Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
I ignore Tammy and whatever words are falling out of her mouth, and walk with long, powerful strides to the back room. Pinch and Maddox are still there, relaxed around the computer and looking at some video online. When they see my face, both of them look back with concern and Maddox shoots up from his spot ready to take out whoever I need him to.
“She took off.”
The confidence leaves Maddox’s face. He’s never kept a girl, so he wouldn’t know what the hell to do. Neither have I.
“What’d you do to scare her off?”
I shake my head. I know I was pushing her limits, but I thought she could take it. I thought she fucking loved it. I feel like a piece of shit.
I’m pissed that she left. I’m pissed she didn’t tell me she wasn’t happy. I’m pissed that I pushed her too hard. To be honest, I’m just pissed the fuck off. “I just need her address.” I stare pointedly at Pinch. “Where’s that ID?”
“What’d you do to our kitten, Blake?” Maddox interjects.
“She’s not our kitten. She’s mine.” Maddox huffs at my words; his nostrils flare and his fists clench. I can see the wheels turning in his head as the silence settles in between us.
“Maybe if she was ours, she wouldn’t have left you,” he points out easily and I fucking lose it. The last thread holding me together snaps. I’ve been on edge all night and this just breaks something in me.
Adrenaline pumps through my body, burning up my skin. I hear the loud, pulsing thud of my blood in my ears. A snarl rips through me as I slam both of my fists into Maddox’s shoulders, landing hard and knocking into him with all my weight. He stumbles, smashing his shoulder and head against the brick wall. Before he gains his balance, I land a blow into his gut that nearly has him doubling over. But Maddox’s a huge fucker who’s taken enough punches to know how to handle them. He mutters under his breath, “Stupid fuck!” while ramming his shoulder into my gut. My legs lose their balance as my boot backs into the fucking rug, tripping me.
I fall hard on my ass and elbows with Maddox’s large frame crushing down on mine. I quickly wrap a leg around his calf and push my weight to the opposite shoulder, forcing him down on his back with me landing hard on his chest. My fist slams into the floor as I try to gain my balance and focus. It hurts like a bitch as I get up clenching my fists and the movement splits my knuckles. My left hand grabs the collar of his shirt as I raise my bloodied right fist. But before I’m able to gain my balance and take a swing at him, he plants a punch on my left cheek. Fuck! I stagger back, both fists immediately going to my face to block any more punches. I land on my ass, but move to my feet the second I see Maddox breathing heavy and struggling to get up.
“What the fuck are you two going at it for?” Linc’s words barely register as my fist connects with Maddox’s hard jaw. My knuckles scream at the contact and pain shoots up my arm before running back down to my aching fist. Fuck, that hurt. Maddox’s got a hand cradling that side of his face and he’s rubbing his jaw. At least it fucking hurt him too.
“Maddox wants to fuck my girl. He doesn’t fucking understand that she’s mine.”
“Fuck you. You may have seen her first, but that doesn’t make her yours.”
“Shut the fuck up. Both of you. You two want to tear each other apart, fine by me. Fight it out in the ring tomorrow.” A moment passes of silence. All I can hear is the blood still roaring in my ears and our heavy breathing. I glare at Maddox before facing Linc.
The second I see him, all I can think about is how he brought me on, even knowing I was undercover. How he patched me, knowing I was a cop. He has no idea I know. It feels like everything is crumbling around me. Fuck. My girl left me, the only girl I ever fucking wanted. My best friend wants to sleep with her. And the only people I ever considered family have known for years that I’ve been lying to them. Something hard drops in the pit of my stomach as my heart lurches in my chest.
I open my mouth, but the words don’t come out. I slam my mouth shut and clench my fists, wanting to beat the shit out of Maddox all over again. Anything to get rid of this pain pushing down on me. I don’t know how to tell Linc. How the hell do I tell him? My blood runs cold and all I can hear is a pounding in my ears.