Page 16 of Vicious in the Dark

“Just tequila,” I said when she started to reach for the margarita mix. “A lot of it.”

I didn’t bother to tell her that she was wrong. I hadn’t slept with all four back in the day, only Maddox and Wolfe. While I certainly did get handsy with Ruthless and Ace, it hadn’t evolved beyond that. I’m sure it would have if I’d stayed. Now we’d never know.

We joined our parents and Maddox in the dining room, taking our seats. I took the chair next to Mom, forcing Rumer to sit next to Maddox. Unfortunately, that put me directly across from him. My previously growling stomach had shut up. My appetite had died the moment I laid eyes on Mads.

“Dig in everyone. Help yourselves.” Mom flapped her hands for us to get eating, beaming her brilliant smile around the table.

I focused my attention on filling my plate with food I wasn’t sure I’d eat. Anything to keep from glancing across the table. My margarita glass became my main course as I clutched it tight.

My folks did their best to start up basic conversation. Dad got Maddox talking about the syndicate, asking for the latest news regarding some newly acquired business. I tuned out the best I could, counting the minutes until I could excuse myself without being rude. Hearing about Maddox blackmailing a local politician into hiring only his people for security was of no interest to me. I was out of the syndicate. I planned to stay that way.

When the conversation turned to me, I glanced up from the plate of barely eaten food. “The virtual assistant stuff is going well. My newest client is the largest I’ve worked with. I’m happy with how it’s going so far.”

“That’s great, pumpkin. Is that your only source of income now?” Stuffing a bite of roast into his mouth, Dad eyed me closely, ready to scan my response for lies.

From across the table I could feel the weight of Maddox’s gaze. No doubt he was curious about what I’d been up to in my time away. Since two of the four people at the table would spot a lie, I opted for a partial truth.

“Not quite. I’ve been running some small jobs alone. Simple thefts and whatnot.” To keep from having to say anything else, I stuffed a large bite of mashed potato into my mouth.

“In Castle Grove?” Dad questioned, pausing to sip from a glass of red wine. “I hope you didn’t let the Thorns find out about that. They demand sixty percent from independents working their city. And that’s if they’re feeling generous.”

I swallowed hard, relieved when the potatoes went down without incident. “Um, yeah. I kind of met them. Anyway, do you know of anyone interested in a Fabergé egg knockoff?”

Dad considered with a slow shake of his head. “Can’t say I do. I’m sure you’ll find a buyer.”

“I might be interested,” Maddox piped up, forcing me to meet his searching gaze. “Do you have a picture handy?”

“No, I don’t. It’s at Rumer’s place. I’ll have to send you one… if you’re sure.” Meeting his gaze in short, furtive glances didn’t spare me from the power within it. He still managed to steal my breath with a look.

Swirling a glass of whiskey, Maddox eyed me over the rim. He knew I was squirming on the inside, and he loved it. “Of course. I’d love to see it. I know a guy who buys and sells stuff like that. I’ll make sure he gives you a good deal.”

The last thing I wanted to do was give Maddox a reason to contact me after tonight. He’d been forced upon me, and I didn’t appreciate his audacity. He knew damn well that I’d never see him any other way.

Before the awkwardness level could rise further, Rumer saved me by rambling on about the wedding party she’d recently booked and what a huge event it would be. That’s why she was my ride or die.

After pushing my food around my plate for several more minutes, I excused myself from the table and hurried into the kitchen to take a shot right from the tequila bottle. Then I escaped to the bathroom where I could safely lock myself away for a few precious moments.

Peeing and washing my hands didn’t take nearly long enough. Because I didn’t care if anyone thought I was dropping a deuce, I sat on the closed toilet lid and rubbed my forehead. As much as I loved my parents, they’d really fucked up this time. And they wondered why Rumer and I had moved out before the age of eighteen? There was a big difference between love and meddlesome bullshit.

When I knew that I couldn’t stay in the bathroom any longer, I stood up with a sigh and checked my appearance in the mirror. As I finger combed my hair, I asked myself why I cared. Hating the answer, I turned away from my reflection with a scowl and opened the door.

Maddox stood on the other side. His easygoing smile from the dinner table was gone. In its place was a frown that drew his brows together.

“Did you think you could escape me in the shitter, Vixen? You should know better than that.” Lips quirking in a hint of a sly grin, he nodded to the bathroom. “Remember when we snuck away to fuck in here during Christmas dinner and your mom slapped me upside the head when we came out? Good times.”

I couldn’t help but flash right back to the memory he spoke of. It had been the last holiday before everything went to shit and I left town. My cheeks burned with the memory of Maddox thrusting between my legs while I sat perched on the bathroom counter. He’d watched our reflection in the mirror as he roughly took me, clamping his hand over my mouth to muffle my cries.

Maddox had come to play dirty tonight. I’d worked so hard for so long not to think about him in that way. He’d been here for little more than an hour and already found a way to remind me of the way he used to fuck me. Challenge issued and accepted.

“How could I forget? I bit your hand so hard when I came that I drew blood.” My reply came cool and detached. If Mads wanted to play games, then we would play. “I also remember how soon after that your father passed, and you spiraled into a power trip that nearly killed me.”

Maddox’s grin faded slowly, his expression growing colder. The darkness in his eyes tempted me to reach for the blade strapped to the inside of my ankle. To find comfort in just touching it. There may be a right time to pull a weapon on Maddox, but it wouldn’t be in my parents’ house.

“So that’s it then,” he said with a knowing nod, placing a hand on either side of the doorframe, using his body to trap me in the bathroom. “That’s why you left. I guess I always knew that. I just needed to hear you say it. What made you come back?”

Shaking my head, I pressed my lips tight together, considering my response. “I don’t want to talk about it. We should get back to dinner before someone comes looking for us. Don’t want my mom to think we’re banging in here again.”

We’d been a lot younger then. I didn’t plan to be caught doing anyone in this house again. Not that I had any potential partners in mind, despite how hard nostalgia fought me.

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