Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
TEXAS
M aya was always on my damn mind. Always close to the surface when I saw something that reminded me of her. It’d been like this for a while now. Ever since I saw her at a family barbeque, standing in a ray of sunshine and talking with her friends. When she’d thrown her head back and laughed, my damn breath had caught. Then when she smiled, I’d pretended it was just for me.
That day, that moment, had been like a bomb going off in my chest. Like my heart had woken up with a zap. Though, even before that, I’d admit that for the last few months, my heart had been ticking just for Maya and her attention.
She’d always been a stunning girl, but now she was a gorgeous and smart woman. Someone I wished I’d taken care of instead of how I’d brushed off her teenage crush like it was nothing. I hadn’t been smart back then.
So yeah, I’d fucked up when it came to Maya Marcus.
Fucked up when I’d agreed to be her first kiss.
I’d been in Ballarat visiting the compound with my uncle and Low. Cody, a good mate and son to the big honcho, had pulled me aside and told me his sister had confessed to him that she’d never been kissed but wanted to learn before she started dating so she didn’t look like a fool. He’d told me to kiss her. I did and thought nothing of it.
I didn’t know she’d got feelings.
I didn’t know I’d hurt her every time I’d rocked up to an event with a new girlfriend under my arm.
I didn’t know until her feelings had morphed into annoyance towards me.
There was a chance my ignorance was a good thing, though. At the time, she’d been young. Too young. Shit, at the time, I’d been in my prime teen years, flirting and fucking any girl who paid me attention. I thought with my dick a lot of that time. I hadn’t seen just how much I’d screwed up until my goddamn mind, body, and soul was shocked alive by Maya.
Since then, I’d tried to get her to see me as I was now. I made sure I found her at family gatherings to talk, and every damn time, she made an excuse and slipped away. Nothing worked, not even when I’d winked, smiled, or tried to joke with her.
She was over me and my ways.
I had to change that. The need to do so pressed on me more recently, ever since I got a wake-up call and knew that no one could predict what could happen on any day. When Talon had been shot and nearly killed, it put things into perspective.
It was time for the next step in life.
Since I’d gotten my businesses underway and thriving, it was time to get the woman.
When I had Maya, and I fucking prayed I would, she’d see she was my world.
Which was why I was back in Ballarat. Besides organising things at my newest tattoo shop and home, I was there to show Maya I’d changed. But along with that plan, I’d also gone to Talon, wanting to patch into the club. It’d been the last thing I wanted to do before I went to Maya and tried to get her to understand she was mine.
I knew that if she’d accepted me in time, after I courted the hell out of her, I’d be the luckiest man in the world.
She was my other half. She just didn’t know it yet.
Talon leaned back in his chair and eyed me. “Dodge know you’re here, wantin’ to patch into the Ballarat charter?”
“Not yet,” I told him with a half smirk.
“Why here, Texas? Why not back with your family?”
Maya was here, and she’d want to stay close to her family. Not that Talon knew I wanted his daughter as my old lady. He’d probably kick my arse, but I’d take the beating if it meant I could have the woman.
“I like Ballarat.”
His brow quirked. “You like Ballarat?”
“Yep.”
“What about your store in Caroline Springs? What about your family?”
“Got a manager I trust for it, and I’ll go check on it every now and then. But I’m already set up to run the one here. Got the house attached to the shop as my own also. My family will understand and support me.”
“Even Low?”
I couldn’t help but huff. “Even Low. Won’t deny she’ll throw a fit, but she’ll do it while helpin’ me pack. Besides, it ain’t that far away.” An hour tops.
He ran a hand over his head. “Maybe you should talk to Dodge first.”
“Prez, I’m old enough to make my own decisions.” Besides, he already knew.
“Fuck. I know. The lot of you have grown up too quickly.”
I snorted. “Scared you’re gettin’ old?”
His glare snapped my laugh off. “I can still take you down, kid .”
I believed it too.
He sighed and nodded. Hope shot into my veins. “Fine. I should make you a prospect, but I know Hawks is in your blood, always has been. Give me a week, and I’ll set up the ceremony—”
The door opened abruptly. Talon stood up, gun in hand and pointed that way. Where he got the gun from, I didn’t fucking know. He lowered it when we saw Killer breathing like he’d run a marathon. Before Talon could say anything, Killer did. “Catch.” He threw a phone at Talon, who snatched it out of the air and placed it against his ear.
“Talon,” he clipped. “Easton, slow down and breathe. My phone is on silent while I’m in a meetin’…. What are you sayin’?” He stilled, gripping the phone. “Where is it? Where ?” he barked. “Right,” he bit off, then hung up, throwing the phone back to Killer. “Get the brothers who are here. We’re ridin’ out.”
Killer nodded and disappeared. Talon tucked his gun into the back of his jeans.
I stood. “What’s goin’ on?”
He started for the door. “You’re not Hawks yet—”
“Bullshit,” I snarled and followed him. “I can help. Just tell me what’s goin’ on.”
He glanced over at me as we picked up into a jog, and I saw it then, the fucking terror in his gaze. His jaw clenched and unclenched. “Easton said there was a dispatch call that got cut off from Maya’s vehicle. Someone’s taken control of it.”
I stopped.
My body.
My heart.
My breath.
Everything except her name running over and over in my head.
Fear had taken hold.
“Texas” was yelled harshly, and I blinked slowly at Talon. He studied me for a beat. “You comin’ or do I need to get someone to lock you down?”
“I—” Clearing my throat, I caught up. “I’m comin’.”
No one was going to stop me.
Even though my body had kicked back into gear, my mind remained locked tight with pure panic for Maya. Still, I’d managed to work on autopilot. I went to my bike, got on it, and rode off, following behind Talon, Griz, and Blue, because I knew they’d lead me to where Maya was.
Our rides rumbled along as we pulled onto a street where I could easily see an ambulance down the road with its back doors open. Cops and other paramedics surrounded the vehicle, and the officers had their guns drawn. We stopped. Some took notice of us, and even more so when Talon pushed his way through.
“Put it down and let her go,” a cop yelled towards the ambulance.
As Talon stopped and cursed low, my gaze snagged on what was in front of us.
My gut clenched.
Blood pumped harder through my veins.
Maya had blood on her everywhere. It dripped down the side of her face. Her right eye was already swollen and bruised.
Near the back of the opened doors to the ambulance, a guy held Maya in his arms with a needle to her neck. A parked car blocked their left side, and there was enough room to their right for another car to pass by before it hit the curb, a path, and houses.
“Step back,” another cop ordered Talon.
Talon didn’t. He took another step closer. “You know who you have there?” he called out clearly.
“Just stay back,” the guy holding Maya screamed and shifted slightly, taking Maya with him so her body covered his more.
Maya’s brown eyes teared when she stared back at her father.
I wanted to run to her, fucking protect her, take her away from this nightmare.
But I couldn’t do shit.
I couldn’t help because I wouldn’t risk her.
Not when he was so close to her. I knew this. The brothers and cops did too.
Fuck.
“This was supposed to work,” the guy yelled. “You all ruined this.”
“Phillip Newton, you don’t want to do this.” A new officer stepped forward. “It is Phillip, right?”
“H-How do you know?”
“We went to the same school.” The cop took another step.
“Stay there,” Phillip yelled. His hand tightened around Maya’s arm, and I saw her wince. “I’ll do it. I’ll inject her.” The needle shook where he held it against her neck, just below her ear.
What the fuck was in it?
Inside the ambulance, someone groaned.
“Let them help John,” Maya said, licking her dry lips. “I’ll go with you. We can run, but let them help John.”
“Like fuck,” Talon roared.
Phillip flinched.
“Cool it,” Griz clipped low, grabbing Talon’s arm.
Talon shook off his hold. “You’re holdin’ my daughter hostage.” Some cops cursed around us. “She belongs to the Hawks MC. You do anythin’—”
“Shut up,” Phillip screamed.
Maya cringed, but she kept herself together. Kept still, like she was calm, but I saw the frantic look in her eyes. “ Please , Phil, just let them help John.”
Fuck me, of course she’d worry about someone else and not herself.
Movement off to the right side caught Phillip’s attention just as I spotted cops trying to sneak that way. He dragged Maya this way and that. “Stop or I’ll do it. I’ll kill her. I will.”
Everyone froze.
“Back up,” Phillip yelled. “I want the street cleared behind us and a car full of petrol.”
“Phillip, we can’t—”
“You want her to die?” he snarled, shaking Maya by her arm.
Maya bit her bottom lip, new tears welling.
It fucking broke my damn heart to see.
I unclenched my jaw. “We gotta do somethin’.”
Anything to get him away from her.
“All right, Phillip. Calm down, and we’ll get things sorted,” the cop who knew him said, his hands out, pressing down on the air. He turned and muttered a few words, and another cop took off at a run.
“Dad, tell Mum I love her,” Maya called.
My throat thickened and pressure slammed down on my chest.
Phillip glanced around and around, watching, waiting.
I caught Talon swallowing thickly. Emotions clogged his voice when he tightly replied, “Maya, darlin’, tell her when you see her.”
She smiled softly, sadly. “Okay. I love you too, Dad.”
His bottom lip trembled, and I had to bite down on my own when her gaze flickered to me and back to her father.
Phillip laughed humourlessly behind her. “You’re not going to do what I want.” He nodded to himself.
“Phillip, we are. It just takes time.”
Phillip snorted.
I didn’t like the look in his eyes.
I didn’t like the way he’d suddenly stopped shaking.
Like he’d accepted something.
“Maya,” I uttered.
In seconds, everything went to hell.
Talon bellowed Maya’s name and started running. We followed just as Phillip pushed the needle in and injected our Maya, my Maya, with something. Phillip let go of her, smiling as she dropped to her hands and knees. Maya’s wide, fearful gaze lifted to us as she gasped. Her hand lifted to grip at her chest before she rolled to her side.
“No” was roared.
It was either Talon or me or all of us.
Shots were fired, and a running Phillip fell, but all I could do was stare at Maya, her hand stretching out to us before she’d slumped to the ground and her eyes closed.