Page 31 of Brandishing Balance (Devil’s Psychos MC #3)

Nico

I stormed out of the house, anger radiating off me.

I wanted to hit Jason again. I wanted to fucking beat the shit out of Marcos.

How dare he fucking leave her alone again?

Just because she was a strong fucking woman, didn’t mean she should have to be.

She had three fucking men to lean on, and yet, we all fucking left her alone.

Stalking into the pole barn garage, I flipped on the lights before I bee-lined for the punching bag in the corner. I didn’t bother to wrap my knuckles or grab my gloves. I attacked the bag with everything I had, letting my rage and anger overcome me.

I growled deep in my throat as I slammed my punches into the heavy bag.

I briefly thought about calling Leo, but after the shit storm that happened at the gym, I really didn’t want to add more fuel on the fire where my cousin was concerned.

Leo already didn’t like Marcos and Jason, but the more he found out, the less he cared for both men.

Not that I could blame him after tonight. Leonardo Seratelli was extremely protective of the women in his life. His own damn sister had a bodyguard on her at all times. I was half tempted to stick a prospect on Maya permanently—if I ever felt like I could leave her again.

Nico

The following morning, Luke’s yelling down the hall caught my attention as I stepped out of the shower. “Mom!” he shouted.

I barely wrapped the towel around my waist as I ran down the hallway to Maya’s bedroom.

Luke was standing in front of his mother, shaking her, but she wasn’t responding.

My heart jumped into my throat as I rounded the bed, just as Marcos and Jason ran into her bedroom as well. “What’s going on?” they asked.

I gently pushed Luke out of the way as I stared down at Maya. Her eyes were open, but she wasn’t home. Her eyes were vacant and lifeless. My heart plummeted into my stomach. “Maya!” I shouted, shaking her.

She didn’t blink or acknowledge that I was even there. Scared to fucking death, I pressed my fingers against the pulse point in her neck. Her pulse was strong, and she was breathing, but she wasn’t fucking home.

“Fucking hell, Little Dreamer.” I groaned and dropped to a crouch in front of her, trying to get her to focus on me. “Maya.” I snapped my fingers in front of her face.

“What’s wrong with her?” Luke asked, the panic evident in his voice.

“Dissociating,” I said, my eyes snapping to my brothers.

Jason frowned while the vein in Marcos’s jaw throbbed as he clenched it.

“What does that mean?” Luke’s voice rose in a panic.

“It means, she’s lost in her mind right now.” I sighed and stood up, clutching my towel to keep it from falling down. Turning to Luke, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into a hug. “It’ll be ok, buddy. Your mom is just trying to figure some shit out right now.”

“Like what?” Luke’s voice was muffled against my chest.

“Like how to handle things right now. After everything that happened with Hillcrest, she’s just going to need a little time to figure it all out.” I tried to tell Luke and myself that it would be ok, but it wasn’t working well.

I shot a glare at Marcos and he snapped out of his own daze. “Come on, buddy. We got to get ready for school.”

Luke hugged me tighter, his little arms squeezing me tight. “I don’t want to leave her. She’s always alone.”

My heart broke hearing my own words echoed back by the nine-year-old. “I know, buddy,” I said, rubbing his back, “but we both know your mom wouldn’t want you to miss school. You’ve already missed a lot the last couple weeks. She would yell at all of us if she was feeling better.”

Luke sighed and slowly pulled away. “I hate this.” The anger his voice was poignant.

“I know, buddy. Me too,” I murmured.

“Come on, Luke. I’ll take you to school,” Marcos said, motioning him to leave the room.

Luke clenched his fists and stared at his father. “No.”

“Luke.” Marcos dropped his voice, deepening it.

Luke stalked toward Marcos and cocked back his arm, stepping into Marcos as he threw a punch right into Marcos’s jaw.

“Shit!” Marcos swore as his head snapped to the right.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the balls on the kid for doing the very thing that I had wanted to myself.

“Nice, punch, Luke!” I congratulated him.

He was taking all my teachings to heart.

The wind up on that punch, the fucking execution!

Fantastic! It was a proud fucking Papa moment, and I almost said he could stay home from school, but I knew I needed time to coax Maya out of whatever spell she had fallen into, and I needed him to not be here while I did that.

Luke pushed past Marcos, shoulder checking him as he went.

I glanced at Jason, whose face was swollen and beat to hell from my own punches last night, and smirked. Clearly me and Luke were on the same side here. The right fucking side: Maya’s.

“Is she ok?” Jason asked.

“No. She’s fucking not,” I snapped back.

“Yeah.” He nodded like a dumbass and walked away.

My own rage fired up again at my brothers’ blatant incompetence—both of them.

“I’m gonna talk to Luke, you’ve got Maya?” Marcos asked.

“Yep. Always.” I let the double meaning hang in the air.

Marcos sighed heavily and nodded, before he turned away to go search for his son down the hall.

Holding my towel to my waist, I crouched down in front of Maya, and brushed my knuckles over her cheek. “Little Dreamer, you missed a hell of a punch by Luke. He just cracked Marcos in the jaw.”

She doesn’t even blink.

“Oh, Little Dreamer.” I sighed, shaking my head.

I walked over to the bedroom door and closed it, locking it for good measure. I didn’t want interruptions today. I was going to get my girl back, if it was the last thing I did.

Nico

Hours later I was still sitting with a catatonic Maya.

I had gone so far as to call her therapist looking for help.

The therapist lady, Dr. Burns, had been very concerned when I explained the full details behind Maya’s capture.

She had immediately wanted to call the police, but I explained that the police were already involved and that now Maya needed to recover.

I might have lied to the woman, but I couldn’t have her calling the cops.

I needed to get Maya to snap out of her dissociative episode so we could fucking talk shit out.

With Dr. Burns on a video call, I just start talking to Maya about everything.

“I’m sorry I had to leave last night, Little Dreamer.

I had a family dinner and you know how demanding my cousin can be about those things.

I thought I was leaving you in good hands with Marcos and Jason.

I didn’t know they would you leave you and Luke alone.

I thought they knew better by this point. ”

I glanced at Maya; she was still staring off in front of her. “I beat the shit out of Jason. He was the one that was supposed to stay with you. I needed Marcos last night, but Jason was supposed to be here. So when you see him, he’s rocking some colorful bruises to his face.”

Still no response from Maya.

“Keep going,” Dr. Burns said, softly.

“Luke is pissed at Marcos. He punched Marcos this morning, right in the jaw. Marcos didn’t even see that shit coming, it was glorious. His head snapped to the side and everything. Luke remembered everything I taught him.”

“You taught him how to fight?” Maya’s voice cracked.

I didn’t bring attention to the fact that she was back, I just continued my conversation. “Yeah. He’s pretty good at it too. We brought him down to my cousin’s boxing gym in Creekton. Letting him get his anger and aggression out in a healthy way, showing him how to hit the punching bag.”

Maya blinked at him. “You taught my son how to fight?” Her voice was stronger now, a little more aggressive.

I pretended like I didn’t hear the anger leaking through. I smirked slightly at the doctor on the phone. “Sure did! He’s a fucking natural too. You should have seen him clock Marcos this morning. Bad ass little dude, for sure.”

Maya sat up abruptly. “Nicolai. Randall. Gage. What the fuck?”

Fucking finally . “Welcome back, Little Dreamer.”

“Hello, Maya, how are you feeling?” Dr. Burns to the fucking rescue , I thought as the doctor spoke up.

Maya’s eyes flashed to the phone in my hand. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she stared at the face of her therapist on the phone. “Dr. Burns?”

“Hi, dear,” Dr. Burns said. “Nico, be a dear and give Maya your phone, then skidaddle so we can have some privacy.”

I laughed and handed over my phone to Maya. “Sure thing, Doc. Maya I’m going to make you something to eat.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead and turned for the door.

“I’m not finished with you, Nicolai,” Maya called after me.

“Never, Little Dreamer. You’re mine for life,” I called over my shoulder.

I went downstairs to the kitchen. Marcos and Jason were lounging on the couch and both men perked as I came down the steps. “How is she?”

“She’s talking to her therapist,” I said, as I rounded the bottom landing. I passed them and headed into the kitchen, otherwise ignoring them. I was still pissed off at the pair of them and wanted to kick their asses—Jason had gotten off easy in my mind.

Both of them got up and followed me into the kitchen. “But she’s talking at least?” Marcos asked.

“Yep,” I deadpanned. I glance over my shoulder at him as I walk to the fridge and laugh as I take in the split lip and the bruise forming on his jaw. “Luke got you good.”

“Yeah.” Marcos huffed.

“How did you get her out of it?” Jason asked.

“I told her that Luke punched Marcos and how I was teaching him to fight down at Leo’s.

She didn’t seem too happy about it.” I shrugged.

I pulled out sandwich stuff from the fridge, taking stock of what was in there.

I could send one of them for a grocery run, because I was not leaving Maya alone anytime soon.

Marcos shook his head.

Jason stared out the back window.

Both men were fucking wallowing in their own self fucking pity and it pissed me off. They needed to get their heads out of their asses and fix shit with Maya…and soon.

A moment later I heard Maya’s feet pounding on the stairs before she burst into the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks when she saw both Marcos and Jason standing there, but she ignored them and focused on me. “I want to go to Chicago this weekend.”

“Can you handle sitting in a car that long?” I ask, not saying no. I will never say no to again.

“I don’t know, but if we have to stop, so be it. I’m going to Chicago this weekend.”

I fucking love the fire in her voice. “Alright. I’ll drive you.”

She nodded her head once, like she already thought about that. Then she looked down at the sandwich I had just finished making. “Is this for me?”

“Sure thing, Little Dreamer.” I pushed the plate toward her.

A faint smile tugged at her hips. “Thanks.”

She grabbed the plate and walked away, heading back upstairs.

I smile, staring after her. I’ll get my woman back, one way or the other.

“You can’t go to Chicago.” Marcos sighed.

“Fucking stop me.” I turned and stared him down.

He rubbed a hand over his hair; the buzz was growing out and made him look younger. Weariness plagued at him though. “I mean you can, of course, but fuck.”

“Yeah, about sums shit up with you anymore man,” I shake my head.

“Maybe while we’re gone, you can get your head on straight, figure your shit out?

Both of you?” I glanced at Jason. “Maya needs us, now more than ever. I already told you; I’m all in with her.

So figure out if you are or not too, then fucking grovel your way back into her good graces. ”