I let go of her hands and shoved my fingers through my hair. Things were starting to fall into place. “I asked my lawyer not to subpoena you. I asked him to give you the option to testify. I wanted you to make the choice on your own. I didn’t want to make you do anything.” I thought my eighteen-year-old self had wanted to know that I was worth it for her to go against her father.
“I don’t understand. Your lawyer never even asked me. I would have remembered.”
“No, he did. He personally delivered a notice of appearance to your dad.”
Fire lit her eyes. “Are you fucking serious?”
“That’s what I was told.”
She kicked the side of her desk. “That motherfucking asshole!”
Whoa.
I actually took a step back.
Her eyes narrowed. “He told me my grandma was sick. I’d thought it was odd because, when I got there, she seemed fine.” She collapsed to the floor and put her head in her hands. “I can’t believe him.” She started to cry.
I sat down next to her and pulled her into my arms. “Shh. Baby, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” She pulled out of my embrace and looked at me. “All these years…you thought I’d left you hanging out to dry, didn’t you?”
I didn’t want to say yes. She looked so heartbroken.
“You did. I can see it in your eyes.” She swiped the back of her hand over her cheek. “I wondered why you were so mad at me when you came back to town.” She laughed, but it was completely without humor. “I was so angry with you. I never stopped to really think about what had happened all those years ago.”
I furrowed my brows. “You were angry with me?”
She laughed at me. “Yes. I loved you, Maddox. With all my heart. I was devastated when I never saw you again. I did everything I could to find you. But you had a closed trial, and the proceedings were sealed along with your record. I couldn’t find any record of you in any prison. Then, I found out you’d been freed and in the military the whole time. I was very hurt.” She looked down at her hands. “I never quite got over you. You were my first love. You were even the reason I became a lawyer. I kind of feel like my adult life has been a lie.”
I picked up her hand and laced our fingers together. “I know you said a lot of stuff right now, but I’m kind of stuck on the you loved me part.”
She laid her head on my shoulder. “It’s not a surprise. I told you that I loved you back then.”
I brushed my thumb over her hand, staring at the place we were connected. “I think it’s the past-tense part. I don’t want you to have loved me. I want you to love me. Now.”
Addison lifted her head and laughed. “You big dummy. Of course I love you.”
Forty-Three
Addison
“Well”—Maddox raised his eyebrows—“it’s not every day I get called a dummy and someone professes their love to me, all in the same sentence.”
I snort-giggled. “I’m sorry. I’m a little emotional right now. I’ve just found out my father is the world’s biggest asshole.”
“Ah, baby,” he said as he put his arm around me. “You deserve a better father. And you deserve better than me. I should have reached out to you over the years.”
I sniffled. “Yes, you should have,” I joked.
“I was just so…” He sighed. “I felt betrayed. I felt like…like I wasn’t enough.”
I wrapped my arms around him. “You are more than enough. I am so sorry.”
I pictured Maddox as I had known him back then, probably scared and alone and thinking that I’d ditched him.
And wouldn’t you know it? I started crying again.
He lifted my chin. “Addy, why all the tears?”
“I feel so bad for you.”
Maddox laughed, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Don’t feel bad for me. Everything turned out okay. I loved being in the military. I never cared for school, and I would have hated college. I found my calling.”
“But all those years…we can never get them back.”
He brushed the tears from my cheeks. “No, baby, we can’t. But we’re here now. And you love me, and I love you. No matter what happens, I will die happy, knowing that.”
I launched myself in his arms and kissed him.
He loves me.
Maddox rolled me onto my back, and I reached for his belt. As I unbuckled, unzipped, and pushed down his pants, he pushed up my skirt and ripped my thong from between my legs. In one smooth thrust, he was inside me.
I crossed my ankles behind his back, and I had to laugh because I still had my high heels on. I felt a little bit like a porn star. But then Maddox hit the sweet spot inside me, and I forgot everything else.
He put his hand over my mouth and chuckled in my ear. “Shh…baby, my niece is right on the other side of the door.”
I shook his hand off. “I can’t help it. You feel too good inside me.”
“Fucking music to my ears, but I don’t want to scar her for life.”
I laughed, and it turned into a moan.
Up Maddox’s hand went again. “God, I want to spend all day naked with you, inside you, but your friend is going to be back soon. I apologize for the quick fuck, baby. I’ll make it up to you later.”
I nodded.
“I’ll keep my hand here. You scream all you want.”
And scream I did.
I watched Maddox through the one-way glass as a detective from the state police interviewed him. Olivia sat beside him as questions were asked. Detective Porter seemed like a no-nonsense kind of man. He was a big black man, who was pleasant when he smiled but scary when he frowned. I sure wouldn’t dare commit a crime in front of him, but I admired the way he treated Maddox with respect even though he was a suspect.
The state police had already brought someone in to do a handgun residue test, although it was probably too late for that now. And Maddox gave them permission to search his place and to take his dirty laundry to the lab for testing.
Sheriff Whitlock stood beside me, fuming.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Why is it that the state has done more investigative work in the two hours they’ve been here than you’ve done in your whole life?”
“I’d watch my mouth if I were you, young lady.”
I snorted. “What are you going to do? Arrest me for telling the truth?” I turned to face him. “You knew Maddox was innocent all those years ago. Agnes Weller would be able to look at that surveillance tape and know it wasn’t Maddox.”
Agnes was the town’s oldest resident. Someone had thrown her a birthday bash every year since she turned ninety, and she was now one hundred one. She was also blind as a bat.
The sheriff pulled at the waistband of his pants and raised his chin. “I know no such thing.”
“You can lie to me all you want, but we both know the truth. You know I came here and told you Maddox was with me, but you never turned that evidence over to the DA, did you? No. You went to my father instead.”
I hadn’t been sure it was true until I saw the look on the sheriff’s face right at that moment. So, my father must have already been planning to keep me away from Maddox’s trial. And, when his lawyer had shown up, my father had shipped me off to my grandparents’.
I was furious at what both these men had done, but I thought the worst thing was, I’d never had a chance to say good-bye to Maddox.
“You’re both despicable human beings. You almost sent an innocent man off to spend twenty years in prison.”
Sheriff Whitlock narrowed his eyes at me. “He’s not innocent.”
“He’s certainly not guilty.” I didn’t understand it. I knew why my father wanted Maddox out of my life, but I didn’t understand why the sheriff hated him so much. It almost felt personal. “Why do you dislike Maddox? What did he do to make you hate him?”
The sheriff turned back to the interview in the other room. “I don’t hate him.”
“Sheriff?”
“You’re in law enforcement. You know a classic sign of lying is lack of eye contact. Why do you hate Maddox?”
At first, I didn’t think he was going to answer.
But then he shocked the hell out of me when he said, “Did you know I used to be in love with Betty Wolfe?”
I held my breath, not knowing if I should actually answer. I was a little scared he’d stop talking if I said anything.
“Kelly was little, and her dad had run off. I helped Betty out a time or two with things around her house, and we became friends. Before long, I was taking her out to the movies and dinner. I was completely infatuated with her. And I loved Kelly like she was my own.”
He stopped. I was afraid he wouldn’t continue for a moment, but I thought he had to get control of his emotions. I’d never seen the sheriff like this before.
“I went out and bought a ring. A beautiful diamond that I’d saved up for. Three months’ pay went into that thing. Then, the night I was going to propose, she told me she was pregnant.”
I sucked in a breath as my eyes went wide. I looked to the sheriff and to Maddox and back to the sheriff. I never knew who Maddox’s father was.
Is the sheriff saying…
“No. You can get that look off your face,” the sheriff said to me. “You see, Betty would never have…relations with me. She told me that she’d gotten pregnant with Kelly out of wedlock. She said that she wanted to wait. Turned out, she just didn’t want to sleep with me.”
“So, you blame Maddox for you losing Betty?”
“Yes,” he hissed out. “If she hadn’t gotten pregnant, I might have had a chance.” His anger was back.
“But Maddox is innocent in all this. He didn’t ask to be conceived.”
“I know that,” he spit at me. “I tried to be reasonable,” he said, his voice calmer now. “But, every time I see him”—he clenched his fists—“it makes my blood boil. These last twelve years were the first peace I’d had after eighteen years.”
“But seeing Betty doesn’t bother you?”
He gave me a look.
“Sorry.” The question had just flown out of my mouth.
Human behavior was weird. He should have been blaming Betty or maybe even himself. He might have read more into their relationship than there really had been. But he was the type of guy who would never see his own faults. And Betty was his love. He couldn’t or wouldn’t be mad at her. So, poor Maddox got the full brunt of Sheriff Whitlock’s anger.
“Did you ever talk to someone about it?”
He looked at me like an alien was growing out of my head. “I don’t do any of that New Age bullshit.”
“No, of course not.” I rolled my eyes. “Did you break into Maddox’s apartment and steal his gun?”
“No. I’m still the sheriff.”
I held up my hands. “Okay, okay. I was just checking.”
“I know what you think of me,” he said.
I gave him the once-over. “I highly doubt that.”
“You think I’m a bitter, old fool.”
“I think you’re a bitter man who needs to stop repressing your feelings because it turns you into an asshole. And you need better friends,” I said as everyone in the interrogation room stood. “My father doesn’t care about anyone but himself.”
I left the adjoining room and met them in the hall. The detective nodded at me as he walked past.
“How’d it go?” I asked Olivia.
“Good, I think. I think the detective believes him. It’s just the gun that’s a big red flag. Hopefully, whoever stole the gun left fingerprints.”
No one said it, but we also hoped Brandon would wake up and tell us who’d shot him.
Forty-Four
Maddox
I waited at baggage claim for Flash to get off his plane. It was two days after my arrest, and even though I’d told Flash it would be a few months before I went to trial, he’d insisted on coming.
I was hoping the charges would be dropped altogether, and there would be no trial. No one but Addison was able to alibi me. And wouldn’t you know it? The PI her dad had hired had already gone home for the night. I guessed the guy needed to sleep, too, but it was just my luck. He had been there to take pictures of me having sex but not when I needed to get out of an attempted murder conviction.
“Mad Dog.”
I spun around from where I had been picking up my coffee to see Flash cupping his mouth from bellowing my name.
A grin split across my face. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed him until I saw him again.
When we reached each other, we locked hands and pulled each other into a back-slapping hug.
“Dude, it seems I have to come and help your ass out when you’re in trouble, even when you’re retired.”
“Fuck off,” I said with a laugh. “Thanks for coming.”
“Mad Dog.”
I looked around to see who else would be yelling my name across the terminal.
Evan was coming out of the restroom and making a beeline for Flash and me.
I looked at Flash. He hadn’t said anything about Evan coming.
He shrugged. “He made me bring him.”
“How’d you both manage leave?”
“Begged and pleaded. And Evan had to suck the CO’s dick, but we’re here.”
“Fuck you, asshole,” Evan said as he reached us. “You’re just jealous that I’m not sucking yours.”
Flash lifted his middle finger and pushed it in Evan’s face. Evan pushed him away and punched him in the side.
Damn. I’d missed these guys.
“Ladies, it’s too early to fight. Can we save this for later?”
This got me a, “Screw you,” from both of them.
I just laughed.
A few seconds later, the baggage chute started up, and luggage began falling out. Flash and Evan grabbed their duffel bags, and we headed to my SUV.
“How’s the case going?” Flash asked from the passenger seat.
“It’s only been two days,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, but they have to be making some progress.”
“I can tell you that the detective in charge is doing a lot better job than the county sheriff. He’s former military. We have a certain understanding.”
“Navy?” Evan asked.
“Marines.”
“Fucking jarhead,” Flash said as he shook his head.
“Did he question your future father-in-law?” Evan asked
Father-in-law?
“I told him about Addison,” Flash said, reading my mind.
“I believe he’s been questioned, yes, but I haven’t exactly been let into the loop of the investigation.” I sighed. “Let’s talk about something else. What have I missed since I’ve been gone?”
We got to Brook Creek around seven in the morning. It was a Wednesday, so people were heading off to work, but it still wasn’t very busy.
“Holy shit, you really do live in BFE,” Flash said. He’d grown up in New York and not realized places like this even existed outside of television.
“Man, and I thought Afghanistan was bad,” Evan said from the backseat. “You actually choose to live here?”
“Yes, dickhead, I do.”
Ice was from Phoenix and didn’t understand small-town life any more than Flash did.
Although I didn’t understand it too much either at the moment. Everyone was avoiding me, except for Addison and my family. Even people I’d thought I was on good terms with, like Dani, wouldn’t look me in the eye. Foster had even asked me not to come to work until things settled down some. My old teammates coming into town was a welcome distraction.
We pulled around the back of my apartment building and exited my vehicle. I opened the back of the SUV, so the guys could get their stuff before I led them inside.
They dropped their bags on the floor with a thud and sat down on my couch.
I took a seat on the end of the armrest. �
�You two can stay here, and I’ll stay next door at Addison’s. You’re going to have to flip for who gets the bed and who gets the couch.”
The two of them immediately put their hands in Rock-Paper-Scissors position.
“One time. Winner takes the bedroom,” Flash said.
“Agreed.”
“One, two, three,” they said at the same time.
“Ha! Yes,” Flash said. “Scissors cuts paper.”
“Best two of three.”
“No way. I won. You’re sleeping on the couch.”
“Maddox?”
The three of them turned to see my beautiful, naked girlfriend standing in the doorway of my bedroom. I hadn’t realized she was still there because the door was open when we got there.
Her dark hair was messed up from sleep and from me fucking her good-bye that morning, and she was rubbing her eyes, so she had no clue we could all see her.
Her nipples were berry red from my mouth and erect from the cool air hitting them. And, to top it off, she had two sets of pink fingerprints on her hips from where I’d gripped her waist as I took her from behind before I left.
“I thought I heard voices,” she said.
“Shit.” I jumped out of my spot on the sofa, directly in front of her, and blocked my friends from seeing any more than they already had. “Addy, remember how I told you my old teammates were coming, and I had to pick them up this morning?”
She dropped her hands from her face, her eyebrows furrowed. Realization slowly dawned in her sleepy eyes. “Oh, yeah. Are they here?”
I looked behind me. Both men sat on the edge of the couch with their mouths hanging open.
I turned back to her. “Yeah, baby.” I raised my eyebrows. “They’re here.” I kissed her. “Why don’t you go get dressed? Then, you can come out and say hi.”
Once she fully woke up, she was going to be embarrassed, but right now, she simply shrugged. “Okay.”
I put my hands on her shoulders and spun her around. I nudged her into the bedroom. “Get dressed.” And then I shut the door behind her.
Take Me in the Night Page 17