42. Brooks
42
brOOKS
As the airplane’s wheels touched down in Baltimore, Brooks stared stonily into the darkness. He’d caught the red-eye out of Vegas and hoped to sleep on the plane.
Sleep hadn’t come.
“Pleasure doing business with you.”
Mike’s slimy voice when Brooks had handed him the cash rang through his head.
I just want a shower to wash off the stench that is Mike Valders.
Blackmailed. The son of a bitch actually successfully blackmailed Brooks. His fury was palpable.
For what it was worth— possibly little— Christine’s contract would provide some legal recourse to keep the man out of his life.
Who the hell am I kidding? Valders is a narcissist.
Brooks couldn’t protect them. That was the bottom line. Mike didn’t give a shit about the law.
Neither did any person who would try to harm the people he loved.
He had no real way to protect Maddie.
With enough determination and ingenuity, like Mike had displayed, the people determined to hurt the woman he loved would get through. No amount of money or bodyguards or security teams or gates could keep them out.
For the thousandth time, Brooks asked himself why the fuck he didn’t have Ryan check the trailer. This would be a very different last sixteen hours.
Brooks pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes burning with tears.
He hadn’t cried in years.
He could love Maddie—would love her—until the day that he died.
But as long as she’s with me...
I am a danger to her.
His existence was the threat.
An aching, hollow feeling rose in his chest, where Maddie had brought life to him once again.
He had just one move—and it might kill him.
But it had to be done.