Her skin-hugging black yoga pants and tight tank make me ache. Dixie dances around her feet hoping for a dropped morsel of food. When she bends over to pull garlic bread from the oven, I groan, blowing my hiding spot, causing her to jump. Her head whips in my direction. The frantic stress on her face dissipates as she takes me in.
“Jesus, Alex, you scared the shit out of me.” She snags the baking sheet, plops it on the top of the stove, and whips off the oven mitts.
“The only thing missing is that damn apron,” I growl.
In a slow fashion, she struts over to me. Her bare feet slapping the white tile on the floor, her hot pink toes a stark contrast, making me harder. This girl has fucking ruined me.
“Kiss me.” She plants her hands on my chest, not bothered by my sweaty state.
The side of my mouth tips up in a crooked grin as I take her in. “On your lips or pussy, Maria?”
Shit like this used to make her blush a bright crimson red. Not anymore.
She hitches up on her tiptoes and brushes her lips against mine. Then she gifts me with a barely-there kiss. “Both.”
It’s all I need to hear before I pick her up and haul her ass to the shower. We’re both stripped naked and under a hot stream of water in a matter of seconds. Her back is pressed against the wall of the shower, Maria’s hands tangled in my hair, as I dive in and out of her sweet pussy with my tongue. Her taste dances and floats around, only making me greedier. My hands glide up and down her thighs that rest on the top of my shoulders.
I’m certain by the time we get to dinner, it’s going to be cold… and worth every single bite.
“You smell like pussy, man.” Dilan slaps a file down on the table in my dining room.
I take a seat, sending him a death glare. “Says the guy who wore a bright-as-fuck tutu for his daughter one year on Halloween. Don’t think I don’t remember my dad telling you the same thing. Might want to shut your fucking mouth.” I’ll never forget the day my brother and I were hiding out in Dad’s office when Dilan showed up pissing and moaning about that. Dad laughed and stated Anna, Dilan’s wife, must have talked him into it because he smelled like pussy. Later, we asked Mom what pussy was. She stormed out of the kitchen and chewed my dad’s ass without even answering.
“Whatever, punk,” he mumbles, letting out a deep chuckle. Dixie marches into the room and hops up on my lap. She places her tiny paws on my chest, stretching out, waiting to be pet. Dilan doesn’t need to say any words. His laughter and the fact he’s shaking his head are enough. Fucker better keep his opinions to himself. I’ve never been much of an animal lover until this obnoxious little shit.
“Maria’s asleep in my bed, so keep your voice down and spill.” I reach for the cup of coffee he poured for me. “Fucking couldn’t sleep worth shit last night.”
“It could be worse,” he starts out.
“Don’t sugarcoat this shit and give it to me.”
“His past was squeaky clean. Simple perfection, which was the first red flag.” Dilan strums his fingers on the tabletop. “Dug a little deeper with our connections and struck gold. It seems Lance is the son of a rich-ass senator who had a deep enough wallet to bury his past. He raped a girl in high school. It was cleaned up by his daddy.”
“Rape?” I question. Fucking hell. I can’t begin to let my mind wander to what the girl he did it to must be going through. And what if he had attacked Maria? Jesus Christ.
“Rape and battery were the worst of it. Lance is your typical spoiled-ass rich kid who gets away with what he wants. There are hidden drug and theft charges that never saw the light of day.”
Dammit, why didn’t my instincts pick up on how sick and twisted he is?
“I knew he was off. Knew it, and yet I let her carry on with him because she needed to know I wanted her to be who she wanted to be. Didn’t want my jealousy ruining what we had just built. Fuck.” I slam my hand on the tabletop, startling Dixie.
“The thing is, Alex, he’s cleaned up his act. His dad got him out of hot water, but it also forced him to get some in-depth counseling. From everything I can see, he’s a new man.”
I don’t care if he’s a new man or not. The fact remains he wants Maria.
“Answer me this, then. If you think he’s all reformed, why in the hell did you feel the need to come all the way out here to deliver the news?” My jaw is tense. All the peace I found since yesterday afternoon vanishes.
“Your instincts. It took a whole hell of a lot for you to come to me with this. He may look like the boy next door, but his past says otherwise.” I glance at the table and then back up to him. I can tell he’s debating something.
“Say it,” I growl.
“We’ve had eyes on Maria since you guys returned from Montana.”
“You’ve what?” I lean forward.
“Extra precaution. Our family doesn’t need shit going down like it did with Justice. You’re Alex Diamond; you’ll always have a target on your back, whether you like it or not. The attention from the team doesn’t help us.”
I don’t say a word as I glare holes through him.
“There’s been some hit-and-miss information about someone following her. Nothing huge, but something to keep an eye on, which we will continue doing. She’s yours, and your whole family knows this, which means we protect her.”
“Alex.” Maria’s voice drifts into the room.
Seconds later, Maria rounds the corner dressed only in my white button-up dress shirt. The bottom hole is the only one buttoned. Her wild hair is a mess from sleep and a long night of sex. Dilan turns his head as she wipes the sleep from her eyes. Her cheeks redden with embarrassment, and her eyes go wide in shock when she notices him.
The front door swings open, and several members of my family march in one right after the other. Maria uses this opportunity to make a run for it. Any other day, I’d laugh my ass off at the whole scene. Not today.
22
Maria
“Dixie, I’m home,” I holler, kick the door shut with my foot, place my guitar case on the floor, and head straight for the kitchen wishing for alcohol. I dumped the last of my wine out a while back and made a vow I wouldn’t drink ever again. It’s one of the ways I want to support Alex. Now, I’m wishing I had asked Aunt Peaches to let me take a bottle of something stronger before leaving the bar. With no classes today, I went in before she opened to practice the anthem. Of course, I ran into Lexi, who came in with her attitude shoved up her ass to grab her last paycheck. I had no idea Peaches fired her over our fight. I just assumed she hadn’t been scheduling us together. I’m glad the lying bitch is gone. After all, she’s the one who started it.
After an embarrassing morning with Alex’s family showing up earlier than I expected, him hiding something from me, feeling bad for Lance and his loss, and this shit with Ava and Scott, I’ve had more than I can take. Ava and Scott can work their own shit out; they just better hope it doesn’t affect our project, or I’ll be taking on more than mine and Lance’s share.
I’m exhausted, overwhelmed, pissed, and agitated. You name the emotion, and I’ll guarantee it’s slapped me in the face over the past twenty-four hours.
“Dixie, where are you? Momma needs some love.” I peer around the corner toward my room, wondering if she’s zonked out in the middle of my bed. She didn’t sleep well at Alex’s last night for some reason. It was well after midnight by the time I got her settled. I strummed it up to it being a new place.
I lean back in, grab a bottle of water, and take a long gulp, gagging and spitting it out when a fierce and strong smell hits my nose. “Something smells like rotten fish.”
I grew up around fish. I loved catching them in the lake, but eating them was never my thing. The smell alone used to make me sick.
“Dixie, what the hell have you gotten into, baby girl?” I shove open my bedroom door, and bile rises in my throat at the smell. Scratching and whining come from my closed bathroom door. Placing my hand over my nose, I open the doo
r, set the water on the counter, and go to scoop her up, but she darts past me and runs to my bed, where she starts barking like crazy.
“What’s going on with you?” I turn, take one step, and everything inside of me freezes. Even the blood in my veins comes to a stop as I take in my bed. Or rather what’s lying in the middle of it.
A dead fish cut into a hundred pieces. Its head and buggy eyes sitting on my pillow. Blood is everywhere. The word ‘whore’ written in what looks like blood across the wall above my headboard.
Dropping to my knees, I heave, the contents of my stomach spilling all over my carpet until there’s nothing left but a bottomless pit in my stomach.
“Dixie, come here.” I drag myself up, dry heaving as I snatch her in my arms, rushing out and checking her for injuries. I tug her close, thankful whoever did this didn’t hurt her. My entire body is shivering.
I debate calling Alex, the cops, my dad as my mind races and pleads trying to think who in the world would do something like this. The first person coming to mind is Lexi, but then again, what if it has something to do with Alex’s family? I don’t know what to do. I just know I have to get out of here. I grab my keys and purse and leave, the smell so intense I’m gagging all the way to my truck.
With trembling fingers, I click the lock, get Dixie calmed down, and crank the engine, my mind shaken and in pure chaos. Hooking up my phone to Bluetooth, I start to call Alex, but I hang up before it starts to ring. If I call him, he won’t let me out of his sight. If I don’t, he’ll be pissed. “Damn it,” I mutter. I wonder if this is connected to whatever he was talking to Dilan about. Is there some threat to his family he hasn’t told me about?
I dial the only person I can think of beside him who might give me an answer.
“Justice, th-this is Maria,” I stutter, doing my best to hold in my cries.
“Maria, is everything alright?”
“No, it’s not. I-I came home to find…” My stomach lurches. I shouldn’t be driving, so I pull off to the side of the road, drop my head onto the steering wheel, and cry.
“Maria, where are you? I’m calling Alex to come get you.”
“No, please.” Through my tears, I go into what I found. She doesn’t give me any information except to tell me she’ll get it cleaned up and good as new. She might come in a small package, but Justice is a force to be reckoned with. However, she didn’t let me off the hook too easily by telling me this is not something I should keep from Alex. I know I shouldn’t; I just need a damn minute to think. After begging her not to call him and promising her I’ll head straight to his house, I hang up and do my best to pull my shit together before I get there.
A few hours later, the sight of what I walked into in my apartment still has me terrified as I lie next to Alex. I haven’t told him yet.
Alex knew something was off the minute I got here. He pushed for more information. I lied and told him the closer it gets to me singing at the game this weekend, the more nervous I get. I’m not anywhere in the vicinity of nervous. I’m excited to be a part of something he cares so much about. It crushed me to lie. The fact remains that Alex is stressed beyond stressed. Pressure from the media about team positions and endless meetings has him worn thin. Not to mention, there’s still the feeling he’s hiding something from me.
I stare at the ceiling with his steady heartbeat echoing in my ear, struggling to come up with why. In the end, I’ve tried to convince myself it was the wrong apartment or some sick joke by the teenagers living in the apartment across from me. It seems I’m constantly hearing their mother yelling at them about doing stuff. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are the ones who bashed in my truck. Which I still have to get fixed.
Rolling over, I decide to call security to see if the cameras are fixed. If they are, maybe I’ll get an answer before bringing this to Alex. If it was Lexi, I’ll do a hell of a lot more than punching her. I’ll bash her head in.
Who in the hell would do something sick like that?
Inwardly, I sigh. Even with all the excuses, not telling him doesn’t sit right with me .
“Why are you awake?” Alex’s sleepy voice startles me.
I snuggle closer to him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s fine. Little hard to sleep, though, when I can hear you thinking, babe.” He smoothes his palm up and down the length of my spine a few times before settling his hand on my bare ass.
“Just nerves,” I lie. My stomach turns, and the anxiety settles in. It kills me. I’m not a liar, yet here I am doing it.
“You’ll be amazing, Maria. Go back to sleep. It’s four in the morning. We have to pick up your family at nine.”
“Okay.” I roll over, placing my head on his chest. My eyelids flutter shut as I trail a heart on his chest with my finger.
The mention of my family soothes me. Alex yet again surprised me with the fact he’s flying my entire family out for today’s game. They’ll stay for a few days to experience Idaho and The Shade Tree. To say Peaches is excited would be a major understatement.
Sleep never comes. Instead, my mind rattles with fear. I focus on my breathing and how well it matches up with Alex’s. He’s been hinting not so subtly about me moving in. It was a hard no until last night. Now the idea seems perfect. Breaking the news to my parents will be the biggest obstacle. They’re not prudes and have never claimed to be. I’m more concerned about them paying to get me out of my lease.
“Am I going to have to fuck you back to sleep?” Alex rolls over, pinning my back to the mattress.
“Please.”
Having my entire family with me at The Shade Tree is just what I need. Alex will be arriving shortly to take us to the stadium. The closer it gets to leave, the more I’d be one bigger, fatter liar than I already am if I said my body isn’t now shaking with nerves. I sang the national anthem all the time back home at high school games and rodeos. I loved it, craved it, but this is a whole new level. I push the thought of thousands of American loving people whose gaze will be focused on me, not to mention the millions at home watching the game, out of my head, or at least I try to. Alex picked one of the biggest games of the season for me to sing at. The Diamonds and the Detroit Lions are both vying for a spot in the playoffs. It just goes to show how much faith that man has in me.
“Shake it off, baby girl. You’re making me nervous, for Christ sakes.” Dad wraps an arm around me, gifting me with his famous one-armed hug.
He doesn’t let go, so I take the opportunity to sink into him. Cooper and Peaches are battling at the pool table. It will end in a wrestling match. The two of them are the most competitive people I know. Mom is busy chatting with a few patrons about things they have to do before they head back home. I focus on everything surrounding me, and it magically grounds me.
The door swings open. Ava and Lance walk in, followed by the pizza delivery guy. Cooper and Amos, Jr. had to have pizza. They didn’t order just one but a dozen of them. Guarantee they will eat their fill at the stadium as well. I’m damn proud of my family. Not one of them has ordered a beer or whiskey. Normally, they’d be sipping on one, shooting the shit. Everything is perfect. All the puzzle pieces I’ve struggled to put together have fallen into place. Yet I still can’t kick that there’s an eerie feeling looming over my head.
I have to tell Alex once my family leaves. It’s going to eat me alive if I don’t. I know damn well Justice will if I don’t do it.
“You excited?” Lance tucks his hands in his pockets, smirking at me.
“More like ready to puke on demand.”
I introduce everyone and pass on a piece of pizza. Lance tried to hug me, and when I avoided it, he didn’t leave my side. I’m oversensitive right now, picking up on everything and over analyzing. I knew Ava was going to the game. Lance sent me a text earlier letting me know he got back last night, but he didn’t say he’d be here. Ava had bought the tickets for Scott’s birthday. Him being here is just one more thing to add to the nervous tension
boiling in my stomach. I don’t need Alex going off half-cocked at the sight of Lance.
The door swings open one more time. Alex strides in, taking his aviators off and glancing around. Once he sees me, he eats up the distance between us. That damn white dress shirt will never get old. The man is delicious. He doesn’t say a word before he plants a long and lingering kiss on my lips. He doesn’t acknowledge Lance or even give him the time of day. And for that I’m thankful.
23
Alex
High expectations fill the arena, yet the win our team desperately needs to get the top spot in our division isn’t what has me hyped. Every breath I draw as I wait for the announcer to introduce Maria makes my heart race that much faster. I’m standing by the team with both sets of parents, yet the game is the last thing on my mind.
I hate having her out of my sight. She may not realize this about me, but I was raised by a man who can read people, and she was and still is hiding more than her nerves. I wanted to push her harder than I did last night about it, but the look on her face, the way she clung to me and couldn’t sleep let me know she was battling with telling me. So, against my better judgment, I let it go. But seeing Lance all up in her space earlier straight up pissed me off. Not to mention, the raping motherfucker is here in my stadium.
“You alright, son? Something tells me the reason you're on edge doesn’t have a thing to do with her singing. Pretty damn certain I know what is.” My dad’s words are a knife to the gut.
“She’ll do great. It’s him. Bugs the hell out of me, Dad. I can’t get the images out of my head. I don’t know; it’s like I keep seeing the girl he did that to. I keep telling myself that she’d tell me if Lance ever said something out of line. I know he hasn’t touched her, but the bottom line is, she knows I’d come unhinged if he ever stepped out of bounds. Something's up with her, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out what it is.”
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