Chapter 34
We arrived at the house in Michigan pretty late after we stopped and bought groceries.
We put the food away and I pulled my phone out to send Charlotte a text to let her know that I was at the house.
I wanted to know where she was. I got a response right away.
She was on her way from the airport to the house.
“She will be here soon. I think I should just leave her alone until tomorrow. Let her get some rest. I can talk to her before my mom gets here. I don’t want my mom present for that conversation.”
“Oh; you mean you don’t want to tell her that I have to drink blood to survive?” I scowled at him, and he started laughing. “I’m not stupid, Joslyn. We wouldn’t talk about work in front of your mother.”
“What if she remembers you being around when I was little? She is going to know something is up.” The thought just popped into my head, and I began to panic. “You have a lot of tattoos, and she would remember those. You haven’t aged.”
“Hey,” he said putting his hands on my shoulders.
“I don’t remember ever seeing your mom. I was here a lot, but not all the time.
When I was here it was usually because I needed to be, which meant that it was possibly a dangerous situation.
He didn’t want you guys around if something like that was going on.
He sent you on trips. There was a whole year that you and your mother spent in England.
I was here then—protecting Ray—that was my job. ”
I felt more at ease with his explanation. He wouldn’t risk me having to explain things to my mother unnecessarily. Judging by how I found out, I really didn’t think that my mother had any clue—I was okay with that.
“If you’re sure, then I am okay,” I said, trying to calm my nerves.
I heard the front door open and then close. Charlotte appeared in the doorway to the kitchen looking totally defeated. I quickly walked over to her and wrapped her in my arms.
“Char, what the hell are you doing?” She began to sob as I felt her arms pull me in.
“I really liked him.”
I held her at arm’s length and then guided her toward the couch. We sat down together, and I turned to face her.
“Char, if you liked him so much why were you accusing him of continuing to use you?”
“I never thought someone that great would actually like me. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.”
“You didn’t think that this great guy, that kidnapped you, ended up liking you? You know that sounds like an oxymoron. Telling me that your kidnapper is a great guy who also happens to be a vampire.”
“Joslyn, stop it. I really liked him. It was like we just clicked, and he made me feel like a lovestruck teenager. I wanted to jump his bones all the time. When he was gone, I was miserable.”
“You know, if you just let the relationship happen and quit bringing me up, then you would still be with him.”
.
“How do you figure? He was just using me—I told you that. He was going to send me home when he didn’t need me anymore.”
“Maddox, will you please tell her?” I asked the vampire as he entered the room carrying a bottle of whiskey and three glasses of ice.
He set the items down on the coffee table and poured the brown liquid into the glasses.
He handed one to me and then to Charlotte.
He picked up the last glass and took all of the liquid into his mouth.
He swallowed hard and then poured again.
He replaced the cap and took a seat between us on the couch.
I edged over to make room for his large body.
His scent, mixed with the whiskey. I needed to focus—stop letting my thoughts derail.
“Charlotte, I know you think that Alexander was using you. I get that; in the beginning he was. I need you to understand that if he was only using you then the time to actually turn you over was the dinner in Louisiana. Joslyn wanted him to turn you over then.” He was keeping his tone even.
Explaining it to her as if she were a child.
“He didn’t because you didn’t want to go back.
You wanted to stay with him. He had no way of knowing how Joslyn would feel about that.
The smart thing would have been for him to bring you with him—by force if necessary.
He didn’t do that; which means he put his life on the line just to please you and let you do what you wanted to do. ”
“Wait, what?” Charlotte asked, totally confused.
“Alexander only wanted a meeting with Joslyn to plead his case. He needed her to trust him, and he stole you to get her to listen. She agreed to listen, and he didn’t give you back.
If she had been so inclined, your boyfriend would have never made it back home that night.
She allowed him to live. He put his life on the line—for you. Maybe quit being so self-centered.”
Charlotte just sat there in shock. Maddox turned to me. “That is the best I can do. I have trouble telling people they are being stupid. Especially if I barely know them. They don’t tend to take it well.”
“Well, it’s something that I think she needed to hear. It wasn’t really bad news.”
“Oh my God, I’m so stupid. I needed someone to point that out to me; I’m such an asshole. Thank you, Maddox.”
She threw her arms around his massive shoulders and squeezed in an attempt to hug him. He turned his head in my direction.
“You owe me big,” he whispered to me looking about as inconvenienced as possible.
“Yeah, you’re welcome,” he said to Charlotte as she finally released him. Standing up, he walked to the other side of the room and sat on the opposite couch.
Charlotte turned to me. “I don’t know what to do. I want him back. I want him to know that I realized I was being dumb.”
“How about you come back to the compound with us, and you speak to him there?” I asked not even thinking about Maddox’s stipulations. I slapped my hand over my mouth and looked over at him.
“I’m sorry Char. I wasn’t thinking when I said that. If you do decide to come back with us, then you wouldn’t be able to speak with him until Thursday evening and that is only if he is found innocent.”
“Yeah, he told me about your idea. He’s hoping that you are right, and this is all going to work out in his favor.”
“Yeah, me too,” I added, smiling at her. “Are you willing to do that or do you want to wait to fly out until Thursday?”
“I can wait until Thursday and that will give me some time to just decompress. Plus, I want to see my mom and spend some time with her.” I was relieved by her answer.
She would be extremely bored if she did go back with us on Sunday.
“I will have a dress waiting for you when you get there so don’t worry about that.”
“Thank you, Joslyn. I owe you so much. I need to go upstairs and get some sleep. I’m exhausted after everything that happened today.” Charlotte got up from the couch, and I rose and wrapped her in a hug.
“I love you Char.” I let her go and she forced a smile.
“I love you too. Thank you both.” She smiled at Maddox. “Goodnight, I will see you in the morning.” She disappeared around the corner.
I looked at Maddox and he sighed. “You owe me,” he said with a serious look on his face. I got up from the couch and finished my drink. I walked over and sat in his lap. I puckered my lips, and he kissed me.
“I’m sorry but she needed someone other than me to tell her she was being stupid.”
“I know. I will always help you if you ask me to. I just like being able to take it out in trade.” He kissed me again. “We should get to bed if we want to get up and get things ready for your mom.”
* * *
We woke up early and started prepping for dinner.
At the store, we had decided we were going to barbecue ribs and chicken.
Maddox was beginning to marinate the meat as I cut vegetables for the salads.
While the meat was marinating, Maddox started boiling pasta and peeling corn.
I moved from vegetables to fruit—cutting melon and pineapple.
My mom arrived just as we were putting the salads into the fridge.
“I brought apple and blueberry,” she said holding a pie in each hand. Maddox immediately approached her, taking the pies from her.
“Let me help you with those,” he said, taking them into the kitchen and setting them on the counter. He returned right away and held out his hand. “I’m Maddox, it’s so nice to meet you.”
“Carolyn, you can call me Carol,” she said, shaking his hand. “So, you are the man in my daughter’s life.”
“I am happy to claim that title,” he said with a smile.
“Well, if you have gotten to the point of meeting me you must be important. I have only met one other guy that she dated.”
“Then I am truly honored. I wasn’t aware of that,” he said with a surprised look on his face.
I could tell already that her statement was going to go straight to his head. I wouldn’t be shocked if he started to strut around.
“Please, Mom, you don’t need to feed his ego,” I said as I opened my arms wrapping her in a hug. She hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear.
“That is a very attractive man, my dear.”
She was happy for me. I could hear the hope in her voice. She wanted me to be steady and settled—she wanted grandchildren. She always asked if I was dating someone if I so much as mentioned a man’s name. I smiled at her when we separated.
“I missed you, Mom. I’m so glad you came.” We walked together into the kitchen just as Charlotte entered the room behind us.
“Hi, Aunt Carol.” My mom turned and warmly wrapped her in a hug.
“What would you ladies like to drink?” Maddox asked.
“Do you have iced tea?” My mother inquired.
“We do, and we also have lemonade, beer, wine, and the ability to make a daiquiri or margarita—if you so desire.”
“I will take iced tea for now. I might switch it up a little later,” she answered.
“Iced tea for me too please,” I added.
“Can I have lemonade please?” Charlotte asked.
“No problem. I’ll be right back.”