*Maddox*
July 12, 2017
Pure rage boils through my veins. The desire to completely subject Nile to a life as a cripple has never been so strong.
He has threatened the last person.
I had nearly forsaken my soul to him to protect Adelaide. Was that enough? No…now he has brutally abused my brother and is holding him captive until I return to give my life to the Cicero Disciples.
He claims he’ll kill Jeremy if I do not.
How was I ever involved in such a life?
I tighten my grip on my gun, my finger twitching to pull the trigger.
I try to take deep breaths as my ma cries in front of me, mentally breaking down at the thought of losing her real son. I’m not related to Missy. She doesn’t have a claim over me. Even though she won’t say it, I’m sure she’s willing to let me sacrifice my life for Jeremy.
And so am I.
“No. Please…please, not again.” I hear her sweet voice over the roar of anger ringing in my ears. My mind is foggy as I try to determine the best plan to carry out. How to approach this situation.
But Adelaide’s voice whisks me away from the smog and I look over to see her beautiful face all red and wet with tears. She shakes her head violently as she steps back. I see her chest heaving as she tries to breathe.
“I-I can’t do it again. Maddox…I can’t survive this again. You can’t leave!” she yells, and even though I wish to hear her every day for the rest of my life, her voice becomes static and muffles out of focus.
I turn my gaze, flashes of the ranch running through my mind. Of Missy, Kristy, Jeremy, and Adam at the dinner table, laughing at a stupid joke. Their wrinkled eyes are all I see as they’re genuinely happy with each other. I see a vision of Adelaide shrieking as I throw a handful of hay at her head, when we had our hay-fight.
This is my family. And I would give my life for them.
Tears well in my eyes as I turn from the two crying women and head straight for my truck. Cooper lets out a bark, running after me. “Stay!” I yell at him and his whimper is distant as I see him shrink to the ground from the corner of my eyes.
“Maddox! Don’t you dare get into that car! If you drive away, don’t ever come back!” I hear Adelaide screaming at me. Her words are a dagger to my heart. Not because of their meaning, but because of the completely shattered tone in her voice.
Does she think I want this? I want to spend every single day with her, until we grow gray and old with grandchildren running around us. Of course, I don’t want to get into this car. But it’s Jeremy…he’s my brother and he’s in this situation because of me.
Because of Adelaide…because in all honestly, she was the only reason for me to leave the Cicero Disciples and return to Oklahoma. If it weren’t for the constant thought of holding her and loving her again, I would have stayed in Chicago as a wrecked man.
I feel fists pounding my back as I grab the handle of the truck door and I freeze under the impact, allowing her to let her anger out on me.
“How dare you? How dare you just throw me aside again. How dare you leave without even sparing us a goodbye again!” I turn and look down at Adelaide. Her beautiful blue eyes meet mine and I can’t help but lower my head to rest my forehead against hers. I reach up and sink my fingers into her hair, clinging to her.
“You mistake my eagerness to leave, Adelaide. If I stay, I risk you talking me out of leaving and we chance Jeremy’s death. I have to leave. You honestly don’t expect me to just let Nile kill him!”
“Of course I don’t. But we’re his family as well, Maddox. Not just you. It’s not just you! We care. We love him too! Let us come with you!” I look at Adelaide with complete shock as my jaw clenches. I shake my head slowly, my eyes burning with the fire within me.
“That will never happen, Adelaide. Do you understand that I left to go to Chicago to save your life? And now you want to endanger it? Nile will only use you against me. You’re vulnerable in this situation. All of you are. You guys mean the world to me, and Nile won’t hesitate to use that to his advantage.”
“Okay…” Adelaide whispers, looking down at the ground, her bottom lip shaking as another sob rips through her. “Okay.”
To see Adelaide so broken is almost my undoing. Why couldn’t we be granted a life that would end in nothing but our happiness? Why couldn’t we spend our days training horses, mending fences, and caring for our children?
Why would God give me this amazing woman, only to rip me away from her…again? Haven’t we both suffered enough?
Or am I still repaying for the sins of my past?
I have asked for forgiveness and I know God has forgiven. So why…?
“You’re not thinking rationally. Maddox, don’t drive away with an angry heart. You need to be level-minded,” Adelaide whispers.
I see Missy walking toward us, a stomp in her step, and I turn to face her just as she shoves me hard on the chest. I stagger back a step and pull my eyebrows together.
“You impetuous boy! I just got you back! I’m not willing to lose both of my boys!” Missy’s words shock me into silence as I just stare at her.
Does she mean it? Surely, she doesn’t. Jeremy is her son…her baby boy. She merely adopted me eight years ago and has loved me fiercely…but that doesn’t beat the bond of a true son.
“You are my son too. Sacrificing your life is not the answer to this, Maddox. I didn’t come out here in hysterics with the desire of you giving your life for his. I came out here because I need your help to save him!”
Adam, Missy and I step out of the car that picked us up at the airport. Nile sent a trusted driver to fetch us and dispose of any weapons. I grimaced as I watched him toss my gun into his trunk. I look at the Cicero Disciples’ main house, my stomach twisting in knots.
I can’t believe I ever called this place home.
Missy places a hand on my arm and I look down to see her bright blue eyes look at me with anxiety.
Missy shouldn’t even be here, but she refused to sit back at home while her sons’ lives are in the balance.
It tore my heart out to bid Adelaide goodbye, not knowing if I’ll return. And she wasn’t too pleased to be left behind.
“You can’t honestly expect me to sit here, waiting!” Adelaide says, her eyes pleading as she glances between Missy, Adam, and myself. I sigh, wanting to wrap her up in my arms and whisk her away to someplace safe.
But I can’t. Because there is no safe place. Not yet.
“Honey, this isn’t something you should bear witness to. Besides, we need you and Kristy to stay back and watch over the ranch,” Missy says, laying a delicate hand on Adelaide’s arm. Adelaide looks at it with a pained expression before she side-steps out of her aunt’s touch.
I walk forward and gently cup her face between my hands. “You know that I love you, Adelaide Crane. And I will give it my all to return to you. But I will not have a clear mind in Chicago if I’m worrying about you. Please…if I know you’re here, waiting for me…it will be motivation enough.”
I rest my forehead against hers, running my hands down her neck, over her shoulders, and along her arms to grab her hands. Our fingers intertwine as I close my eyes and bask in her presence.
“You’re taking my heart with you, Maddox, just as last time. I expect it back sooner.”
“I promise, sweetheart.”
I clench my jaw as I step forward, leading Missy and Adam toward the house. I push the oak door open and look at the large foyer, half-expecting Nile to be waiting with a gun pointed at my head. Instead, we are met with emptiness.
Our shoes thud against the white stone tiles as I take us to the office. I don’t bother knocking to announce ourselves. Nile knows we’re here. I shove open the door to see the culprit himself sitting behind his desk, leaning back with a lax expression.
I scowl at him, wanting to punch that look right off. He quirks an eyebrow at his unexpected visitors but says nothing…at least, he doesn’t get to because Missy lets out a horrified gasp the same moment a wicked grin stretches along his mouth.
I glance over to see Missy staring at Nile with wide eyes, lifting a shaky hand to cover her mouth. Adam instantly places a cautious hand on her shoulder, looking at her with concern. “What’s wrong?” Adam asks.
Missy shakes her head as tears gather in her eyes. “I-it’s him…” she whispers. I pull my eyebrows together, shaking my head in confusion.
“Yes…that monster is Nile, the man we—”
“No! No! That’s him!” Missy yells and Nile rises from his chair, stepping around his desk to clasp his hands in front of him, smiling broadly at Missy. “Y-you monster!” Missy makes a move to advance on him, but Adam holds her back as I side-step to place myself in between Missy and Nile.
“Ma, what are you talking about?” I ask.
Nile lets out a throaty laugh, his head thrown back. I glare at him. How do they know each other?
“It’s good to see you again, Missy Crane.” Missy hisses at Nile’s words, her eyes burning with venom.
Adam looks at his wife with shock, seemingly as confused as I am.
“Someone, please explain!” I snarl, my hands fisting at my sides.
“That man attacked me and Elena while his father molested Adelaide!” The room falls silent as Missy’s words deliver a blow to my chest.
I let out a heavy breath, staggering back as tears well in my eyes.
Please, tell me it isn’t so. Tell me my sweet Adelaide wasn’t assaulted in her youth. Please tell me this isn’t her past!
“You foul beast! How could you? Is this what it’s all about? Adelaide?”
“That is precisely what this is about. You see…my father had a go at her and I simply couldn’t resist! Maddox’s repayment for his debt just didn’t cut it…I wanted her and when I went to that little ranch of yours to retrieve her, Jeremy intervened. That young man struck a deal in order to save your sweet Adelaide. He would sacrifice himself, just as Maddox had done, and spend his life working for me in order to keep Adelaide safe. But in the end, I grew bored and even more anxious to have her. So, I beat Jeremy to a pulp in order to retrieve Maddox…I wasn’t expecting you two as well…But that just works better for me! Because, you see, as we are speaking, my father is in Oklahoma, paying sweet Adelaide a visit. To perhaps pick up where they left off…or just bring her here, I’m not sure. But either way, you’ll all be reunited soon enough.”
I can’t stand. I no longer have the strength. My legs give out from under me and I fall to my knees, hot tears rolling down my cheeks.
Adelaide is in danger and I’m not there to protect her.