Page 35 of Brandishing Betrayals (Devil’s Psychos MC #2)

Maya

T wenty minutes before.

I was reading a book and dozing on and off on the couch Sunday afternoon while I waited for Luke to get home from his guys’ trip with Marcos and Jason. I had enjoyed the weekend with Nico and had been surprised when my mother didn’t give me much flack about being gone two weekends in a row.

There was a quiet knock on the front door before it opened. My head whipped over in surprise and then relaxed a bit when I saw Nico walking in the house. “Hey, Little Dreamer,” he greeted me with a smile.

“Hey.”

Nico doesn’t say anything until he’s standing before me, then he crouches down before the couch. “Why’d you take off this morning?” He’s direct, as usual, and it makes my heart skip a beat.

“I got scared,” I answered honestly.

Nico’s mouth opened then closed quickly, as if he wasn’t expecting my honest answer. “Scared,” he repeated.

I sat up, turning to face him head on, my legs slotting between his squatted thighs. “Yes.” I nodded. “I woke up at four this morning and got so overwhelmed. I needed to get away.”

“From me.”

I sucked in a breath and released it slowly. “From myself, my emotions at that moment.”

“Why didn’t you just wake me? We could have talked them out.”

“I can’t talk about it Nico. I’ve told you that.”

“So is this about what’s going on that has you too scared to talk to me or Marc or Jase.”

I sighed and looked down at my hands, my fingers were twisting around a piece of the fringe on the throw pillow.

God, I wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull his face closer to mine, to kiss him passionately.

I couldn’t do that, though. No matter how much I wanted to, I needed to put a distance between us again.

“Do you regret sleeping with me?” Nico asked, jolting me out of my head.

“I could never regret that, Nic,” I admitted before I thought better of it.

“I love you, Maya. I hope you know I’d do anything to protect you.” He reached out and tucked a stray hair behind my ear.

Tears welled in my eyes and I swallowed thickly. “I love you too,” I murmured. “But we can’t be together.”

Nic ground his molars, the vein in his jaw popping, reminding me of Jason or Marcos’s mannerisms. Nic was the happy one, not the angry one—I was clearly upsetting him.

I couldn’t blame him though, I knew how utterly ridiculous I was being.

It was time to put up the wall between us again, force him to hate me.

It was the only way to keep everyone safe.

“You should go.”

“Maya.”

“Don’t Nic,” I shook my head.

Clearly annoyed, he stood up abruptly and backed away. I stood up too, hoping to gain some even footing with him. “I don’t understand,” he said, his voice soft. “You know we can help you; you just need to tell me who it is.”

I shook my head. “I don’t need your help.”

“Don’t need, or don’t want?”

“Both.” I shot back, annoyed. I glared at him. “Just go already, stop pushing for something you’re not going to get.”

“Right,” Nico said, sardonically. “You love me, but not enough to fight for me—for us.”

I shrugged a shoulder and crossed my arms over my chest. “Stop being so fucking dramatic. Not everything revolves around you, Nico. I’m only here for my parents and because Luke asked about Marcos.”

He laughed incredulously. Shaking his head, Nico turned away from me.

“Alright, Maya. Tell yourself that if you have too, but I’m not going anywhere.

” He walked out the door a moment later, leaving me standing in the middle of the living room feeling anxious.

He wouldn’t stop, I knew he wouldn’t, and now I was worried Nico was going to tell Jason and Marcos, and all of three of them would be up my ass looking for the truth—more so than they already were.

I turned away from the door and just sat back down on the couch. I heard Nico’s car drive away when I finally picked up my book again. Just as I was settling into my book again, the front door opened again. “Nico, I said—”

“Not Gage,” a deep nasally voice said as he walked toward me.

Whipping my head to the door, I let out a quiet shriek of surprise.

Jumping up, I tried to back away from the intruder, but he was on me too quickly.

“Keep your voice down now,” Dax Hillcrest growled, wrapping his hand around my throat.

“Wouldn’t want to alert your parents down the hall now, would we? ”

I gulped as he shoved me back against the wall of the living room. “Please,” I begged quietly. “Please, I haven’t said anything to anyone.”

“Trust me, bitch, if I thought you had talked, you’d be dead already.” He squeezed my neck tighter. “But you’re getting awfully chummy with Gage, Langford and Candella. Can’t have you getting any ideas now.”

“I haven’t said anything, I won’t.” I tried to explain, but he only shook his head.

“You don’t get it, whore. I will kill each and every single person you care about, starting with your little bastard chil—”

“Please don’t!” I begged. “Please. I haven’t said anything. I won’t tell them anything. I’ll keep my distance. Please don’t hurt my baby.”

“I don’t thin—”

“What the fuck is this?” Marcos’s voice boomed in the small living room.

I jerked in Hillcrest’s hold, looking over his shoulder I found both Marcos and Jason standing in the door way, Glocks raised and pointed at us. I gasped.

“Don’t you dare tell them,” Hillcrest muttered in my ear.

“Dax, please?” I begged quietly.

“Better sell it.” He slid his hand from around my throat to cup my face.

Dax glanced over his shoulder to smirk at Marcos and Jason before he slammed his lips against mine and kissed me.

His hand lifted my chin and angled my head so he could deepen the kiss, while the other wrapped around my hair, fisting it tightly, all while his fingers dug in painfully to my jaw, reminding me of my place.

Sell it , I told myself and wrapped my arms around his back, digging my fingers into his back, trying to stab him with my nails. Forcing myself to kiss the disgusting monster was something else though. I had to breathe through my nose and try not to gag. He tasted of stale cigarettes and whisky.

“What the fuck is this?” Jason growled.

I used his question to break off the kiss with Hillcrest. “What do you think it looks like Jason?” I asked, rolling my eyes.

“It looks like you’re fucking the enemy,” Marcos growled.

I laughed, “Guess, I am. But he’s not my enemy.” The words felt like ash in my mouth. I forced myself to smirk over at Marcos and Jason, forced myself to lick my lips and tilt my head back against the wall, and press my tits against Hillcrest’s chest.

Hillcrest laughed deeply, his nasally voice sounded more like a wheeze than a laugh.

It took everything in me not to cringe or wince under his hand. He was a disgusting man, and having him so close to me was making me sick.

Marcos and Jason looked devastated—utterly betrayed. I needed to brandish that betrayal like a weapon and use it, hone it. Drive home the lie and push them away. It was the only fucking way.

“You lost your chance with her,” Dax goaded. “She’s mine now.”

“They just can’t seem to get over the fact that I left years ago,” I drawled, rubbing my hands over Dax’s back. “They’re still holding a flame for me.”

“Trust me, we’re not,” Jason growled.

“You’re not bringing this piece of shit around my son,” Marcos growled.

I eyed them both warily. Marcos and Jason still had their guns held out in front of them, neither one of them looked interested in putting down the weapons.

Dax’s hand left my jaw and slid down my chest to grope my breast painfully, while the other pulled my hair, yanking my head back farther.

I forced myself to moan instead of cry out as I wanted to.

He was practically sexually assaulting me right in front of them and there was nothing I could say or do to stop it.

I needed Marcos and Jason to leave.

“For fucks sake,” Jason snapped. “Come on, Killer. Leave the whore, we don’t need her.”

Jason walked out the front door, leaving Marcos inside. “I should just kill you now and save everyone the hassle,” Marcos said.

My heart skipped a beat. Fuck, I wished he would. Killing Dax would solve most of my problems.

Dax laughed and pressed harder against me while looking back over his shoulder at Marcos. “Go head.” Dax said it so nonchalantly, even I was dumbfounded. When he captured my mouth in another kiss, it took everything in me to not gag and push him away.

Finally, I heard the door slam shut and I pulled away from Dax. Looking over Dax’s shoulder, I watched Marcos walk down the driveway toward the truck. I roughly pushed Dax away from me. “Get off me,” I growled.

I was shaking with rage that I had been put in this situation.

“Remember, Maya, don’t say a word, or all of your boys and your son are dead.” Dax threatened me for the hundredth time. “I’m losing my patience. I will kill every single person you care about.”

I watched out the front window as Marcos and Jason got back in the truck. Marcos started the engine and backed out the driveway immediately, taking Luke with him. My heart raced as it sunk into my belly. He was supposed to drop off Luke… where were they going?

“I get it! I won’t say anything!” I pleaded.

Dax took his fucking time stepping away from me and leaving my house. Only when he was out the door and down the driveway, did I slide down the wall and crumple onto the floor in a sobbing heap.

My mother chose that moment to leave her bedroom and come out into the living room. Elaine’s disappointment was evident on her face as she tsked softly and shook her head. “You should have come clean. That was the moment. Those boys would have saved you.”

I sobbed harder, knowing in my heart that my mother was right.