Page 64 of Brandishing Betrayals
Luke’s whole face lit up as he smiled. “Yes! Awesome! Can we go that place on the river and watch the boats go by?”
“Skully’s? Sure can!” I grinned and high-fived my son.
Maya
Luke and I had a wonderful evening, eating ice cream for dinner and watching the barges and speed boats on the Nevermore River. Skully’s Ice Cream and Grill was an historical establishment right where the Nevermore River met the Illinois River, about thirty minutes south of Creekton. The restaurant overlooked the locks, where the water levels were changed so boat could travel from the higher Nevermore River to the lower Illinois River.
The hiking in the area was fantastic as well, and it had been my favorite place to go for day trips since I was old enough to remember. Luke loving the area just made it all the more special.
Now that Luke was in bed, I felt like I could finally relax. Yesterday had fucked me up mentally and emotionally. Not only had I had to deal with being sexually assaulted in my own home by Dax fucking Hillcrest, I had to lie to Jason and Marcos about it. On top of that, I went to bed knowing my son wasn’t in the house, despite almost being dropped off.
My emotions were fucked up and I was exhausted. It was all beginning to pile up on me. It was fucking draining and I just wished I could come clean. But after what Hillcrest put me through yesterday, I knew my guys were lost to me, if I’d ever had a shot with them after all this time.
There was too much hurt there. Too many lies.
I heard a motorcycle coming down the road and looked up. It was dark outside and I couldn’t see, so I grabbed a sweater and walked out the front door, hoping whoever it was knew to park at the end of the driveway as to not wake my parents with the Harley engine.
I had just slipped outside when the bike parked at the end of the driveway and the engine cut off. I wrapped the sweater around me, despite the seventy-degree weather, it was a little cool without the sun out. Walking down the driveway, I wondered which one of them had come for a late-night visit.
I half expected it to be Nico, coming to question me. I was sure the other two had filled him in on what happened after he left yesterday. It was a little surprising actually, that he hadn’t been by yet. Maybe he was waiting until football practice tomorrow evening, where he could corner me without Luke hearing?
I reached the bottom of the driveway as the rider took off his helmet, but didn’t dismount the bike. Marcos set his helmet on the handle bar, before he leaned back and crossed his beefy arms over his chest. He watched me as I moved toward him, not saying a word.
I wasn’t ready for this; I was still too raw. My walls weren’t built back up yet. I wanted more time before I faced Marcos again. I waited for Marcos to speak first.
“I talked to Nico,” he said softly.
I swallowed thickly.
“He told me how you reacted when he confronted you about Hillcrest.” That was the last thing I expected him to start with. I was sure he was going to ask about us sleeping together.
I crossed my own arms over my chest. I needed to push him away, not have him worm his way under my skin again. Not have him ride in and try to save me. “Nico heard what he needed to.” I shrugged.
Marcos glared at me in the dark. I could feel the weight of his scrutiny despite the dim light. “So you could fuck him? That right?”
Again, I shrugged. “Thought I’d hit that for nostalgia sake.”
Marcos let out a sardonic laugh and shook his head. “Jason said you were full of shit.”
Hurt rankled me, but I tried not to show it, grateful for the cover of darkness. “Of course he did.”
“You’re fucking Hillcrest too? Nico gonna have to go get tested because you’re whoring around?”
“Not like he’s a saint either, all the whores the three of you fuck at the clubhouse.”
Marcos chuckled softly. “I thought he was on to something,” Marcos admitted, shaking his head. He ran a hand over his buzzed hair and sighed. “He was so damn adamant that you were being threatened by Hillcrest, that everything you’ve done for the last ten years—leaving us—was justified, was fucking worth it.” Again, he laughed. “Guess the jokes on him, huh? On us again?”
I needed to drive the point home so they’d stop fucking questioning me about this. “Sure is. I left because I didn’t want you anymore. I found out I was pregnant and didn’t want to raise him around you or the club, so I fucking left. I only came back because of my parents’ accident.”
Marcos hand shot out and wrapped around the front of my sweater. He yanked me roughly against his chest, so I could see his face clearly. “Maya, I swear to fucking god, if you’re lying and it turns out Nico’s right—Mi Vida.” He choked out the word as emotion clogged his voice. “Tell me please. Is Hillcrest threatening you?”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my emotions in check. I wasn’t strong enough for this. “Marc—”
He cradled my face with both hands and kissed me, claiming my mouth and owning me as he kissed me passionately.
My hands gripped his forearms, holding on as he held my face. I kissed him back, holding his arms tight and moaning softly. Abruptly, I pulled away from him breathless, as I put space between us. “Don’t.”
“I know you still fucking feel that,” Marcos growled, stepping toward me. “Don’t fucking lie to me.”
