Page 29 of Dangerous Allure

“It's Jacob, Beast. Lose them.” I say, and he looks at me with a grin.

“Put your seatbelt on and sit back,” he orders, flicking the radio on and turning the volume up. My heart beats out of my chest as the light turns green and he peels off down the road. He whoops as he switches gears, sending us down the road, taking the curves with precision.

The bright light that was once there is now dimming behind us as Mav increases speed, weaving in and out of traffic. Just as the next light turns red, he makes a right and bright red and blue lights flash behind us.Fuck. I can’t stand Daggerspoint Sheriffs. Most of them are either crooked or pedophiles. There’s onlyvery few who are decent.Mav turns to me and winks, shifting gears and stepping on the gas.

“Maverick! Do you want to go to jail tonight?” I scream and he laughs.

“Just trust me Beauty, I got this,” he says, shifting again, taking the corner a little too sharp as our ass swings outwide. I scream because I don’t want to die driving off the damn cliff. But the little psycho next to me just keeps on laughing as the flashing lights keep on us. Finally, Mav decides to pull over and shut off the car, rolling the window down and tossing the keys on the roof. The officer exits his vehicle and walks over to Mav’s window.

“Maverick Cyprus. Did you have fun back there?” The officer says and I roll my eyes, knowing exactly who it is.

“You know I did, Dale. How’s the wife and kids doing? I heard Ronnie is pregnant again.” Mav says as Dale taps his fingers against the hood of the car.

“Everyone is great and yes, she’s due in a few months.” He says, leaning down into the car to look at me.

“Hey Presley. I heard about your mom. My deepest condolences to you and Stan.” He says, and I nod.

“Thank you Dale. I appreciate it.” I reply as he hands Mav back his keys.

“Stay out of trouble, Maverick and tell Harley poker is still at my house next week.” He says, tapping Mav’s shoulder.

“Will do. See you around,” Mav responds, sticking the key into the ignition, bringing her back to life. Waiting for Dale to get back into his car and take off, I punch Mav in his shoulder.

“Did you fucking know Dale was on duty tonight?” I say as he rubs where I just hit him.

“Ouch, Beauty and yes, yes I did.” He laughs, putting the car in gear, pulling away from the curb. It doesn’t take us long to arrive at the house. Pulling into the driveway, I notice Braxton sittingon the step with his head in his hand and the other wrapped around his rib.What the fuck?

“Why does Brax look hurt?” I ask as I swing the door open and hurriedly walk over to him. He looks up at me and I gasp, taking in his features. His eyes are swollen and bruising quickly as blood leaks from his brow and lip. Bending down, I cup his face, tilting it a bit to get a better look, and he winces as I apply pressure to his cheek with my thumb.

“What the fuck happened, Brax?” Mav says, concern laced in his tone.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” he responds and I roll my eyes, knowing that's a bunch of bullshit. Looking up at Mav, I frown.

“You have a first aid kit in your bathroom?” I ask and he nods, climbing the rest of the stairs and into the house. Now that we are alone, maybe he will tell me the truth.

“Who did this to you?” I ask, gripping his face to look at me. His eyes slam to mine and all I see is sadness, which isn’t his usual look.

“Braxton, fucking tell me. You can trust me.” I say, and he rips his face from my grip.

“Trust you? Did you tell your little boyfriend what we did? Because from where I’m sitting, I got jumped because of you,” he accuses and I gasp, taking a step back.

“Jacob did this to you?” I ask as his eyes narrow.

“Yeah and his band of followers. Don’t act like you didn’t set this all up. What game are you playing?” he says, rising from the stairs, growling at the pain. I take a step towards him, climbing each step like a cat on a mission. Getting into his space, I press my finger to his chest, pushing him against the front door.

“How fucking dare you accuse me of fucking setting this up! You may be fucking new here, but I’ve been friends with Maverick for years. I’d never get any of you hurt, you fuckingidiot. I’m not the one playing games. You all know I have a fucking boyfriend and you,” I say, poking him harder, making him wince at my roughness.

“You fucking seen how he treats me. Not my fault you took it upon yourself to play my knight in shining armor. Everything we do, especially me, has consequences, just like tonight. Every fucking move I make, I will suffer for it later. So don’t ever fucking say again that I’m playing games with you, or that I set this up, because the next time you do, I will kick your fucking ass.” I threaten as Mav swings the front door open abruptly, causing Brax to stumble back a bit. He looks between us, holding the first aid kit.

“Everything okay out here?” he asks and before his brother can answer, I chime in.

“Everything is fine, Mav. Braxton was just going to go sit in the bathroom and let me clean his face.” I say and he nods as Braxton grunts, turning towards the hallway to where the bathroom is. Mav hands me the kit and places a kiss on my cheek.

“I’ll be in my room. Come find me when you’re done,” he says, stepping around me and up the stairs. Once he’s out of sight, I head into the bathroom and find Braxton sitting on the toilet with his head in his hands. Walking over to him, I place the kit on the sink and open it up.

“I’m sorry Lil’ Mama. Getting jumped has me all fucked up. I know deep in my heart you didn’t set me up, but the shit he said made me think otherwise.” He admits and I sigh, pulling his head up to look at me.

“Again, I’d never fucking hurt you like that. I’m not that person.” I whisper as I pour peroxide on a few cotton balls and press it against his brow. He hisses and I laugh.

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