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“Calm your ass down, Maven. We don’t have any plans to hurt you, but that can change.” Ruthless’s dark glare bore into me. He very much wanted to hurt me.
Maddox continued down the hall to the room that had once been his teenage bedroom. He threw the door open and strode inside. Ruthless didn’t give me the chance to resist. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder before following Maddox.
I was too far into the dragon’s den to waste energy fighting. Besides, Ruthless was ready to knock me out. I didn’t doubt that he’d do it too. He dropped me onto the bed and moved to block the doorway.
Maddox lingered near the balcony door that opened onto the wrap around patio. “The security system will send an alert if this door opens or breaks. I wouldn’t bother trying to get out if I were you. You won’t get very far.”
I sprang off the bed, both hands raised in a plea for mercy. “You can’t be serious about this. It’s completely insane.”
“What can I say?” With a shrug, Maddox approached me with slow, predatory steps. “You always did make me a little crazy, Mave.”
Suddenly he rushed me. Taking advantage of my surprise, he dug my phone from my pocket and tossed it to Ruthless. Then he pulled me in close, gripping my chin with a hand. I jerked my face away, rejecting his touch.
“Let me out of here, Maddox. This is fucked up. I didn’t come back here to be your prisoner.” Tone low and deadly, I raised both fists for a fight. There was no part of me that accepted this scenario. I wouldn’t.
Maddox ignored my raised fists and touched my face again, gentler this time. “I can’t risk you. I won’t.”
“You can’t cage me like an animal, Mads,” I insisted, willing him to listen to reason. “This is fucked.”
He started to lean in like he may kiss me, jerking back before following through. Whirling on a heel, he joined Ruthless at the door. “I’ll be back in an hour or two. We’ll talk then.”
Fury drove me fast toward the door. It slammed in my face with the sound of a lock turning. I grabbed the knob anyway, knowing it was futile.
“You’ll be fucking sorry,” I shouted after them, slamming both fists against the door. “I swear to fuck, Maddox, you’ll regret this.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
MADDOX
Maven’s muffled shouts and threats followed us down the hall. She pounded on the door hard enough to make me wonder if she’d manage to tear it off the hinges. I’d expected her to be pissed off. I hadn’t expected the betrayal in her eyes.
I may have flown off the handle when the man I had watching Maven at the gym reported an Archer member following her into the locker room. They hadn’t wasted any time in going after her. Of course it had been a message for me. After what those sick fucks had done to her, I wasn’t taking any chances. If it meant that Maven wanted to beat my ass, then so be it.
“I’d put someone outside her door if I were you,” Ruthless said with a snicker as Maven’s tirade of obscenities followed us down the stairs. “You’ll come back to find a Maven sized hole in the wall, and she’ll be long gone.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea.” Snapping my fingers at two guys standing in the entryway, I gave them strict instructions to watch the door. I didn’t have to tell them what would happen if Maven got out on their watch.
I pulled my keys from a jeans pocket, twirling them on a finger. All I wanted was to rush straight back up the stairs to Maven. Instead, I left her to cool off, knowing that’s what she needed most. There was no better time to pay Donovan Archer a visit. He’d still be at his downtown office at this time of day, a good place for us to have a nice, non-violent chat.
“Think we should bring a small crew?” Ruthless asked as we exited the house. “Archer will be surrounded by goons.”
We crossed the driveway to a black BMW. I slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “No. I just want to talk this time. Bringing backup will send the wrong message.”
Ruthless rolled down his window and stuck an elbow out, turning to shoot me a knowing look. “Uh huh. And what exactly is the message you intend to send, M? Do you even know? Because I’m not so sure you’re thinking clearly.”
I waved off his concerns and put the car in drive. “Just gonna have a little chat with Donovan. Don’t worry about it.”
Eyes narrowed, Ruthless shook his head. “I’m worried about what that woman is doing to you. She’s only been back a matter of days, and you’ve rearranged your entire life for her. That’s fucked up, Maddox. Maven wasn’t wrong about that.”
I raced down the driveway, hitting the brakes when the gate came into view. “What’s fucked up about it? Maven didn’t stop being mine just because she left town.”
“Do you think she feels that way?” Ruthless asked, securing his seatbelt in place as we passed through the gate and turned onto the main road. “I’m not sure Maven wants to be yours anymore. Locking her in your old bedroom isn’t going to change her mind.”
“It’s not meant to change her mind. It’s meant to keep her safe.” I shrugged and hit the gas, increasing my speed as I tore out of my neighborhood. “I’ve been waiting a long time for Maven to come home. I’m not letting anything happen to her.”
Ruthless settled back in his seat and sighed. “Let the record show that I think it’s a shitty idea. Her presence is messing with your head.”
“Her absence messed with my head,” I muttered, slugging Ruthless in the arm. “I’ve never felt better. What’s your problem with her anyway? Don’t tell me that you didn’t miss her.”
