Page 38 of Ruthless Vengeance

“Theo had been pushing for me and Zak to join the family, learn more of the business. He’d asked me to be his second, but I turned him down initially. I still wasn’t sure it was what I wanted. Whatwewanted for you. Then Rogers started making threats against you, he was becoming a liability and not even Theo could get him under control. Something changed that day, something that pushed Rogers to go after your mum and Star. He basically told me that to protect you and your mum and Star I had to join the family and cut you loose.

“At first, I railed against him, told him that was ridiculous, but he showed me pictures of Star that Rogers had taken, at school, with you, with your mum, and he played recordings of conversations between Rogers and your mum and of you and him in the lift that night. He wanted to move you all out of London, but I asked him to give me one more day.”

It had been a great day too. We went into town, watched a movie, did some shopping then had dinner just the three of us. Zak had to run an errand for Theo, leaving Maddox and me smoking weed and laughing like hyenas on his bed. Then he kissed me, and it was the most amazing kiss ever and the most confusing too.

I unconsciously run my thumb over my bottom lip in remembrance, even though we’ve shared plenty since then. Maddox catches hold of my fingers, stopping me in my tracks and breaking the spell.

He grasps my finger, bringing it to his own lips and kissing the tip.

“You were saying goodbye. All of that was a goodbye.” I hold his gaze, but I feel the conflict inside me. They were leaving me no matter what. My eyes burn with unshed tears, but I hold them in. I pull my finger free and push the chair away from him, needing some space. “Go on, then what happened?” There’s a very obvious bite to my words now, and the shutter on my emotions has locked into place.

He rises to his feet, folding his arms over his chest, then he continues, “We didn’t know it then, but Rogers had discovered that Star was Theo’s daughter, and he was not happy. That’s why he went after them that night.”

“What else?”

“Rox—”

“Don’t Rox me, Zak. What else? There must be more to this than that.” I look between the two of them as they both stand there watching me. “No more lies, no more secrets, tell me.”

Letting out a sigh, Zak steps forward. “Rogers was the one who was selling to your mum, Rox. It was him that was pimping her out when she couldn’t pay her debts.”

“Theo overheard me and Zak talking about your mum after we had to help you get her to bed one night, and he quizzed us, demanding to know what was going on with her. Neither of us knew why he was so interested in her, and later that night we came home to Theo and Rogers rowing, walked right in on them.

“He started going on about how he was the black sheep of the family because of one tiny mistake and that we were taking his place. He was spouting shit about Theo dishonouring his mother by sleeping with some slut on the estate, but he’d sorted her right out, broke her, ruined her, so his father wouldn’t want her anymore. At the time we didn’t know he was talking about your mum. Later, Theo explained that he and Tracey once had a thing, that he’d loved her, but she wouldn’t let him in, so instead he’d got her clean and set her up with a flat and a job. That way he could keep an eye on her, and I think that he hoped maybe one day she’d let him in.”

“Rogers did all this because he was jealous? I’m not buying it. There’s more to this than that. What else?”

There’s more, of that I’m certain. If Maddox and Zak really did hear what Rogers said to me in that lift, then they know it too. He’s involved in something much bigger than just wanting revenge because his father loved another woman and had another child. Whilst Star could be seen as a threat, for most she’s merely a woman, a bargaining chip to use for a marriage or arrangement that works in favour of both parties. He sold her off knowing she’s his blood, and despite how sick I know he is, I hope that means he never laid a finger on her.

“For someone as touched in the head as Rogers, jealousy is a very real reason to behave the way he did, Rox.”

“Okay, all that aside. Why now? Why has Rogers waited so long to make a move? You said that he made threats against me too, so what kept him from finishing what he started until now?”

“After that night, Theo reigned him in with a chance to prove himself as worthy to carry on the Rogers name. Theo took Rogers under his wing like a father should, but his motives weren’t pure. After using you as leverage to have me and Zak take the oath, he then continued to use you any time we stepped out of line. Subtle little hints here and there to keep us doing exactly what he wanted. Rogers was wielded over us like a fucking nuclear bomb. Theo did the same to him. He constantly reminded Rogers of what he could lose if he didn’t play ball, parading us around his home and at the same time both of us and Theo watched Rogers’ every move.” Maddox’s arms drop from their folded position, and he steps toward me again. This time I rise to meet him, taking my own step forward and bringing us face to face. As near as possible with the significant height difference.

“Why? Why would you do that, Maddox?” It’s a silly question, my body and my heart already know the answer, he told me, Zak told me. Even Maria had hinted that everything they’d done in the last ten years wasn’t out of choice. But my mind needs more. It needs to hear it again. The mind can be a wondrous place, but it can also be your worst enemy.

Taking my face in his hands, I bring mine up to hold his wrists as he grips me. “Because, Tinks, when you love someone, and make no mistake we loved you even back then, you will do whatever it takes to keep them safe.” I feel heat at my back as Zak closes me in between them, and my heart hammers inside my chest. “I’ve done a lot of difficult things in my life, some that no man should ever have to do, but not one comes close to how fucking hard it was walking away from you that night. I told you once before that there aren’t many things I regret, hurting you is at the top of that list, but I don’t regret that you were safe, and I don’t regret how fucking incredible you’ve become.” I close my eyes at his words because I can’t… I don’t even know. My body tingles everywhere they touch me, my heart is beating a rhythm inside my heart to rival any other and my mind is screaming at me to do or say something, but instead I am defeated. Maddox’s lips meet mine and Zak’s burn along the side of my neck. I succumb to them, to what I have known from the moment they forced their way back into my life.

I’m in love with Zak and Maddox Lawler.

I belong to them and they to me.

The me that was locked away for years in her cage is no longer bound by bars. She is no longer held by invisible restraints that society forced upon her, made her believe to be true. She is free and ready to scorch the earth to protect those she loves.

Before I allow myself to be sucked under their spell, I stop them. “Wait,” I say, pushing on Maddox’s chest. “As much as I want this, there’s something I need to—” Shouting from the direction of the kitchen cuts me short, and we all rush that way.

Zak being the closest to the office door makes it to the kitchen first, and the scene is the result of too much testosterone in the air. It perhaps doesn’t help that this room contains criminals and cops, never a good combination in close quarters.

What I wasn’t expecting was to see Kavanagh standing in between Smithy and Bowser as they face off against each other.

“I don’t fucking like you,” Bowser spits out at Smithy, pointing a finger at his face as Kavanagh attempts to move him away.

Maddox shoves past me, snatching the back of Bowser’s shirt and pulling him away. “What the fuck is going on here?” he demands, looking back and forth between the two of them. Neither one of them offers up any explanation. Maddox turns his attention to Kavanagh instead. “How the hell did you get in here?”

Kavanagh smirks, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a fob, dangling it in front of him. “Very nice ride, Lawler.”

Maddox steps forward, pushing Bowser behind him, and rips the fob from Kavanagh’s fingers with a low growl.

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