32
Maddox
The line “good things come to those who wait” is worse than the word “chilling.”
We wait in agony. Granger joins in on the fun times.
Finally, Roland calls me with the bad news. Tobias’s sister is missing. Her mother filed a missing person’s report the day of the party. Shandy Phelan is the same age as Blaise when she was kidnapped.
Roland has the good sense to send men looking for Shandy without my begging him to. He knows I hate begging.
“I’m putting you on speaker, Roland. Blaise and Granger are with me. Give us what you have, buddy.”
“My men and Blaise’s as well as Cillian’s are fanning out across the city, searching every nook and cranny.”
Knowing Roland, he’s instructed the teams to be as discreet as possible. One word to the media, and Hale will catch wind of the search and rescue—or search and recovery of Shandy’s body. Blaise talked me into roping her father into this growing mess. His cousin Six and Six’s wife are currently scrubbing his hard drives.
I shake my head. My mobster father-in-law and his beautiful daughter will be the death of me.
“Is there a place that’s sacred to Hale, Blaise? Somewhere you two went a lot when you were kids?”
Blaise gave us Hale’s reason for why she couldn’t remember him. If she didn’t remember the guy she spent the majority of her teenage years with, how can she recall the special places they went? Red fills my vision. I ball my hands. I cannot wait to punch the bastard in the face until his face is a bloody mess. I’ll come down so hard on him, he’ll be begging me for mercy.
“He said I gave him the gift of time. I didn’t understand what he meant until he told me I saved him from a fire. The fire was at his father’s restaurant.”
“Do you remember his father’s name?”
“I don’t. Hale says his real name is Brady Fitzpatrick. Can you check records for a business in Oakland owned by a Fitzpatrick?”
“We can do that. Thanks, Blaise.”
We end the call. I steer my swaying wife to our couch. We’re back home. I bring her a glass of water.
“Thank you, Maddox.”
“What time does Hale get off?”
“One.”
Three more hours.
We’re running out of time.
Her phone on the coffee table rings. Speak of the devil. Hale’s name lights up the screen. Blaise grabs the phone before I can give the bastard a piece of my mind.
“Hi, Hale.” She tucks pieces of her hair behind her ear. Leans forward with her elbow resting on her knee. I sit on the arm of the couch and rub her back. My beautiful, brave wife with the big heart. She would rather protect her mobster father than stay married to me.
“I’m doing good. Turning in for the night. Cillian asked you to stay over for drinks with him? You should. He’ll like that. I’ll leave the door unlocked. Of course I mean it. You make me happy when you indulge my father. Thank you, Hale. I’ll see you soon.”
She hangs up the phone. Tosses it on the table. Blows out a breath.
“Let’s get you to bed, baby.”
“I’m not tired.”
“A catnap. That’s all.”
“I need to know. Please, Maddox.”
“Okay, babe.” I sit on the couch and pull her into my arms. “Anything you want, I’ll give. You know that, right?”
“I have your heart. It’s all I’ll ever want.” Her bare hand settles on the spot over my heart, and just like that, a calm settles over me.
It doesn’t mean I won’t beat the shit out of Hale.
I just won’t be cutting off his junk.
33
Maddox
As soon as Blaise falls asleep, I rally the troops. Thank fuck Blaise has great friends. Collins comes over right away and keeps an eye on Blaise while Granger and I pile into my Jeep. My McLaren is too conspicuous.
After we leave the rest of her men keeping guard over the lobby and the front door of my penthouse just in case this Hale dude gets a clue that my wife is no longer waiting for him in Cillian’s guesthouse—that bastard—I head for the Venus in record time.
I shimmy the Jeep between two sedans a few blocks from the nightclub. The place is hopping and all available curbside parking within a mile radius is taken. Dammit, I should’ve played it smart and have one of Blaise’s men drop me and Granger off. Too late now.
We beat feet to the nightclub.
I’m dressed for a fight in my ratty jeans and dress shirt from my days of wining and dining women I didn’t give two fucks for, not minding at all if I get a shit ton of Hale’s blood on the damn thing. It’ll give me a reason to burn the shirt.
“You doing okay there, man?” I glance sideways at Granger. He’s keeping up with my sprint.
“With the shit way you drive, I’m not fine. Did you have to drive like a shithead? What if we got into an accident and died? You think Blaise will appreciate that?”
“Not at all. You’re right. Sorry, bro.” I sock him in the arm mid-sprint. “I’m sure Gia will rip me a new asshole if anything happened to you.”
“Wait, she cares?”
“Nah. I was just seeing if you did.” I stop and catch my breath. Granger does too. This is my opportunity to give it to him straight.
“There’ll be no dating my sister, understood?”
“Why’s that? Am I not good enough?” He clenches his jaw. Balls his hand.
“You’re not. My sister deserves a guy that will treat her like a queen. You”—I point my finger at him—“see her as a challenge. She is anything but. Gia needs patience and understanding but also a firm hand to let her know what she can and can’t get away with.”
“You don’t believe I can give her that?”
“Even if you could, you won’t withstand her testing of you long enough to break through the armor she’s placed around her heart.”
“I’ll try.”
“There’ll be no trying. I’m warning you now. Stay the hell away from her.”
“Or else what?”
“Or else I cut off your fucking dick.”
He smirks. “Duly noted. Now lets give a motherfucker a much deserved beating for putting our girl through pain and terror she shouldn’t have endured.”
“Here. Here.” I smack him across the shoulder.
He shoves me. I push back. We keep going on like this until we’re at the back door. We got news from Cillian that Hale is working the back exit.
He’s sending his men over for backup.
Backup?
Who the fuck needs backup?
Hale?
“Hey, Hale.” I saunter up to the prick with my hands balled at my sides. “Remember me? Blaise’s husband?”
He stares a hole in my face with his steely gaze.
“Yeah, I remember you. She sure as hell doesn’t. Did you know she called out my name when I royally fucked her the night she asked you for a divorce? Ouch.” He brushes off an invisible piece of lint from his black polo shirt. “Must be an ego buster for an egotistical prick like you.”
He’s standing beneath the light above the door. His shirt should help him blend in with the night. Except the color stands out for one reason. Blaise hates the color black and the fucker in front of me is to blame.
Red fills my vision.
Growling low in the back of my throat, I swing my fist and land a blow on the side of his head. He tips over, but doesn’t fall over. Hale has a good three inches on me as well as bulk. He swings. I duck but am not fast enough. He clobbers my head. I see stars. He gets me with an upper cut. My jaw slides to the right. He comes at me again and again with his fists.
My skin swells up. My lip splits, and I taste blood.
Gritting my teeth, I sock him in the stomach. Grab him by his head and jacking my knee up, I slam his noggin on my knee. There’s the satisfying crack of his nose breaking.
Good.
He deserves more than a broken nose for what
he did to Blaise.
The bastard’s not done with me.
Grabbing me by the waistband of my fucking jeans, he slams his fist into the spot above my kidney, over and over. Shit, by tomorrow I’ll be pissing blood.
I grunt. Prying his fingers off my pants, I shove him away then charge him, pummeling my fist into his face again and again. My knuckles catch on his teeth. The skin breaks. Dammit, now I’ll have to get a tetanus shot or something. Don’t want no damn infection from shoving my fist into the dirtbag’s mouth.
I hit him with my fist. Get him with an uppercut like he did to me. Go below the belt with my knee to his groin. He doubles over. I skitter back, and hunched over, I catch my breath.
Bad move to make.
I look up.
Hale has a gun aimed at my head.
I straighten. “You don’t want to do this, Hale.”
“Why the fuck not?” He undoes the safety. “She doesn’t want you. She’s only ever wanted me. Blaise belongs to me. She was promised to me.”
“That so?” In the corner of my eye, I see Cillian’s head of security with his gun drawn. “As far as I’m concerned, Blaise doesn’t belong to anyone. Who she loves is her choice to make.”
“Then make her change her mind.”
“I can’t make Blaise do anything she doesn’t want to. Let her go. Give yourself up. Confess.”
“I’d rather die.”
He got his wish. Cillian’s man pushed me aside and shot Hale point blank between the eyes.
Shit, that man can do a fast draw.
A real cowboy.
Remind me not to mess with the dude, ever.
After we wait for the cops and give our statements, I return home to my wife, ready to hold her in my arms.
I hope with time, my love for her will help her forget her nightmare at the hands of a guy that couldn’t seem to let go of their past together. Or at least, I hope my love can give her a reprieve from her nightmares.
Violence begets violence.
Kindness and forgiveness begets kindness and forgiveness.
I look back at Hale’s lifeless body.
Reality is suffering and pain.
May he never rest in peace.
34
Blaise
I wake up from a fitful sleep, disoriented.
I glance around my room. Moonlight pours in through the skylight.
I’m home. God, I love the sound of that. Home.
“Blaise, baby, you’re awake.”
I turn in the direction of the chair tucked in the corner of the room. Moonlight doesn’t hit that spot. The spot is shrouded in darkness.
I sit.
The sheet falls from my nakedness.
“You undressed me.”
“Guilty.” Said with no guilt whatsoever. More like he took pleasure in stripping me of my clothes. His voice is soft as crushed velvet, stroking me from head to toe.
“Come here, Maddox.” I crook my finger.
Much to my surprise, he refuses.
“No can do, baby.”
“How come?”
“I’m not in the best shape, babe. I’m sorry.”
He’s sorry? Not in the best shape? With the muscles lining his body, he’s in great shape.
“What time is it?”
My gut clenches. Why do I have the suspicion I missed something big? That he wasn’t here the entire time I was asleep?
“Three in the morning.”
I suck in a breath. “Hale. He’ll be at the guesthouse by now. He’ll see I’m not there and hurt Shandy.”
“No need worrying about the good-for-nothing bastard. Or for Shandy. Roland and the team found her, Blaise. They located the restaurant. A new building replaced the one ruined by fire. What didn’t get replaced is the old wine cellar hidden in a compartment in the flooring. Those men put their ears to the walls and the floor and listened like their lives depended on it. They heard Shandy pounding on the cellar with her cell phone. It’s got one of those indestructible cases. Lucky girl.”
So lucky she should go out and buy a lottery ticket.
“How’d you find the restaurant?”
“Our bastard was dumb enough to list himself as co-owner. Brady Fitzpatrick. His business partner is Chance Flanagan. Does the name sound familiar?”
“He works for Rylan. He introduced himself, and I thought it was cool that he’s Irish and has the name Chance. Do things happen by chance or luck?”
Maddox chuckles. “Of course you would wonder, love.”
Love.
“I like ‘love.’”
“Better than babe or baby?”
“Equally so?”
“Answering a question with another question. Not cool, baby.”
“Speaking of cool, come keep me company in bed.” I pat the spot next to me. “It’s cold.”
“I’m warm.”
“I’m cold and you said you’ll give me anything I want and I want your warmth.” I pout.
“Blaise, if I come near you, I’ll jump your bones.”
“Show me how you’d do that.”
He groans. “Babe, I’m not in the best condition right now.”
“Why’s that? Tell me what you did, Maddox.”
“How about I show you instead, love?”
He steps out of the darkness and into the light. His face is swollen. His lip is split. Maddox shows me his hands. Like his face and his lip, they are swollen, and his knuckles, split. I hop out of bed. Gently take his hands in mine. I drop kisses on his knuckles.
“You tell me right now who did this. I’m gonna rain hell on their heads.”
“His head, baby. And no need to rain hell on him. He is in hell. Hale is dead. I beat the shit out of him.”
“You killed him?” I step back. “Violence begets violence.”
“You’re right. He got what was coming to him. He gave it to me punch for punch. Made the mistake of going for his gun when I went easy on him and gave him time to take a breath. Cillian’s head of security shot Hale dead, right between the eyes.”
Hale dead. “He’s dead. He’ll never come for me again.”
“Never, love.” Maddox pulls me into his arms. “Collins is crashing in my bedroom. She stayed with you while I hunted Hale’s ass down. Granger went to Chance’s place and hauled his butt to the police station. He confessed to taping the note to your bedroom window and leaving the clothes for Rylan to find. He and Rylan are tight.”
“Poor Rylan. Betrayed by a friend. Poor you.” I drop more kisses on his hands. “Let’s get you some ice.”
“Already iced it.”
“And it still looks like that?” My gaze shoots from his hands to his face.
He gives me a sheepish grin. I utterly love his sheepish grins. It brings out the dimples in his cheeks.
“So no hand job from you anytime soon to take away the pain?”
“You’ll be getting more than a hand job.”
I help him undress. Thank goodness he has on a button-up shirt. I don’t know if his face can handle me pulling a shirt over his head.
“Maddox, Emilia, Six’s wife, told me my great-uncle, Arthur, has been getting large deposits into his account. Half a million dollars. Could he have worked with Chance?”
“What do you think?”
I undo the button on his pants. Unzip the zipper. Strip him of his pants and his boxers. He’s soft. I’m fine with snuggling. We have all the time in the world to make love.
“I’m thinking not. He’s been nothing but kind.”
“You’re right, love.”
We crawl in bed. Being careful of his swollen face, I nestle my head in the crook of his neck.
“He’s been taking some of your monthly allowance and investing it for you. He finally cashed it and was planning on giving it to you for your birthday. Surprise, baby, you’re half a mil away from becoming a millionaire.”
“Money isn’t important, Maddox.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, you’re all that matters. You and my family, the Lexingtons and the McCabes. Arthur is right. Family is about more than blood. Family is made up of friends. My cousins are my friends. My men are my friends. Collins and Granger are my friends too, though Granger is my blood. He’s my half-brother. Holy shit, I haven’t told him yet.”
Maddox laughs, then stops laughing. “Ow. Ow. I love you, baby, but please, don’t make me laugh again. My entire body hurts. And no worries on not telling him. Granger’s a smart guy and probably put two and two together a long time ago.”
“I stole his mother’s necklace. He had every right to kill me for taking his only memento of his mother’s love for him. Instead, he spared my life. I saw a picture of Cillian’s wife wearing it in one of the fashion magazines my mom loved to flip through. I told him who she was. He refused to believe he is a McCabe. Deep down, though, I think he knew he was meant for a different life other than bagging groceries. But he had too much pride to accept his position at my father’s side. Our father gave us up. Manipulated our lives.”
My eyes water. The tears fall. I wipe them away.
“How could I love him after what he’s done? How could I break your heart to protect a monster?”
“Because you’re a good person with a big heart, Blaise. A wise man once told me ‘patience is a virtue, and in darkness, there is light.’ Give Cillian the gift of time, love. I think you’ll find he won’t disappoint you.”
What he says has me crying harder. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Blaise.”
I snuggle into his warmth. “Thank you.”
“For what, baby?”
“For sparing me from seeing how you dole out Hale’s punishment.”
“We’re done with violence. Kindness and forgiveness begets kindness and forgiveness.”
“Forgiveness is my peace.”
“I know, baby.” He rubs up and down my arm. “Forgive your father and Hale, and be done with it, sweetheart. We have a birthday to plan and baby Stassis to make.”
“I’d like that. I want lots and lots of babies.”
“Whatever you want, I’ll gladly give. However, do you mind if we just snuggle tonight?”
Mad Love Page 18