AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
MAVEN
Back at Maddox’s house I did a shot of tequila to take the edge off as I wound down from the high-strung evening. Then I did a second shot. I made a face and slapped a hand on the bar. Not my drink of choice but the right one for the moment.
“Ouch, son of a bitch,” Ace swore, gritting his teeth against the pain of having someone pry a bullet from his shoulder without anything to numb the sensation.
The doctor working on his wound was employed by the syndicate for such incidents and paid very well to keep his mouth shut. He’d shown up promptly, ready to do his job and leave. He’d been mildly surprised to see me, stating it was nice to see me back. It had momentarily thrown me off. Was I back? No doubt I was home, but was I back with the guys the way we’d once been? I didn’t know about that. It wasn’t only up to me.
After a third shot of tequila I decided I’d had enough. I took the bottle to Ace where he sat stiffly on the couch, pressing it into his hand. He accepted it with a grateful nod and chugged back a significant amount.
“Almost finished,” Dr. Baylor said. “Just a few stitches now.”
Although I wasn’t all that squeamish, I didn’t want to watch the stitching. I joined Wolfe in the kitchen where he paced next to the island. He’d been visibly tense since we arrived. I sensed the storm brewing within him, knowing he waited for the doctor to leave to explode.
Maddox stared out the window at the pool with a drink in hand while Ruthless lounged on the couch, watching Ace get stitched up. I shot Wolfe furtive glances, wondering if I should say anything or just leave him alone. He was angry about tonight. I didn’t want him to be pissed at me, but I also didn’t want to let him and Maddox make decisions for me.
Mads had spent the entire drive back detailing in wildly colorful descriptions the many ways he would punish me for pulling such a stunt. Everything from spanking my ass until I couldn’t sit for a week to having me watched twenty-four hours a day. All ridiculous, possessive bullshit. I’d let him spew his big talk, not having the energy to argue with him.
When the doctor packed up his things to leave, I knew that emotions were going to take over the second he walked out the door. And I was right. No sooner had the door closed behind him than Maddox turned from the window to face the rest of us.
“Do you two fucking stubborn shits have anything to say for yourselves?” Maddox’s scathing glare cut from Ruthless to me.
“Yes,” Wolfe jumped in. Placing both hands flat on the island counter, he stared stonily at me. “I’d like to hear why you disregarded our opinion completely and did whatever the hell you wanted. You could’ve been killed, Maven. Ace was hurt because of the crap you two pulled tonight.”
I glanced between both brothers, mildly amused that this is what united them. Also more than a little miffed that they thought they could team up on me like this.
Ace raised a hand to draw their attention. “For the record, I knew about the plan. It wasn’t only the two of them. I wanted to get rid of the Thorns too. This isn’t all on Maven and Ruthless.”
“It was reckless and stupid,” Wolfe spat, hazel eyes blazing with fury. “Do you have any idea how fucking scared we were?”
Now that I did understand. I nodded, holding up a hand to calm him. “I get that, okay? I do. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry either of you. We needed to get rid of them sooner than later. They chased me home, guys. How long was I supposed to watch over my shoulder for them? Now that Archer knows I’m back, I can’t afford to be distracted by the Thorns.”
“We voted,” Ruthless added with a lazy half shrug. “You two were outvoted. That’s the way it goes sometimes. Anyway, it’s over now. It doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t matter?” Mads repeated, curling one hand into a fist. “If something had happened to her, you and I would be facing off right now.”
Ruthless remained unruffled. Tilting his head to one side, he curiously observed Maddox. “Have you forgotten that Maven is a badass who can take care of herself? Maybe you need to stop defining her by the night Archer grabbed her and remember who she really is. Both of you.”
He slid a pointed look from Maddox to Wolfe. Then he plucked a joint from the metal tin on the side table and sparked it up, giving no shits what either Hale brother thought. He probably didn’t care what I thought either, but right then I was a warm, gooey mess of feelings. Ruthless cared. He showed it in his own gruff and grumpy way, but he cared. Knowing he still believed in me meant more than I’d ever be able to put into words.
“I don’t want to lose her again.” Low and bitter, Maddox’s words hung heavy.
Wolfe nodded his agreement but didn’t speak. I understood their feelings. I was afraid too, but I wouldn’t live in fear.
“I’m here now, Mads,” I said softly. “I’m not going anywhere. This city is my home, and I want to fight for it. I’m ready now. But I can’t live my life in fear. I won’t. Don’t you think it’s time for us all to heal already? We can’t let that night continue to haunt us.”
It had taken me a long time to work through my feelings and fears regarding that night. I would always carry some of the trauma with me. Healing didn’t come easily, and it didn’t happen fast. We had to start somewhere.
“Have you healed, Maven?” Wolfe crossed to where I stood and smoothed a lock of hair that had escaped my bun back from my face. His hand lingered, caressing my cheek. “Are you now able to forgive Maddox? Because you’re not the only one he hurt that night. If you can’t forgive him, how do you expect us to?”
A lump formed in my throat. He had a point. What happened to me had affected them too in some way, all four of them. Then I left without a word, wounding them further.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But we have to start somewhere. We’re stronger together, all of us. You guys balance each other out. It’s time to move forward. Together.”
My lower lip trembled slightly. I knew we couldn’t go back to the past, but we could still build a future. It would take all of us though, and I couldn’t force them to do a damn thing.
Wolfe crushed my hope when he said, “It might be too late for that. I don’t know, Mave. Things changed when you left. It’s different now.”
