Page 34 of Brandishing Balance (Devil’s Psychos MC #3)

Maya

I woke to the shrill sound of a cell phone ringing.

Still wrapped in Marcos’s arms, I grumbled when he jostled me to reach for the phone.

The room was still dimly lit, but there were thick blackout curtains covering the windows, so it was hard to tell.

All I knew was that I was exhausted still, considering we lay awake talking to the early hours of the morning.

“Yeah,” Marcos grunted as he answered the phone. “What?” He slid me off of him and sat up.

I sighed, curling on my side to watch him. He looked concerned.

“Alright, see you soon.” He hung up the phone and stood from the bed. “That was Kara, she and her guys are on their way over here.”

I sat up and frowned. “What happened?”

“Kara’s father was killed in jail.” Marcos ran a hand over his head, his fingers sliding through the hair that was growing out.

My heart hammered in my chest at the news.

Kara had to be devastated. I got up on my knees and walked across on the mattress toward Marcos, taking in his messy bedhead hair and scruffy beard thinking he never looked so hot.

It wasn’t the time, but I needed to say something, anyway.

“Hey,” I murmured, reaching out for him.

He wrapped his arms around me immediately. “Hey,” he murmured.

“I know it's not the time, but I gotta tell you before you do something rash,” I started, rubbing my hand over his bare chest while I looped my other arm around his neck.

“Tell me what?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I like the longer hair and beard. They’re sexy as fuck. Please don’t cut or trim them,” I told him.

The devilish smirk he gave me had butterflies erupting in my stomach. My heart skipped a beat as he wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me in for an open mouth kiss. I moaned pressed closer into his shirtless body.

He pulled away before things could grow more heated and slapped my ass. “Get dressed, they’re already here,” he said, as a truck rumbled into the driveway.

I got up and finally looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was already after nine in the morning. “Fuck, I didn’t get up with Luke!”

“I’m sure Nico got him up and ready. Don’t worry,” Marcos said as he walked out of the bedroom.

I headed into my walk-in closet and pulled on the first outfit I could find.

A pair of jean shorts from the day before and a clean bra and tank top.

I dressed quickly before I walked into my attached bathroom.

Running a brush through my hair, I sighed in defeat at unruly curls before I grabbed a hair tie and put my hair up in a messy bun.

My body was feeling better after my ordeal. It had been over a week since I’ve been home from the hospital and my stomach didn’t as much hurt now. Besides my mind being all fucked up, my body was mostly healed.

I left the bedroom and headed down the stairs to the first floor.

I could hear the rumble voices as I descended.

Johnny Taylor, Kevin Adams, and Derrick Halson of the Ravager Knights MC stood in the kitchen in their menacing leather cuts.

Kara was with them, her baby girl in the car seat carrier on the floor at her feet, the little lady wide awake and cooing softly.

Kara looked up when I walked in and all conversation stopped when they realized I was standing there. “Hey,” Kara smiled. “You’re looking better.”

“Bitch, I look like shit,” I grumbled, earning laughter from the guys, but I walked over to her and hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry about your dad,” I murmured.

“Thanks.” She whispered as she hugged back.

“How you doing?” I asked softly, as I pulled away from her.

Kara sighed heavily and gave me a watery smile. “I didn’t think I would feel like this, you know?”

“It’s a hard situation all around,” I muttered, “Things with your dad were never easy. It’s natural to be upset.”

Kara wiped away a tear and nodded. “They weren’t, that’s for sure.”

Nico walked over and handed us both a cup of coffee.

I smiled gratefully and kissed him softly. Turning back to Kara, I asked, “What happened?” I glanced at Marcos over my shoulder too.

“He was killed in prison,” Kara said.

I turned to face the rest of the room, leaning back against the counter and sip my coffee as I watch them, waiting for someone to say something. “Who was it?”

“Hillcrest,” Marcos answered. “One of his guys.”

My face paled and my heart sunk into my stomach. “Was it retaliation for me?”

“No, Maya, don’t think that,” Kara said immediately.

“Retaliation for a lot,” Marcos nodded his head once. “We killed a lot of his men that night.”

“Did any of your men die?” I asked, feeling foolish for not thinking of it sooner.

“None,” Marcos said immediately. He walked through the kitchen toward me, the other guys stepping out of his way, so he could stand in front of me and grip my jaw between his thumb and forefinger.

He tilted my head back, so I was staring up at him.

Marcos eyes were intense, but I held his gaze.

“This was not your fault.” His voice was a low gravel that rumbled through his chest. “You hear me? This was not your fault.”

I blushed slightly at the intensity in his words and the fact that everyone in the room was watching us. “Marcos…”

“No, Maya. Hillcrest has terrorized you for long enough. He doesn’t get one more piece of you.

He did this because he’s a sadistic fuck, not because you did anything wrong.

You can’t let him win anymore.” Marcos was so adamant, I could only blink back at him and swallow thickly as tears lined my eyes.

“’k,” I breathed.

His eyes searched mine, as if looking for the lie. Then he kissed me, in front of everyone, his tongue sweeping in and devouring me whole. I clung to his cut, holding him against me.

“Damn, brother. Get a fucking room,” Kara said.

I tried to pull away, but Marcos still gripped my chin and he only held me tighter, refusing to let me go. I moaned softly before I pushed him away, blushing. Feeling the eyes of everyone in the room on me, as I met Marcos’s smirk. I buried my face into Marcos’s chest as several guys snickered.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Maya,” Kara said, chuckling. “I was giving my brother shit, not you. You do whatever the hell you want, damn the consequences.”

I pulled away from Marcos’s chest, my face red, and smile at her. Shrugging, I say. “I plan on it.”

Picking up my coffee again, I walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. “So what’s the plan?”

Johnny had an amused smile on his face as he glanced between me and Marcos. Scratching at his thick blond beard, he looked to Marcos. “Guess we’re waiting to hear how you want to handle Hillcrest.”

“We’re going to find him and his entire organization. We’re going to wipe them all out, but leave Hillcrest for last,” Marcos said.

“What the fuck?” Derrick groaned. “Why?”

“Because I’m going to serve him up on a platter for my old lady. Maya gets that kill.” Marcos said.

I gasp as his words register. My mouth slowly opened, only to close again when I find I have nothing to say.

Again, all fucking eyes are on me.

I met Jason’s eyes first, wondering what the hell he was thinking, as he was being his usual stony self. “You deserve it,” he said, his voice commanding.

A shiver went down my spine at the cadence of his voice. Every damn time that man spoke, it made me shiver. I loved his damn voice so fucking much… just about as much as I loved his stupid face and self. If only me and him could work past our shit.

Nico walked around the side of the kitchen table to kneel beside me, “This is your decision, Little Dreamer. Whatever you choose, I’ll be right beside you.”

I smiled and cupped the side of his face with my palm. “I would expect nothing less, Nicolai,” I murmured, then leaned forward and kissed him softly.

“You’d be ok with that? Killing Hillcrest?” Johnny asked, pushing the issue.

I pulled away from Nico and sighed. Scratching at my messy bun, I shrug a shoulder. “I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “But I know that if I can’t do it, one of my guys will.”

“Amen,” Marcos, Nico, and Jason said in unison.

A smirk tugged at Johnny’s lips as he studied me for a moment before he nodded. I didn’t know what he saw, but I felt confident in my decision. I wanted the chance to at least try . If I couldn’t do it in the end, then I knew my guys would make him suffer. I hoped they fucking tortured him first.