Psycho (The Line Walkers #2)

18. Chapter 18 – Maddox

Chapter 18 – Maddox

How are my sloppy seconds?

M y blurry eyes fought to focus on the words as I sat up in Liv’s bed, untangling her naked body from mine as I stared at the nameless text that popped through my phone. Not only was there no name or number with it, but it broke through my do not disturb feature too.

Which meant it wasn’t accidental. I looked down at Liv as she turned over on her other side, seeking comfort in my absence, and snored softly as I put my feet on the floor. Another ghost text popped up, pushing the first up.

Return what’s mine, and I’ll let you live. Keep fucking around by killing men I don’t give two shits about, and I’ll use every contact in my book to get her back.

And if you make me work hard for it, I’ll take it out on her when I get my hands on her.

Then again, she always liked it more when I slapped her around while I fucked her.

Bile rose in my gut from the cowardly words across my screen seconds before it blacked out and they disappeared. Damon knew where she was. He knew I had her.

Which meant she wasn’t safe until he was dead.

“Maddox.” Liv’s breathy voice called from behind me as her soft fingers brushed across my back. “Everything okay?”

I hit the power button on my phone and hit the internal kill switch under the back cover, completely deactivating it and any track that might be on it.

“Yeah, Storm.” I replied, dropping it onto the floor and rolling back over behind her, wrapping her in my arms. “Everything is fine.”

“Good.” She sighed, snuggling deeper into my hold and lacing her fingers through mine, laying our hands on her baby belly that was hardening by the day. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Storm.” I replied, staring at a spot on the wall across the room as she fell back to sleep in my arms while my mind raced and my heart spasmed at the idea of any harm coming to her because of my faults.

“ T alk to me.” Dane snapped when I turned on a burner phone and called him.

“He knows.” I replied, “He texted me last night.”

“Fucker.” He growled, “Bring her here.”

“No.” I sighed and ran my hand over the back of my head. “She hates it there.”

“Who fucking cares?” He yelled, “She’s safer here than she is in the city. There are too many people milling around there.”

“And if a blitz attack hits there in the middle of nowhere with only the two of us around, who are you going to protect? Liv or Peyton?”

“Damnit!” He roared, knowing he’d always protect his wife first. Which was fair. “So, what are we going to do?”

“I’m calling in reinforcements to protect her while I’m gone, and then we’re going to hit the ground harder.”

“There are only six names left on the list, Madd. Maybe fuck the rest of them and just focus on him.”

“No.” I clenched my teeth, “That’s what he wants us to do. He knows if the other four men die and all that’s left is him and his silent partner, then he’s going to be a fucking wanted man, by far more than just us. They’ll all turn on him once they figure it out.”

“I don’t like this.”

“Me either. But we don’t have a choice. We stick to the plan, eliminating the remaining four Johns, and then we’ll focus on Damon and his partner. Until then, just work on finding out who that is. It shouldn’t be this fucking hard to find out a name on the scum bag funding Damon Kirst’s Velvet Cage.”

“I know. It’s almost like I designed the smoke screen myself and that’s why I can’t see through it.”

“Figure it out. Until we do, she’s at risk.”

“Got it.”

“ M add.” Liv’s voice cut through my thoughts as we walked down the busy city street, “Earth to Maddox.”

“Sorry.” I tightened my arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled into my side further as we weaved around the other people out on the streets. It was unseasonably warm for January and even though I didn’t want her outside of my building at all, I couldn’t lock her down without telling her why.

And I couldn’t take away her peace like that, so I hid it.

“You’re regretting letting me out into the world, aren’t you?” She stated plainly.

“No,” I lied and then turned us down the sidewalk “I just can’t wait to get you back home.”

“I’m not buying it, Renner.” She sighed but held back from retorting it further as we got to the door to the maternity clothes store. When I held it open for her, she hesitantly walked in and then looked around in awe.

“What?” I asked after a bit. There were clothes in nearly every inch of the place, including pregnant mannequins showcasing dozens of different outfit styles. The boutique wasn’t designer, but it was high end. Peyton had done some research and recommended it when she noted Liv’s tight shirt the other day. It would cost a pretty penny to get Liv an entire wardrobe that would fit her comfortably now and after the baby was born.

Good thing I had lots of pretty pennies saved up for such an occasion.

Spending my entire adult life as a mercenary, working for rich and powerful clients, did more than just entertain me with bloodshed; it had lined my bank accounts well, though I had never spent much of it.

Until now.

“I don’t know,” She shrugged and walked over to a display table covered with fuzzy warm sweaters that looked like they could be the softest things in the world. Leather jackets hung on the rack at the end of the table and velvet pants adorned the other side. “I guess I always imagined maternity clothes were going to look like a bad curtain from the 90s.”

I scoffed and followed her, noting the way she touched things as she passed by them, but didn’t pick anything or even hold it up to appraise it. “Dawn of a new era.” I mused, catching the eye of an employee milling around and calling her over. I waited until Liv was out of earshot and murmured to the smiling woman. “My wife is playing hard to get with finally buying a new wardrobe to fit her changing body growing my baby,” I watched as the woman looked over at Liv and nodded knowing, “I’ll add a twenty percent tip to whatever we buy today if you make sure she leaves here loaded down with new things.” The woman’s eyes rounded excitedly and she nodded once professionally. “Anything she touches, pick out her size and have it put in a dressing room.”

“Yes, Sir.” She nodded again and skirted me to pick up four dresses that Liv had just teased her fingers across as she kept walking.

Liv noted the woman moving around, but didn’t pay enough attention to her as I caught back up. I gave the employee credit; she was discreet and incredibly efficient as she picked up each item and handed it off to other employees as Liv moved through the store.

“I don’t know,” Liv sighed after a while. “It’s not like I actually go anywhere.” Shrugging her shoulders, she looked up at me, “Maybe I’ll just get some bigger pajamas.”

“You sleep naked.” I deadpanned and Liv’s eyes flashed around the store like she was embarrassed, but I knew her better than that. “What would you need pajamas for?”

“I don’t know,” She hissed, and looked over at a rack next to us she had circled three times already. I knew without her saying anything that the black cashmere sweater had lured her in, even though she still refused to pick anything up. “It’s expensive stuff here.”

Tucking my knuckle under her chin, I forced her to look up at me instead of the mysteriously entrancing spot on the rack of clothes she was staring at and spoke firmly, so she’d have no choice but to understand my meaning.

“I am buying you new clothes, Storm.” I motioned around us to all the racks, “You can either pick them out, or I will. But either way, we’re loading my truck with full ass bags.” Leaning down, I brushed my lips over hers, “And then we’re going to the baby store to stock the nursery.”

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.” She sighed, “What kind of cave dweller, Fabio, romance novel alternate universe have I landed in?”

I smiled and kissed her again, loving the twisted humor she used in place of revealing her genuine feelings sometimes. Then I replied, “The kind where you finally let me take care of you the way you’ve always deserved to be taken care of.” I kissed her once more, ignoring the lurking employees and other customers as they all watched, “And where you repay me by letting me ravage your sinful body and give you orgasms for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of your life.”

“Yep,” she leaned into me with her eyes closed and a cheerful smile on her face. “Alternate universe, but damn it if I’m not going to live blindly in it for the rest of eternity.”

“Good girl.” I added, and she simpered even more and then pushed away from me and looked around.

“Okay, I guess I should start picking some things.” Her eyes danced to the dress again on the rack and the enthusiastic employee gently slid into our space with a warm smile for Storm.

“Actually, your husband has already taken care of everything.” The woman said and then held her hand out, “My name is Teresa, and I’ve already picked everything that you’ve admired off the racks in an array of sizes per his instructions, and they’re all waiting for you in our VIP fitting room in the back.”

“My—” Storm stuttered and looked at me in confusion, “How did you—?”

“I know you.” I answered plainly and herded her forward so she could shake the woman’s hand and follow her to the back. “And I knew you wouldn’t pick out nearly enough, so I picked for you.”

“Madd.” She said cautiously, eyeing the woman as we followed her to the luxurious fitting room, with an extra-large seating area outside of a curtain partition. “You’ve already done so much.”

“Hush.” I commanded and then slid her jacket off her shoulders and laid it on the back of a velvet couch as I removed my own. “Now go put on whatever you feel comfortable trying on here and show me.” As I sat down, she stood frozen. “Either way, one of everything at least is coming home with us, regardless if you think you’ll ever wear it or not, so get to it. Chop chop.”

She chuckled, shaking her head in defeat and walked into the separate room, eyeing up the dozens of options already hung up and styled into full outfits for her, and she glanced back at me briefly before they closed the curtain. “Thank you, Madd.”

“Mmh-hmm.” I hummed, rubbing my fingers over my beard as I forced myself to relax the anxiety that bloomed as soon as she was out of reach and out of sight. “Start with that black sweater you drooled over out there.”

I heard her scoff and giggle as she embraced the way her afternoon had turned out, which gave me a bit of peace while I waited to see her beautiful face again.

She could have this afternoon of fun and excitement toward her pregnancy, like a normal mother to be with a doting partner at her side. But when we got back home, my extra security team would have finished making the changes I was implementing, and her small freedoms would be restricted even further in the name of safety.

She’d be angry whenever she found out, but at least she’d be protected.

The safety of her and our baby would always be my number one priority, even if it meant her happiness came second. Because if anything ever happened to either of them, the earth would crumble under my boots as I lost control of the shadows inside. They’d cover the world around me and I’d destroy everyone in her wake.