Maddox wanted blood.

Rick's blood.

The blood of the man who had murdered the sister of the woman he loved.

The blood of the man who wanted to kill the woman he loved.

He lowered his head, watching Rick pace restlessly, his heavy boots treading the same floor that Ava and Hannah had slept on that first night, when he had pulled the mattress out for them.

Maddox was barely aware of the blood trickling down his temple. He didn't care that his right arm was barely working. Every single part of his body and mind was focused on the man pacing back and forth.

Rick had to die. From the conversations between Rick and his brother, it was clear that Katie wasn't the first woman to fall victim to his temper. Their family's money had saved his name three times, but Hannah's testimony had damaged Rick's reputation.

He wanted revenge, and his brother was there to help him get it.

Well, fuck that. Maddox wanted revenge, too, and he wasn't the one who had been born into silver spoons, silk sheets, and luxury vehicles. He was dirt, scum, violence, and death. All the things that were born to make revenge happen.

"Shit, Maddox," Brody muttered, under his breath. "The expression on your face makes you look like one scary bastard right now."

"I am one scary bastard," Maddox responded. "I never thought it would come in handy. Glad to know I was wrong." He hoped Chase had understood his message not to send help, when he had said not to let Hannah near the place. Yeah, he might have a concussion, and he might be handcuffed to Brody, but there was no chance that Rick was going to walk out of there alive.

Maddox didn't need help. He didn't want help.

He was going to take Rick down. If it had to be in cold blood, then fine. He was built for that, wasn't he?

Brody grunted as he tried to sit up, but he, too, had been hit in the head with a shovel and knocked unconscious long enough to be dragged in the house and handcuffed. His other three brothers hadn't woken up yet.

Maddox and the Harts had been prepared for an asshole who beat up women. They hadn't been prepared for two former military who had laid a well-planned assault on the house, which is why Rick and his brother had gotten the jump on them.

But they knew now, which meant the element of surprise was no longer on the table. What was on the table were five badasses who had survived hell when they were teenagers, who knew only how to fight dirty, hit hard, and fight until there was only one left standing.

Maddox had recognized kin in the Harts from the first moment he'd seen them. He'd already known they were intensely loyal based on how Hannah had described them. He'd figured they were scrappy survivors, willing to get their knuckles bloody in defense of those they loved. What he hadn't expected was that every single one of them carried the same shadow of darkness that he lived under. He didn't know what story each of them had, but he knew it was ugly, the kind of ugly that either broke a man, or turned him into a damned gladiator.

The Harts had all turned into gladiators, and Maddox planned to use that to his advantage.

"I don't like Rick," Brody said conversationally. "I don't really want to sit down and have a beer with him. You?"

Maddox looked over at the man. "I don't really have a sense of humor in situations like this."

"That's okay. I don't mind laughing at my own jokes. Sort of empowering." He was watching Rick pace just as carefully as Maddox was. "Where's the brother? Roger, right? Got any ideas?"

"He set up outside again. He'll be looking for anyone to show up, which is why I told my brother not to send anyone."

"He'll see Hannah when she gets here," Brody said.

A chill went through Maddox at the thought of Hannah facing Rick. "No way in hell is my brother going to let Hannah come here."

Brody looked over at him, and cocked an eyebrow. "You really think your brother could stop Hannah from coming? The man she loves is in danger. And not to toot my own horn, but we used to be pretty tight, too. I think she'd come just for me, but I know for an absolute fact she's coming for you."

Maddox stared at him, suddenly unable to breathe. "You told her to come here? Are you shitting me?"

Brody gave him a steady stare. "Do you really think I'd endanger her?"

"But you told her to come!"

"Because we'll be all done by the time she gets here. It was the only way I could think of to make her come over here." Brody gave Maddox a steady gaze. "Hannah has been through hell. She doesn't trust anyone. She never even trusted us. I've never met anyone as skittish as she is, but I can tell from what you've told me, that she trusts you. Your plan to walk away from her after this is over is complete bullshit. You don't break the heart of a woman like Hannah when she's given it to you. She's coming over here, and you're going to stop that martyrdom shit. She's coming here because she loves you, and you sent her away because you love her. That's about the crappiest love story I've ever heard. So, when she gets here, change the story. Got it?"

Maddox stared at Brody. "Love story? Are you kidding me?"

"Hell, no. I'm a total romantic. Love is good, my friend. Plus, Hannah's my sister, and if you are what her heart needs to heal, then I'm going to interfere." He looked across the room at Rick, who was now by the window, watching the driveway. "So, I'm guessing we have about four minutes until Hannah gets here. Should we act now, or wait until the last second?"

Maddox stared at him. "What's your problem? This isn't a joke."

"Nope. It's not." Brody was still watching Rick. "My mom was killed by a man like him." His voice was low, suddenly ice cold. "I told you I don't like him."

Maddox looked sharply at Brody, his gaze narrowing when he saw the hardness on the other man's face. Son of a bitch. Brody was as dangerous as he was. He grinned. "Let's do this," he said.

"Hell, yeah. Now."

The two men lurched to their feet simultaneously, moving as one out of necessity, due to the fact their hands were handcuffed behind their backs together. They charged across the room, moving with lightning speed, reaching Rick before he could turn around. They slam-med their shoulders into his back, crushing him against the wall.

Rick shouted a warning to his brother, but it took only two more quick hits before he was down and unconscious. Maddox dropped to his knees, searching for the key to the handcuffs. He could hear footsteps thudding outside, and he knew Roger was on his way.

He found the keys, jerked them out of Rick's pocket, and jammed them into the handcuffs. He unlocked the ones binding him to Brody, but the door swung open before he could get out of the second set that was locking his wrists behind his back. Brody hit first, using his full body weight to shove Roger out the door. Both Brody and Roger disappeared from sight, and Maddox lunged to his feet, making it to the door just as they rolled down the steps and landed in the driveway.

Maddox charged after them as Roger lunged to his feet and pointed a gun at Brody, who was still on the ground. "No!" Maddox launched himself off the steps and tackled Roger, knocking him to the ground just as the gun went off.

Sharp pain slashed Maddox's calf, and he knew he'd been grazed by the bullet. He stumbled, trying to keep his balance, but his momentum was too strong, and his balance was off due to his injuries and the fact that his arms were still handcuffed behind his back. He hit the ground hard, and rolled sideways fast, as another bullet exploded in the snow, right where he had been.

Brody lashed out with his feet, slamming his boots into Roger's ankle, knocking him off balance. Roger staggered, just enough for Maddox to leap up and shoulder slam him again. Roger was fast and wiry, but Maddox had the bulk and the range, and sent him flying.

As Roger sailed through the air, he pulled out his gun, and aimed it at Brody. Maddox shouted a warning, and Brody rolled to the side, but his body jerked at the same moment the gun fired.

Brody was hit.

Fury exploded through Maddox, and he lunged to his feet. He sprinted across the driveway to where Roger was scrambling to his feet. He slammed his knee into the other man's gut, launching him sideways. He was just rearing back for another hit when headlights flashed over him. He froze as his truck came to a skidding halt and Hannah leapt out of it.

Dear God. Hannah had come.

He froze, aware of the blood dripping down his forehead and his leg. He was aware of his right arm hanging uselessly in the handcuffs. Brody was on the ground, bleeding from his side, and Roger was also down, groaning.

It was just like the scene Beth had encountered, only worse, because there was so much blood.

Hannah stood there in the glow from the headlights, her mouth open as she stared at Maddox, her gaze going to Brody, and then to Roger. He knew what she was seeing. He knew the carnage that was sinking into her brain. He knew the damage and ugliness that was seeping into her, all because of him.

Maddox tensed, bracing himself for the inevitable, for that moment when it finally registered on Hannah exactly what he was...that moment when the look on her face shattered his heart.