Page 64 of Rox

“I am sorry I made you worry,” I mumble. I try to clear my throat and cough a few times before Mama Judy pushes her way through the throngs of women with a cool glass of water and a straw. I have never loved that woman more than I do right now. The frigged water is just what I needed.

“They should be back anytime. Well, most of them.” Bri tells me, taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

“I didn’t even know Mark past the times I tattooed him. I can’t believe he was obsessed with me. I just don’t understand any of this.” I tell them as I struggle to sit up in bed.

“Uhm, I am sorry?” Ashlynn starts.

“Who the fuck is Mark?” Mom finishes at the same time I hear Manda.

“Why the hell do you sound Canadian?”

It really is a shame that Mom and Ashlynn don’t hang around anymore. Those two are more alike than they think.

“And why are we just now hearing about his ass?” Auntie Bri adds her two cents.

“Mark,” I say his name slowly, looking at everyone’s confused faces. “The guy who’s been stalking me and trying to kill me?” I tell them, well more like ask them. There is no way they don’t know who the brothers have in their grasp right now.

“Baby, it was Duncan.” Mama Judy tells me.

I’m sure I look like a stupid goldfish with the way my mouth is opening and closing. I don’t have a single thought. I mean, yes, the man was a fucker, and I wanted to beat him more days than ignore him, but I could have never imagined that he was the one behind this.

“No, it should be Mark. I was talking to him in the alley behind the shop. I ended up getting upset with him and being a bit of a bitch, if I’m honest.”

“Dumbass,” Manda cuts me off, slapping my foot. “You thought he was trying to kill you, yet you stayed with him alone in the back alley of the shop? Then to top that off, you tell yourself that pissing him off is the way to go? Smart Roxanne, real smart.”

“Look, no one ever said I was smart.”

“I did, but I won’t be making that mistake again,” Mom stage whispers to the ladies.

“I get it. It was dumb, but that’s what I remember last. I remember speaking with Mark over…something. Then, when I went back into the shop, everything went black.” I finish.

I’m a little annoyed because I can’t remember what was going on, but more than anything, I feel worse for getting mad at them. They’re only telling me what they know, which is a helluva lot more than I know.

“There was a lot going on, and you know they’re not going to tell us anything,” Auntie Bri rolls her eyes, “but I did get a text that read like a six-year-old wrote it.”

They all laugh, and thankfully, I control my reaction and only smile. “What did it say?”

She pulls out her phone and reads what I imagine is word for word, “Knuckles did job. Finding her. Going. Be back. Safe stay. You I love. Love you I. Damnit. I love you. Be back soon. So yeah, there’s that.” She smiles as she puts her phone back in her pocket.

“Thankfully,” Ash chimes in, “Willie messaged me and said that Mimic saw the van from the night of the fire, and they were on their way to get you. They don’t have to say anything about Knuckles doing what he does. Whitley feels bad because he didn’t think anything of it when the van drove past the shop.”

“Whitley didn’t do anything wrong,” I begin to argue.

“He knows that sweetie. It’s just in their protective nature. They all feel bad even when they have zero control over the situation.” My mom’s words are the absolute truth. The men in our lives are fierce, and I think I may have been taking that for granted.

“Mimic brought you here, but he left to go handle everything. He’ll be back.” Auntie Bri tells me.

I smile, “I know he will. Um, can one of you tell me why I feel like I was run over by a semi? I remember getting knocked out. Then pain, but I don’t remember what caused the pain.”

“We don’t know what happened between Duncan knocking you out and the guys finding you. If I had to guess, Duncan took the coward’s revenge.” Ashlynn explains.

“Is she awake?” I hear Max at the doorway. Even sitting up, I can’t see him from the gaggle of females around me.

They part in time for me to see him rush to me. He gently wraps me in his arms. This, right here, is all I needed.

Emotions rush me, and tears well in my eyes. He came back to me. He didn’t run. He followed through with everything we talked about and promised each other. I can’t help the broken sob that barrels out of my chest.

The women around me made me feel better and loved, but being in Max’s arms made me feel whole. Like no matter what happened, I would be put back together by this man. No matter the cost. He pulls back and looks at me, assessing the damage done to my face. And I’m sure other parts of my body, going off the way I feel.

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