Valiant

Her mouth drops open, but I don’t give her a chance to respond, I push the shed door open and step inside. Maddox, Krypt, Mack, and Tyke are all sitting around a table and stop when I come in. Dammit. I was hoping Mack wouldn’t be around, because I didn’t want to have to ask for his help, and then ask him not to tell his own son.

“Hi,” I say lamely, waving.

“Baylee,” Mack says. “What brings you here?”

“Ah,” I murmur nervously. “I just wanted to talk to Maddox, actually.”

Mack gives me a suspicious look, but Maddox stands, cutting him off with a kind, “What can I do for ya, darlin’?”

“Would you mind if we spoke outside?”

He nods, his eyes narrowing with concern. He follows me outside when I turn and exit the shed, horrified with myself that I’ve even had to come in here and ask for their help. Worse, that I had to single out Maddox, when, really, I wanted to tell them all—mostly Mack.

“Everything okay?” Maddox asks me the second the shed door has closed.

His eyes scan over to Rae, who is bitching on the phone a few meters away, rubbing her massive pregnant belly. His brows shoot up, and he mutters, “That your sister?”

“That’s ... she’s my responsibility right now, yes.”

“Mmmm,” he murmurs, then focuses back on me. “You going to tell me why you came here?”

I swallow and meet his gaze. “It’s somewhat of a story.”

He crosses his big arms. “I have time, talk to me.”

I tell him about York, from start to finish. I cut it short, where I can, not wanting to drag it on. I don’t go into detail about the attacks, just that he was extremely abusive to both Rae and myself, and that we had to run to protect ourselves. Then, I tell him how York contacted Rae, and how I was concerned for our safety.

“This fucker been to your house?” Maddox grinds out between clenched teeth when I’m done.

“No, not that I know of, but he’s obviously tracked down Rae’s number. Which may be nothing, considering she’s probably been contacting old dealers in some pathetic attempt to get drugs. I didn’t have her name changed, because I wasn’t her legal guardian and couldn’t, but she’s not left the house until recently so I thought she’d be safe. She had no credit cards, or things like that. So I think he may have just located it through dealers, however, I have been getting calls from a private number. Though, whoever is on the other line hasn’t been saying anything.”

“Tell me,” he says, scanning my face, “do you think you’re in danger?”

I go to shrug, but he cuts me off with a sharp but polite, “What is your gut tellin’ you, Baylee? The truth, please.”

“Yes,” I whisper. “Yes, I think I’m in danger.”

He nods. “I’ll put a watch on your house. I’ll have a guy there constantly. I have one condition for my help, though.”

I swallow.

Right now, I don’t feel like I’m going to get much choice when it comes to my protection, so I figure I’ll have to do whatever he says, because, honestly, the idea of York finding me terrifies me so much I’m willing to do just about anything to make sure we stay safe.

“Okay,” I say wearily.

“You will give me his full name.”

My eyes shoot to his. “Maddox ...”

“No man—” he leans in close, his body massive and terrifying. “No. Fucking. Man, should ever walk this earth after abusing a person, especially, a female.”

“I know, but ...”

“Have you got some sort of attachment to this man? Kids? Love?”

I shake my head, horrified. “No.”

“Then you will not concern yourself with what happens to him. Nor will you think about it. All you need to know is I deal with people like this all the time. Now, what’s his full name?”

I hesitate.

I’m not stupid.

I know what a “deal” with him, means.

Do I care? Does it honestly bother me to know that these bikers will rid the world of the scum that is York? My heart clenches. No. It doesn’t bother me for him, or even Rae, but can I live with that? Can I live with knowing a life was ended because of me? Even if it was well deserved?

“You’re thinking about it. Look at me.”

My eyes swing back to his, and I swear, those blue depths are on fire with rage. I know that rage isn’t directed at me but at York. That terrifies me. I can only imagine the pain that will be inflicted on him if Maddox gets hold of him.

“This isn’t on you,” Maddox says, his voice low. “You do not live with guilt. You do not live thinkin’ that you’re less of a person. You do not take that on. Because people like him, they do not deserve to continue. You know it. I know it. I will not stand for it. I’d do it for any woman in my life and any woman outside of it. Now, are you honestly going to stand there and tell me you’d rather let this monster continue, only to do what he did to you to someone else?”

That is like a slap to the face, and a knife to the heart.

No.

No. I do not want to ever, even for a single second, think of him doing that to someone else.

“No,” I whisper. “No, I am not going to stand there and tell you that.”

His eyes soften slightly. “Then you’ll let me do what I have to. I will make sure you’re protected. I’ll send someone over later to have your locks changed and your security checked on. When you work, you’ll flick me a text message, and I’ll make sure someone is escorting you there and back. All I need from you is for you to change your number and your sister’s number. In fact, take her damned phone; it’s not worth the risk to your lives.”

I drop my head, guilt swarming my chest.

Not for York, but because Maddox is going to be taking these members away from their free time, their families, just to look after me.

“Eyes, Baylee.”

I look up at him again.

“This is what we do. Do not stress yourself over it. Yeah?”

I swallow, but I nod. “Thank you, Maddox. I’m so sorry to have come here.”

“Rather you came here then try and deal with this on your own. Last question, does Jack know?”

I shake my head.

“Keep it that way, for now. He’ll go off, he’ll get hot under the collar, and he could get himself into trouble.”