36
I paced my lounge while shoving brownies into my mouth, barely chewing as I inhaled the chocolatey bites of heaven. Stress eating, I was stress eating. Because my little Vixen had gone to speak with her ex-lover-slash-boss, and I had no idea what he might do to her. If she made it back here, what state would she be in?
My phone buzzed on the kitchen counter, and I rushed over to it to read the message. Hoping and praying it would be from her.
Mallory
I need coffee.
Was that good or bad? She was alive, clearly, so I guessed that was a good thing, and she wasn’t asking to start drinking at ten in the morning, so that was another good sign. But I knew there was no way it had gone smoothly. I wasn’t an idiot.
I replied telling her I’d have one waiting for her and switched on my coffee machine. A few minutes later the intercom buzzed. I jabbed the button to grant her access and waited by my open door. She made her way up the stairs and a grin lit up her face as she noticed me.
“I’m so screwed,” she sighed, and fell into my arms. “But I think that I might have the upper hand.”
I held her tight and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m just glad that you’re back. I made coffee, you wanna fill me in?” I asked and she nodded and nuzzled into my chest. I chuckled and walked backwards into my apartment with her still clinging to me. I kicked my door closed and walked us to the lounge. When the backs of her legs hit the edge of the sofa, she released me and flopped down. I went to grab our drinks and joined her, handing her a pink mug with a fairy princess on it.
“Cute.” She smiled as she inspected the mug, then groaned happily as she took her first sip.
“So?” I prompted, desperate to hear what had happened. Last night had been crazy. The last thing I’d expected to happen when I fell asleep on my sofa after stuffing my face with pizza was for her to appear at my door, looking like a fucking goddess, about to break into a million tiny pieces. I also hadn’t expected to end up kissing her, to let go of every part of me that had been keeping her at arm’s length. I’d pushed her away to keep her safe, but he had already hurt her, so why should I keep denying us both what we wanted? And honestly, if I had to, I knew I could protect her.
After the kiss, we had ended up in my bedroom, I’d helped her out of her dress and had wrapped her up in one of my softest plaid shirts. I hadn’t been prepared for how incredible it would look on her, and I swear in that moment I fell harder than I ever thought I could. Her hair had been a mess, her face was red and puffy, blood was crusted below her lip, and I felt like the luckiest man in the world. Because she had let down every damn wall for me, and I was allowed to see her in her most vulnerable state. I vowed to myself right there and then that I would never let anyone make her cry like that again.
“He loves me,” she began, and I scowled at her. “Don’t look at me like that,” she laughed and poked me with the toe of her shoe. “It’s given me the upper hand. He said he loves me enough to not kill me. So that’s something. He won’t willingly let me go, but he can’t stop me. Not really.”
“He’s a psychopath, he could chain you up in his basement.” I half joked, but I wouldn’t put it past him after the way she had told me he had behaved last night.
“I just have to avoid him,” she said. “That’s the hard part though. He could probably find me anywhere I go, and he won’t let me leave The Brotherhood, so he’s still my boss.”
“Are you a blood-in gang?” I asked and she raised a brow at me.
“No, no we’re not like that, that’s more of a traditional thing, like the Wolves, they do that shit.” She grimaced.
“So what are the conditions? How do we get you out?” I gave her a thoughtful look. “If you want out that is?”
“I do, Toby. I really fucking do. I want a normal life. I want to run away from all of this. Will you run away with me?” she asked with a hopeful glint in her eyes.
“I’ll follow you anywhere, Vixen,” I promised. “Whatever it takes.”
A blush flushed her cheeks, and she blew out a long breath as she thought. “I can only leave The Brotherhood if I am dismissed. Lorenzo can do it any time that he wants, and my Brothers can request it if they feel like they have a good reason to kick me out. If enough of them want me gone he will have to listen. If he doesn’t, he loses all of their respect. He would never let that happen.”
“So we play that angle then? Make them feel like you’re a threat to them all?” I asked, ideas buzzing around in my head. “Make you look like a traitor?”
She nodded slowly and narrowed her eyes at me. “Exactly. Why do you look like you have an idea. Toby, please don’t tell me you want to be involved? I won’t put you in danger.”
I went and grabbed my phone from the counter. “I do have an idea, they won’t be happy about it, but I can guarantee it will help,” I said as I sat back down next to her and scrolled through my contacts. I found the number I needed and leaned in to place a kiss to her cheek. “Don’t ask me not to get involved though, Vixen. It’s too late for that.”
She sighed in frustration, and I placed my finger on her lips to stop her saying anything else, then pressed call and put my phone on loudspeaker.
“Tobias, well this is a nice surprise,” a booming voice echoed down the line, and I smiled.
“Hey Dad, I think you’ll be taking that back in a minute,” I said. Mal’s brows pinched together, her gaze dropped, and her lips parted against my finger.
“For fucks sake, Son, what have you done?” he groaned, and I watched Mal’s eyes narrow on my screen as she moved closer to my phone.
“I haven’t done anything, technically, but I need you. Did Mom tell you about the girl?” I asked and felt my face heat as Mal’s gaze shot up to meet mine. I shouldn’t have been embarrassed, but I also probably shouldn’t have admitted that I’d told my mom about her.
“Of course she did, but that was weeks ago, why have you been so tight-lipped about her, Son?”
I ignored his question. “She’s in trouble, I really need you to help.” I dropped my finger from Mal’s lips and grasped her hand as I prepared for them both to flip out.
“Go on,” he prompted. “If she means that much to you, I’ll do whatever I can.”
I locked eyes with Mal and took a deep breath. “It’s Mallory Fields,” I said quickly, and tears stung the backs of my eyes. “Dad, you have to help her.”
My grasp on her hand tightened and she stared at me in confusion as we waited for him to speak.
“He hurt her last night, didn’t he?” my dad finally said. “That’s why she left the gala.”
“You were at the gala?” Mal spoke up as she searched my face for answers.
“Mallory?” Dad said in a rough voice, “What did he do to you?”
“Who are you?” she asked, ignoring the concern he was showing towards her. The fact he was being so kind had me slightly shocked.
“Toby hasn’t told you?” he asked.
“No, You sound familiar, but I can’t… Who are you? And how can you help?” she asked, desperation lacing her words.
“I don’t know if I can help. It’s a huge ask when we’re supposed to be rivals.”
Her jaw dropped as the realisation hit her.
“Shay,” she said in a sharp, cold tone that made me flinch.
“Don’t be like that, kid,” Dad said with a slight laugh. “I might be the answer to your problems. I have a meeting in an hour. I’ll come over after, better that we aren’t seen in public together. I’m not making any promises, but we can talk.”
I agreed to wait at my apartment for him and ended the call.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me that Shay was your dad?” Mal asked, but she didn’t sound mad, not like she had a moment ago. Just curious.
“No one knows. Dad didn’t want me to grow up in his world, so he kept us separate. Gave me the choices in life that he never got,” I explained briefly.
“So he did it to protect you, and here I am, dragging you into all of the shit he wanted you to stay out of. I’ve just given him yet another reason to hate me,” she said sadly.
I pulled her closer and nudged her nose with mine. “He knew I could end up getting mixed up in this stuff somehow. Why do you think my combat skills are so good? He gave me the tools and prayed that I’d manage to avoid needing them,” I said, and gently pressed my lips to hers. “I’m not too bad a shot either,” I added, and she chuckled darkly.
“I’m going to need you to prove that sometime,” she said in a lust filled voice, and I couldn’t ignore what it did to me. I had been the perfect gentleman up until now, but I wasn’t sure that I could let her speak to me like that and keep the act up.
“Rumour has it, you know your way around a weapon.” I teased and she pushed me away with a hand on my chest as she fell into a fit of giggles. I had asked around in the right circles about her after she had told me her truth, and I had been shocked to find out how well known she was. Her reputation was something else.
I smiled at her as she laughed, enjoying the moment. I could lock up my horny ass for a while longer and just stay this way.
“I like who I am when I’m with you,” she said as her laughter subsided, and she ran her fingers through my hair. “I want to be this person every day.”
I couldn’t speak, she was so fucking cute. All I could do was wrap my arms around her and kiss her until I couldn’t breathe. I wanted her to be happy, and I was going to make sure that we could have a future. Whatever future she wanted. I didn’t care where, or how, I’d give it to her.
“Can I stay here?” she asked as we broke away from each other. “I don’t think I should be at my place anytime soon. Lorenzo is probably on the hunt for me right now.”
“Of course,” I said, and her shoulders sagged in relief. Like I’d have ever said no.
“Thank you. I have a bag in the car, I’ll just pop down and grab it,” she said, and I pulled her in for a quick kiss before she could escape my hold.
She hurried out of my apartment with a promise to be quick, and I got up to hunt for snacks. Dad would be a while, so I planned on killing some time with a movie. I found a bag of popcorn and emptied it into a bowl before answering the frantic knocking at my door.
“Calm down, little one. Keep your panties on,” I said as I flung open the door. But she wasn’t there. Instead I found myself face to face with the deadliest looking man I’d ever seen.