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“I guess that’s your problem.” My arms shook with anger as my temper flared. “Next time you have a message for me, pick up the fucking phone. Stay away from Maven.”
Ignoring his remark about my father proved harder than expected. Since my father’s death, everyone in the organized crime world had been waiting to see how I would choose to handle the Archer Syndicate. They’d built an empire over several decades and boasted a shit ton of manpower. Dismantling their operation was never going to be easy. Losing Wolfe and Ace hadn’t helped. There was a lot of pressure on me to fill my father’s shoes, but I wasn’t him. I was doing this my way.
Archer opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a cigar. He took his sweet time producing a lighter from his pocket and sparking it up. Then he took several puffs, releasing smoke rings that floated above his head.
“Maven Hart is your weakness,” Archer said with a smirk. “She’ll always be what holds you back. Want some advice, kid? Let that woman go. Do it before it’s too late. Because I will kill her. And when I do, it will kill you too. I’ll expect the money you owe me by the end of the week.”
Staring into Archer’s smug face, I snapped. It happened so fast. One moment I was calm and in control, then suddenly I smashed the photograph on the desk and snatched up a shard of broken glass. It cut into the palm of my hand as I took a swing at Archer.
My arm froze midmotion as Ruthless tackled me. He caught my wrist and twisted it, forcing me to drop the glass shard. Before I could react, he punched me in the face.
Archer shot to his feet, dropping his cigar on the floor. He scooped it up while his goons aimed their weapons and protectively circled him. “Get that fucking lunatic out of here,” he shouted at Ruthless. Using his cigar to point, Archer’s voice filled the office. “You’re a mess, Hale. Get your shit together before someone finally ends you. Maybe your brother will put you out of your misery.”
Ruthless dragged me toward the door, wrapping an arm around my throat from behind. With a squeeze of his arm, my vision went black.
CHAPTER TWENTY
MAVEN
I eyed the legs of the desk in the corner, wondering if I could break one off to use as a weapon. Maddox hadn’t given me back my bag, leaving me with no way to defend myself. Not that I wouldn’t throw a solid punch in his face, although I’d prefer not to risk injuring my hands.
The room had been stripped of anything useful. Not even a glass vase to throw. I could always throw the TV remote, but it lacked any real danger. The moment Maddox left I’d tried to break down the door. I gave up when I realized he’d stationed people right outside the room. The only way out was through the glass patio door. Not something I was willing to risk at this point. The security system would alert Maddox the second the glass broke anyway.
Unable to sit still, I paced the perimeter of the room. The view from the patio window was the sprawling back lawn growing thick and green with the approach of summer. I couldn’t see the driveway or the pool from this side of the house. The muffled slam of the front door was the only thing that indicated Maddox’s return.
As I waited, I grew more impatient by the minute. I needed to make sure Rumer was okay. She would’ve expected me home from the gym by now. My gaze strayed to the attached bathroom. Broken mirror shards would do in a pinch for a weapon. Not ideal though.
I was going to go crazy in the same bedroom where I’d lost my virginity. This was too fucked up.
Voices in the hallway brought me back to the door. It cracked open, and Maddox entered, closing it behind him. In one hand he held a bottle of whiskey. In the other he held my gym bag.
He tossed my bag on the floor and tipped the bottle to his lips. “You were right, Vixen. You are my weakness, and Archer knows it. I guess that makes me the last to know. Everyone must think I’m a fucking idiot.”
“Nobody thinks that,” I said, giving him a curious onceover. There was a bandage tightly wrapped around his hand that hadn’t been there before. “What happened?”
Maddox crossed to the bed and sat heavily on the edge. He studied his bandaged hand. “Archer promised to kill you. He said it would kill me too. I think he might be right about that. I won’t let him hurt you, Maven.”
Oh great. Now I’d never get out of here. I cast a longing glance at the door. Even if I made it past Maddox, I’d have to make it through the guys outside my door. Not to mention Ruthless, wherever he was.
“I need to go home. Rumer will be expecting me. I have to keep her safe, Mads.” Bending down to pick up my bag, I opened it up to find my blades still inside.
“She’s safe,” he said, picking at the label on the whiskey bottle. “I’ve got a guy watching her back. You can call her later.”
“Can’t I just have a guy watch me too then?” I ran a finger over the hilt of my favorite knife. The one with a howling wolf head decorating the hilt, gifted to me by Wolfe. “You can’t keep me here, Maddox. You know that, don’t you?”
Maddox took a long swallow of whiskey and passed me the bottle. “Are you gonna use one of those knives on me? Thinking about it, aren’t you? I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
“I don’t want to have to do that,” I admitted, accepting the offered bottle. A few large chugs and my throat burned. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Unfortunately, it does for now. As long as Archer is breathing, I need to know that his people can’t get anywhere near you.” Maddox pulled a small black case from his pocket. He plucked a perfectly rolled joint from inside and tucked the case away.
Desperation turned into fear. He wasn’t going to let me go.
“Then let’s kill the fucker already and get it over with. I can’t live in this room, Mads. I’m a human being. Someone you loved once. How can you treat me this way?” My voice rose with my temper. This bastard was going to force me to pull a knife.
“We’ll kill Archer when the time is right. He’s not going to make it easy, and he’ll be expecting us to make a move.” Maddox sucked in a huge plume of smoke, releasing it in a hazy cloud that drifted lazily above his head. He cocked his head to one side, frowning as he appraised me. “If I could trust you to stay put, I’d let you have run of the house. But I know you, Maven. You’re not going to play by anyone’s rules but your own.”
He was right about that. I took another hearty pull from the bottle before trading it for the joint. Rubbing a hand over my forehead, I sucked in a lungful of smoke. “Don’t you realize how crazy this is? I’m not yours anymore.”
