Maddox

I wanted to follow those sons of bitches terrorizing Tracy, but I could feel her shaking against my chest.

She was tiny and her skin glowed white next to the masks of the three men who attacked her. I had planned to swing first and ask questions later. But she surprised them and me.

Seeing her haul ass as fast as she did was amazing. She wasn’t going to let them fuck with her if she could help it.

I shuddered when I thought what might have happened if I hadn’t been there at that moment. Eventually her speed would have faded. They would have caught up with her for sure.

Protecting her and getting her to safety took priority over the ass whooping I wanted to give. I rode away from the danger she’d been in and sheltered her with my body.

It felt like I’d never been in the right place at the right time in my entire life, until tonight.

She fit in my arms like no woman ever had and it fucked with my head. I hadn’t meant to start anything with her. I wanted her out of my house and my fucking life.

Yet, having her this close was like a drug and I was instantly addicted. Or maybe it was a cure?

I drove straight to the Port Az Police. If I couldn’t kick the asses of those idiots, at least I’d get some intel to the Port Az cops.

The Dark Saints had enough to handle without petty thugs roaming the streets.

I was deeply worried about Tracy. When I cut the engine of my Harley, she was still shaking. It was a warm night but she was cold. I suppose being skin and bones did that to a person, but so did trauma. That I knew.

I stood her up but kept a hand out on her arm. We walked up the steps and I opened the door.

Tracy reached her hand out to mine and stopped us from walking into the station.

“Can you stay with me? I don’t have a ride home and I’m…”

She paused and I saw her take a deep breath. Why hadn’t I noticed how beautiful her lips were before? This was not the time.

“What?”

“I’m scared to take the bus home after I’m done here.”

“I’ll stay,” I said.

Something hurt in my heart when she asked me to stay. The hard knot in my chest melted or broke open. I struggled to keep my distance and my stance. I was here to protect her and to find out who did this shit. I wasn’t here to make time with this woman or with any woman.

“Thank you.”

She turned and let me usher her through the door.

She paused a second and looked at the room. I took her hand and led her to the desk.

“Officer Jenny Guffy. Tell her it’s Sam Maddox.”

“One moment.”

The woman at the desk made a phone call and in seconds, there was Jenny Guffy. She was pretty. Sometimes I forgot that because she was all business in her Men in Black style suit and slicked back blonde ponytail. She was Benz Bass’s old lady and I trusted her.

Her all-business demeanor softened a little when she saw I wasn’t alone.

“Maddox, what’s up?”

“This is Tracy Plumb.”

Tracy looked from me to Jen.

“Hello. I, uh, I was attacked,” Tracy said and Jen softened a little more. She enveloped Tracy and I followed them as they walked deeper into the station.

“We can sit in this conference room. You need coffee?” Tracy nodded, and Jen poured some from a pot in the corner.

I could see the questions in Jen’s face.

“Tracy just started working up at the house. She’s taking care of Sarge, Olivia, and, well me, I guess.”

I tried to show a more human side. I’d literally been a beast to Tracy today and right now she needed a soft place to land.

“Well, you need it, that’s for damn sure.”

Jenny was tall, a perfect match for Benz. She was tough, all business, and scary as hell if you were on the wrong side of her, as several drug dealers knew.

But right now she was warm and open and just what anyone who’d been a victim of a crime would need. I could see this was the right call.

“Tracy, you can trust Jen, she’s a friend.”

“Thank you,” Tracy said as Jen handed her a Styrofoam cup of steaming hot coffee.

“I’m going to record this, okay. So, you don’t have to repeat yourself later. Now, what happened? Start from the beginning.”

Tracy sipped her coffee and told Jen about the three men in masks. The more Tracy talked, the more confident I watched her become. She was shaking off the attack and moving forward. For a tiny little thing, she was made of something tough inside. In one day she’d dealt with the bitch day nurse, Sarge, three attackers, and me. The worst, I feared, was me.

“Ok, I think I have it all. I’m just glad you’re fast as hell. If you could look this over and then sign it, we’ll have all the paperwork we need,” Jen said to Tracy and they both smiled. “Maddox, while she’s doing that, could I talk to you a second?” Jen added.Jen said to Tracy and they both smiled.

She handed Tracy the paperwork and a pen and then we stepped into the hall while she read it.

“This is the fourth attack this weekend,” Jen told me in a lowered voice.

“I heard about the ATM.”

“The ATM, a couple mugged at knifepoint, and a carjacking in broad frigging daylight.”

“Is it Hawks?”

“They don’t do petty crimes or muggings. You know that. They run drugs, human traffic. Stuff with a bigger profit margin.”

“True, plus, there were no colors or patches.”

I had only seen generic hoodies and the ski masks. There was nothing to really identify the men and usually The Hawks wanted everyone to know they were behind shit.

“You can pass this along to the club. This needs to get under control, fast. People are spooked.”

“And that’s not good for business.”

“Right, anyone’s business.”

Jen turned back to the conference room and we found Tracy on her feet and ready to go.

“Here’s the paperwork. Thank you. Are we all set?”

“Yes, and we’ll let you know as soon as we get these guys. The only problem will be the masks.”

“Yeah, not helpful at all.”

Tracy had a look of worry in her eyes, but she didn’t seem shaky anymore or unsure.

“Maddox, make sure she gets home okay?”

“No question about it.”

“Thanks Jen.”

Tracy walked back through the open office area and I followed her out to my bike.

“This time you need a helmet.”

I handed her one that I kept in the back as a spare. It was too big, but it was the best I could do.

I got on and offered Tracy a hand to climb on behind me. I felt her arms around me. I would take it slow.

Even still, the drive back to the house was faster than I wanted it to be. Something in me wanted the time with Tracy on the back of my bike to last forever.

I pulled the bike around to the back of the house and cut the engine.

Tracy removed the too-big helmet and her dark hair tumbled out of it in waves. She wore it at her shoulders. Again, she looked tiny on the back of my bike.

We hadn’t said a word since the police station.

“There won’t be any more riding the bus or walking around Port Az without me.”

“What?” She looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language.

“It’s dangerous right now. As you just saw.”

“Look, Maddox, uh, Mr. Maddox. I’m an adult. I work here, yes, but I don’t have to answer to you about how I get around town.”

“You just got mugged by three men at the bus stop. You’ll do as I say on this.”

Tracy was wearing a skirt, not exactly the best plan for riding. She was going to have to make a leap if she wanted off. I stepped forward and I put a hand out to help her get off the machine without falling.

She looked angry, defiant, but also practical. Tracy put her hand in mine but it wasn’t quite enough for her to get off the bike. I scooped her up, just as I had before and placed her on her feet. I had my arms around her still. Our eyes were locked.

We were mid-argument. She’d conceded nothing about her modes of transportation. The urge I felt was stronger than any word or doubt. I tightened my arm around her and lifted her up. A gasp escaped her lips and I muffled it with my mouth on hers.

I felt her sweet lips yield to mine. Her body was soft against me.

I knew this was wrong of me, totally wrong.

But I kissed her harder. I had to have more of her, all of her. I heard another little moan escape her lips and my hands ached to touch more of her.

A spark between us had turned into a fucking explosion with no warning.

This made no fucking sense and it wasn’t what I needed in my life right now.

Or ever.

But it was what I wanted. I hadn’t had anything I’d wanted in longer than I could remember.