Chapter Fifteen
If this was how Chance had felt when he’d found her unconscious in the apartment, then Maci probably needed to cut him some slack.
She was staring at the gaping hole at the front of the office where the wall of glass used to be. Chance had explained what happened last night, but until she saw it with her own eyes this morning, she hadn’t truly been able to process it.
It was hard to believe that one bullet had done that much damage. The guys had explained that it had been a rifle bullet, so a big one, but still... one bullet .
What if one of the guys had been walking through the lobby, as they did a thousand times a day, when that bullet had hit? Only a little bit of glass had sprayed back far enough to hit her desk—well, hit where her desk used to be; the guys had moved it into the conference room where there were no windows—but if Chance had been standing there talking to her when the glass broke, it would have cut him to ribbons.
Now she understood his need to constantly keep her behind him so he was between her and any unknown threats. Because she felt like doing the same thing to him.
She knew if she stayed out watching the workers replacing the window for too long she’d get a lecture from one of the Patterson brothers. As it was, she was only allowed to peek her head around the corner—definitely was not allowed to stand in the open room.
But she wasn’t going to argue. As long as Chance and his brothers didn’t stand in the open room either. Protectiveness went both ways.
The guys were back poring over the new security footage from yesterday. Maci had work she could do at her now-conference-room desk, but could hardly focus. Between the shock of the window and her ob-gyn appointment later that afternoon, she was frazzled.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she took it out. Evelyn. Definitely not what she needed today. Maci hadn’t answered any of the other five texts since they last saw each other, and planned to ignore this one too.
Maci knew better than to fall for the I miss you s or Let’s catch up, baby s .
Meet me at your apartment or I’m coming to you.
Maci grit her teeth as she typed back. Today really isn’t a good day.
I can either come to that office or your boyfriend’s house. Either one. Amazing how quick her mother could be when she wanted to.
Maci rubbed her eyes. She doubted Evelyn had Chance’s address, but it wouldn’t be impossible. Maci didn’t want her showing up at either place.
Especially not today when she and Chance were going together to the doctor. Maci didn’t want to produce proof in living color of the poor genes their child would be getting from Maci’s side of the family.
Not to mention the questions it might lead to about Maci’s mothering ability. Legitimate questions.
Ones she’d asked herself every single day since she found out she was pregnant.
Fine. I’ll be at my place in twenty.
She headed into the conference room. The guys were so closely watching the footage, none of them even realized she was there. She walked over to Chance.
“I’m going to go and rest for a little while before the doctor’s appointment.”
Chance was on his feet immediately. “Are you okay? Do you feel sick? I can drive you home.”
They’d ridden in together. She’d forgotten about that. “No, no. You have important and time-sensitive work to be done. I’m okay to drive myself.”
He was torn, she could tell. She hated that she was deceiving him, but what choice did she have?
She reached out and touched his arm. “No smothering, remember? You can walk me out to the car, and I’ll text you when I...get there.”
That was vague enough not to be a complete lie.
He still didn’t like it, but agreed. “Okay, I’ll walk you out.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her to the back alley, where they’d all parked today to avoid the front door.
He pulled her in for a hug at the car. She hugged him back. She needed his closeness.
“Be careful,” he said into her hair. “And let me know you’re okay. I’ll see you at home.”
Guilt ate at Maci. Chance wanted her to be safe and she was running off to meet with an unstable woman, but if she could spare him another run-in with her mother, she would. With a wave to Chance, she got in the car and headed back to the past.
M ACI ’ S MOTHER WAS pacing in front of the door when she arrived.
“Took you long enough.”
Maci ignored her, quickly texting Chance that she was okay, before ushering them both inside. The sooner she took care of this, the sooner she could get back to the better parts of her life.
“What do you want, Mom?”
As if she didn’t know. As if calling Evelyn Mom wasn’t practically a joke.
“You could at least pretend to be happy to see me.” Evelyn walked around looking at things in the apartment like she’d never seen them before and was fascinated by how Maci had decorated. “I don’t even know what’s going on with you. You rushed me out of here so fast last time.”
Maci grit her teeth. She knew how this game was played. Evelyn was going to do whatever was the exact opposite of what Maci wanted.
If Maci wanted to spend time and try to connect, Evelyn would want to leave. If Maci was on a tight schedule, Evelyn would be clingy and refuse to leave.
It was a childish game, and they’d been playing it for as long as Maci could remember—even when she lived at home.
“I need cash.”
Of course, she did. “What happened to what I just gave you the other day? You can’t have run through it all already.”
“You didn’t give me that much.”
“Because I don’t have much to spare. Any, actually.”
Evelyn spun around to stare at her, crossing her thin arms over her chest. “We both know that’s not true. I saw the car your boyfriend was driving when he took you out of here. I know he owns his own company with those so-called brothers of his. I don’t believe they all aren’t loaded.”
Maci hated hearing her even mentioning Chance or his brothers. The Pattersons were all good. Chance deserved better than to be dragged into Maci’s toxic family drama.
“First of all, he’s not my boyfriend. And yes, I may work for the Pattersons, who own their own business, but that doesn’t mean they’re loaded and it especially doesn’t mean I have extra money.”
Evelyn started walking around again. “But you could get it if you wanted to. Especially to help out family.”
Maci sat down in the kitchen chair by the small table. This pattern with her mother was never going to end. Not if Maci continued to let it go on like this.
“Mom, I don’t have money to give you. I need it for myself.”
Her mother turned to scrutinize her. “I thought you were done with drugs.”
“I am.” She took in a deep breath, hoping she wasn’t about to make a huge mistake. “I need the money because I’m going to have a baby.”
Maci’s pregnancy was too new for her to have thought much about how she would break the news to Evelyn. But sitting here, she realized that she hoped the news would bring about some sort of positive change.
Evelyn had never been able to clean up for Maci, but maybe she would for her grandchild. Maybe they could have a relationship after all.
Her mother stopped and stared at her. “You idiot. You let him get you pregnant? You’ve ruined your life.”
Knots formed in Maci’s stomach. Definitely not the reaction she’d been hoping for.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. Regardless of my poor decisions I don’t have the money, so go find someone else to extort.”
Evelyn was silent, turning back and walking around the room, peeking at all of Maci’s things. Every time she picked something up, Maci ached to reach out and slap her hands away. This was her space, her sanctuary, and she wanted Evelyn out of it.
“You think I’m stupid?” Evelyn picked up a book and tossed it on the couch. “I know you have a rainy-day fund. I’ll take that. You can ask your baby daddy for more money for raising some thankless brat.”
“You should leave, Evelyn. I’ve made my decision.”
Evelyn’s eyes were flinty. She didn’t like when Maci called her by her name instead of Mom. As if Evelyn hadn’t just described her as a thankless brat.
“You’ve made your decision?” She picked up another book, flipping through the pages before tossing it to the side. “Do you think you’re better than me?”
“This isn’t about better or worse. This is about priorities.”
“Oh, yeah?” She put her hands on her hips. “How do you think your little boyfriend would react if he knew what you used to do to get high? Don’t you think someone should explain that to him so he knows what he’s getting into?”
Dread pooled in Maci’s stomach as she steeled herself against the memories. She refused to go back to that time, even in her mind. “I made mistakes. He would accept them, especially since I won’t make them again.”
Maybe if she said the words forcefully enough she could believe they were true.
Her mother laughed, a harsh bark of a sound. “I doubt that. He seems like an upstanding guy. A professional and respectable businessman.”
“He is.”
Evelyn’s lip curled up in a snarl. “Men like that have one thought when it comes to drugs—once addicted, always addicted.”
No. Maci wasn’t addicted anymore. She was in recovery. She’d done everything she could to get better. She was better.
“I’m not like you. I’m not going to keep doing drugs when I’ve finally made a life for myself. I’m not going to spend forever chasing a high I’ll never be able to keep. I’m happy sober.”
It was the wrong thing to say and it threw Evelyn into a rage. Maci stood there in horror as Evelyn swept out the rest of Maci’s books off the bookshelf and onto the floor, then knocked the bookshelf over. The coffee table ended up on its side, with the empty glass that had been sitting on it shattering on the floor. Evelyn tore pillows and ripped the paintings and pictures from the walls.
It was impossible to believe someone as petite as Evelyn could do this much damage—the drugs in her system gave her the boost of strength. Maci knew not to get near. Evelyn didn’t have these rages often, but her violence wasn’t just targeted on inanimate objects. Maci kept far out of reach.
By the time Evelyn was done, the apartment that Maci had fought and scrounged for was nothing but scraps and trash.
“You ungrateful little bitch.” Maci watched her mother’s chest heave with every angry breath. “You either get me my money or we’ll see what your boyfriend says when he finds out his baby mama was a drug dealer and a whore.”
There it was, Evelyn’s trump card. There was nothing else to do. Maci knew it and so did Evelyn. Her smarmy grin was enough to prove it.
“Fine. Let’s go find an ATM.”
Twenty minutes later, Maci’s bank account was empty—including the five hundred dollars she’d saved for emergencies.
And so was her heart. She felt hollowed out as she watched her mother slip away laughing, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Now that Evelyn had a button to push, Maci would never be free. She’d lose everything she’d worked so hard for and Chance... Chance would eventually find out what Maci had done. The first time she tried to refuse Evelyn, she’d tell him everything and he’d hate Maci for it. It was only a matter of time.
Maci didn’t know what to do with herself but she couldn’t move yet, so she curled up on her couch and cried, as the future she’d been so desperate for slipped from her fingers for good.