Faking it with the Bad Boy Bikers (Southern Heat Reverse Harems #2)

CHAPTER 34

Nellie

I left the station with the strangest sense of hope filling me. I didn’t want to name my desires but they were there, banging around at the back of my brain. And if we want more? Woodrow’s words made me feel like I was full of helium balloons and I was in danger of floating away.

I couldn’t believe the things I was doing with them. Henry, Woodrow, and Seth had blown into my life like a tornado and it seemed I was dead set on straddling that thing and riding it. Losing my virginity had been slow and gentle but had left me feeling like I’d been shoved in the dirt and kicked. Sex with the guys was hard and rough but I walked away feeling like I was being carried on a cloud. I’d never known I wanted gritty, dirty sex, but I couldn’t deny that when Seth called me his slut, I got so wet it was embarrassing. Or when Woodrow had demanded I scream so another man could hear me, I’d come harder than I thought possible.

Something I’d started to mess with my brothers was quickly starting to feel very real. I’d left Devil’s Den under the shadow of being the bad Hellstone kid. I hadn’t been, not really. I’d returned to Devil’s Den the same mostly good girl I’d left as but that was quickly changing. I was embracing being the bad girl my parents had thought me to be. Happily.

I turned off of Main Street to go back to Ms. Vivian’s and collided with someone. We both ended up on our asses and I looked up to see Maxie staring back at me. My big sister. She hadn’t come to see me since I’d been back so I’d assumed she didn’t want to.

Sitting there across from me then, though, she looked like she wanted to grab me and hold me. Her eyes filled with tears which she quickly blinked away and then she cleared her throat. “Nellie.”

I didn’t know how to act and I’d just been screwed emotionally raw by Woodrow so I just let it out. “You haven’t been by to see me. Or Waylan.”

She winced. “I know. I should’ve. I should’ve brought a gift to welcome you home and maybe gotten Waylan something for school. She’s in school here, right? I’ve heard she’s really smart and ahead for her age. Just like you always were. I’m sorry. I, uh, I should’ve stopped by. Things have just been busy and I’ve—”

“Maxie.” I stared at her and felt an ache form in the pit of my stomach. Maxie had always been the good girl, the first daughter and the best daughter. She’d always been high-strung and was quick to panic but the woman sitting in front of me was wound tighter than I’d ever seen anyone. She had dark circles under her eyes and she looked like a strong wind would shatter her.

She bit her already raw looking lip and looked down at the ground. She seemed to realize we were both still sitting on the sidewalk and gasped. Jumping to her feet, she swayed like she was going to faint, but she’d steadied herself by the time I stood up. “You probably hate me.”

I reacted like she’d slapped me. Gaping at her, I shook my head hard enough to dislodge the bun I’d put my hair in after finishing up with Woodrow. “Maxie, no. I don’t hate you. I didn’t come to see you, either.”

“How could you? With what our parents did to you? With the way our brothers have been acting? I knew you wouldn’t come back to the ranch. I wouldn’t if I were you.” She looked away and I would’ve sworn I saw longing on her face. “I should’ve come by. I’m sorry. I…”

“Do you want to get a coffee or something with me now?” I felt like the big sister then, full of worry for Maxie. I wanted to take her under my arm and make her lie down for a nap.

She winced, though. “I’m so sorry. I can’t. I have to meet with a lawyer for Mills. After everything with the Mays, their ranch is for sale for hardly anything and Mills wants it. He’s busy today so I have to— I get to meet with the lawyer. And I’m running late. I hate being late.”

I grew even angrier at my brothers. “You could blow it off. Mills should do his own bidding. You look like you could use a break, Max.”

Those tears filled her eyes again but she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I… I’m so sorry. I have to go.”

I watched her hurry around me and pulled out my phone right away to call Vera. She answered, out of breath, on the third ring. “What’s going on with Maxie?”

Vera hesitated. “What? Nothing that I know of. Why?”

“I just ran into her and she looks awful. She almost passed out when she stood up. And she’s still doing Mills’ shit for him. Despite looking like she needs to sleep for the next week straight.”

“Don’t even try to step in to help, Nellie. You know Maxie. She always has to be perfect. The perfect daughter, the perfect sister. She’s obsessed.” She sighed. “I don’t get it. I could talk to Mills, though. Since I’m about to make him an uncle, I have a little more sway. Maybe I could ask him about it.”

I already knew that would feel like a betrayal to Maxie. “No, no. I’ll figure something out myself. This is beyond Maxie’s normal perfection, Vera. Does she ever come to Doll’s Club ? Maybe I could corner her there and get her to talk to me?”

“Ha. That’s funny. Perfect Maxie at a meeting about sex and shit like it? I tried to invite her once and she acted like I’d asked her if she wanted to come join my orgy.” Despite the bite in her words, Vera sounded more concerned than she had. “I don’t know what could be wrong. I haven’t noticed anything. Which I guess is pretty shitty, huh?”

“You’ve been a little busy growing a child, V. I didn’t call you to guilt you. I just wondered if I’d missed something. I’ll figure it out.” We said our goodbyes and I considered going against what I knew was best and calling Mills.

In the end, I couldn’t. I knew Maxie enough to know she’d take any concern from our big brothers as a comment about her performance. She’d feel like she’d messed up and then try even harder to be perfect. I didn’t know what to do but I knew she wasn’t okay.