AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And so he should be.
If he wants Milton dead, he will need to do it himself.
* * *
Milton arrives backat the club two hours later with Bea at his heel. He’d managed to see to her wound and then his, though he did a hack job stitching himself up in his rush to leave. The stitches are tight, and he will probably scar badly. Though, right now, he cares very little.
Striding inside, Milton goes upstairs to Maxim’s upper floors. He knows his friend will be waiting for him, and sure enough, an elegantly dressed Maxim is sitting in a chair when Milton enters.
He rises, forehead creasing with concern. “You look like shit.”
“I need to ask something of you. But there are things you should know first.” Maxim just stares at him as Milton goes over to the drinks cabinet and pours himself a double of cognac. “You know Blake Santos?”
“Not personally. Why?”
“Well, I joined his clubhouse as a prospect years ago,” Milton says, finally turning to face his friend. “I wanted to build trust, a foundation. I acted like one of them.Wasone of them.”
Maxim eyes Milton with confusion. He’d not told anyone he’d done this—not even Vadim. Though, his friend was too wise and figured it out anyway. If he hadn’t, Milton would’ve bled out after Nick shot him. It wasn’t uncommon for Milton to disappear for weeks or months, especially when he needed a hiatus from Club X. “Why?”
“His uncles—I needed to know where they were. They were Anaya’s worshippers and the fuckers who tossed me between them like a dog’s chew toy.”
Maxim sinks back into his seat, his expression vague. Milton’s pretty sure his own past is flashing behind that stare. They often unintentionally trigger each other, but that’s why they’re so close. Nobody else understands more than they do each other. “…Go on…”
“Blake gave me a job—to watch over a girl he’d just claimed as his. Her sister sold her off to him. None of his men respected him. She was practically in danger every day of her life in the clubhouse. She was taken against her will—”
Maxim pinches the bridge of his nose. “Your complication?”
Milton nods, pouring himself another drink. It was helping with the pain. “I protected her back then until Santos tried to have me killed. I didn’t see her for years. Not until she showed up in Stonehill a few months ago for a suicide attempt. I gave her my protection again…until I started to want her…”
“She looks like Anaya.”
“That began it. But that’s not why I want her.”
Maxim sighs deeply, something dark crossing his own features. “You hide too much from me.”
“I’m telling you now. He’s been watching us. I don’t know how long. Not just me, but probably you as well. I want him dead, Maximus. I want everyone who’s hurt her dead. Horn Hill needs to burn—I told you that. I attempted it tonight, but Santos was one step ahead. He took Lisa and forced her to show him where the manor was. Now, he’s taken Heidi from me, and I can’t find them.”
“And Lisa?”
“Dead.”
“Why didn’t you come to me in the first place—”
“You know why.”
“Bullshit!” Maxim jumps to his feet. “You once said that we don’t interfere in each other’s shit. Do you remember what I said back to you?”
“Only when it counts.”
“Only when it counts. I won’t lie—I still find it unsettling that she resembles Anaya, but she’s not her. I see that now. Though, I don’t think that’s enough—”
“It’s enough,” Milton cuts him off. “Believe me, she’s enough.”
“You should havecome to me.” He says the last few words through clenched teeth. “We’ll get her back, but on my terms.”
Milton frowns. “Which are?”
“With violence. Nobody takes what’s ours.”
