[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
slim wrist.
Braving a look around the table behind me wouldn t be the best move. I can feel the
energy getting electric as the group takes in what just flew out of her mouth. A few
shocked gasps, deep mumbles of outrage, and one high-pitched laugh that I know belongs
to Sway.
I close my eyes and drop my head when I hear Cohen speak.
Daddy! Roosters can t drive!
Looking up, I narrow my eyes at Pammy before pulling her away from the table with
her wrist still in my hand. She practically has to run to keep up with me in those damn
shoes she has on, but I m so pissed that I don t even care if she trips and falls.
Chapter 7 Chelcie
Roosters can t drive, little dude. She was talking about a movie that Uncle Asher
took her to, Greg utters as calmly as he can to a very curious Cohen.
The rest of the table is in a mix of anger and hilarity over the scene we just witnessed
between Asher and one of his many whores. And I say whores because that s exactly what
they are. No woman I ve ever had the displeasure of watching him hook up with has ever
looked like she has an ounce of self-respect. They re always so& fake. Huge breasts, big
butts, and tiny waists. One thing he doesn t ever discriminate against is their hair color,
so hey, at least he keeps an open mind. Disgusting.
There was a time when I felt like he could be the one. A time when he wasn t drunk
and sleeping with every easy lay that spread her legs for him. It didn t happen often, but
those rare moments when I would catch him sober were some of the greatest.
Someone needs to talk to him. This is getting out of control, Ax. I m shocked that he
even remembered what day it is to show up tonight, Izzy says to her husband.
Clearly he ran out of liquor, Dee speaks from across the table.
Beck shakes his head and reaches over her shoulder to pull her closer to his body.
How do you forget the name of someone that you sleep with? Sway questions.
Hell if I know. I remember all of the ladies I ve had the pleasure of, Greg chimes in
after making sure Cohen is distracted with Nate, Axel and Izzy s two-year-old son.
Pig, Melissa, his wife, smiles at him.
I allow myself a second to feel the wave of jealousy wash over my body before quickly
putting it back where it belongs locked in a box deep inside me.
When was the last time anyone even saw him without the stench of alcohol oozing
out of his skin? Davey asks.
He, like me, is pretty new to the group. He started as the front office assistant to the
guys at Corps Security when Emmy left. Out of everyone who had a hard time after
Coop s death, Emmy might have taken it the hardest. Coop took the bullet that had been
meant for her, and I can t even begin to put myself in her shoes. I hate that she left
abruptly, but I understand why she did.
He s been drinking nothing stronger than Coke for the last three days, Maddox
says, speaking over the group and gaining every single one of our eyes. But he isn t
looking at anyone else except me.
His expressionless face is just boring into mine, his eyes clearly trying to
communicate some kind of hidden message for me alone. I frown at him, not picking up
on his underlying meaning.
You don t say? Beck responds dryly.
Completely drink free? I don t know who said it; I m too busy meeting Maddox s
eyes without breaking, trying desperately to understand what he s telling me.
Completely. His eyes never waver from mine when he confirms.
That s good, man. I ve been worried about him, Axel, I think, says to Maddox.
There s more continued conversation about the state of Asher and his grief over
Coop s death. Out of instinct, when I hear them bring up Coop s name, my hand goes
straight to my stomach. I realize my mistake a second too late when Maddox breaks
contact and his eyes travel down to where my hand is splayed across my slightly rounded
stomach.
Maddox isn t a stupid man. He s probably one of the most intuitive people I ve ever
met. His eyes stay on my stomach even after I move my hand away as if I ve burned
myself. He just takes it all in. The only tell he gives me is when he looks back up and lets
his guard down long enough to show the shock within the black depths of his normally
blank eyes.
Shit.
You, he speaks through clenched teeth and points at me. Come with me. He
doesn t even look to see if I m moving to follow him before he roughly pushes from the
table and walks away.
What the hell? Izzy questions.
I spare Dee a quick slightly panicked look before making my way to where Maddox is
waiting for me.
He pulls me around the wall that separates the room and the bathrooms, allowing us
a bit of privacy for what I know is going to be a hard conversation.
What s going on, Mad? I hedge.
Don t play games with me, Chelcie. I know you don t trust me, and I don t blame
you. You don t know me. Just let me get this out and then we can get back to dinner.
Anything you need, anything you want, or anything you feel needs to be done, you let me
know. I m not going to pretend to be a chick and understand what you re feeling, but
you re not alone. Yeah?
For the first time since I met Maddox, every single trace of the hard man I ve come to
know is gone. Standing in front of me is a version of him that I m not sure how to deal
with. His face holds so much compassion and pain that I don t know if he s upset that I
have kept this secret to myself or what. He almost looks vulnerable.
Yeah, Maddox& Uh, thanks, I whisper.
Does he know?
No, I can hear the shame painting that one heavy word. I m not proud of myself for
keeping this from Asher, and knowing that another person knows my secret and he still
doesn t drives home that pain.
Are you okay?
This side of Maddox, this caring, emotional side, is such a shock that I don t speak at
first. I ve never, not once, seen this side. It s no secret to anyone, even me though I m new
to this group, that Maddox holds his cards close and his pain even closer. There s always
been a cloud over him. Like his own personal hell just simmers too close to the surface
for him to be anything but closed off. And knowing that he can see right through me is
slightly terrifying and reassuring at the same time.
I m not alone. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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slim wrist.
Braving a look around the table behind me wouldn t be the best move. I can feel the
energy getting electric as the group takes in what just flew out of her mouth. A few
shocked gasps, deep mumbles of outrage, and one high-pitched laugh that I know belongs
to Sway.
I close my eyes and drop my head when I hear Cohen speak.
Daddy! Roosters can t drive!
Looking up, I narrow my eyes at Pammy before pulling her away from the table with
her wrist still in my hand. She practically has to run to keep up with me in those damn
shoes she has on, but I m so pissed that I don t even care if she trips and falls.
Chapter 7 Chelcie
Roosters can t drive, little dude. She was talking about a movie that Uncle Asher
took her to, Greg utters as calmly as he can to a very curious Cohen.
The rest of the table is in a mix of anger and hilarity over the scene we just witnessed
between Asher and one of his many whores. And I say whores because that s exactly what
they are. No woman I ve ever had the displeasure of watching him hook up with has ever
looked like she has an ounce of self-respect. They re always so& fake. Huge breasts, big
butts, and tiny waists. One thing he doesn t ever discriminate against is their hair color,
so hey, at least he keeps an open mind. Disgusting.
There was a time when I felt like he could be the one. A time when he wasn t drunk
and sleeping with every easy lay that spread her legs for him. It didn t happen often, but
those rare moments when I would catch him sober were some of the greatest.
Someone needs to talk to him. This is getting out of control, Ax. I m shocked that he
even remembered what day it is to show up tonight, Izzy says to her husband.
Clearly he ran out of liquor, Dee speaks from across the table.
Beck shakes his head and reaches over her shoulder to pull her closer to his body.
How do you forget the name of someone that you sleep with? Sway questions.
Hell if I know. I remember all of the ladies I ve had the pleasure of, Greg chimes in
after making sure Cohen is distracted with Nate, Axel and Izzy s two-year-old son.
Pig, Melissa, his wife, smiles at him.
I allow myself a second to feel the wave of jealousy wash over my body before quickly
putting it back where it belongs locked in a box deep inside me.
When was the last time anyone even saw him without the stench of alcohol oozing
out of his skin? Davey asks.
He, like me, is pretty new to the group. He started as the front office assistant to the
guys at Corps Security when Emmy left. Out of everyone who had a hard time after
Coop s death, Emmy might have taken it the hardest. Coop took the bullet that had been
meant for her, and I can t even begin to put myself in her shoes. I hate that she left
abruptly, but I understand why she did.
He s been drinking nothing stronger than Coke for the last three days, Maddox
says, speaking over the group and gaining every single one of our eyes. But he isn t
looking at anyone else except me.
His expressionless face is just boring into mine, his eyes clearly trying to
communicate some kind of hidden message for me alone. I frown at him, not picking up
on his underlying meaning.
You don t say? Beck responds dryly.
Completely drink free? I don t know who said it; I m too busy meeting Maddox s
eyes without breaking, trying desperately to understand what he s telling me.
Completely. His eyes never waver from mine when he confirms.
That s good, man. I ve been worried about him, Axel, I think, says to Maddox.
There s more continued conversation about the state of Asher and his grief over
Coop s death. Out of instinct, when I hear them bring up Coop s name, my hand goes
straight to my stomach. I realize my mistake a second too late when Maddox breaks
contact and his eyes travel down to where my hand is splayed across my slightly rounded
stomach.
Maddox isn t a stupid man. He s probably one of the most intuitive people I ve ever
met. His eyes stay on my stomach even after I move my hand away as if I ve burned
myself. He just takes it all in. The only tell he gives me is when he looks back up and lets
his guard down long enough to show the shock within the black depths of his normally
blank eyes.
Shit.
You, he speaks through clenched teeth and points at me. Come with me. He
doesn t even look to see if I m moving to follow him before he roughly pushes from the
table and walks away.
What the hell? Izzy questions.
I spare Dee a quick slightly panicked look before making my way to where Maddox is
waiting for me.
He pulls me around the wall that separates the room and the bathrooms, allowing us
a bit of privacy for what I know is going to be a hard conversation.
What s going on, Mad? I hedge.
Don t play games with me, Chelcie. I know you don t trust me, and I don t blame
you. You don t know me. Just let me get this out and then we can get back to dinner.
Anything you need, anything you want, or anything you feel needs to be done, you let me
know. I m not going to pretend to be a chick and understand what you re feeling, but
you re not alone. Yeah?
For the first time since I met Maddox, every single trace of the hard man I ve come to
know is gone. Standing in front of me is a version of him that I m not sure how to deal
with. His face holds so much compassion and pain that I don t know if he s upset that I
have kept this secret to myself or what. He almost looks vulnerable.
Yeah, Maddox& Uh, thanks, I whisper.
Does he know?
No, I can hear the shame painting that one heavy word. I m not proud of myself for
keeping this from Asher, and knowing that another person knows my secret and he still
doesn t drives home that pain.
Are you okay?
This side of Maddox, this caring, emotional side, is such a shock that I don t speak at
first. I ve never, not once, seen this side. It s no secret to anyone, even me though I m new
to this group, that Maddox holds his cards close and his pain even closer. There s always
been a cloud over him. Like his own personal hell just simmers too close to the surface
for him to be anything but closed off. And knowing that he can see right through me is
slightly terrifying and reassuring at the same time.
I m not alone. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]