Always Yours

by Kennedy Fox

  “You didn’t do this,” she says, even in a state like this. Sweet, compassionate Maddie won’t allow me to blame myself.

  I shake my head. “It’s all my fault. I was targeted and you got hurt. This is my worst nightmare,” I admit, hating the discomfort that’s written all over her face.

  “I’m okay. It’ll be okay.” I fucking hope so. But I know she’s a fighter.

  “Your sisters are here. Do you want to see them? We’ll have to take turns, but I’ll force myself to leave and let them in.”

  Her eyes are sad, but she nods. “Yes, please.”

  I smile and give her a soft kiss before standing.

  “I love you, Liam,” she tells me before I walk out of the room.

  “I love you too. Always.”

  I go into the waiting room, and Sophie and Lennon both jump up when they see me.

  “Well?” Sophie asks.

  “Just waiting on the results of the CT scan, but she’s finally awake,” I explain.

  “Oh, thank God,” Lennon breathes out and places her hand over her heart. Hunter is holding baby Aaron in his lap, but he’s listening intently to everything we say.

  “She wants to see you two.” I look at Lennon and Sophie. “I told her you were here.”

  The two of them argue about who’s going first, but Sophie plays the oldest sister card and wins. “I won’t be too long,” Sophie tells her, then gets a visitor's badge and is escorted to the back. Before I can sit down with the others, a detective walks up. Mason stands and shakes his hand, and I’m sure they know each other because of their professions and who Mason’s father is.

  “Hi, Liam Evans?” He’s older, but it looks like he could take any of us in a fight.

  “Yeah,” I say. “That’s me.”

  “I’m Detective Knight.” He turns his head and looks around. “Do you have a moment to chat in private about what happened?”

  I glance at Mason and Hunter. Mason gives me a head nod, and by his reaction, I know I can actually trust this guy. The two of us walk into a long hallway with no one else around us other than the random person going from the vending machines back to the waiting room. The detective pulls a small notepad from his pocket and begins with his questions.

  “So the car is registered to Victoria O’Leary. Did you not change it over into your name?”

  “That’s my ex-wife,” I explain. “She was coming to pick it up soon.” I blow out a breath. “I actually have to call her and tell her about this because she’s not aware.”

  “Oh, alright, makes sense. Can you tell me what you were doing before the explosion?” he asks.

  I go through the afternoon, about how I went to work and explained what I do for a living. Then I tell him we had a few beers and the girls came back from being together, and how I remembered I had bought something for Maddie. I recall every step from kissing her, to going inside, to unlocking the vehicle.

  “So it blew up after you hit unlock?” he asks.

  I nod. “Within seconds.”

  He studies me carefully. “Do you know anyone who would have some sort of vendetta against you? Someone who’d want to hurt or kill you?”

  “Considering my profession, I’d say there are a lot of people who don’t really care for me.”

  “Enough to want you dead?” he asks.

  My mouth goes dry as I go through the list of people I’ve brought to jail this year. “Most of them have issues. They all seemed pretty upset, but I couldn’t name any one who would go to this extreme.”

  “No one?” he presses.

  I think about Victoria again, but the last thing I want to do is name-drop her and bring more attention to the mob than necessary. It’d just open more drama, and she’d somehow spin it to make me look insane, but it could be her.

  “No one,” I say matter-of-factly.

  “Well, here’s my card. If you think of anything or anyone, please give me a call. We'll be doing a full investigation due to the nature of the explosion. Stay safe, Liam. This is a dangerous situation until we figure out who did this.”

  “Thanks, Detective.” We exchange a firm handshake, and before I go back to the waiting area, I pull out my phone, look around, then call Victoria.

  Having to reach out to her fucking sucks, but I need to confront her, though I’m not sure she’d admit it anyway. Surprisingly, she answers the phone on the third ring.

  “What do you want?” she asks in her typical bored tone.

  Not the nicest way to answer, but not completely unexpected either.

  I let out a long sigh and keep my voice low. “What the fuck are you trying to do?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Listen. I know you tried to fucking kill me, Victoria. You planted something in the goddamn Mercedes so it would blow the hell up when I unlocked it. That’s really messed up, even for you.”

  “What are you talking about? I didn’t try to kill you because honestly, I don’t give two shits about you anymore. And what do you mean, blow up? I already scheduled to have it picked up next week.”

  I pause for a moment, trying to comprehend what she said. “What?”

  Between gritted teeth, she speaks. “I had already found a buyer for that vehicle. Now I’m fucking livid. Is this a fucking joke?”

  I pinch the bridge of my nose. “No! But it’s destroyed. A piece flew and struck Maddie in the head,” I grit, still fuming. “You sure this isn’t just another one of your childish games?”

  “How dare you! Why would I destroy something I spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars on? Are you an idiot?” Her voice raises in octave until she’s nearly screaming. The sound is like nails on a chalkboard. “Wait, never mind. That was a stupid question.”

  It’s not healthy for her to be so upset while pregnant, and even though I don’t give two shits about her, I’m not going to let her use this to blame me for her going into preterm labor or anything, so I try to be civil and end the conversation. “I apologize for accusing you and sorry about all this. I have no idea who did it.”

  “Thankfully, I have insurance on it,” she throws back without any compassion that Maddie got hurt. “Guess it’s not a complete loss.”

  I roll my eyes. “The detectives are going to do a full investigation, so I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

  “Alright, great. Well, I gotta go. You’ve wasted enough of my time already,” Victoria tells me before ending the call.

  Frustrated, I shove my phone in my pocket, then walk back to the waiting room and see Sophie has returned. As soon as she sees me, she gives me a hug. I can tell she’s upset.

  “They’re going to move her into another room soon to observe her overnight. I’m so glad you’re okay. You could’ve died, Liam.” Sophie searches my face, and I place my hand on her shoulder.

  “Soph, I’m fine. A little shaken up and anxious about Maddie, but I’m okay. And she’s going to be okay too.” I try to console her and it seems to work because she sits down and places her head on Mason’s shoulder, who wraps his arms around her.

  “What did Logan say?”

  “Logan?” I question. “Oh, Detective Knight. He told me to be careful and to call him if I think of anything that may help them find who did this.”

  “It’s obvious this was done intentionally to kill you,” Hunter speaks up, Aaron asleep in his arms.

  “Yeah, and that’s the scary part. Whoever it is knows where I live. Knows what I drive. I don’t think this is going to be over anytime soon, and I need to get to the bottom of it so no one else gets hurt.” I can’t even bring myself to make eye contact with them. It’s not only me who’s in danger, but my friends too.

  A nurse explains they’re moving Maddie to the sixth floor of the hospital and gives us the room number. All of us make our way to the elevator, and I once Lennon is back, I hear her tell Sophie they’ll need to go soon because Aaron is getting cranky. We say our goodbyes, then Mason, Sophie, and I step inside. We’re quiet as the elevator clim
bs, and I’m still trying to understand everything.

  Before we walk inside the room, Sophie stops me. “Do you think Victoria is behind this?”

  Mason stares at me.

  “Not anymore. I called her, and she was actually pissed off because she had already sold it.”

  “That’s frightening, Liam,” she says. “The enemy you know is always better than the one you don’t.”

  “I know.” I let out a ragged breath and contemplate putting cameras outside the house. Perhaps one of those camera motion-sensor doorbells would be smart so if whoever did this returns, I’ll be able to see who it is.

  Maddie’s bed is adjusted higher than before, and she grins when she sees us.

  “How are you feeling?” I ask, brushing my fingers gently against her cheek.

  “Like shit.” A small smile follows her words, and I offer to help adjust her pillow until she’s comfortable.

  Sophie chats with Maddie, asking her what she remembers from today. It takes her a minute to recall walking outside with me. After a second, she turns to me. “Wait, weren’t you going to give me something? I imagine it wasn’t a cut to the head and a concussion,” she jokes with a weak chuckle.

  I try to laugh but can’t even force it. “I got you a T-shirt with a ballerina on it. Thought it’d look cute on you.”

  She sticks out her bottom lip. “That’s sad. Do you think it’s ruined?”

  Mason chuckles. “There’s nothing left but the tires and frame.”

  I remember the file folders of research I had moved in there too. It’s going to take me weeks to compile all that again, but right now, I can’t worry about it. The only thing I’m concerned about is Maddie because she’s the most important. The Mercedes, the paperwork, the shirt—all of it can be replaced. Maddie can’t.

  Mason stands and stretches as Sophie yawns.

  “You all should go. I’m pretty tired,” Maddie says.

  “Are you sure?” Sophie asks. “We’ll stay here with you for a little while longer.”

  “No, I’m good. I’ve had a long day,” she insists. “Plus hospitals suck. I know those chairs can’t be cozy.”

  Sophie shrugs. “Okay, if you’re sure that’s what you want.”

  “I am. Go. I’ll be fine as long as they keep pumping me with the good stuff.” She closes her eyes tight, and I know it’s her head. I had a concussion a few times, and it was terrible. I was unable to focus, and felt disoriented and exhausted all at the same time.

  Sophie leans over and hugs Maddie. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  The doctor walks in with a folder and looks around the room before going to Maddie. “I wanted to go over your CT scan results with you. Is it okay if they’re in the room?”

  “Yes, they’re family,” she says, and the doctor nods.

  “There are no signs of swelling or bleeding, which is kind of a miracle considering how hard you were hit. So we’ll just keep an eye on your vitals, and if everything looks fine throughout the night, you’ll be released tomorrow.” He pats Maddie’s hand with a small smile. “Sounds like you took a pretty hard fall, so enjoy the meds while you can.”

  “I feel like I got beat up.” She musters a laugh.

  “Do you have any questions for me?” He glances at Maddie, then at the rest of us.

  We all shake our heads.

  “I’m good, I think,” Maddie speaks up. “Just tired.”

  “You might feel like that for a few days,” he warns. “It’s normal. If you need anything or start feeling worse, let us know, okay?”

  “I will,” Maddie says.

  Sophie and Mason say their goodbyes after the doctor leaves, and then it’s just Maddie and me.

  “Are you going too?” she asks.

  “Absolutely not.” I pull the chair closer so I can sit next to the bed and still hold her hand. “I’m staying here with you until you’re released. It’s the least I can do so the guilt doesn’t eat me alive.”

  “Guilt?” She looks confused.

  I kiss her knuckles. She slides her hand across my cheek and smiles.

  Bowing my head, I say, “You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me.”

  “I already told you this wasn’t your fault, Liam.” The fact that she’s consoling me has me feeling bad because I’m supposed to be the strong one for her.

  “Well, I feel responsible as fuck. Someone’s after me, and you got hurt in the crossfire. I’m going to find out who did this and make them pay,” I promise.

  She furrows her brows and shakes her head. “No. Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

  The room grows quiet before she turns her head and flips through the channels, then stops on Dirty Dancing. “Remember this movie?”

  “How could I forget it?” Our eyes meet again.

  “You ever had sex in a hospital room?”

  I glare at her. “You literally have a concussion and were knocked unconscious a few hours ago.”

  She shrugs and lifts her eyebrows. “Well, my lower region feels just fine.”

  “You are so bad.” I smirk and wonder if she’s playing with me or not. “We could get caught.”

  Laughter escapes her. “That hasn’t stopped you before. But I guess you’re right, but also so tempting.”

  Arching a brow, I smirk at her playful banter, thankful she’s able to somewhat be herself. “I might need to call the doctor back in here and make him double-check that you don’t have brain damage or something,” I tease.

  She takes my hand again and interlocks our fingers. “I love you. Have I told you that today?”

  “You have, but I never get sick of hearing it. Love you too, baby.”

  We continue watching Dirty Dancing, and Maddie whispers every line, which causes me to smile. Concussion and still has it all memorized. I lay my head on the bed, and she runs her fingers through my hair, calming me when I should be calming her. I could’ve lost Maddie today, and the thought alone nearly destroys me.

  It’s been two weeks since Maddie was released from the hospital. She recovered fine and the cut on her head is barely visible now. Two days afterward, she was able to go back to school but was told to take it easy for a week, which meant limited dancing. I’ve apologized so many times that she’s started slapping my chest to stop me from feeling guilty.

  The anxiety I had when Victoria was following our every move has returned. I’m not sure this feeling will go away anytime soon, not until I find out who’s responsible for this. Though there’s an investigation, the detectives and police have zero leads. I’m sure this won’t ever be solved because whoever did it knew exactly what they were doing not to leave any evidence behind. So until I give them names for people who may want me dead, they have no idea where to start. The problem is, I’m on too many people’s shit list.

  Once Maddie gets out of the shower, I have my final tux fitting for Sophie and Mason’s wedding that’s in two weeks. Maddie said she’d join me, and we’re making an afternoon out of it. Honestly, I can’t believe the big day is almost here. I feel as if I’m losing track of time. Maybe it’s because so much shit has happened in the past year that my head is still spinning from it all.

  Soon, Maddie comes downstairs smelling like honey. I want to eat her up, but considering we got naked and sweaty before she went upstairs and my appointment is in thirty minutes, there’s no way.

  “What?” She laughs, drying her long hair with a towel.

  I stand and cross the room until I’m in front of her. Without saying a word, I dip down and place a chaste kiss on her lips, and she melts into me, releasing a long sigh. “You taste good,” she whispers across my lips.

  “You do too.” I want her again.

  “You’re insatiable, you know that?”

  I lift an eyebrow at her. “You’re not complaining, are you?”

  “Of course not!” She pulls me close to her. “But we don’t have much time.”

  “All I need is fifteen minutes,” I purr against her ear. “T
en if you scream my name really loud.”

  She throws her head back and laughs before grabbing my hand, then leads me to the bedroom. In a snap, we undress and are on the bed, fucking like our lives depend on it. Considering we’re home alone, Maddie moans loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear. It doesn’t take long before we’re both unraveling and losing ourselves with each other again. She topples on my chest and smiles, trying to catch her breath. “Damn.”

  “Same.” I smile, wrapping my arms around her body.

  “Can we skip the fitting and just stay here all day?”

  I chuckle hard. “Sophie will murder us both. You want that?”

  She pouts. “No. You’re right. Better get going.”

  We clean up and put on our clothes, then we’re out the door. On the drive over, Maddie talks about the wedding and how excited she is for Sophie and Mason.

  “So, I wanted to talk to you about something,” I say. “I know you mentioned you’d stay with your parents in Tahoe City, but I was thinking you’d stay with me instead.”

  Her eyes go wide. “My parents will know I’m with you. They’d so not approve.”

  “Do your parents make all your decisions for you?” I challenge, knowing the answer as she looks down at the butterfly tattoo on her wrist.

  “Well…” She pauses. “No, but it’s best if they don’t know about our sleeping arrangement.”

  I park the truck and turn toward her. “Okay then, never mind.”

  “No, no. I’d love to stay with you, but I need to figure out what to tell them.”

  Leaning over, I slide my lips across hers. “Tell them you’d rather fuck your boyfriend all weekend.”

  She rears back and playfully slaps my arm. “Pretty sure my dad would kill you. Nope, he definitely would.”

  “Then I guess he can get in line.” I smack my lips against hers real quick before we get out of the truck and walk inside the shop smiling.

  Once we’re through the doors, one of the sales reps named Thomas grabs my tux and guides me into a dressing room. He gives me shoes and a red tie to complete the look. It all gives me reminders of Victoria and how she forced me to get fitted for expensive suits. I push the thoughts away as quickly as they come and adjust my tie before stepping out and showing Maddie.