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Chapter Six
Josephine
Ilock Hades and me in the bathroom to get showered and ready for my workday. It’s never a good idea to keep Maceo away from me, but I’m pissed at him—I need space to wrap my head around what I witnessed on the trail and in the garage.
Maceo was ruthless, terrifying even. I don’t fear Maceo. He would never hurt me, but I know he’s capable of making good on his threats when it comes to anyone else. His protective streak over me makes him incredibly dangerous to those who seek to harm me.
Tom is not innocent, and I’m not foolish enough to delude myself, but he was only spying on me because he was forced. To believe he may have enjoyed watching Maceo and me being intimate…
Gah!I cringe. No, I need to believe Tom is as much a victim in Lorenzo’s scheme as I am.
Victim.I loathe the word. I use to believe I was a strong, independent woman capable of overcoming anything thrown at me—as if I was immune to all the evils of the world. But I’m not.
Kidnapped, beaten, and nearly raped.
Tortured by night terrors, panic attacks, and daily counseling.
Being watched not by one man, but multiple men: Lorenzo, Esteban, Jac—I swallow hard—Jacob.
I sink to the bottom of the shower, sobbing. Hades whines and hops into the shower behind me, licking the back of my head. I turn and wrap my arms around my sweet baby boy, crying into his black velvet fur. Hades is always there for me in all my times of need, and I’m grateful for him.
Knock, knock, knock—soft knuckles rap on the door. “Pixie, it’s me.” I hear him turn the knob and curse when he discovers it’s locked. “Come on, baby, open up.”
“Go away,” I mutter to myself. I need fifteen minutes alone—fifteen fucking minutes to fall apart before I have to pull my shit together again.
Louder, more insistent knocking shakes the door. “Josephine, please, open the door.”
I try to control my sobbing and suck in a ragged lungful of air, hiccupping.
Maceo must have his ear to the door because he starts to get frantic, pounding on the door and rattling the doorknob. “Baby, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
In my head, I know I should let him in the bathroom before he rips the door from its hinges, but I can’t find the strength to rise from the shower floor. If I’m honest with myself and I’m going to come apart, I’d rather do it with Maceo present, letting him see how much it affects me.
Instead, I hold on to Hades tighter when he whines his concern.
I hear the ping of the lock being busted before heavy footfalls cross the bathroom linoleum. Maceo drops to his knees outside of the shower, worry etched in his hard face.
I’m sure I look pathetic, sitting at the bottom of the tub, hanging onto my rescue dog. I don’t have time to dwell on it because Maceo pulls me from the shower and cradles me in his lap.
Hades jumps out of the shower and shakes, splattering the entire bathroom in water droplets.
“You couldn’t give me some privacy for a while?”
Maceo stiffens and looks in my eyes. “Do you really want me to leave you alone right now?”
Be honest with him, Jo.
Letting him know I need his support is not a sign of weakness. It shows I know when to ask for help. Before Maceo came into my life, I thought I had to do everything myself, but we have each other to lean on now. “No. I want you with me.”
Maceo relaxes and runs a hand down my wet hair, kissing my forehead affectionately. “I’ve got you.”
I wrap my arms around him and feel my body begin to calm down.
Neither of us says anything for a few minutes before a growl builds in Maceo. “I’m going to kill him. I can’t allow upsetting my woman to go unpunished.”
“He’s a kid, Maceo,” I defend quickly. “What he did was gross and wrong, but please don’t hurt him.”
“I’m not talking about Peeping Tom.” I lift my head to look into Maceo deep brown eyes, shadowed by his dark eyebrows. “I’m talking about Bianchi. That fucker gave the order to his henchmen to spy on you, and those men went ahead and recruited their own spies. None of this would be an issue if Bianchi knew his fucking place and stayed the hell away from you.”
