Chapter 21 #2
I was doing my best to make myself as small as possible, my head tucked under Maddox’s chin as I tried to fit my tall ass into his lap. “Just promise me you’ll be safe,” I say, sadness seeping into every word.
He kissed the top of my head as he said, “I’ll be as safe as I can.” We both knew he was walking into a lion’s den and the outcome was unknown, but I believed that he would try.
“What happens if you get sent back?” I asked, a hitch in my voice that I hoped went unnoticed.
I squeezed around his middle as he wrapped his arms tight around me. Thinking about how miserable I was the last time Maddox left, I shuddered. I couldn’t go through that again.
As if he was reading my thoughts, “Visit, write, I’ll call when I can. You’re mine. You got that?” Maddox said.
Hearing this, I shifted in his arms, turning to see Maddox’s face. I kissed him before replying, “I’ve always been yours.”
Pulling out of the kiss, I lay there watching as Maddox pulls his clothes back on. Trying not to cry as I meet his gaze, “Come back to me soon, Khayos. And in one piece, please?” I all but begged.
He paused, pulling me into him for one more long kiss, “It’ll be okay, you’ll see. It may take a minute, but I’m comin’ back for you, Kitten,” Maddox said. Then with a wink and a pat to my cheek, he was gone.
I grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to my nose.
I could still smell Maddox on it and wrapped myself in it, inhaling deeply as I settled back against the wall of the van.
I lit a cigarette and let the tears fall for a few minutes before I had to pull myself back together, before I left our place and went back into the house. Alone.
Maddox
The walk to my house always feels long, but tonight it feels longer for some reason.
I know that I’m doing this for all the right reasons, but it’s hard.
I pause, leaning up against the brick wall in the alley between abandoned buildings.
Watching street lights come on as I think about what I’m gonna do, I run my fingers through my hair and take a deep breath.
Exhaling, I pull out my phone and scroll through my photos, looking at pictures of Kai, of me and him together and I feel a wave of sadness rush through me. ‘I was so close,’ I think, feeling a stinging behind my eyes as I scream to the sky. It’s not fair.
‘Why does Mack have to be such an ass? I know I’m missin’ somethin’.
I know there’s somethin’ bigger goin’ on here, but fuck if anyone will give me any kinda fuckin’ clue.
I have to figure this out, it’s the only way to get free of him.
But, I have no lifeline to call. Can’t even buy a fuckin’ vowel, so I’m on my own,’ I think, pulling my cigarettes from my pocket.
Lighting a cigarette, I slide down the wall pulling my knees into my chest. It would be so easy to call Kai, but I just put him through hell telling him I was leaving. ‘Figures the only person I want to talk to is the one I can’t call,’ I think with a scoff.
I take a moment to compose myself, thinking about the bruises on Mel’s face, the fact that I can’t go out with Kai anytime soon and of the way Mack’s treated me over the years.
The fact I lost over a year with Kai and that my twin is always in danger around the fucker that helped create us has my anger is roaring back to life.
Standing up, I shake it off and crack my neck. Setting my shoulders, a feeling of determination settles over me as I continue my walk to the house. It’s as I open the front gate that Mack comes out the front door. I stop and eye him, standing there in his self-righteousness.
‘Now or never,’ I think, eyebrow cocked as I holler at him, “Heard you’re lookin’ for me?”
Mack comes down the front steps and I move to the far side of the yard trying to keep a little distance between us while he snarls, “You ain’t welcome here, faggot!”
I lick my teeth and look him dead on, “That’s okay, Daddy, I have someplace to stay. And you’ll never guess how he puts me to sleep every night,” I say while thinking, ‘Smart Dax, poke the fuckin’ coked up bear. That’s reeeal smart,’ and keeping an eye on Mack, watching every move he makes.
I hear a sound off to the side, turning my head towards it, I see Nik coming out on the front porch and I snarl at him, “Narc!”
Nick’s eyes narrow at me, and he steps forwards with a look of hatred on his face, “I warned your dumb ass,” he spits out, his eyes slipping over to Mack before he steps back.
‘Pussy stays on the porch because of a look. What a coward. Little carbon copy of the abusive fuck who “raised” us,’ I think, rolling my eyes as I watch the interaction.
I’m brought out of my thoughts by Mack yelling, “This is between me and you, Snowflake. Ever since you been back Zak’s been riding me harder and it’s your fault. I don’t know what you did, or who you talked to, but because of you I can’t shit without someone getting wind of it.”
I smirk, “Oh, Zak’s riding you harder, huh? I didn’t even know he was gay,” I say. I know that I’m just riling him up, but I’m done living in fear of this man.
He growls and cracks his neck, “Now, Maddy, think long and hard about this. Do you love cock so much that you would give up all of this?” he asks, sweeping his arm towards the house like he was showing off a tropical island getaway instead of the trash heap of everyone’s nightmares.
Chuckling, I knock a knuckle against my nose, a special glint in my eye as I answer, “Well, I definitely love one enough to walk away from everything.”
“Too bad, I know where he lives. Now you have nowhere to hide,” Mack tosses out, a sadistic look taking over his scrunched, wrinkled face.
‘Well fuck,’ I think, ‘he has me there.’ Nodding to myself, I make a decision, ‘This ends now.’ Running at him, determined to take him down, or die trying.
As I get close enough, my arms reach out to wrap around his middle.
I feel the air get stuck in my throat as he catches me by the throat, swiftly knocking the wind out of me as he tosses me backwards.
Hitting the ground with a thud, I gasp for air as he stands over me.
I want to flinch away but I need him to get that this isn’t something he can beat out of me.
I keep my eyes on him, waiting for the blows to start reigning down when I hear Nik yell out a warning.
Someone is coming through the gate, I turn my head to look and am met by his fist instead. There’s a stinging pain behind my eyes, a radiating sort of burn and I taste blood in the back of my throat as I feel myself being lifted up and carried.
My fear starts to ramp up as I hear a door slam shut and feel a sharp pain as my shoulder connects with the hard floor.
I try to open my eyes and look around, but there are black spots dancing across my vision.
I hear a commotion by the door as I’m jerked up off the floor, I feel weightless for a moment before I land, feeling the coffee table break under my weight.
I scramble backwards as Mack comes at me again. I swing, feeling my fist connect a few times, hearing him grunt when they land. I swing blindly again, and freeze when I feel my arm caught in his grasp. My jaw clenches as he slams my arm over his knee followed by a loud cracking sound.
Needing to get away, and unable to use my arm, I kick out, feeling my foot connect with his stomach. He releases me with a gasp, but before I can move away, before I catch my breath, I feel his heavy weight drop on top of me as hands wrap around my throat.
Using my good hand, I claw at the hand pressing into my windpipe as I stare at the face of my biggest tormentor. My vision starts to blur around the edges and as everything goes black my last thought is, ‘Someone please tell Kai I love him. That I fought for us.’
Zakhary
Arriving at the Mikhailov house, I survey the damage as I make my way through the back door and into the living room.
“How the fuck did it get this far?” I ask, eyebrow raised, and a scowl on my face.
Maddox is lying on the floor surrounded by broken furniture, his arm is laying at an awkward angle, his eyes swollen shut, his nose crooked and blood crusted around his mouth.
Rolling my eyes at Mack thrashing in Tomas and Grigory’s hold, I walk over and punch him in the face, spitting at him as his knees give out.
They adjust their grip on him and haul him back to standing as I pull my phone out.
I flip through my contacts, my finger poised over the call button ready to press it when a girl comes through the door, ‘Fuck me. Why everyone keep complicating everything?’ I think.
Pushing her way into the room, she drops to his side and cradles his head in her lap. I step forward, getting her attention, “Call 911, go with him.”
“But, Kai…” She starts to say before I cut her off.
“I will take care of Kai. You make call and go. I need to think,” I say, turning away. In between sobs, she nods and does as she’s told.
Tuning out the upset girl, I turn my attention back to my men as I hear Mack, “Girl, you need to stay away from…” I shake my head, walk over and press my elbow to Mack’s throat to silence him, getting in his face, staring him in the eye, “SHUT THE FUCK UP,” I snarl.
Looking around the room, “The next to speak without being asked, or who is not on the phone as instructed, I cut out your tongue,” I whisper in a growly voice to the trio.
The girl gulps as she looks at me with questioning eyes. I shake my head subtly and she quickly drops her eyes and goes back to tending to Dax as I once again try to make my call.
“Vanya,” I snap out as the call connects. Pacing the room, I know everyone standing around is listening, frozen in place at my threat. I ignore them all as I bark at the person on the other side of the call
“I know what fucking time it is. Of course it is important. Get Vanya, now! I am not playing game with you. You think I do not know? He is my father, jackass!” I snap into the phone.
The questions from the voice on the other end are grating.
“Get him now. I do not care what you will be interrupting, if he finds out I ask you three times, you will not be using yours for long time.” Smirking evilly as the person on the other side stutters through a response, “Thank you. Glad you finally understand, tupitsa. Blyad!”
As I wait for the moron to get my father, the ambulance arrives.
I speak with the EMT briefly and flash a fake badge, calling myself undercover so they make a quick exit.
Mel gives me a look of curiosity as I approach her.
I gently tip her chin up to look at me, “It is okay. I will take care of this. You have someone you can call? Somewhere to go?”
With tears and shaky breaths she nods, “Good, call them as soon as you get to hospital. Tell them come get you, okay?” I tell her gently.
She gives me a half smile as I hear Otets gruff voice, “Go honey, they will be leaving soon and I have to take this.”
I hear, “Leaving? What the fuck? Who the fuck? Zak this better be important!” coming through, sounding tinny through the speaker as I nudge the girl to the door. I pinch the bridge of my nose as I explain, “Mack beat the kid tonight.”
I pull the phone away from my ear, looking unimpressed at the device as a growl of “The scared one? The one we put Anton on in Juvie? It better not be that one,” comes through, loud enough for the entire room to hear.
I exhale and reply, “Da, that one.”
“You alone with them?” he asks.
“Da,” I answer as I watch the ambulance pull away.
“Put. Me. On. Speaker.” He orders, emphasizing each word. Doing as I am told, I walk closer to Mack, a sadistic glint in my eyes as I stop in front of him. He glares at me, hatred in his heated gaze.
“Is it done?” I hear Otets ask when he is bored of the silence.
“Da,” is all I can say.
“Mack, this is last warning. Any more from you and I bring you into my house, permanently, to be my plaything.” Pausing to let that settle over Mack, he continues, “He is to be taken to dock and used as heavy bag for hand to hand combat training while wearing restraints. You wanna beat on children, fine. Now you be punching bag. Step one toe out of line, I drag you in here.”
Smirking, I watch the color drain from his face. All he can say is, “Yes Sir,” through gritted teeth.
I look between Tomas and Grigory, “You heard him, get him out of here.”
Phone still on speaker, I hear, “How bad?” as I watch them dragging Mack to the Jeep.
Sighing heavily, I fill him in, “He left in ambulance with sister. She look like she had a similar experience recently, too. Nik helped him with Dax, but he is on the run. I sent others out looking for him.”
“Blyad…he is to be kept away from them. They both have a detail and Dax is to move in with his Kitten. Does she have someplace?”
“Yes, she does,” I answer quickly.
“Okay, get Kitten to Dax and keep me updated. Call a meeting. Mack is coming in one way or another. I need time to meet with the warden and figure this out, but he is done. I am done with him.”
“Da, let me get Kai to hospital. Meeting will be soon. Sorry to interrupt, I know is only a few times a year,” I say as I try to wrap up the call and get him back to Andrei.
“Nit, I am to get an extra day with him. Not your fault,” is the last thing he says as the call disconnects.
Pocketing my phone, I leave the house, climb into my Jeep and head for Kai’s. It’s late and no one needs this tonight, but I have my orders and I was not in the mood to deal with the fallout of not following them.