Kicking and Screaming (16 page)

He had no idea how she’d found him he’d been so careful that even the cops had no idea who he was. He’d been right under their nose a time or two, but they’d never suspected. Why would they? He was an upstanding member of society after all.

Then just as he was about to give up he’d seen the little ad in the paper. It was as if she’d been talking directly to him.

She’d used the words from one of my missives to Maxie, a little poem that he later found out she’d stolen.

Then Maxie had disappeared again, but this time he knew a lot more thanks to Sophia Ambrose, so there was no way he would ever lose her scent again.

He only needed a way to get close to her. He knew that as soon as she saw him she would feel the same for him as he did her.

Getting close to her sister had been a stroke of genius; the stupid girl actually believed he’d been interested in her.

He’d been careful not to show his real interest in Maxie, not to let on that he even knew who she was.

This one had obvious issues, so he’d played to her vanity, building her up.

He’d thought it would take a while to get this close, but once again Sophia had come through.

He couldn’t put it off much longer now though. No doubt that ruffian had designs on her body and was probably even now making his way to her bed.

“Roger you’re hurting me.” His thoughts had angered him to the point that he had wrapped his hand around her neck and was squeezing.

“Pardon me love, you know how I burn with passion for you.” The idiot believed it. He barely restrained himself from following through.

Not yet, after he had his Maxie safely tucked away he’d come back to deal with her. A man couldn’t have two wives now could he? And divorce was such a messy business.

JACKSON

Things were finally back on track around here thank fuck. It has been a week since the night of the dinner.

Her father and brother were finally here to join the festivities leading up to the wedding.

I told her dad what I’d done with the tests and he assured me that he didn’t need any tests to prove that she was his, because he always knew it in his heart.

Not to mention the fact that she apparently resembled his great grandmother, even down to the piano playing.

When I asked him why he never shared that with his wife, his answer was that that was her penance.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, since Maxie paid the price, but I guess I couldn’t fault his reasoning.

He never expected a mother to actively despise her own flesh and blood.

There was kind of a standoff between Maxie and her sisters these days, I think everyone had been warned to be on their best behavior for the upcoming wedding, but I had the feeling things weren’t quite settled there.

She had a lot of backed up issues, and at night when I finally got her in bed, I tried to get each and every gripe out of her.

On the other side of things, I was still trying to find a thread that led to her stalker.

So far, my team had found a pattern that the cops had missed where her stalker was concerned, the last time he’d been on the scene.

It seemed he always mailed his little love notes from whatever city she was touring next.

It wasn’t easy tracking the whereabouts of everyone associated with her music career, and cross checking dates and all that mess.

But the cops had done most of the legwork already, now it was just up to my team to piece everything together, but we were pretty sure that this person was closer than we thought.

As I had first believed, spending time with my mom was doing wonders for her. It was almost heart wrenching to see the way she sucked up all the attention from my family, and the way they took her into their hearts, like she was already part of us, which she was.

Her mother and sisters hadn’t been any trouble, in fact Miranda hasn’t been here that much of late. Apparently she’d met someone and was all hush-hush about it. I didn’t care, as long as Maxie was left alone.

Sophia had been sent to a facility in Nashville, close enough for her brother to visit and yet far enough from home to suit me.

I know it had been a hard thing to ask the young man to do, but it was either that, or I break her fucking neck. I think he got that message the last time he called to beg for mercy.

Right now peace reigned supreme and I was hoping it stayed that way. It had been days since I had to put out any fires, which my girl loved to start, mostly with me these days, since I’d threatened everyone else to leave her the fuck alone.

“You ready?” She looked over her shoulder at me while leaning into the mirror to fix her hair.

“I was ready the last two times you asked, but you keep getting me dirty.”

She’s right; she was wearing a garter belt with silk stockings and a matching black bra. The first time she walked into the bathroom while I was shaving, I’d bent her over the vanity table.

The second time was after she cleaned up after that. She’d got smart and locked herself in the bathroom this last time until she had her dress on.

Not that that was much better. The silver silk clung to her body in all the right places, speaking of which...

“Does that thing have a cover?” she looked down at herself, the plunging neckline with half her back on display.

“No, this is all there is to it.”

“You can use my jacket.”

“I don’t think it matches.”

“I suggest you find something else to wear.”

There was barely anything to the damn thing. “Don’t be an idiot we’re not even leaving the house.”

“Yes, but there will be other people here tonight. Since when do you dress like that anyway?”

“I don’t, Janet picked it out, I figured it’s her night so I’ll humor her.”

“You figured wrong, change it.”

“Jackson, you’re being foolish. You can’t even really see anything.”

“I can see enough, plus the fact of what you’re wearing under it, no fucking way.”

She wasn’t happy but when she got it through her head that I wasn’t about to budge, she stomped over to the closet.

“Meet me downstairs, when you’re through changing.”

“I should just wear jeans and a burlap sack, would that satisfy you?”

“Cute, see you in a few.” I kissed her before heading down the stairs. She sure was a prickly little thing.

Some of the guests had already started to arrive; their headlights could be seen coming down the drive.

I said hello to a couple of people I knew and was introduced to some I didn’t.

Mike and Janet were beaming and mom was in her element. It looked like it was going to be a good night.

***

MAXIE

He gets worst everyday, the list of things I can’t say or do gets longer as time goes by.

In the scant week and a half that I’ve been here, I’ve met a whole new person to the man that came to my home.

Far from being the skinflint I’d once thought, he was extremely generous, especially when it came to me.

We still fight like cats and dogs and I guess we always will because he’s a pigheaded jackass, but now we end almost all of our skirmishes in bed, or wherever Jackson finds a door with a lock.

I stepped back and took a look at myself in the mirror, this ought to be good enough for him, I didn’t fancy being dragged back upstairs to change, and knowing him, that’s exactly what he’d do.

“Finally.” The strange voice coming from so close almost had me jumping out of my skin.

I turned to see a strange man entering my room, just as I was putting the finishing touches on my face and hair.

I’d decided to wear it the way he likes it, unbound and flowing down my back.

“What’re you doing in here?” At first I thought it might be a guess that had gotten lost on his way to the bathroom, but as he came into the light, I recognized him, or there seemed to be something familiar about him.

I didn’t like the look on his face, or the way I was starting to feel. Warning bells were going off in my head, and I tasted fear in my throat.

I wanted to back up in the worst way, that sickening fear was growing in my tummy, but I couldn’t show any fear.

I studied him as he advanced slowly towards me. “Aren’t you Sophia’s friend?” It looked like him, although the hair was different.

I wracked my brain to try to figure out what this could be about. He still hadn’t answered, just stood there, staring at me, with this weird light in his eyes.

When he reached out to touch me, I batted his hand away and took a step back.

“It’s taken longer than I would’ve liked, but I knew this day would come.” What the hell was he talking about?

“What are you talking about, you’d better get out of here before Jackson catches you.”

Speaking of which, where the hell was he? He’s been my shadow for the past few days, never letting me out of his sight for more than longer than it took for him to take care of business in his home office.

He’d even taken to making me come in there to sit with him for part of the day, never letting me be alone with my family for fear that I might go upside somebody’s head.

“Did Sophia send you here?” What was this guy’s problem? He was really starting to creep me out. I was trying to think of an escape, or a way to get him the hell away from me.

“There is a house full of people downstairs right now, within shouting distance, you’d better leave now.”

When he just grinned and reached behind and locked the door, I knew this was the real thing.

I stepped out of the stupid shoes that were like stilts, as I positioned myself to take flight.

“Sophia has nothing to do with us.” There was blood on his hands as he reached out for me again.

I opened my mouth to scream but his hand clamped down around my mouth. I tasted the copper of fresh blood and my gorge rose.

“Why did you run from me all these years? Do you know you almost destroyed me? That’s okay now though, I’ve fixed it so that we’d never be apart again.”

I bit into his hand even though it made me sick. The slap across my face was almost blinding and worked to knock the wind out of me.

Of course I started fighting back, but I was no match for him. He was a wiry looking guy, but he had a lot of strength in those arms of his.

“You let that ruffian paw you, you’ll have to pay for that and so will he.”

“What did you do to Jackson, whose blood is that on your hands?” My face was throbbing like a son of a bitch, but I figured if I keep him talking I could buy some time.

He was obviously mad, but I had no idea who he was and what he was doing here. The only thing I could think of was revenge for what had happened to Sophia.

My head was spinning and I was trying desperately to come up with anything that would get me out of this fix.

The balcony doors were right there; just a few steps and he would have me outside. Think Maxie, think.

Where the fuck is she? How long does it take to change? I knew for a fact that she had more than enough things to choose from, since I’d had mom take care of everything she was going to need for the upcoming dinners and parties planned for the next few weeks.

I was about to go after her when the censor on my watch vibrated. Why the hell was she going outside? I hope she wasn’t planning another late night ambush of some unsuspecting soul.

I decided to meet her out there just to be on the safe side.  A look around the room showed that Miranda was missing. Fuck.

I slipped out of the side door and stayed to the shadows. It seems I was just in time. At first I thought she’d seen me when I heard my name, and was about to move into the light, but her words stopped me cold.

“Jackson is going to figure this out you know. You won’t get too far, why don’t you just go back where you came from and we’ll forget all about this.”

Who the fuck was she talking to? It couldn’t be Sophia because I had eyes on her for at least the next six months. It wasn’t Miranda, there’s no way she’d let that idiot get the drop in her; so who could it be?

There had been a slight tremor in her voice; she was scared. I wasn’t sure what the fuck was coming around the corner, but I knew I had to be prepared.

I thought fast and positioned myself as close to the wall that they were about to pass.

I couldn’t make him out in the dark, but I saw enough to know she was in trouble.

“You bastard, I knew it. Every time you asked about her in the last few days, I knew there was something going on.”

“Miranda, go get help.”

“As for you, you always had to have everything didn’t you? It wasn’t enough that you were dad’s favorite you had to have the whole world praising your stupid music, now you want to steal my husband.”

Is she really that fucking stupid?

“I killed you, why aren’t you dead?”

“Why Roger? Why did you do it? Why did you string me along all this time if you were only after her?”

“You wouldn’t understand; now get over here, I guess you’ll have to come with us.”

They were having some kind of standoff, which wasn’t helping me any. I needed to get close enough to break his fucking neck without giving him a chance to hurt Maxie.

My heart was about to fly out of my chest. I had no doubt that I would take her out of his hands, but every second she was in fear tore at me.

I couldn’t think about what she must be feeling right now, or I’d blow it. I didn’t have time to go back for my gun, so it was just me and my fucking wits.

Miranda was all but screeching at this point, and I knew it was only a matter of time before someone inside heard the ruckus.

She was hurt from what little I could see. There was a bloodstain in her side that showed up under the moonlight in the white gown she wore, probably a stab wound, which meant this fucker was armed.

The voices got closer and I hugged the wall until they came into view. He had his hand around Maxie’s neck threateningly while holding the knife against her cheek.

Her idiot sister, who was going to wish she were dead by the time I was done with her, dragged herself along beside them, questioning his love for her.

I waited until they were a little bit past me before making my move.

The bone in his arm popped loudly in the night air, and the knife clattered to the ground.

He howled like the little bitch that he is, before I turned him around and planted my fist in his face.

I felt a weight on my back as Miranda jumped on me trying to pull me off.

I shook her off and plowed my hand into his face over and over until we were both covered in blood.

Now both women were trying to get me off of him, but my blood was up. I’d heard enough to piece this shit together and knew who he was.

Since I’d met him for the first time with Sophia, I could only surmise that she was the one who’d found him the second time around.

Now wasn’t the time to dwell on the particulars though, I was still trying to decide whether or not I was going to kill him.

I was giving serious thought to ending him right here and now, but first I had to get rid of her.

“Get in the house Maxie and take that idiot with you.” Miranda was holding her bleeding side but still trying to protect her husband.

“Don’t you hurt him, he hasn’t done anything that she hasn’t asked for. Always have to be the center of attention.”

“Shut the fuck up; you’re in enough shit as it is. Maxie, go.”

“No, I’m not leaving you out here alone with him. Let him go.”

“Maxie I said get in the fucking house so I can deal with this ass.”

“No, I’m not leaving you out here with him. Let’s go call the cops.” She tugged on my arm and that’s when I noticed her condition.

There was blood on her mouth and fingerprints on her neck. If she was trying to save his ass she should’ve stayed in the shadows.

I wrapped my hands around his neck, probably much the same way he had done to her. “How did you get in here you fuck?”

“We were meant to be together. I will always know where she is- always.” The light in his eyes said he wasn’t all there. Was it right to end someone who probably didn’t know what he was doing?

Fuck yes it was. The snap this time wasn’t as loud and it took a little longer. In the end I couldn’t kill him in front of her, but I figured a severed spine would slow his ass down plenty.

“Come baby.” She ran to me after I dropped him and his wife ran over to him, yelling and screaming about me being a bully.

“You’re okay now, did he hurt you? Let me see.” She wouldn’t let me let her go long enough to check.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and called inside to Jonas who came running with Conrad in tow.

Pretty soon, all the men were out there, and I was a little surprised that I wasn’t the only one with murder on my mind.

Jonas, after I told them that he was her stalker, had to be held back; and when they figured out Miranda’s part in all this, I was pretty sure she was the one that was going to be sent to that aunt they’d been plotting to ship my girl off to.

I left them to deal with him one way or the other and took her inside to clean her up.

On closer inspection the blood on her mouth wasn’t hers, so I just needed to doctor her throat.

I don’t know if it’s because out adrenaline was high, or if we both needed to erase the memory of the night from our minds, but we were both tearing at each other’s clothes by the time I’d finished rubbing the ointment into her skin.

I had her pinned beneath me on the bed, my cock buried to the hilt inside her, before I could breathe right again.

Only then, once I felt her silk heat wrapped around me, sucking at me the way she does, was I able to calm myself.

“You scared me baby, fuck I’ve never been so scared in my life.” I smoothed the hair at her temples with my fingertips while reading her eyes for any sign that she needed more than my brand of TLC.

“I’m sorry.” She petted me and wrapped her arms around me, trying to be cute. That more than anything reassured me that she was no worst for wear.

I kissed the marks on her neck and all over her face, as I moved inside her and she took me in.

At a time like this, when she needed soft and tender, I needed to reaffirm, to remove the feel of his hands on her, to erase the last hour or so from her mind.

“If I do you rough will it scare you?” She shook her head and pulled my mouth back down to hers.

I’m not sure just what the fuck was going on with me, I’m usually very careful with her. She’s so tiny compared to me, so soft and womanly, for all her bravado, that I’m always conscious of the differences in our size.

Tonight, there was something else riding me, something that wouldn’t be satisfied until I fed it. “Hang on.”

I pulled out and turned her to her hands and knees. There was no finesse, I wasn’t feeling gentle; instead I felt like taking her, branding her. It was more than a feeling; it was a need so strong it threatened to overpower me.

I slammed back into her until all of me was inside her. Her scream was cut off in the pillow as I pushed her head down and lifted her ass just that much higher.

With my hand wrapped tightly in her hair and the other pressing into the small of her back, I rode her until her pussy locked down around me and her juices flowed.

To remove his mark from her neck, I covered her with my own. When she begged me to go deeper, I knew she was with me, that he hadn’t damaged her mentally.

After I’d made her cum on my cock twice, I lifted her up and over, sitting her on my tongue so I could soothe the soreness I was sure she would feel after the pounding I’d just given her.

She rode my tongue like a wild woman, before I sat her on my cock and fucked up into her until she sucked my essence from me, draining my balls.

Turning her onto her back, we stayed locked together like that, while I whispered to her; doing everything I could, to lessen the impact of this night.

“You sure you’re okay, you’re not just saying that?”

“I kinda knew you’d rescue me, though I should’ve been able to rescue myself. The guy isn’t much bigger than me, but he was strong. Plus he’s bat-shit crazy.”

I grinned down at her, she was telling me the truth after all; he hadn’t really hurt her where it counted most.

“We’ll give you lessons and I’m definitely teaching you how to shoot.”

“I don’t think I like guns.”

“Too bad, who knows what the fuck your idiot family will do next, no, it’s better safe than sorry.

I don’t envision us being apart too often in our lifetime, but on the rare occasion that it does happen, I will feel much better knowing that you can handle the situation.”

“I thought you didn’t want me fighting with my family?”

“Baby, after what I saw tonight, they’re lucky I’m not putting a hit out on them. I lift the ban, anyone of them fuck with you, knock their fucking lights out and I’ll take care of cleanup.

It’s pretty safe to say that you’re never going back there, not even for a one day visit.”

“Don’t be nuts, dad still lives there and Jonas.”

“They can bring their asses here. You are not going back there and that’s final.”

At least the argument that ensued helped take her mind off of being held at knifepoint by a fucking nutter.