Chapter 17
Seventeen
MADDOX
Sighing, I took a deep breath as I stared around at the men Darcie had gathered around her. My pride wanted to rage at these men believing they could replace me. But my heart had always known Darcie was a woman worthy of lots of love. If she chose these men to be by her side, then I’d trust they were worthy of her.
It didn’t mean I would lie down and roll over, though. It wasn’t in my nature to give up. I’d fight to have a place along with them. Besides, it was fun watching the big one puff out his chest.
Locking eyes with my princess, I laid my heart bare, telling the story that had been a long time coming.
“When I returned from seeing you, my father was acting strange. He was trying to put me in situations I didn’t want, not listening to me when I said I wasn’t interested, and overall, too focused on every move I was making. I knew my time to get Becca out was dwindling. I didn’t realize how much until later.”
I cleared my throat, shuffling in my seat.
“I was able to finalize a placement through my contact and was to meet him the next day. I went to talk to her and have her pack a bag. That’s when she told me she was getting married. The Destroyer had convinced her it was her duty to the club. The man was three times her age and a notorious abuser,” I spat, the memory of that night filling me with rage.
“Becca is Maddox’s younger sister. She has Down syndrome and has been isolated her whole life in the club.”
I nodded, thankful Darcie had given me time to calm down.
“One of the projects Destroyer had me on was to secure a new supplier,” I paused, looking at the others, realizing they wouldn’t know who the Chaos Gargoyles were. “My father’s club dealt primarily in drugs and dabbled in guns. He told me there was a new merchant, and I needed to vet them. Since I’d returned, he’d been putting these projects on me, stating he was preparing me to lead in his stead.” I shook my head, laughing darkly. “Except, when I arrived at the meet, I was surrounded by law enforcement officers and a truck full of drugs.”
“Shit,” Darcie cursed, her eyes worried. I smiled, and the concern felt nice.
“Yeah. I realized too late he’d known I was working with Tank to take him down. When I was arrested, I used my get-out-of-jail card to save Becca. I hated to leave you, Princess, but it was my only hope to help her.”
She nodded, wiping a tear that fell. “It was the right call. Becca needed you. I’m glad she’s safe.”
The rock I’d been carrying all these years shifted, the guilt lessening at not being able to return to her like I’d promised.
“From there, time seemed to stand still. Prison life wasn’t easy, especially when people learned who I was. It took me a while to show I wasn’t interested in running any gangs inside. I made some allies with guards and other prisoners, keeping myself safe enough for where I was. When I earned my internet privileges, I reached out to some of the Mavericks' contacts, hoping they could get me out. I thought about reaching out to you every day, but I didn’t want to lead anyone to where you were. The hope of finding you again one day was what kept me surviving each miserable day.”
“How did you get out?” Darcie asked. “Chase told me you were in prison and that a deal was coming. He wanted me to tell you not to take it.”
I sat up, curious about this new information. “Did he say why?”
She shook her head. “No. But he wasn’t very forthcoming after I stabbed him and ran.”
“Good girl,” I said, smiling.
“I looked for you when I got here. Brooks showed me how to search the prison database. It said that you’d been released. I worried it meant you wouldn’t come to find me.”
My fingers flexed; the urge to hold her while we had this conversation was strong. But since I was outnumbered, I wanted to respect the dynamics of the group I’d walked into.
“A man came to see me. He wouldn’t tell me his name, just that he had an offer for me. If I did the two things he wanted, he’d expunge my record, and I’d be free to live my life.”
“And if you didn’t?” the prettiest of the three guys asked. I’d already forgotten his name.
I smirked, sitting back and folding my arms over my chest. It was easier to be an asshole when I wasn’t staring at Darcie.
“I made sure that nothing would fall back on me if I couldn’t fulfill his demand. I’ll return to prison and finish out my sentence. A nice white-collared prison at that.”
“That’s too good of a deal for the price not to be steep,” the angry one said. Darcie nodded as well, agreeing with him.
“What do you have to do, Maddox?”
Exhaling, I dropped my arms. “Hand over my father and… Stanley Driscoll.”
“Hand over, how?” She sucked in a breath.
“They’ve been collecting evidence on them. They only needed one thing for my father.” I swallowed as the memory of the past month rushed through my mind. “It wasn’t easy, but I managed to do it. It’s why it took me so long to come here. I had to secure my father, or I would’ve never made it out of Georgia.”
She sat up, her eyes wide. “Your father, is he… dead ?”
“No. As much as I wanted to make him suffer, I gave him over to Agent Bones.”
“What are you going to do? Will he come after you?” she asked, her voice soft.
“I haven’t thought that far ahead yet if I’m honest. I just knew I needed to find you before my next steps. So, here I am.”
Her eyes warmed, and she smiled, holding my gaze for a long moment. Glancing up, she caught the big one’s eyes. “What do you think?”
The redheaded man watched her, debating something in his mind. He glanced over at the other two, waiting for them to give him something. When he was satisfied, he exhaled and looked at me.
“What are your intentions with Darcie? Are you just a friend, or do you plan to steal her away in the middle of the night and go on the run?”
I had to give it to the man. He had balls to ask me that.
I glanced at Darcie, her eyes sparkling. She was so sure about these men that I would be too.
“Darcie has always been the beat of my heart. I don’t know how not to love her. I’ll be in her life in whatever capacity she allows. I’d never assume to know what she needed more than she did. If she chooses you three, I honor that choice and respect her decision, regardless of where that leaves me. Does that answer your question?” I asked, smirking. I just couldn’t help poking the bear.
He grunted, a smile curving up one side of his face. “It suffices for now. Do you have a place to stay?”
“The only things I have are the clothes on my back and my bike. Everything else was lost. I was only able to recover the low rider because it had been impounded. Another perk from Agent Bones.”
“Then you can stay with us,” the pretty one said. “Sunflower doesn’t have much need for her bed these days.”
If he thought it would enrage me to hear they were sleeping with her, he was in for a surprise. “Perfect. I could use a night of sleep where I didn’t have to keep one eye open.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” the friendly one chided, smiling.
“Touche,” I said with a chuckle.
“I’ll take Maddox back to the house and get him settled in,” Darcie offered, attempting to stand from her perch. The pretty one’s arms tightened on her for a second before releasing her. It felt nice that they still thought of me as a threat. It made me believe I still had a chance.
“Cowboy, go with,” the big one ordered as we all stood.
The friendly one nodded, not dropping his smile.
“I’m sorry; what were all your names again? I was so excited about finding Princess that everything else faded. I’d like to move on from the pretty one, the friendly one, and the big one.”
The room was quiet for a second before they erupted into laughter.
“I guess I’m the friendly one?” the guy in front of me asked, wiping his eyes once he stopped.
“Yeah.”
“I’m Brooks or Cowboy. Grayson is the pretty one, also known as Pretty Boy, and the big one is Bubba to most, Waylon to a few.”
“You can call me Bubba. You have to earn, Waylon,” he muttered, crossing his arms. Despite his attitude, I could tell it was all for show. He just wanted me to believe he was angrier than he was. If he’d protected Darcie from the men trying to find her, then I’d let him have this one.
“Got it. And thanks for letting me crash. It means a lot. I’m glad that Darcie has had you three, honestly.”
The guys nodded, taking my thanks to heart.
Later that night, as we sat around a firepit in the backyard, eating hamburgers and drinking a few beers, I imagined a future I’d long given up. One that included a club full of men who were more than members, but brothers, and a woman at the center uniting them. Perhaps after everything was done, I could finally live a life that wasn’t on the run.
My phone vibrated, a message from Agent Bones to not dally here, as I still had to deliver the Agonizer.
It was then I remembered it was a nice dream, but it would never be my future. But for now, I’d pretend, soaking up the time I spent with my princess.