by Mazzy King
MADDOX
Blue-Collar Bad Boys Next Door
Mazzy King
MZK Publishing
Copyright © 2020 by Mazzy King
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover by RebecaCovers.
Proofread by Jenny Hanson.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
About the Author
Coming Soon
1
Maddox Brassard
I’m always struck when driving home from my job as a mechanic how the simple act of going home is so hard—for me.
Ever since I returned home from war last year, I’ve been struggling with that sense of home. What is home? It’s more than a physical dwelling. It’s that peace and contentment that settles in your heart, knowing all is right with your world. Things are the way they’re supposed to be.
But ever since my deployment ended, I don’t know how things are supposed to be.
I’m happy to be back in Port City. Happy to be back with my family, my sister Blair. My best friend Axel—both of whom, incidentally, fell in love while I was gone and are planning their wedding as we speak. I’m happy for them. I truly am. But it’s one more thing that changed when I wasn’t looking. One more thing that’s different than the home I left.
“Stop with the philosophizing,” I mutter out loud, cranking the heavy rock on the radio. I just need to get home, go a few rounds with the training dummy in my cramped backyard, eat some chow, drink a beer.
I used to love playing video games—Call of Duty, online with some pals I made across the world. Since I’ve been home, it’s been a little hard for me to get back into that game.
But maybe tonight, I’ll try.
I guide my silver Nissan pickup into my driveway, glancing at the duplex connected to mine that used to house my best friend and my sister. For a while after they moved out, I felt a sense of relief. I was too close to their new life together. I felt like I was intruding. But now that they’ve been gone for six months, it got lonely without them. I ended up buying my duplex, both sides, tired of having a crappy, unreliable landlord. I planned to Airbnb Axel’s side out, but I never got around to it. It would make the place that much more alien, and I’m already dealing with enough change as it is.
Then, a couple weeks ago, I got a new neighbor after my pal Rocco came to me with a favor for his girl Seline—her ex-roommate Roxie Calloway needed a place to stay after their apartment burned down in a fire. I agreed to sublet it to her. Other than handling the business side of things with her once, we really haven’t talked.
I see Roxie on her small porch now, having what appears to be a heated conversation on her cell phone. Her young daughter Lexi plays by herself in the driveway. Lexi waves to me as I get out of the pickup. I wave back.
“…really what you want to do, Sam? Really? I lost everything I had in that fucking fire. Everything. You’re such a heartless—”
She turns her back toward me and lowers her voice. I can’t hear what she’s saying as I walk to my front door, but her voice is low, hurt, harsh.
Yikes. I don’t want any part of that.
Roxie is a seriously beautiful woman. I noted that when I met her to sign the paperwork and hand over the keys. I’m a sucker for pretty hair, and she’s got this long, glossy dark mane that looks like pure silk. Her eyes are a stunning blue-gray, but so filled with sadness. She really looked like she’d been through hell and back.
But I don’t need any complications in my already complicated enough life. And it sounds like she’s got her hands full with whoever this Sam douchebag is.
Inside my house, I head to my bedroom to change out of my oil-stained shirt and toss it in the washing machine for tomorrow, along with my stained jeans. I’m the body shop manager at Roy’s Auto Repair, a family-owned auto shop I’ve worked at since I was a teenager. It’s a humble living, but I love working there. Roy held my job for me while I was deployed, even though that meant taking over my duties and managing the shop as a whole while I was gone. I’ll always be grateful to him for that. He’s getting up there in age, closing in on seventy, and I know he’s looking to retire. When he does, the shop will become mine.
Hopefully, not for a long time…
I change into basketball shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt I know I’m going to end up tossing off and head outside. I shove my wireless ear buds in, start my training playlist, grab a pair of MMA gloves, and start going to town on the training dummy. I used to train with Axel most nights of the week. He’s a true badass. Sometimes we sparred. I’m pretty sure he could kick my ass, but he’s showed me techniques that don’t make me an easy fight, should someone ever decide to try me.
I tune out the world, channeling all of the inner turmoil I can’t seem to shake into my strikes and kicks. I’ve only been at it for fifteen minutes or so when I feel a little tap on my elbow.
I whirl around, startled, and my gaze falls on the little girl from next door, Lexi. She has dark hair like her mom’s and big, round blue eyes. She wears a purple T-shirt, jean shorts, and grubby, tiny Chucks.
“Hey,” I say, trying to catch my breath and not sound as totally confused as I feel. “What’re you doing over here?”
“Can you help me?” she asks in a tiny voice. “Mommy’s still talking to Daddy and I lost Suzy.”
“Who, um, who’s Suzy?” I lift the bottom of my T-shirt and bend down to meet it and scrub sweat off my face. I don’t remember Roxie mentioning any pets on the application information. Sometimes people will avoid mentioning their animals so they don’t have to pay a deposit or pet rent, but I don’t require either. I understand the importance of the companionship of an animal. In fact, I’ve been thinking about getting a dog myself.
“She’s my doll,” Lexi says. “I can’t find her.”
“Oh. Uh…” I scrub the back of my neck awkwardly. “Sure. Let’s go look for her.”
Lexi’s face lights up and she leads me over to her side, chattering about the last place she saw the doll. It takes me about ten minutes of searching until I find her in one of the bushes bordering the side of the house.
Lexi gasps with delight, eyes going wide as she grabs my hand. “You found her!”
“Lexi!” a woman calls. “Lexi, where are you? I told you not to leave the driveway…”
I glance up as Roxie turns the corner. She sees us and sags with obvious relief.
“Lexi, what are you doing? Don’t bother Mr. Brassard.”
“He found Suzy,” the little girl says, holding up her doll. “He helped me.”
“Oh.” Roxie offers me a small smile. “I’m sorry. She’s always playing hide-and-seek with her dolls and then forgets where she hid them.”
“It’s totally fine,” I say. “I’m glad to help.”
Roxie shifts her fond smile to Lexi, who dances in circles with the doll, singing some little tune to her. “We really need to get to know some of the other kids in the neighborhood so she can have a playmate.”
I point up the street. “That yellow house up on the corner has two, a boy and a girl. The
boy’s around ten, but I think the girl’s about her age.”
“Thanks.” Roxie glances up at me, her gaze going over my workout attire. She’s on the petite side. I stand at six-three, and I have close to a foot of height on her. “I hope she wasn’t interrupting you.”
I lift a shoulder. “It’s not a problem. How are you guys settling in? Like the place? Need anything?”
I can’t help the way I keep glancing at her mouth. Her lips are full, pouty, and the perfect complement to her otherwise delicate features. She’s just so fucking beautiful.
And she’s got baggage. Just like you do.
She gives me a tired smile. “We’ve got everything we need. Thank you again for leasing the place to us on such short notice.”
“Yeah, of course.” I lift a shoulder. “I just wish Rocco would’ve come to me sooner about it.”
“He and Seline are good people. I’m really happy for her.” Roxie glances away. “Well, I better get her in the bath, then feed her. Thanks again.”
I lift a hand. “No problem.”
She turns to walk toward her daughter. I turn to head back to my training dummy.
I don’t know why, but at the last second, I glance over my shoulder, and find her looking back at me too.
2
Roxie Calloway
I walk into the Belle View Home Design studio the next morning, my stomach balled up with anxiety. I get first-day jitters a lot, but since this is my third temp job in six months, the anxiety is always centered on whether or not I’ll be able to turn this into a permanent gig, and in the likely event I can’t, how long it’ll take to find the next one.
I’ve had a tough past year, even before the fire took almost everything I had. It turned out to be arson, and those responsible were brought to justice. The meager insurance policy I had was paid out, but the money won’t last forever. And my ex-boyfriend Sam, Lexi’s father, has been threatening to take me to court for custody of her.
I love my daughter more than anything—anything. And if I thought she could have a better, safer life with her father while I get my shit together, I would do what was best for her and make that difficult decision. But I know Sam isn’t making this custody about her. He’s making it about the money—he doesn’t want to pay me child support. He’s got a high-paying corporate gig at a global financial institution downtown and he likes the single, no-strings life. Lexi has always been a string, just like I was.
If he gets custody of her, she’ll basically live with his housekeeper.
I wish I didn’t have to rely on him for the little bit of money he gives me. It’s just enough to cover her daycare costs and that’s pretty much it. I could ask him for more, but I’d rather work my ass off and provide for her than to take an extra cent of his money.
“Roxie?”
A lovely woman with intricate, beaded twists in her hair and wearing the hell out of a gorgeous red sheath dress smiles at me from the front desk. I immediately feel inadequate in the loose blouse, jeans, and heels I’m wearing. The contact at the agency told me it’s a business-casual environment and jeans are acceptable, but now I regret my choice.
The woman steps around the desk, hand outstretched toward me, a warm smile on her face. “Hi. I’m Sunny.”
Sunny Reyes—the owner of the studio.
I shake her hand. “Very pleased to meet you.”
“Welcome to your first day,” she says brightly, lightly patting my arm. “Did the agency explain to you what you’ll be doing?”
“A summary,” I reply. Her warmth puts me at ease.
“You’ll be handling the admin side of our studio,” she tells me. “That includes everything from taking calls, booking appointments, setting meetings with builders, welcoming our guests, answering emails…that sort of thing.”
Old hat to me. The only new part is learning how this business works. “Got it.”
Sunny nods. “I was impressed with your resume. The only reason this job is a temp job is because we go through a lot of people who aren’t good fits because this job demands a high sense of organization.” She chuckles. “Which, I lack myself, to be honest. So, I’m waiting until I find that right person with all the organizational skills to help the studio run efficiently, and then I want to hire them permanently.”
My heart lifts.
“That, of course, includes a raise in pay and benefits,” Sunny adds. “Is working here full-time something you’d be interested in? It’s okay to say no.”
“Of course,” I blurt. I wince inwardly, not wanting to sound overeager. Scratch that—desperate. “I mean, yes, a full-time, permanent position is my goal.”
She smiles. “That’s great to hear. Hopefully you don’t find home design boring.”
She leads me on a tour of the building. Each section focuses on a specific area of a home—bathroom, kitchen, living room, exterior of the house. There are so many things to choose from—everything from style of door to carpet padding to handles for kitchen drawers.
“After a buyer signs the paperwork for a new build and everything gets approved, this is their first stop,” Sunny explains. “We work with a number of builders and have copies of all their floor plans. The design consultants have to be familiar with each layout before appointments, so they know the level of customization and the certain things included with each floorplan. One of your tasks will be to receive the emails from the different builders, schedule the appointment for the buyers, and then put together a packet of information for each consultant ahead of the meeting.”
“I can definitely do that,” I say.
Sunny smiles. “Great. Then, let me show you to your desk.”
For the first time in a long time, I drive to pick up Lexi from daycare with lightness in my heart.
Once I got set up as an employee in the system, I wasted no time. I really want to show Sunny I’m serious about that permanent hire, and that I’m ready to hit the ground running. The work itself isn’t difficult. The only tricky part is learning the new systems.
But apparently, I did a good job, because Sunny thanked me for an awesome first day.
“I have a great feeling about you,” she told me as I left.
The other employees, the consultants, were all welcoming and grateful to have an organized person in the role. It’s a chill, laid-back environment, which is where I thrive.
I’m actually smiling as I sing along to the radio on the way home. Tonight just might be a celebration night, which means Lexi’s favorite meal—macaroni and cheese with hot dog slices. I try to make sure she eats a balanced diet, though she’s as picky as any five-year-old, but every now and then we indulge.
Rush hour traffic grinds to a halt at a traffic light. Sighing, I glance down to adjust the radio station. I glance up at the rearview mirror, and my eyes widen.
A huge black SUV is barreling up behind me and doesn’t look like it’s going to stop.
I drive a little two-seater Sentra.
“Oh, shit,” I hiss, trying to pull up and off to the side, out of its way.
The driver realizes what’s about to happen too late. There’s a scream of tires as he hits the brakes…
…and slams right into the back of me with a loud crunch.
The impact shoves me forward a few feet, but I stopped far enough behind the car in front of me that I avoid kissing their bumper.
There’s a shooting pain in my neck as I’m lurched forward, but I hardly notice it. I have much bigger problems now.
So much for the great day I had.
My phone rings at that moment. I fully intend to ignore it, but it’s Lexi’s daycare.
“Hello?” I say in a shaking voice.
“Ms. Calloway? It’s Rhonda. I have Lexi here waiting to go home, but I have a family emergency and need to leave immediately. Can you tell me what time you’ll be here?”
“I’m on the way now,” I reply, “but I just got rear-ended.”
“Oh.” Rhonda pauses, and I hear the concern
in her voice. “Um…”
I squeeze my eyes shut, putting a hand to my forehead. The guy who hit me has gotten out of his car and is walking toward me. “Let me make a phone call, okay? I’ll call you right back.”
I hang up with her and dial another number. Maybe I hit my head. Maybe I’m out of my mind for calling him. But I have a gut feeling he’s the only person I can count on right now.
I have Maddox’s number from when I moved in. He’s basically my landlord, so having his number is important in case I need anything.
That probably didn’t include an emergency favor where my child is concerned.
“Hello?”
“Maddox,” I say.
“What’s wrong?” he asks immediately.
I blink. I tried really hard to keep my voice steady, but apparently, I suck at that. “I, um, I need a favor.” I wince. I hate saying those words. Especially to someone who has already done me a favor.
“Anything you need,” he says, surprising me. “What’s going on? You sound shaken up.”
“I am. I just got rear-ended.”
“Shit. Are you all right? Where are you?”
“Only a couple miles from home, on the main street over by the grocery store. I was heading to pick up Lexi. Her daycare just called, and they need her picked up right away. Do you know the one? Little Bright Suns?”
“Yeah, I know where it is. I’ll go get her.” I hear movement in the background, like he’s already getting up to go do just that. “I was just about to leave work anyway. Can you tell them I’m coming? And then we’ll come to you.”
“Thank you,” I say gratefully. “Oh—she needs a car seat. If you want to swing by the duplex first, there’s an extra one in the garage.”