Page 32 of Every Sunset
“Yeah, I guess,” I nodded. “I just…this is crazy, you know? I’ve been here two weeks. Is that what you want…with me? Both of you? Is that why…”
“Jesus Anna, just breathe. We’re not asking you to join our sex cult or anything. We’re not asking for anything but the chance to get to know you, and for you to know us. We’re just being upfront with you because you asked,” Maddox told me, and I realized I was freaking out slightly. And maybe overreacting a little too. But seriously? Did they just say they wanted to be in some kind of ménage relationship with me?
“I shouldn’t have asked,” I uttered more to myself, but it came out loud enough for them both to hear, and Logan just chuckled.
“How about for now we just table those questions and answers?” Madd offered and I eagerly nodded. Anything to change the subject before my head exploded.
“Let’s talk about last night,” he went on, and I looked up to him with resignation.
“I’m so sorry,” I told them both with some shame. “I honestly don’t know what happened. I swear I’ve never done that before.”
“Like I told you last night, you have nothing to apologize for, so please don’t. We’re just worried about you. I know you don’t want to talk to us about the past, but maybe you should talk to someone.”
“There’s no need. I really am all good. It was just a rough day yesterday,” I lied. What else could I do? I was a long way from ‘all good’ and I knew it, but I wasn’t going to tell that to two men I barely knew. And even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.
“We already told you we won’t make you tell us anything, beautiful, but please don’t lie to us. We both saw you last night, so we know you’re far from ‘all good,’” Maddox sighed tiredly.
“You barely know me. You have no idea what I am and am not!” I snapped defensively. It was easier than breaking down and telling them how right they were.
“I know what happened to you last night though, Anna. I’ve been through what happened to you more than once after the attack,” Maddox admitted and I felt Logan’s whole body tense at my side.
“The attack?” Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed when I refused to give them anything of my past, but I needed to know. I needed to understand the pain I saw in Maddox’s face sometimes when he looked at me. I needed to understand his fear that seemed to mirror my own almost exactly.
Logan had told me, during the night I found Maddox drunk in the garden, that there had been an incident that ended Maddox’s career. I suspected this was that incident.
“Yeah. I lived in Los Angeles before this. I was S.W.A.T with the LAPD,” Maddox started, but it felt like it pained him to speak every word and I found myself seeking out his hand, which sat in his lap, and sliding my own into it, just needing him to know I was with him. “I’d always wanted to be a cop, which was ironic considering how we grew up,” he laughed and looked to Logan. I did too and Logan explained,
“Our parents were criminals. White collar criminals. Our dad ran a con basically that duped people out of money with promises of investments in these elaborate hotel developments. He was convincing, especially with our mom on his arm, selling the tale right along with him. They moved from town to town, mixing with high society and carefully getting wealthy clientsinvested in their schemes, all of which were nothing more than the paper they were printed on.
“It was easy for them, since they both came from wealthy families. This place belonged to our grandfather on our mom’s side. Our Dad’s family were pretty wealthy too.”
“But why? I mean, if they were wealthy…?”
“Our mom was cut off from her family when she chose to marry our dad. They met in college and fell in love, but our grandfather never approved of dear old dad, and he told mom she wouldn’t get a single cent if she chose to marry him. She did anyway and never spoke to her family again. Dad got a monthly allowance from the estate of his wealthy parents for life until they died, then he’d inherit everything, but our grandparents were pretty young. I think they’re still alive now to be honest,” Maddox went on, looking to Logan for confirmation.
“Were last I checked,” he agreed with a nod.
“Last you checked? You don’t see them?” I asked.
“No. We’ve never even met them. I guess they meant it when they told my mom they’d never wanted anything else to do with her,” Maddox shrugged.
“Anyway, mom and dad eventually got caught by a potential investor who looked into the hotel development plans a little deeper than usual. They were arrested when I was ten and Madd was eight. Our parents never stood a chance of fighting the charges when the cops uncovered countless people they’d stolen from across the country. They went to jail and we went into the system.”
“Your grandparents?” I questioned.
“Didn’t want anything to do with us,” Maddox cut in.
“At first we were put in a foster family together. It was a shock to the system for both of us, coming from the wealth we were used to, instead living in a place that barely fit anyone in and leaked when it rained. The foster parents weren’t abusive or anything, but they could care less about anything more than making sure we ate enough to survive,” Logan explained.
“When I hit my teens they decided I was too much trouble after I got into a fight at school. I was taken away from there and from Madd.” I could hear the pain in Logan’s voice as he spoke of being separated from his brother. I could hear it so clearly I felt the pain of it myself. Maybe that was why they were so close? Maybe why they did everything together, including relationships, apparently.
“How long were you separated for?” I asked reluctantly.
“Too long,” Logan almost growled. “I got bounced between group homes for a while, until I decided enough was enough. I split and managed to hitch hike to LA, far enough from my past for anyone to come looking for me to drag me back again. I managed to get some work unloading deliveries, and restocking bars. Paid under the counter shit. Thankfully, I was pretty big for my age so no one even realized how young I really was.”
“And how young were you?”
“Almost fifteen. Once I had enough money I jumped on a bus back to the foster home I left Madd in. He was still there, thank fuck. We ran that night, and I had the money to get us both back to L.A.”
