Chapter 34 #2
Maddox returned a few moments later with our drinks.
He set them down and returned to the kitchen.
The three of us sat at the table for a long while just talking and reminiscing about mine and my cousin’s childhood; the vacations we took, and the year that we were in England.
Maddox had those memories fresh in my mind, and some of them were really great.
We talked about going to Orlando, Florida, and Universal when we were around twelve.
In the back of my mind all I could think about was how while we were on vacation my grandfather was here or at the compound with Maddox.
He was in danger and Maddox made sure he was safe.
I excused myself to grab the pitcher of tea from the fridge.
In the kitchen Maddox was rubbing down corn with butter and spices to throw it on the grill. He turned as I entered the room.
“Hey baby, it sounds like you’re all having a good time in there. I can hear the laughing from here. I put the beans in the oven and cleaned and prepped the asparagus for the grill.” I walked up next to him and kissed his cheek. He turned and I kissed his lips.
“Thank you for protecting my grandfather. For keeping him safe and letting me keep my childhood. I love you.” He smiled big.
I retrieved the tea from the fridge and returned to the dining room where my mother and cousin were laughing about something.
We sat down to eat dinner around six. There was so much food, and everything tasted so good.
My mom asked Maddox about his work, and he told her he was the head of security for a global corporation.
She was impressed by his answer, and to be honest so was I.
I had never thought of his position that way but in all actuality, he was downplaying it.
She asked him about his family, and this is where I thought it might get tricky.
“I was born in Hawaii and was adopted early in my life and lived in New York. The woman that adopted me was a disturbed and abusive person. I left as soon as I was able, and I do my best to maintain as little contact as possible.”
“That is tragic,” my mother said.
Her eyes were glistening with tears, and I felt guilty for lying to her.
Where was the lie though? He never said anything that was untrue; if anything, the truth was even more tragic than the story he told.
Many of the details had to be left out. Those parts would have only made the story more heartbreaking.
“Joslyn, you’re crying too,” my mom noticed as she wiped her own eyes.
I hadn’t even realized and now Maddox was looking at me. He smiled and put his arms around my shoulders and pulled me in, kissing my forehead.
“Hey, I’m happy. Don’t be sad. You make me happier than anything ever has.”
“Awww, you guys are so adorable. I miss Alexander.” Charlotte sobbed into her hands.
Everyone looked in her direction. “Alexander? Charlotte, what’s going on with you, sweetheart?” My mom asked as she reached out and took my cousin’s hand in hers.
“She and her boyfriend got into a fight and broke up. It’s temporary Mom, I promise you that. There is a plan in the works to get them back together.”
“You don’t know that Jos. He put me on a plane and sent me home. Like I was a child—I’m pretty sure he is done.”
“Were you acting like a child?” Maddox said bluntly. “Grown men will tend to treat you like a child if you are acting like one.”
My mom’s head was snapping back and forth between my boyfriend and my cousin.
“I was worried that he was using me. Then I just talked myself into believing that he was.”
“That’s childish. Did he have to spend time with you?
Did he have to do things with you? You were serving a dual purpose, then one purpose, but you were confused.
You thought you were only serving one purpose, and the other was what?
Happening in your damn head? No, he liked you too, dumbass.
Try apologizing for that.” Maddox was losing his patience, and I couldn’t blame him.
“You think apologizing is going to work? I thought we were going to wait until the gala?” She was doubting everything, and just wanted someone to tell her what to do to fix things.
“Charlotte, sometimes the small things mean the most. Call him, admit you were wrong, and ask him to take you back. Guys are not that hard to figure out. We do not need a grand gesture to forgive you. Humility and letting us know that we matter too is enough.”
My mother and I sat in silence while the two of them conversed across the table.
“Honey, I think he may be right. Men aren’t nearly as difficult as you are trying to give them credit for. I don’t know the situation, but I feel like he may not appreciate the dramatics,” my mom chimed in trying to take some pressure off Maddox and me.
She knew exactly how Charlotte was. Nothing was ever as hard as she made it out to be. She just hated having to lick the spoon after stirring the pot.
“I am going to go call him,” Charlotte said, jumping up from the table and running from the room. I looked at Maddox with mild amusement.
“That vacation is going to be an extended one,” he said as he bit into an ear of corn. I blushed and my mom started to giggle slightly.
“Charlotte tends to be a bit much. She has been that way her whole life. However, she also loves hard and defends the people she loves with everything she has. She is very passionate to say the least.” My mom had the ability to find the good in anyone.
We continued with our meal, minus Charlotte. When we were finished, we cleared the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. My mom left around ten and I was spent and wanted to relax.
“I am going upstairs to check on Charlotte and get into a suit. I want to swim and relax in the hot tub.”
Maddox grabbed my ass as he leaned down and kissed me. “I’m going to change. I will meet you outside.”
Something about this man putting his hands on me like he was claiming what was his always had me wanting more.
I grabbed his beard and pulled his lips to mine again.
I tugged on his lower lip with my teeth.
A low growl rumbled through him, and I sealed my lips against his.
He squeezed my ass, and I smiled against his mouth.
“Go check on your cousin before I don’t give you the option.”
His voice was low, and the grit in his tone had me glued to this spot. I didn’t want to check on Charlotte. I had no desire for him to remove his hand from my ass.
Alas, I had a cousin to check on. I pushed against his chest and turned to walk up the stairs. When I reached her door, I knocked and waited for her to respond. The door opened and she was standing there with her phone in-hand.
“Are you okay? Did you talk to Alexander?” I asked her.
“Hi Joslyn.” I heard Alexander’s voice over the phone’s speaker.
“Hello Alexander,” I responded.
“I apologized for being stupid and not seeing that he wasn’t using me,” Charlotte said.
“So did he accept your apology?” I asked.
“I did. Can you tell Maddox thank you for yelling at my girlfriend.”
“I will tell him. You are still planning on showing up to the compound on Monday morning, correct?” I asked him seriously.
“I am. You are doing me a huge favor, and you don’t even know me. I appreciate everything you have done.”
“Next time maybe don’t kidnap my cousin to get my attention.”
“It won’t happen again,” he said in response.
“Okay well I will let you two talk. We are going to get in the hot tub.”
“I will talk to you in the morning before you leave, Jos. Tell Maddox thank you,” Charlotte said with a smile.
I turned away from her door and went to my room to change. I put on a black bikini and slid on a pair of sandals. I snagged two towels from the bathroom and headed downstairs. I reached the back patio and saw Maddox sitting with his feet in the water. Two drinks sat beside him.
I set the towels on the edge of the hot tub and sat next to him, sliding my feet into the pool.
“Charlotte and Alexander both said to tell you, ‘thank you.’ They are back together, and Charlotte is flying to the compound Thursday so she can be at the gala. I hope that this works out in Alexander’s favor. Not because he is dating my cousin, but because I believe he is innocent.”
Maddox looked over at me. “I believe him too. I don’t trust Scott, but Ray did.
When Xavier died Scott went through a couple different partners before he got assigned Gabe.
He is young and they have worked together since his first day.
It’s been about five years, and the last few years Gabe has been dating Scott’s daughter—stepdaughter. ”
“Does his daughter know what he does for a living?” I asked, wondering how she felt about the current situation.
“No, she doesn’t know. She believes that they both work for a pipeline company—which explains why they are away so often. Scott is human and so is Gabe, so it’s easy to keep the secret.”
“I wouldn’t want to be with someone that was keeping that kind of secret from me. I know what it feels like to have the father figure in your life do that, but both would seriously fuck me up. I feel bad for her. What about her mom?”
“She died when the girl was young. She had cancer. Scott is the only parent she has, but she is grown.”
“Did her dad die too? You said Scott is her stepfather.”
“I don’t think anyone knows what happened to her father. Her mom never shared that information, I guess. I didn’t talk to Scott much, but I was around when he talked to Ray, so I heard things.” Maddox was probably privy to a lot of information.
“I feel bad for her. I bet she can’t truly trust anyone in her life, and she doesn’t even know it. What happens if we agree that Scott is guilty?”
“If it goes the way you intend? The five of us decide—together. Normally he would have to serve a sentence. Depending on the circumstances his punishment could be death.”