saying their emergency supplies were at a record high because Makena had not been in for so long,” Noxx grumbled, shaking his head in disgust.
My shout of laughter was interrupted by my mobile ringing, seeing Blake’s beautiful face on the screen with her contact, I held up my hand for Noxx to shut up.
“Hey, sweetheart, are you all right?” I asked, in the way of a greeting.
“Yes, honey, I’m fine,” she huffed, but I heard the smile in her voice. I was smiling too, I fucking loved the way she called me the sweet, syrupy endearment.
“So, what’s happening, you want me; mouth, hands, or dick?”
“All of the above, but first you need to get Noxx up here, Mack is in labour, her water broke, and Daxx is currently jumping in the puddle it left on the ground,” Blake told me through her giggles. My mind whirled with everything she just told me, I didn’t know if I should start panicking because Mack was in labour, or laugh hearing what my nephew was doing.
“Fuck Noxx, you aren’t going to believe this, Mack’s water just broke,” I relayed to my brother, leaving out what Daxx was doing, for the time being, Noxx was on edge enough, Mack needed him focused not running off to throw up.
“I fucking knew it! Didn’t I tell you, Hendrixx!” Noxx yelled excitedly, running back to his car full pelt and shouting out to me over his shoulder.
“Come on mate, we will call Fenixx and Mal on the way to the hospital.”
I could hear multiple voices in the background through the phone, Blake laughing, Daxx giggling and Mack screaming that she wanted Noxx’s balls in a vice.
Maybe going to the hospital was not a good idea, I mean, I desperately wanted to be there for the birth of my niece, but Mack still scared me. I could only imagine how that was going to intensify during delivery.
Walking quickly to the fancy SUV, I pondered staying here hiding out, but Noxx quickly nixed that idea.
“You have to be there, Drixx,” Noxx pleaded, “you, Nixx and Mum. We all missed seeing Daxx being born, not just me.”
My brothers and my mum meant the world to me, letting them down wasn’t in me.
“Wouldn’t miss it, Noxx,” I assured him, whatever my family needed, I would be there.
***
The tiny, little baby girl, wrapped snuggly in a pink and white, mink blanket snuggled deeper into my arms, and my heart practically burst out of my chest.
“My God, she is perfect Mack, an absolute stunner,” I marvelled, in a soft, hushed whisper, running one finger gently down the bridge of her tiny nose.
“She really is,” Mack agreed tiredly from her spot on the hospital bed, “she is the perfect mix of her Mumma, Daddy and big brother,” Mack said proudly, her head laid against my brother’s shoulder, his smile a mile wide, his eyes trained on his daughter in my arms. That look in his eyes, identical to mine, spoke nothing but love and protection for his little girl.
“Well, if Hendrixx would stop hogging my niece, I could see that for myself,” Fenixx grumbled, throwing me a death glare, which of course, I ignored. Other than a burning need to get back to Blake, there was no force on this earth that could force me to hand over my niece to anyone until I was goddamned good and ready.
“I’m older than you wanker, so shut up, sit down and wait.”
Staring at him, I noticed for the first time that Mal wasn’t in the room any longer.
“Where is Mal? Why isn’t she here fighting me to hold onto—” raising my eyebrows, I looked back at Noxx, “are you going to name her or will we just keep calling her gorgeous, little stunner for the rest of her life?”
Makena beamed up at her husband and gave him a nod, obviously giving Noxx the honour to announce their daughter’s name.
Giving Mack a kiss that was inappropriate for a woman who just gave birth, he cleared his throat.
“Family, I would like you to meet Onyxx Victoria Hott. We chose to continue with the double x in honour of Mum, and Victoria after Makena’s mum.”
“Onyxx,” I whispered, holding the precious bundle up to my face. “Welcome to the family, baby girl. You are so loved by your uncles, and I would like to apologise for your aunty, sometimes you have to have weird and crazy relatives whether you like it or not,” I joked, referring to her aunt Mallory, not her aunty Blake.
“I better go call Blake, let her know about this little cutie, and see how things are going with Daxx.”
When Noxx and I got Makena into the car back at the Triple H, Makena asked Blake to look after Daxx. Blake loved the little boy and was more than happy to stay at the farm with Daxx rather than try to keep him entertained in a hospital waiting room. It didn’t sit well with me though that Blake wasn’t here, she was family, my family, and she should be here with me.
“Oh, Mal is on her way there to pick up Daxx so he can meet his little sister, I’m sure she will tell Blake,” Makena informed me without a hint of a smile, but I knew she wanted to, her tone dripped with innuendo and humour. She fucking set this up behind my back, but why? Blake and Mallory have at best tolerated one another, both for very different reasons. The two of them alone together was like taking chocolate-covered marshmallow from a very pregnant Makena.
Goddamn and fuck it. This was not good, not good at all.
BLAKE
When I first said yes to Daxx’s request to look for some of his dad’s and uncle’s old toys from when they were kids, I didn’t consider that our hunt would span five rooms and end up in the upstairs attic. The homestead wasn’t a two-storey dwelling, and technically it wasn’t an attic in the true sense of the word. It was more like an extra space where Lillian could throw all the old things she couldn’t bear to part with away. You could not stand up in the area, and it only went halfway across the roof space, but Will did have panels put down so the weight of the boxes wouldn’t fall through down into the lounge room.
“Daxx, are you sure you don’t want to go play with the bulls?” I asked, hopefully as I shimmied on my knees past yet another overflowing box of old paperbacks.
“We haf ta find Dad’s old toy box, Blakey! Granny tolds me it is here!” Daxx shouted over his shoulder at me, and then the little brat burst into a fit of giggles when he saw how I was following him, on my knees and forearms creeping slowly and very gingerly. I swear if I see a mouse or rat, Daxx will be continuing this search on his own.
“It’s fine for you little man, what are you two feet tall?” I huffed. Fancy being ridiculed by a four-year-old.
Thank goodness Hendrixx can’t see me now.
“There are a lot of boxes, Blakey,” Daxx declared, using his little body to squeeze through a tig
ht gap, a pile of boxes suddenly fell and just missed his little body.
“Daxx! Careful mate,” I yelled out, shuffling quickly to assist him.
“Sorry,” the cute little tyke apologised, “they was not stacked right.”
Reaching him, I took a second to look him over, determining he was fine, then turned my attention to the mess he’d accidentally created.
“I’m not mad Daxx, just don’t want you to get hurt. Your granny and grandpa didn’t throw anything out, did they?” Twisting myself like a pretzel, I tucked my legs underneath me to sit cross-legged and started to pick up the pages and pages of loose-leaf paper that got up-ended.
“I’m gonna got look over there, ‘kay?”
“Okay, little man, just be careful, please,” I told him, adjusting the headlamp on my head then picked up the box to put everything back in.
The beam of the light caught the top flaps, thick black writing on the top grabbing my attention.
BUCHANAN/ROGERS
Huh? Both names I knew. Obviously Rogers, but Buchanan sounded very familiar. Hendrixx mentioned that name more than once when he spoke of his father and the bombshell that became apparent with what he did to Mack and Noxx and the whole family. Hendrixx was struggling with the actions of Will, the betrayal, and all that it means to him and his brothers. He tries to play it off, but I knew it was affecting him deeply.
Adjusting the light, I shone it on one of the legal looking papers and scanned it. Placing the page on my lap, I went for another, then another, and it didn’t take me long to conclude that Daxx had innocently stumbled across the proof Drixx and his brothers had been looking for over the last few months.
Hott and Ready (The Hott Brothers Book 2) Page 12
