It makes me wonder if somehow, he confided in her, and she’s twisting herself up about telling me. But I don’t think that’s it.
I stand quietly next to him, spilling every detail of how she acted last night. The way she shook in my arms, couldn’t sleep. I skip the part about offering her sex, and once we got started, she didn’t want to stop. I didn’t mind; being inside of her is the best place to be, but when the woman you love is clinging to you like it might be your last night together, it messes with your mind.
“I’d be a much richer man money wise than I already am if I worried about every dirty cocksucker your Aunt Calla comes in contact with. Look, I’m not going to tell you not to worry. I’m telling you to trust me. If we thought Lance was a danger to her, I’d be on the dean of the university’s ass. Lance’s father isn’t the only one with influence around here.”
I chuckle, release a long-winded breath, nod, and let it go for the time being because my beautiful Maria is gearing up to take center stage, right where she belongs.
The local military marches the flags out onto the field.
“To honor America and sing our national anthem, please welcome upcoming star from Montana, Maria Richards,” the announcer’s voice booms over the speakers.
Chills race up and down my spine. Pride like no other fills me. She struts to the fifty-yard line in those damn boots, tight black pants, and the Idaho Diamonds jersey I gave her that fits her snuggly. All of me rises to attention. Every single last part.
She steps up to the microphone without a nervous twitch in her body. The song begins, and Maria’s sweet, tender, and powerful voice delivers the song to perfection. Her eyes flutter shut as the last word leaves her mouth. The stadium erupts in cheers. I glance over at her father to see tears in his eyes. I can’t even begin to comprehend how proud he is. Not only is he her father, but he’s also a former military man himself. He lost his best friend to war.
Her father along with her uncles Cub and Guy take a second to look up to the heavens. I barely hear Guy tell Hart, “He’d be damn proud, man.”
“He would be, Hart.” Maria’s mom wraps her arms around his waist with happy tears rolling down her face. “Always knew she belonged right there singing with her whole soul.”
Hart kisses the top of her head. “Just like her momma. You did good.”
“Thank you, Alex, for giving her this.” Maria’s mom hugs me next. “She loves to sing, and you gave her an opportunity of a lifetime. The greatest stage to be on. This is such a wonderful thing for you to do.”
“I love her,” I reply with confidence, not intimidated a bit by my family flanking one side of me and hers the other.
Hart steps up to me. The love and adoration he felt moments ago for his daughter wiped clear. It’s not anger I see but sheer determination. “Maria told us she’s moving in with you. It’s too damn soon. Don’t like the idea at all. The thing I’ve learned about being a father is, it doesn’t matter what I think; it’s her happiness that matters, and you make her happy. Take care of her.”
I stop clapping. Tuck the shock that’s surely on my face away and shake her father’s hand when he holds it out for me to take. I grasp a hold firmly, accepting what he just offered.
Maria and I have talked about her moving in. Fuck all if I wouldn’t love having her there, but I haven’t come right out and asked her. Therefore, what he just said confuses the fuck out of me.
“You raised a good woman. A woman like Maria deserves everything, and I intend to give it to her.”
It isn’t until a few hours later that I stop worrying if what had Maria bottled up was her wanting to ask me if she could move in.
It’s far fucking from it.
The door opens, soft steps cause the wood to creak beside me. “Alex, I wanted to ask you something.” Maria takes a seat next to me on my deck, fiddling with the necklace I gave her. Which, for some unknown reason, only fuels my anger.
During the entire game, I barely spoke a dozen words to her. I went right into business mode to control me from marching out of the suite and snapping Lance’s dick off. What happened at her apartment has the word ‘psycho’ written all over it, and whether he got help or not, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was him. The little shit can’t take a hint. Reminds me of Lexi. Should tell him to hook up with her, then the two of them can be crazy together.
Maria wasn’t paying much attention to me at the game either. She had a faraway look about her. Total opposite of when she sang with confidence. It was almost like she was scared that at any moment, something was going to happen. She didn’t leave her seat, where she sat between both our mothers the entire time.
And now, thanks to Justice telling me, I know why.
I wouldn’t care if she surprised me by telling me she had all her shit packed in her truck and moved it in tonight. After what I found out, we’ll be getting everything she owns out of there anyway. What pisses me off is, she came here last night and lied to me, and she better not lie to me now.
I had a cold sensation in my gut when Justice kept eyeballing Maria, then swinging back to me during the first half of the game instead of focusing on her husband. I knew right then Maria went to her with whatever the fuck was going on. Didn’t have to confront Justice about it because she tugged me and both our dads into the hallway and told us. Now I want Maria to come clean. If she doesn’t, then we got a fucking problem.
“What? That you’re moving in, or that you're still fucking nervous about singing?” My voice along with my body trembles with outrage.
“Both. Mom told me Dad told you. I’m sorry I didn’t bring it up to you first. I thought I’d talk to them before we talked. Jesus, Alex, if I knew you were going to be this angry about it, I would have come to you first.”
I stand. Pace and try to calm down. Too much shit is running a vicious circle in my head. Give anything to suck down a bottle of liquid with a high alcohol content to calm me down.
When I stop, she roots me to my spot with her furious glare. Good. Maybe what we need is a good fight to clear the putrid air. It’s smelled like bullshit since she came over last night. And the shit is only beginning to hit the fucking air.
“Honestly, I’m not pissed about you wanting to move in here, or that you told them. I want you here. What has me livid is why all of a sudden you want to. What the hell happened, Maria, and don’t give me some bullshit story like you did last night.”
She drops her head, chin tucked and eyes lowered in a way that ticks my jaw. She thinks she’s doing me a favor by protecting me from it. Kind of calling that scalding kettle black. The only difference between our secrets is, I’ve seen and witnessed what crazy fuckers can do, and it ain’t pretty.
“How ironic of you to ask, Alex, since you seem to be hiding something from me, too.”
Not quite what I wanted to hear. I clench my fists, my voice turning to liquid steel.
“Well, fuck, if that’s the route you want to go down, then let me pave the way.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. Suppose I should tell her because from where I stand, she’s done having any type of relationship with him whatsoever.
“Not telling you has been eating at me ever since it happened, so fuck you.”
My blood runs cold. Goddamn it. I’ve no doubt it has been tearing away at her insides. What I found out has to, but shit, someone has threatened her, and as her man, she should have come to me with it, not Justice.
“Yeah, fuck me, Maria. Fuck me for loving you so much that I’ve been going out of my Goddamn head worrying about you. Let me tell you what I’ve been keeping from you. Your fucking little pervy friend is a motherfucking rapist. That’s right. He had his daddy cover it up, so he could get into college.” The words aren’t even out of my mouth before her hands shove my chest. Her face turning as white as the freezing snow in New York.
“I don’t believe you. Is this your way of trying to control me? My God, have I been trailing way behind in a game with you, Alex? I will not be control
led by anyone.”
I can feel the cords in my neck stretching taut. Un-fucking-believable. At least she didn’t know about it. Not quite sure how I would have handled it if she did.
I’m so pissed she would think that little of me that if I didn’t know the truth, I’d ask her to leave so we could both calm down before we say things we don’t mean.
“You and me, we’re playing a game called forever, Maria. I told you I didn’t trust him. My family has ways of finding things out. Sick bastards like him get you to trust them, and then they attack without the victim suspecting it was them. Wake the fuck up, baby; he’s toxic. Now, since you think we’re playing a game, it’s your turn.”
Tears roll down her face. I want to reach out and wipe them away, pull her into my arms, and show her how much I love her, but I’m holding back. We have no idea who did this to her, and if it’s mafia, she needs to understand the rules. It’s the way it has to be if we’re ever to stand a chance.
“I don’t know where to begin or what to think. He wouldn’t do this to me. It couldn’t have been him. I-I thought maybe it was Lexi.”
Could be. At this point, I haven’t a clue. Everyone’s a suspect.
I’m mute the entire time she tells me about the fish. Every painful, scared, stuttered word coming out of her mouth pushes me closer to the edge. It settles so far inside of me it may never surface.
“Jesus, come here.” I haul her trembling body up and into my arms. I can feel her conflicting emotions coursing through her.
“I acted like an asshole. I’m sorry. Baby, you have to open your eyes and close off that beautiful, caring heart of yours. It very well could be either one of them. I’m sorry it came down to telling you this way. He’s your friend, and you care, but you are done with him until we figure this out. If he has a problem with it, then he can take it up with me.”
Loud sobs rack her tiny body. She’s distraught and scared. I give her time to get it out while I hold her tight in my arms. Once she calms, I pull her away, so I can look deep into her eyes to make sure my point is heard loud and clear.
What I’m about to tell her will be the true test of whether she can handle being with the son of a mafia boss. She has to understand that even though I’m not directly involved with the syndicate, I’m a part of it, and so is she.
“You need to listen to me, Maria. Dad has everyone on this. They’ll get to the bottom of it. We have no idea if this is related to my family or not. It could be Lance, could be Lexi. Fuck all if we know. These kinds of things are not something you should keep from me. I shouldn’t have kept the information I gathered from you either. Still, I admire you for wanting to protect me. Makes me proud to have you by my side. Dad seems to think this doesn’t have anything to do with his empire, but he’s been wrong before, and if he is, these people don’t mess around. They kill people for no reason.”
There wouldn’t be enough alcohol in this world to numb me if something were to happen to her. Because living without her would torment me to death.
24
Maria
The tension in the air is as thick as the slushy, freezing blood roaming through my veins. I hate being followed. The men are discreet, but there’s something about knowing someone is always watching you. Even when I lay my overworked head down and try to sleep, I know they are out there. Switching shifts and risking themselves.
I have so many emotions running through me that I have no clue if the finishing touches I’m trying to perfect on our project are even right.
Being pissed off at myself for not going to Alex in the first place doesn’t even begin to describe how terrible I feel. I was wrong not being upfront with him. I can own that, but it doesn’t make what he told me about Lance any easier to digest.
The thought of the evidence Alex splayed on his desk evidencing Lance’s past is enough to make me sick. Alex is a jealous man. There’s no disagreeing that fact. It was his hunch that brought all of this to light. Lance may be a changed man now, but it doesn’t change his past. And for all I know, he could be a camouflaged predator waiting to strike. He’s made his interest perfect clear from the beginning. He’s always wanted more. I put the brakes on it, making it black and white because my heart has always belonged to Alex. Now I’m left second-guessing every door Lance held open for me, the times he’d scoot in a bit too close to me in a booth, or all the times he’d accidentally brush his knuckles against mine. It turns my blood ice cold.
Alex is the only one who’s kept me grounded since he told me. I desperately wanted to tell my parents, but Alex advised me not to. The less people involved, the better, he said. The moment he took me in his arms, our dilemma became manageable. As cliché as it sounds, with him by my side, we got this. I’m all for women’s rights and standing strong. The love of a good man trumps all. But I’ve yet to face Lance. I avoided his calls last night, his texts, as well as Ava and Scott’s. I just can’t handle any more stress. And even though I agree with Alex about cutting my ties with Lance, I just can’t stop in the middle of a project that would surely cost me my grade. It’s a good thing I am being followed, I suppose. Otherwise, I have no doubt Alex would be sitting in class with me.
I slam the door to my truck shut, my skin running cold when I see the damage. I shiver as I round the front at the same moment my phone goes off. It’s Alex’s ringtone.
“Hey, babe.” I tuck the phone between my ear and shoulder as I juggle my coffee and bag.
“Hey, you.” I can hear the worry in his voice. “Just checking in before I get swamped in meetings.”
“Dixie puked bacon all over after you left, I spilled my first coffee on my white leggings, and now I’m walking into class.”
His deep chuckle makes me grin even though it’s been a shitty morning. “Hell of a way to kick off the day, yeah? I’d give anything to take it all away for you with my mouth on your sweet pussy.”
I’m surprised he isn’t growling. He knows I have this class with Lance. It took me and Aaron forever last night to convince him that I needed to act normal until we get the surveillance back from the apartment building.
“Alex!” I toe open the door, kicking it hard enough I’m able to walk in. “Not fair. You’re only making it worse.”
“Okay, okay. Gotta go, baby. Be safe, and hey, have a better day.”
“I will, and my day is made now. How about tacos for dinner?”
“Oh, I’ll be dining on a taco all right.”
“Jesus, Alex.” I blow my bangs out of my eyes. “You’re impossible.”
“Gotta run. Love you.”
“Love you, too. See you tonight.”
I keep my phone tucked to my shoulder until I find my seat and slide off my backpack. With that simple phone call, I feel calmer. Knowing Alex, that was his intention. That’s the power of love.
“Hey.” She plops right down next to me.
I give her a nod and go to sorting out my MacBook and textbooks.
“I’m so sorry about my whiny voicemails and leaving you to take care of my part of the project.” I haven’t listened to them, so I have no idea what she is carrying on about. She brushes her hair over her shoulder, leans into me, and whispers. “Long story short, Scott and I made up. I found a text on his phone, and it was a picture of tits. He said it was the wrong number, and I thought it was a bullshit excuse, but after I texted her, I know it really was. Apparently, she meant to send them to a guy she hooked up with. I feel so awful for blocking him from my life. It’s all good now. I see you’ve done the majority of the work on our project. I’ll present. I feel like an ass for dumping this on you.”
“It’s okay. I’ve been busy. Where’s Scott now?” I only ask because they usually come in together and I’m over the tension between the two of them.
“He forgot something in his car.” She starts pulling things out of her bag. I’m happy for her. I know how much she loves him.
“I’m glad it was a misunderstanding.”
I peer over my
shoulder, seeing Aaron standing steady outside the classroom. He said he’d walk behind me to my classes, make sure I’m safely tucked inside, and wait in his car. The Diamonds have campus security on their side. There’s been so much information that lies below the asphalt that has boggled my mind. He’s here to protect me, as what could be the enemy sits right next to me.
“Hey, beautiful girls.” Lance takes a seat on my other side. I play the role as if everything is fine while my whole spine stiffens. Aaron has told me over and over again to act normal. In times like these, I wish Alex had kept this to himself. I’m not a liar or an actor. It eats me alive. I don’t like the person I am.
“You okay, Maria?” Lance brushes the hair off my shoulder, causing me to shiver.
“Fine,” I choke out.
“Want to grab pizza for lunch and study for our economics test?” he asks, oblivious to my discomfort.
“Sorry, I have an, uh, appointment.”
“Are you sure you’re okay, Maria? You seem off.”
“Just stressed.” I face forward relieved it wasn’t another lie.
I peer at Ava’s other side to see Scott hasn’t made it yet. This professor can be brutal making a scene when you walk into his class late.
“He’s going to nail Scott,” I whisper to Ava.
She shrugs and grins. It’s damn good to see the old Ava. I didn’t have any patience for the drama, but the thought of losing a boyfriend you really love would be devastating. I shudder thinking about losing Alex.
All three of our phones vibrate on the desks. Odd. In unison, we all grab them. It’s a text from Scott.
All of you, grab your shit, get up, and don’t say a word, or this video I have of me fucking Ava’s mouth is going viral.
My gaze falls to Ava. Her eyes are wide, and shock is written all over her face. I watch in utter horror as her mouth drops open and the blood drains from her face. She’s as white as my leggings.
Toxic (The Crossover Series) Page 17
