by Levine, Nina
I blew out a long, frustrated breath. “Yeah, you’re right about that.” Blake had met Scott a couple of times, so he’d seen firsthand just how intense my brother could be. “Why are you calling me?”
“Gina told me what a shit day you had so I’ve made you dinner. Bring Serena too.”
“You’re a superstar, Blake Stone. We’ll be there in about half an hour.”
“See you then,” he said and we hung up. My day had just gotten better. It was funny how the simple things that friends did could mean so much.
Two hours later I was at Blake’s house when my brother finally returned my call.
“Scott,” I answered and mentally banged my head against the wall. I really didn’t want to deal with his shit.
“You been updated?” Yep, he was pissed at me.
I sighed. “Yeah, Griff called.” I hesitated and then threw caution to the wind. “Scott, I don’t need or even want to be kept in the loop on this shit.” As I held my breath and waited for what I knew would not be a pretty reply, I couldn’t help but think of the irony in this situation. Years ago I’d begged J to talk to me about club business and now I wanted nothing more than to be kept out of the loop.
“Fuck, Madison! You got no choice. The club needs to make sure you’re safe, so you need to fuckin’ wise up and take this shit in.”
“What part of ‘I’m out’ don’t you understand?” I rubbed my eyes. It was too late for this argument.
“What part of ‘you are never out’ do you not fuckin’ understand?” he snapped back.
I knew I was testing my brother’s patience but I gave up caring about that a long time ago. I sat silently, trying to process everything he said.
“Why do we have to rehash this crap every time you decide I should come back?” I searched for Blake’s eyes and found them focused on me. He gave me a tight smile and I shook my head back at him. This stuff between Scott and me never got any easier, and Blake knew how hard it was for me.
Scott softened his tone. “Madison, it’s different this time. Nix is involved.”
A chill ran along my spine at the mention of that name. I sighed again, resigned. “Okay, talk to me.”
“Nix has made threats against the club so Dad wants you to leave Coffs Harbour. Move back here, where we can protect you.” Scott finally got to the reason for the call.
“No.” There was no way I was moving back.
“Why the fuck do you have to be so fuckin’ stubborn about this?” Scott’s anger filtered through the phone again and I imagined him pacing and getting ready to punch something.
“Scott, you know what I left. I can’t come back,” I pleaded. I walked out onto the balcony, lit a cigarette and took a long drag. Scott had stopped talking and I hoped he was remembering the mess I was when I left.
“Okay.” He blew out a long breath. “But I’m putting a guy on you.”
This was not what I wanted but I knew better than to argue. It was Scott’s version of a compromise, and as he was not known for compromising, ever, I was grateful.
The next morning I woke up with an uneasy feeling in my gut, wondering where all this shit with the club would end up. Making a coffee, I took it into the bathroom with me. Not being a morning person, I needed a caffeine hit to get me going. Serena, on the other hand, was always up at five a.m. to get her run in before work. I didn’t understand this current trend for running and really couldn’t comprehend anyone wanting to get up that early to do it. Taking my shower, I heard her crashing around in the kitchen making breakfast. I cringed at the thought of the mess she would create making one of her juices; a mess I would have to clean up.
“Maddy, do you want me to make you some breakfast?” she yelled out.
“No, honey, but thanks. I’m just going to grab something on the way.”
“Okay,” she replied and I smiled to myself. She might struggle in the domestic department but at least she tried. There was no doubt she loved taking care of those she loved.
I finished my shower and took some time to blow-dry my hair and fix my makeup. Normally I didn’t spend a lot of time on this for work, but I was feeling down, and on down days, I liked to look my best. I looked in the mirror and didn’t mind what I saw. Even though I had done some hard living, I’d come through pretty much unscathed. Since giving up alcohol, I made an effort to live healthily and I was fit and strong thanks to yoga and walking. Inked images and words holding significance to the highs and lows of my life painted some of the skin on my arms and back. However, the most prominent reminder of the shit I’d done in my life was the long scar Rob inflicted on me; it glared at me every damn day, but I didn’t begrudge it. Whenever Serena or Blake suggested I ink over it, I always said no. I needed to see it to keep me focused on a path that would take me far away from where I once was.
“I’m ready,” I announced as I headed into the kitchen to grab my lunch out of the fridge. Serena and I had a shift together later that day, which I looked forward to.
“Let me just put my hair up and then we can go,” she replied and slapped my ass on her way out of the kitchen.
I laughed and shook my head at her. Yep, it was going to be a good day.
Five minutes later, Serena reappeared with her hair done. She tilted her head and smiled at me. I knew she was sussing out my mental state because this was something she often did. “How you doing, chica?” she finally asked.
“I’m not sure,” I answered honestly. “The fact that Nix is involved in all of this worries me. Scott didn’t give me a lot of info to go on but I can only imagine it is bad. Nix is a motherfucker you don’t want to mess with.”
Serena nodded. “Yeah, I’ve worked that out from some of the stuff you’ve told me in the past. How the hell did you end up dating him?”
I sighed, wishing my naivety and immaturity hadn’t led me to make the decisions I had. But no amount of wishing could change my past. “I was so messed up and pissed off with J, and Nix was just there one night. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Dad and I weren’t really speaking and I was annoyed at him too. I knew that being with Nix would shit him. I think I kinda did it to get back at all of them; J, Dad and Scott.”
This was the most I had spoken about my relationship with Nix to Serena, and she encouraged me to keep sharing. “So you hooked up with him and then kept seeing him?”
“Yeah, he was really into it. Me, not so much, but it had been six months since I broke up with J and I was lonely. I was drinking pretty heavily by then and Nix was the only one who didn’t give me grief for it.” I shook my head as the memories came flooding back. “When I was drinking, I was a lot easier to boss around. That’s probably why he liked me drinking. I just didn’t give enough of a shit about anything and went along with whatever he wanted.”
Serena moved closer to me and touched me gently on the arm, on my scar. “Did Nix do this to you?”
“No.” Shit, this conversation was making me feel ill. The familiar feelings of self-hatred washed over me. Tingles spread through to my hands and the ends of my fingers and my head began to spin. Nausea took hold of my stomach and I actually thought I might vomit. No-one, besides J and Scott, knew how I got my scar and it was something I never wanted Serena or anyone else to find out.
“Hey, honey, are you okay?” Serena sensed my distress and directed me to sit on the couch. She ran into the kitchen and returned with a glass of water, which I took gratefully from her.
I downed the water in one go and focused on my breathing. Serena sat beside me, rubbing my back, providing me with her warmth and comfort. I knew she was worried but I didn’t have it in me yet to ease her concerns. All I could think about was that my past was finally going to catch up with me. Fuck Nix. Why did he have to come back into my life? He wasn’t the reason for all the crap that took place, but he was the climax to it all. And now he was going to be the catalyst for it all flaring up again.
Serena checked her watch. “We should probably get to work; otherwise,
Gina will be in a foul mood with us all day for being late.”
I looked at her and nodded, offering a small smile. “Thanks,” I whispered, grateful that she knew I needed this conversation to be over.
“Oh, God, these shoes are killing my feet,” Serena complained as she fell onto the couch and ripped off her shoes.
It had been a long day, and the heels we wore to work didn’t help. But hell, they looked good and sometimes that was what a girl needed to get her through the day.
It was Friday night and we both had the weekend off. Blake had rounded everyone up to visit his restaurant, Scarlett, for dinner tonight, while Saturday was gearing up to be a girls’ day out shopping. Sunday was still open for discussion, but I was hoping for some time in the sun.
“What time did Blake say dinner was?” Serena asked.
“Eight o’clock,” I answered and pulled my phone out to see if I had any messages.
“I’m going to take a shower unless you want to go first.”
I waved her away after discovering a message from Scott. “You go first. I’ve got a message from Scott to check.” She left me as I began reading.
Scott: Will you be home tonight?
Me: No.
Scott: Text me the address of where you’ll be. I’ve got a guy on the way.
Me: You’re kidding, right? I’m fine tonight, send him tomorrow.
My phone rang and I rolled my eyes when I saw it was Scott. Answering the phone, I spoke immediately, “I’m with friends tonight, Scott. They’ll look out for me.”
“Madison, just give me the goddamn address. He’ll be there in a couple of hours,” he snapped.
I huffed out a sigh. “Fine.” I reeled off the restaurant’s address.
I heard him repeat it to someone in the background and then he ended our conversation with, “I’ll be there towards the end of next week to try to talk some sense into you,” before he hung up.
I threw my phone on the couch and stomped into my bedroom, frustrated as hell. Despite my snark at my brother, I was grateful he looked out for me, even though my stubbornness had a hard time admitting it aloud. In truth, I hated it, hated the situation Nix was putting me in. Once more, my life seemed close to being controlled. I’d left my family to take ownership of my life, my decisions, and it seemed Nix was preventing that from happening by forcing my family’s hand. I just hoped Scott sent one of the prospects; they were a lot easier to boss around.
Faith threw her head back and laughed so loud that pretty much all eyes in the restaurant were on us. She had a pretty wicked sense of humour and when she found something funny, everyone knew it. Rowan had just relayed a story about something that happened to him at work and although it was kind of funny, Faith thought it was hilarious. It amazed me that these two used to date a couple of years back and had managed to stay friends after they broke up. In fact, from what I’d been told, they were better friends now than when they dated. I never managed to stay friends with any of my exes.
Rowan leaned across the table and touched my hand. “You’re quiet tonight.” His voice was low so the rest of the group, who kept bantering back and forth, wouldn’t hear. Rowan was one of the most sensitive guys I’d ever met. Serena had introduced us at a party where I knew no-one and he’d gone out of his way to stay close to me that night to make sure I was okay. He was also the guy who would bring you soup and medication when you had the flu and the guy who gave up his plans to go to a football game when you needed someone to go with you to visit your sick grandfather. Yep, he had done those things for me as well as so much more. He was also one of the hottest guys I’d ever met – tall, really well built, covered in ink and bald. However, neither of us were interested in anything more and I valued his friendship.
“Yeah, there’s some stuff going down with Scott and the club. He’s trying to get me to go back home again,” I replied.
“And you’re refusing again?” He grinned and shook his head. Rowan and I had often discussed my brother’s desire for me to return home, and because he had sisters, he was sympathetic towards Scott.
“Of course I am. So now he’s sending someone here to look out for me.” I sighed.
Rowan laughed. “You would drive me fucking insane if you were my sister, Madison. I can just imagine the hell you’re going to give this poor guy.”
At that exact moment, I glimpsed him entering the restaurant, the guy who Scott sent. And I couldn’t believe my eyes. Over six foot of pure muscle, tanned and inked skin, dark hair and piercing blue eyes, he was as gorgeous today as the last time I saw him. My heart beat faster and I blocked everything else out as my mind focused on the man heading straight for me. He looked as pissed as I was. Yeah, I bet he didn’t want this gig and I could picture the battle he probably had with Scott about it.
I pushed my chair back and stood, ready to face him. It had been two years since we’d seen each other and while my head was screaming that it didn’t want to see him, my body betrayed me. I had that fluttery feeling in my stomach; felt that familiar need, deep in my core. No man had ever affected me like he did.
Walking up to me, he ignored everyone around us. “Madison.”
His gravelly voice did me in; it always had. Weak at the knees, I gripped the chair to steady myself; there was no way he would see me falter. He’d sent me away two years ago, ripped my heart out and crushed it, and I would be damned if he discovered what he was still capable of doing to me. Lifting my face, I met his eyes. “J.”
4
Jason
Fuck, she wasn’t going to make this easy for either of us. I was convinced Scott was handing me my balls on a plate by sending me to her. One look at Madison and I wanted to shove them at her and get the fuck out of there. Christ, she was still as goddamn sexy as the last time I laid eyes on her. I ran my eyes down her body and took in the low-cut, short dress and fuck-me heels. God, I loved those shoes and my dick twitched just thinking about wrapping those legs around me.
“Can we talk outside for a minute?” I asked.
She pursed her lips and appeared to be assessing the situation before she gave me a curt nod and said, “Fine.” And with that, she grabbed her purse, brushed past me and stalked towards the front door. I watched her ass sway as I followed her out and told my dick to settle the fuck down. No way were we going there again. I was there for one reason and one reason only.
Once outside, she reached into her purse and pulled out a cigarette. She quickly lit it and took a long drag. God, I hoped she was still sober. Last I’d heard, she was and she looked pretty healthy, but the way she sucked on that cigarette looked like a junkie fixing for their next hit.
“Scott told you I was coming, yeah?” I asked, taking in the glare she levelled on me. Yep, balls on a plate.
“No,” she snapped. “He said someone was coming but he failed to mention it was you.” She looked like she was going to say something else but took another long drag on her cigarette instead.
“Well, you’ve got me until he pulls me back home, so I say we make the best of a shitty situation and put our crap aside.”
She took another long drag on her cigarette, threw it down and ground it out before scowling at me. “Go to hell, J. In fact, go home and tell Scott to send someone else. You and I have too much between us. This will go a lot smoother for everyone if he sends another guy.”
It was time to take my balls back. Scott had pissed me off by forcing me to babysit, and in less than two minutes Madison was already irritating the fuck out of me. “Babe, sending me away and waiting for someone else to turn up leaves you by yourself. Trust me when I say you do not want Nix to find you alone.”
“Don’t call me babe,” she started and then stopped, as if she’d been about to say something else before hesitating. Her hand moved to rub the scar I knew was on her arm and she blinked a few times before continuing. “I really don’t think Nix is going to come here looking for me. Scott’s overreacting.”
I shook my head. “You’ve
got no idea, Madison. The Nix you knew two years ago has nothing on who he is now. Since he became President of Black Deeds, he wouldn’t think twice about fucking over his own mother, let alone you.”
“I know what that motherfucker is capable of. I know what he can do.” She moved close and jabbed a finger in my chest.
Anger swirled around us, threatening to snap my patience. I flicked my hand out and grabbed her wrist, startling her. I made a quick decision to shock her into understanding just what Nix did to those in his way. Grabbing my phone out with my free hand, I scrolled to a photo and shoved it in her face. “Yeah, babe, I know what he did to you, but this…this is what he did to Bec.”
Her face paled and I let her rip her hand away from mine. A fraction of a second later, her open palm hit my cheek, which I should have been ready for, knowing her preference for doing that when she was pissed at me. Anger burned through me, not just at her slap but at this whole fucked-up situation. Allowing my anger to lead, I shoved her up against the wall behind her, keeping one hand on her waist and one on the wall above her head. “Listen the fuck up ‘cause I’m not going to repeat myself. Nix is out for blood and I’m betting he hasn’t let go of the shit that went down between you two. He wasn’t ready to let you go, Madison, and nobody walks away from him like you did. Bec tried, and what you saw in that picture is what he did to her. You want that to happen to you?”
Staring at me with eyes wide, her expression blanched. “They were together? And he killed her for leaving?”
I loosened my hold on her and stepped back to give her some space. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Yes, from what we’ve heard he raped her, let his guys take a go as well, and then slit her throat. They dumped her body outside our clubhouse.”
Madison’s hand flew to her mouth and she released a sob. Fuck, I hadn’t wanted to tell her the details, but she’d left me no choice. I knew shocking her into allowing me to stay was the only way she would cave. Tears streaming down her face, I pulled her close to comfort her. I was surprised as shit when her arms wrapped around me, but I hugged her back in silent support. We stayed like that for about five minutes and it felt good to have her in my arms again, but I knew once she pulled herself together, she’d push me away. Fuck, she’d probably slap me again.