Page 33 of The Book of Wrath

“I think—” Rick goes to start talking again but Melissa steps in front of him.

“Darling, I know this is all too much for you. Talking about the past will dampen your future. Leave that no-good Paxley boy in your rearview and keep looking out the windshield. I’ll see you tomorrow,” She slides into the front seat. A clear dismissal of the conversation we are having. She’s right though. I can’t let the thought of Ryan doing shit in the past ruin what I can potentially have with Max in the future.

“Have a good night,” I call out, Melissa just smiles and nods. I got into the car, as Max shut the door. She’s just as over the Paxley talk, and the talk of my attack from Officer Kane as I am. She’s been in the know about my situation since it happened. That explains why yes she panicked and was worried about me; she knew that I was in good hands.

Max got into the driver seat after speaking with Rick outside the car. “So where to my love? You need to eat. Don’t let his mother claim any of your sanity. It’s not worth the self-imposed guilt.”

“McDonald’s,” I smile at him. He chuckles and takes off out of the parking lot, taking us home

Chapter 27

Max

Tonight was interesting, Megan and I got our McDonald’s before heading home for the evening. Or what I thought would be the whole evening. After dinner she curled up on the couch watching some random show on tv and fell asleep. I can only imagine what she is going through. Rebecca Paxley was a piece of work and Rick knew it. He plans on sending a car out to the uncles house in the morning to check the ankle monitor. It shouldn’t be easy to get off, but I know Megan had her doubts that it would stay on.

My phone begins to ring from the table by the couch. I quickly walk over and grab it; Roark’s name lights up the screen.

“Dude, it’s late,” I whisper into the phone, irritated that Megan is stirring on the couch thanks to the intrusion of Roark’s call.

“Yeah, I know but if you would’ve answer my five texts I wouldn’t have had to call,” he sounds annoyed and pissed off. Great.

“What happened now?” I groan, expecting someone to have pissed him off. One of the many ladies with benefits leave him high and dry, or maybe Tony and his insufferable ramblings about Ally and how perfect she is, despite her not catching feelings like he is.

“I’m at the warehouse. We have a problem,” Roark’s words make my blood run cold. We visit our guests every day in shifts, Tony’s shift was last night and everything was fine.

“What the fuck do you mean by that?” I snap. If Ryan got out or that piece of shit Roy got free, someone would pay.

“Roy and Ryan seem to be chatty today. Did you know they knew each other?” Irritation flares the more Roark speaks. “Ryan is friends with Roy’s son, Jeff. Ryan might know something about the trafficking ring.”

“I’ll be right there,” I hang up and move to the couch, sliding my hands beneath Megan and cradle her in my arms. “Baby girl, I have to go meet up with Roark to help him with some stuff. Let’s get you to bed,” She sleepily nods at me, cuddling into my chest.

Ugh, why the hell do I have to go?! She is so fucking cute right now. Her hair pulled up in the messy bun, the way her lips part as if they’re waiting for me to kiss them. It’s frustrating.

I walk her upstairs and straight to our room. I switched rooms around after the Sandra bullshit. I torched the bed like Roark recommended and I got all new sheets and blankets. I moved into the room across the hall when I decided Megan was staying here.

Ally and Tony have been staying at Megans so that way neither of them needed to worry about their former roommates. It seems like a good thing for them. I pull her closer to me letting her vanilla perfume wrap around my senses, breathing it in as I pulled back the comforter and wrap her up in bed. I kiss her on her forehead as she rolls into my pillows and takes a deep breath. I plug her phone in on her bedside and close the door.

I am slowly becoming okay with leaving Megan in the house alone. I grab my keys and wallet and set the alarm. I can deactivate it from my phone when I get home. I just want her to be safe. I lock and close the front door; my duffle bag of clothes is already in my car. Tonight is going to get messy.

I cut the engine as I pull up into a parking space outside of one of the many abandoned warehouses by the river. Roark’s car is here, but so is Tony’s. I guess this is an all-hands-on deck kind of night.

I’m itching for a fight, especially after what Ryan’s mom did to Megan earlier this evening. The Paxley’s will regret ever messing with her when I am done. I push open the door and walk into the building. There were a few windows that were missing some glass, the doors also a little messed up, we’ve had to use a chain and lock to keep them closed.

Inside was rather bare. Exposed beams, half the lights worked, but most didn’t. The place has concrete flooring and brick walls so not much sound gets out of here. Not that anyone lives close enough to hear anything. There are a few rooms in the building. Two old offices, what I assume was a conference room, and the main floor of the warehouse. I have no idea what this place was before we acquired it, but I like the isolation.

Footsteps echo off the walls as I walk to the back of the room. Two chairs were in the middle of what I assume was a production floor. Both occupied with the two males who have been a focus of my rage over the last few weeks. A month went by since we brought Ryan back here. I was hoping I could deal with him a little sooner, but Megan has been the sole focus of my attention when I’m not at work.

“I see you put them on display,” I say as I enter the back office where Tony is seating in an office chair, feet propped up on the desk like it’s his own person office.

“I didn’t, Roark did. I think that he might have roughed them up a bit to before Andy and I got here,” Tony looked past me at Andy sitting in the corner. Roark was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is our brooding knight?” I ask, leaning against the wall. Tony and Andy both shrug at the same time. The door swings open and in wafts the smell of cigarettes and cedar. Oh boy, tonight might end in a fucking blood bath.

“I needed to step out,” Roark says as he tosses his keys down on the desk in front of Tony. He looks at me and nods. I nod back knowing not much more needs to be said.

“What are we looking at? How do you know they know each other?” Andy asks from his chair. Glad he cut the tension that was brewing. Roark looks over at him, but Andy doesn’t waver.

“I had the idea of putting them in a room together to show them what I am capable of. I took off the bags from their heads, made them look at each other, and noticed the spark of realization on Ryans face. I walked away for a little bit, turning on the mics in the room. To say that Roy was bitching Ryan out for something would be an understatement. Max, you’re not going to like what they were saying,” Roark’s words were like chips of ice hitting the ground so hard they shattered. There’s only one thing I can think of.

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