“Yes, it is true I didn’t know I had a grandson, but I am not so sure I can say the same for your father.”
“Years ago, when Noxx came back to the Triple H, miserable and pining after Mack, your father left for a business trip. Now, we all know your dad gave up travelling for the HHH, leaving that to Hendrixx, but I do recall how secretive he was about it. He refused to tell me anything other than he was meeting up with Buchanan.” Lillian looked over at me; my face must have registered shock at the name, the same name on the legal documents Will had served me with back then.
“What kind of business did Dad have with Buchanan? I had no idea they even knew each other,” Hendrixx queried, looking a little lost.
“Who is Buchanan?” my sister asked, sitting forward on Hendrixx’s lap. The room was too small for the chairs that were already in it, and Noxx refused to let anyone sit on the bed with me in case they jolted my arm, so she planted her butt on Hendrixx’s lap. Tim had nothing to worry about with the close bond between Drixx and Mal; they were like best friends with absolutely no benefits involved, which was why he didn’t make a fuss when Mallory told him to go home and get some rest, and to clean up the mess my blood made in his car. He was settled enough in his relationship with my sister, so he accepted the friendship she had with Drixx.
“Buchanan is HBC’s investigator; we use him to investigate potential clients for illegal activities and financial history. Dad never got involved with our business, so I don’t see how he fits into this,” Noxx explained, looking at his mother for answers. “Mum?”
“He did know him from years ago; they knew each other before you were born. It was your father who suggested you take on an investigator in HBC, wasn’t it? Now, I know why–he was repaying a favour to Buchanan. He obviously did something for your Dad, and in return, Buchanan got a job with a leading beef exporter.”
“What favour?”
Clearing my throat, I spoke up instead of letting Lillian drop the bombshell on her sons.
“Um, I can help with that,” I murmured. “The guy that found me was a man named Buchanan, he was also the witness signature on the legal form your dad served me with,” I told the room, I could feel everyone looking at me, but I only had eyes for Noxx. I met his stare of surprise without wavering, the time for honestly squarely upon me.
“What papers, baby? Where are they? What are they?”
“When I was about six months pregnant, I decided to go back to you and tell you about the baby. I wanted to give you a chance to explain about … that. And if anything so you could be involved in our child’s life. Your dad was at the airport waiting for me; I presumed he had me followed because I was very careful not to let anyone know where I had gone.”
Reaching over with my good arm, I placed my hand over Noxx’s, which was lying on my thigh.
“I just needed time Noxx, the prideful pissed-off me believed the photos and tape, but the other part of me, the part that loves you with every cell wanted to give you a chance to explain.” Noxx didn’t move to clasp my hand, but his fingers fisted around the flesh of my leg, his blue eyes pained and watery.
“Dad saw you pregnant.” Fenixx didn’t say it like a question more like a demand.
Nodding slowly, my eyes still on Noxx I forged ahead with the worst part.
“Yes, he knew. He asked me what my intentions were for going back. Then when I told him that Noxx deserved to know about his future child, he produced a very detailed legal document that basically stated if Noxx or any of his children or wife found out about my baby, all of the Triple H land, the livestock and its bank account would be forfeited. Noxx would be turned out of the family, Hendrixx and Fenixx too. He said he had controlling authority and nothing could be done by any of you.”
“A couple of years later I received a revamped version with an added codicil. He must have lost track of me, not thinking I would ever go back to Waterford. It said if I ever went near Cattle Ridge or anywhere near anything you owned, I would pay dearly. If Daxx was ever discovered, he would make sure to fight for custody, sighting me an unfit mother and financially unstable, his threat effectively and finally tying my hands from ever telling you.”
I took a long deep shuddering breath; I thought getting everything out in the open might somehow feel cathartic; it was anything but that.
Hendrixx looked absolutely ropable, Fenixx had steam coming out of his ears, Lillian had tears leaking from her eyes, but the one that affected me most was the total look of devastation coming from Noxx. Despite the iron fist, his father ruled his family by, Noxx idolised his dad. I remembered how agonised Noxx was when we decided to move to Melbourne, leaving his parents and brothers, leaving the Triple H. We knew it was the only option to be together without the constant disapproval from Will. While Noxx wanted to be with me, happy to go and start our lives, it didn’t stop the guilt that swamped me when his father called and told him not to return to the HHH until I was out of his life. Noxx’s choice couldn’t have been easy, but he did choose me, and what did I do in return? I believed the worst and let his father dictate the next few years of my life.
Oh my god, what kind of person was I? I just ruined four lives, and all I was concerned with was how stupid I was, my guilt, my loss.
“Noxx?” I asked, my voice unsure and nervous. What was he thinking right then? Did he believe me, could he forgive me? I made a choice, the right one for him and Daxx; I couldn’t start second-guessing myself now, what was done was done. It was up to Noxx now how we moved forward.
As a family or some other way.
I waited for what felt like forever, sitting there with my hand over his pleading silently for him to say something, anything.
“Where are the papers, baby?” Noxx asked quietly, a dangerous edge to his voice.
“Um … they are in the biscuit tin under my bed.”
His lips lifted at the edge of his mouth, not quite a smile, but it was better than the grim look.
“You and fucking biscuit tins,” he muttered, his head shaking, his tone just a smidge lighter.
He had a point; my mum saved everything from empty jars, the little plastic squares used to tie off a loaf of bread to biscuit tins. I tossed all the glass and plastic, but I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of her tins; instead, using them for receipts. I had dozens filled with every kind of register or handwritten expenditure account, much to Noxx and Hendrixx’s chagrin.
“I don’t like change,” I quipped, then regretted it when the grin fell from his mouth.
“But I am going to change that is,” I rushed to tell him. I didn’t want him to think this was all for nothing, him doing everything around the farm, the way he loved Daxx and … me? Did he love me, could he love me again? Our physical connection was still there, but a marriage needed more than phenomenal sex for it to last. I was more than prepared to work on trusting and letting go of old ghosts if I knew I was doing it for the right reason.
Noxx looked over his shoulder at Fenixx, doing that silent triplet thing. Fenixx stood up from the chair and came over to his brother, and without a word, he gathered Daxx into his embrace, giving Noxx the freedom to get up.
At first, I was scared his intention was to leave the room, but when he sat down on the edge of my bed, his arms carefully winding around my shoulders, avoiding the IV drip and the large gauze on my arm, I came close to losing my shit there and then.
Sagging against him, all the adrenaline and worry suddenly expelled from my body, leaving me a sorry mess but hopeful, so hopeful this wasn’t the end of us.
His arms around me said we were going to be fine, but the desolation in his beautiful eyes told me we had a way to go.
“I don’t want you to change who you are, Makena, I want you to change who you think I am. What you think I did to you, to us,” he whispered into my hair, his hand gliding down my head in soothing strokes, yet his body was taut with barely contained fury.
“I want you to get some sleep; Mum is more than happy to stay
here with you. I think we will take Mallory back to the farm; she looks pretty wiped out.”
“You’re leaving?” I cried out in panic, not wanting him to stop holding me, let alone leave the room.
“Hey, baby, I’m not leaving you. We need to get Daxx to bed, and Mal needs something to eat after donating blood and some sleep after a pretty traumatic day.” Noxx looked at my arm, the doctors gave me a sling to keep it immobile, but it didn’t do much to stop the pain.
“It’s hurting, isn’t it, baby?” Noxx asked unnecessarily; he could read every one of my facial expressions better than anyone. Not waiting for me to confirm or deny, Noxx felt around for the pain button and shot a dose of morphine through the IV.
“I will be here when you wake up, baby,” he promised, kissing my lips softly, his low moan vibrating against them.
I craved to feel more, but a warm tickling of painless bliss suddenly flowed through me, my eyes so heavy I had no choice but to close them.
Before the bliss took me, I swear I heard Noxx’s deep timbre declare that he loved me. That he was never going to let me go ever again.
Playing those sweet words in my mind, I allowed myself to sleep; this time, I wasn’t scared to go.
LENOXX
“I don’t believe what I am reading,” Fenixx breathed out, receiving a grunt from Hendrixx and me.
“It doesn’t matter how many times you read it, Nixx, it means the same thing at the end. Dad knew about Makena’s pregnancy and put measures in place to keep her from telling me,” I muttered darkly, the contract was a work of pure evil, and I couldn’t believe it came from my own father.
“Worse than that, he knew Daxx was here, threatened to take him from his mother, and used her love for all of us against her,” Hendrixx added disgustedly.
I wasn’t sure which was the worst, the fact that Dad knew at all or that he had a legal document written threatening to take away the Triple H from us. Even his wife didn’t escape his deranged power trip. After getting back from the hospital and getting Mallory sorted with some food, my brothers and I sought out the biscuit tin and found the legal threat.
Nothing in the document was thinly veiled; Dad made it very clear what would happen if Makena ever decided to defy him and tell me or anyone about my son. Hendrixx and Fenixx would forfeit their share of the HHH, including the horses and anything the money made, including vehicles and homes. Mum also stood to be shunted out of her home, the cold and harsh way my father pointed out just what would happen if Makena did not bow to his demands, unfathomable to comprehend.
As his son, it burned a hole in my heart not only for me but for my brothers and Mum, as Daxx’s father and Makena’s husband all I felt was raw hatred towards the man I once saw as my hero.
“We can’t show Mum this; I mean it will fucking kill her to see this shit,” Fenixx declared vehemently, waving the offending paper in front of him.
“What did he mean by if he would sue if Makena went public with her evidence? What evidence?” Drixx asked, snatching back the paper from Nixx then reading it again.
“The photo of me supposedly fucking some other woman, and a tape recording of me making plans with her,” I answered then waited for the reaction I knew was coming.
“What fucking tape? I knew about the photo, but what was on the tape?” Fenixx asked straightaway.
“I don’t know, I haven’t listened to it yet,” I admitted, suddenly feeling foolish. Makena might have made some mistakes, some hers and some forced on her by my father, but I wasn’t exactly innocent. Not listening to the tape probably the biggest one.
“You haven’t—are you completely idiotic, Noxx, or maybe you think you are that perfect you think all the blame belongs to your wife?” Fenixx accused hotly.
“You weren’t there Fenixx, how I reacted at the time might have been wrong, but you would’ve done the same given the situation,” I defended my decision, but there was no getting by the fact I chose wrong.
“Well, we can continue fighting like infants, or we can listen to it, Noxx,” Hendrixx raised his eyebrows at me, “I presume you have it with you.” It wasn’t a question; he knew me, knew the proud, stubborn man I was and always had been.
“I do,” I admitted, then stared at him, receiving a raised brow and a silent message.
No way was I going to get them to leave so I could listen to it in private. Dad brought them into my domestic dispute by adding them to the codicil, Makena not only protected me, she protected my brothers too by agreeing to stay away and keep Daxx a secret.
“Well?” Fenixx prompted.
“Fuck! Fine, we will listen to it together so we can all share in my shame and embarrassment,” I grumbled. Walking over to my jacket to pull out the manilla envelope, thankful for my foresight to grab the tape out of the safe, Makena didn’t have a computer, just the tablet and mine was back at the apartment office in Melbourne.
“We might need to change the batteries, the same ones have been in it for nearly four years,” I said, stalling for time.
“Just press play and we will find out. Jesus, Noxx, stop being a pussy, we know without hearing the tape it has been tampered with, Nixx and I know our brother, you don’t cheat.”
Heat crept over my cheeks, Hendrixx’s unwavering belief in me, Fenixx too, meant more to me than I had words.
Clearing my throat, I opened the envelope and took out the black recorder, it was the kind with a mini tape in it, old school as fuck but it had the effect the mystery sender had desired.
“Okay, here we go.” Pressing the play button I was disappointed the batteries were still good, I needed to hear it, but some part of me, the stubborn part, refuted the fact I had to defend myself.
No, she won’t be home, I promise she will be out for hours. We have plenty of time to doing what we do best, gorgeous.
What sounded like my voice came across loud and clear. Bile rose in my throat as I listened to ‘me’ talk filthy to another woman other than my wife.
You can suck my cock for as long as you want as long as I get to return the favour.
You know how much I love it when you ride my cock, your pussy tight and creamin’ all over it.
You can spend as much time ridin’ honey bunch, your arse looks fucking delicious sitting on the saddle.
I balked at the ridiculous description; it sounded like a D grade porn movie. I would never say any such thing to Makena, nor would I use horse riding references in bed. I might ride a horse and wear a hat like a cowboy, but it was Hendrixx and Fenixx that embraced the cowboy persona more than I.
And I know I have never referred to Makena as honey bunch, that was more a term Hendrixx would —
“That is my voice!” Hendrixx shouted, frantically pointing at the recorder. I waved a hand at him, shushing him, the next part of the conversation I knew was my voice this time I knew exactly who I was talking to.
You know how much I love you, baby? I can’t get enough of you, every second we are apart; it kills me. I don’t know how much longer I can take all this crap. I want to wake up with you in my arms; I want to go to sleep with you under me. I want a life with you and only you.
“I want a life with you and only you,” I said the words along with the taped ones, the same time they were said. I remembered saying that to Makena one night during one of our long phone calls; her dad had given her a hard time for spending all day over at the Triple H with me and accused her of coming home smelling like sex. It had been a disgusting thing for a father to say to his own daughter, Makena rang me in tears crying, saying she couldn’t take it anymore. I did my best to assure her everything was going to be okay, but hearing her so upset affected me so badly; I ended up losing my shit, and that night we started talking about moving.
“I said that to Makena, and only that, the last part was definitely me.”
“I think that was me at the start,” Fenixx piped up. “Remember Katy Donahue? She was scared of Mum and would only come over when she was out of the house.�
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“The horse talk was Hendrixx,” Mallory said, coming into the room, startling us.
“And it wasn’t weird D grade porn talk; he was talking to me trying to encourage me to get on a horse. The part about creamin’ was his horrible way to sweet talk me into bed, which I might add never happened, although they were said to me on two separate occasions–once over the phone and once in the stables at the HHH. If you listen again, you will just hear my groan of annoyance. Hendrixx never really had a flair for talking the good ones into bed, just the sluts and cowgirl wannabes.”
Hendrixx narrowed his eyes at Mallory comically. “I don’t remember asking you to suck my cock, and I certainly don’t remember returning the favour.”
“I can guarantee you weren’t talking to me, must have been one of your easy floozies,” Mal scoffed, but she wasn’t being funny, no she looked perplexed just like the rest of us. This tape appeared to be a mixture of different conversations my brothers and I’d had at various times, with various girls.
“Hey, I haven’t touched a floozy or anything else since—get stuffed Rogers,” Hendrixx muttered, realising what he nearly gave away. He was talking about Blake, but I didn’t know how much Mal knew about the blonde that had my brother twisted in knots, and to be fair, I really didn’t give a shit right now.
“It sounds like you Noxx, had I not remembered Hendrixx say those things to me I would swear it was you.” Mal’s observation brought my thinking back to the current and important topic; Blake and Hendrixx could wait for another time.
Hott and Taken (The Hott Brothers Book 1) Page 22
