Twisted Tales of Mayhem: 2019 MMM Special Edition Anthology

by Sapphire Knight

  I can’t say I blamed her. I wouldn’t let anyone other than Phoenix drive my truck, and it wasn’t anywhere near as nice as her ride. Nodding my understanding, I walked around to the passenger side and climbed inside.

  She pulled away from the other cars parked near the fire and headed back toward the road. I assumed we were leaving the party until she killed the lights and backed into a small clearing between two trees—a spot I had never noticed before, and I had been to many parties in that field over the last few years.

  Suddenly, I was conflicted. I was looking to score an easy piece, and I wanted to fuck her, but I didn’t want her to be an easy piece. Well, for me, but not for everybody else, which had never mattered to me before.

  Trying to play off my unease, I glanced around the area and said, “Huh, been coming here for years and never noticed this spot before.”

  “Yeah, same here. I saw a car pulling out when me and Annabelle got here tonight,” she said and turned off the ignition, followed by the headlights. She leaned over, nipped my earlobe, and whispered, “You coming?” before climbing into the backseat.

  “Yeah, baby, I’m coming, and you will be, too. Several times.”

  Chapter One

  Macy

  Present Time

  When I moved back to Cedar Valley, I never imagined I would run into my best friend from high school in a boutique where I was hoping to get a job. Annabelle disappeared the summer after high school and was never heard from again. Honestly, I thought she was dead. To find her standing in a dressing room, alive and well, was a wonderful surprise and couldn’t have come at a better time.

  My life was in shambles. I was recently divorced, penniless, unemployed, and living with my parents. However, in a matter of hours, Annabelle had helped me find a job which came with employee housing. I couldn’t wait to move into my new place, and I was thrilled to have Annabelle back in my life. So, when she invited me to her daughter’s wedding, I couldn’t very well say no, especially since her daughter was also my new boss.

  Nervous didn’t even begin to cover how I felt as I pulled into the parking area at the Blackwings clubhouse for Ember’s wedding. I was fairly certain I wouldn’t know anyone else at the ceremony other than the two of them, and they were both active participants in the festivities. Well, I knew Phoenix would be there, but I hadn’t seen him in almost twenty years.

  The last row of seating was luckily unoccupied, so I quickly took a seat and tried not to draw any attention to myself. I planned to stay for the ceremony, make an appearance at the reception, and slip out as soon as I could do so without being rude.

  Attending the wedding of two people who were madly in love with one another was not something I wanted to do after recently realizing I wasted fifteen years of my life in a loveless marriage. Not to mention the prenuptial agreement I foolishly signed without reading first left me with my personal belongings, a car, and absolutely nothing else.

  Thankfully, the ceremony didn’t last long and wasn’t overly sappy. If I could manage to get in and out of the reception with the same ease, I could get back to my little apartment to continue sulking about the disaster my life had turned out to be.

  Walking into the tent where the reception was being held, I immediately realized I would not be able to slip out as quickly as possible. Why? Because tables were set up, and it was clear a formal dinner would be served. That also meant I would have to sit at a table and socialize, with people I didn’t know. At least they didn’t assign seats. On the bright side, it would probably be the best meal I’d had since the divorce.

  I found an empty table near the back of the room and took a seat. With my phone in my hand, I kept my eyes focused on the screen and tried to appear unwelcoming. Apparently, I was doing a good job. Wedding guests continued to file into the tent, yet no one had sat at my table. Just as I thought I was home free, the chair beside me was yanked out, and a large body dropped into it.

  “Care to tell me just what in the hell you’re doing here?” a gruff voice said far closer to me than I’d expected.

  I jolted, and my head shot up, my eyes locking with a pair of amber ones that had frequented my dreams over the years. “Aaron,” I gasped.

  He pointed to his chest. “It’s Badger. And I asked you a fucking question. What the fuck are you doing here, Macy?”

  My eyes followed his finger and took in the leather vest he was wearing. So, he was Phoenix’s Vice President. I should’ve known those two were still close. At the very least, I should’ve asked Annabelle about him, but I didn’t want to hear he was happily married with a beautiful family when I was newly single and miserable. Petty? Yes, but it was how I felt.

  “Annabelle and Ember invited me,” I said, straightening in my seat and squaring my shoulders.

  “You need to leave,” he grunted.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, shocked by his audacity.

  “You heard me. This is a special day for our family, and it’s not going to be tarnished by people like you. Now, get the fuck out before I have some of the boys physically throw you out,” he nearly yelled, rising to his feet.

  At one time, I would have stood up for myself and told him off, but my self-esteem was at an all-time low, and I couldn’t find it in me to do anything other than flee.

  Chapter Two

  Badger

  I fumed as I watched Macy run out of the wedding reception. The nerve of that woman showing her face at Ember’s wedding. I don’t care if the bride and her mother invited her, she should never have shown up.

  Speaking of, how in the hell would either of them invite her? As far as I knew, Macy went off to college and never came back.

  Stomping out of the tent, I went in search of the wedding party. I had a strong suspicion Macy was lying, and there was only one way to confirm it.

  I found them in the middle of taking wedding photos and struggled to hold my questions until they were finished. Finally, Phoenix noticed me and came right over, with Annabelle glued to his side.

  “Everything okay, brother?” Phoenix asked, scanning the area for potential threats.

  I didn’t acknowledge his question and focused on Annabelle. “Did you and your daughter invite Macy McManis to the wedding?” I growled.

  Phoenix moved to step in front of Annabelle, but she pushed him to the side and stood as tall as her little frame would allow. “No, we invited Macy Beddingfield to the wedding. You got a problem with that, Aaron Marshall?”

  I ignored the flash of pain I felt at hearing her married name. “Yes, I do. That bitch has no business being here, disrupting what should be a celebration among family and friends. She is neither of those things to any of us.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. She’s my friend, and she works for Ember. Phoenix didn’t tell you?”

  I glared at my best friend. “No, he fucking didn’t.”

  “Sorry, man. I was planning on telling you Macy was back in town after the wedding. I didn’t know the girls invited her,” Phoenix shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.

  “Where is she?” Annabelle asked. “I want to invite her to sit at the table with Phoenix and me since she doesn’t know anyone here.”

  “She left.”

  “She what? Why?” Annabelle asked, clearly getting upset.

  “Because I fucking told her to leave. After what she did, I can’t believe you would even want her around,” I said, making sure to keep my tone even and my hands relaxed. I was well aware of Phoenix watching my every move as I interacted with his woman. Though I was extremely pissed at her, I would never do anything to hurt her, or any woman for that matter.

  “What she did? She didn’t do anything. You did, you big, giant asshole!” Annabelle screamed, jabbing an accusatory finger at me. Only a handful of people could get away with speaking to me like that, and, luckily for her, Annabelle was one of them.

  Phoenix stepped between the two of us. “That’s enough. This isn’t the time or the place.”

  Annab
elle’s face crumpled. “You broke her heart years ago, and just when she’s starting to get her life back together, you go and kick her to the ground again. How could you be so cruel, Aaron?”

  “I didn’t break her heart! She broke mine. She’s the one who left me. She’s the one who said I wasn’t good enough for her and her stuck-up family. She called the three of us trash and said she was glad you disappeared because it made it easier for her to shake off Phoenix and me!” I roared, finally sharing Macy’s words I had once promised myself never to repeat.

  Annabelle froze, her face morphing from sadness to utter shock. She started shaking her head. “No. No, that’s not what she told me. She said you broke up with her right after I was taken. In a letter, you told her you had been cheating on her with that skank Brandy Bell, and you wanted to pursue things with Brandy since she was going to be away at college.”

  Phoenix added, “I know for a fact Macy was devastated about Annabelle’s disappearance. She talked to Pop almost every day for the first month. Then, she called every few months for an update. Pop said she really had a hard time with it and called less and less often because it upset her so much.”

  I held my hand up, letting them know I needed a minute. I thought back to the events of the past and compared them to everything Annabelle said. “I never cheated on Macy. And why the hell would I want to pursue a relationship with Brandy when I was shipping off to boot camp a few weeks after Phoenix? None of this makes any sense.”

  “You never talked about it back then, but how did Macy break up with you?” Phoenix asked.

  I shook my head, hating to share the humiliating story. “After a little over a year together, she told me I wasn’t good enough for her in an instant message. I wasn’t even home when she sent it. My mother saw it and showed it to me when I got home from work.”

  Annabelle shuffled forward and placed her hand on my arm. “I think you should talk to her.”

  I looked at Annabelle, uncertain of what to do or say next. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to move past Macy and the hurt she caused. I had no interest in opening myself up to that kind of pain ever again.

  “She lives in the employee housing building on the farm property in room 317,” Annabelle added. “Go talk to her when you’re ready.”

  Chapter Three

  Macy

  It was mid-afternoon the following day before I managed to drag my hungover ass out of bed. After I left the wedding, I came back to my apartment, ripped off my dress, and downed a bottle of wine while crying myself silly in the bathtub. Could I be any more clichéd? How had my life turned into such a mess? Every single time I thought I was moving forward, something came along and kicked me back. Seeing Aaron again brought back a pain I buried long ago. A pain I wasn’t sure I could deal with.

  I needed a self-esteem boost in the worst way. Since I was working with absolutely no budget, I treated myself to a spa day at home. I plucked and waxed, exfoliated and moisturized, deep-conditioned and styled, trimmed and polished. After applying my makeup, I went in search of some sexy underthings to wear. Nothing could boost your confidence like naughty underwear.

  By the time I was finished, I felt much better about myself until I realized I was all dressed up with nowhere to go. Sighing, I flopped onto my sofa and contemplated drinking another bottle of wine, or five.

  Before my pity party could get off the ground, someone knocked on my door. Ember and Annabelle were the only two who knew where I lived. Since Ember should’ve been away on her honeymoon, I assumed it was Annabelle and opened the door without checking to see who it was.

  Aaron stood in front of me; his muscled arms braced on my door frame. He pinned me with his intense amber eyes and said, “We need to talk.”

  With lace-infused courage, I stood my ground. “I don’t have anything to say to you, and I heard enough of what you had to say yesterday.” I stepped back and closed the door in his face. Or, I thought I did.

  The bastard stuck his foot out to stop the door from closing. He pushed it back open and stepped into my space. “Get out!” I yelled.

  “Not until you talk to me.”

  “Why, Aaron? What else do you need to say to me? My life is a fucked-up mess right now. I don’t need you adding to it!” I screamed, willing myself not to cry in front of him.

  “Why did you break up with me?” he asked.

  His question caught me off guard, and I stammered, “What? I didn’t.”

  “Yes, you did. You broke up with me in an instant message,” he stated.

  “Are you serious? You broke up with me. I still have the fucking letter if you want to see it.” Shit! I hadn’t meant to tell him that.

  “Yes, I’m serious. And, yes, I want to see the letter,” he answered calmly.

  “Fine. Have a seat, and I’ll see if I can find it,” I huffed and gestured to the sofa.

  It took me longer than I would’ve liked, but I was still in the process of unpacking, and I hadn’t done a great job of labeling my boxes. Finally, I located the one with my mementos from high school and pulled out the few pieces of paper that broke my young heart years ago.

  I handed the papers to him, crossed my arms, and took several steps back so I could study his face while he read. He carefully unfolded the papers and began reading. After he finished, he dropped his head and sighed. “Macy, I didn’t write this letter. I don’t know who did, but it wasn’t me.”

  “Oh, bullshit, Aaron,” I spat.

  “You got some paper and a pen?”

  Rolling my eyes, I retrieved a notepad and a pencil from the kitchen and tossed them to him. “There you go. Anything else?”

  He ignored me and scribbled something on the pad before holding it out for me. I took it and asked, “What’s this?”

  “That’s my handwriting. Look at the letter. They’re different,” he said.

  I studied the two, and he was right. At a glance, they appeared to be the same, but upon closer inspection, certain letters were formed differently. “I-I don’t understand.”

  “You never answered my question. Did you break up with me over instant messenger?”

  I shook my head, still not understanding. “No. I didn’t. Why would you even ask me that?”

  He rose to his feet and came a few steps closer to me. “Macy, is it possible your parents were behind this? They could’ve easily written this letter and instant messaged me from your computer.”

  I gasped, my hand flying to my chest as realization dawned. “My dad told me he needed to take my computer to be fixed because it had a virus. That same day, he gave me the letter from you.” Aaron stood in front of me, silently watching me put it all together. “Why would they do that?”

  “They never thought I was good enough for you, and they didn’t try to make it a secret,” he said quietly.

  “How did you figure this out?” I asked.

  He cleared his throat. “Uh, Annabelle helped me put it together last night. She was looking for you at the reception, and when she found out I made you leave, she let me have it and then some. Anyway, I told her why I made you leave, and she told me your version of the past and, well, here I am. And, I’m sorry about the way I treated you last night. At the time, I figured you still thought you were better than the three of us, and I didn’t want anything or anyone upsetting Ember on her special day.”

  “I never thought I was better than any of you. I loved the three of you,” I said softly.

  “Yeah, I understand that now.”

  “Well, I guess it’s good we cleared the air since we’ll be living in the same town and will likely run into each other from time to time,” I offered, unsure of what to say.

  “Yeah, I guess it is.” We stood looking at one another while an awkward silence surrounded us. Finally, he rocked back on his heels and said, “I should probably get going. Let you get back to whatever you were doing.”

  I refrained from telling him I wasn’t doing anything but staring at the television and feeling sorry
for myself. Instead, I walked him to the door. I turned back to him and face-planted into his leather-clad chest, his very firm, leather-clad chest while his hands landed on my waist to steady me. When I looked up to apologize, his warm, amber eyes locked on mine. They flicked between my eyes and my lips twice before he pushed me up against the wall and covered my mouth with his.

  “Fuck, Macy,” he mumbled against my lips. With my hands buried in his hair, his hands slid under my skirt and hoisted me up by my ass. I wrapped my legs around his hips and locked my ankles behind him.

  “Aaron,” I moaned when his denim covered cock pressed against my clit through my flimsy excuse for panties.

  He reached for the hem of my shirt and started to push it up, but I grabbed his wrist to stop him. “Macy?” Aaron asked, sounding confused.

  “Are you married?” I asked. Of all things, I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, be the other woman.

  “Fuck, no,” he said, moving his hand back to the hem of my shirt.

  “In a relationship?”

  He sighed in exasperation. Sliding his mouth to my neck, he answered, “Single. No wife. No girlfriend. No kids. You’re divorced. You want this?”

  Hell, yes, I wanted it. I hadn’t been with anyone since the divorce, and it had been well over a year since my ex-husband subjected me to his mediocre ministrations. “Yes,” I moaned as he pressed harder against me and sucked my earlobe into his mouth.

  He held me against the wall with his hips and ripped my shirt over my head. When he got a look at what I was wearing underneath my shirt, he grinned. “Oh, baby, let me see the rest of you.” With that, he dropped me to my feet and yanked my skirt over my hips, letting it fall to the floor as he took a step back to look at me. After his eyes raked over my sheer panties framed by a matching garter belt and thigh-high stockings, his lips pressed into a tight line. “Am I keeping you from other plans?”

  “No,” I answered quickly.