Page 42 of Brandishing Betrayals (Devil’s Psychos MC #2)

Maya

L uke’s first football game of the season dawned bright and early Saturday morning.

An eight-a.m. football game on a Saturday morning should be illegal.

I was still reeling from being served the legal papers the day before and didn’t sleep much.

I wondered if Marcos would be at the game that morning and anxiety gripped me.

It was getting harder and harder to see my guys and not confess, to not break down and cry and beg them for forgiveness.

Life was just getting harder and harder to navigate.

After dropping Luke off at the school entrance, I drove over to the parking lot and took my time in the vehicle.

The game didn’t start for another twenty minutes, and I wasn’t too worried about finding a seat in the stands; it’s not like I couldn’t just squeeze in anywhere being there by myself.

I really didn’t want to be there too early and then get trapped by one of the guys—Marcos or Nico especially.

Sitting in my car, listening the music softly, I looked around the parking lot of all the happy families laughing and joking as they headed toward the football field.

Tears lined my eyes of how much I missed out on—how much I denied my son—by leaving.

When we were in Chicago, we’d had that with Jenna and Brad—family outings and happy mornings—but those were hard too with how expensive everything was in the city and I was a single mother, not making anywhere close to what Jenna and Brad were making.

And there were only so many times I could handle my sister offering to pay. It just sucked.

I was ruminating over my life when my passenger door opened unexpectedly and I startled. “Probably should start locking your doors, Maya.” Hillcrest’s nasally voice grated on her nerves.

Turning to face him, I finally snapped. “Fuck off, already. I’m tired of playing you—”

Hillcrest’s hand wrapped around my neck and he slammed my head backwards into the glass of the driver’s door behind me. Choking me, he leaned into my space, despite the center console between us. “Ah, ah, ah,” he tsked, squeezing my neck tighter. “You’ve been a bad, bad girl.”

I gulped—or tried too—as I stared at him in fright.

“I think you’ve forgotten what’s at stake here,” he continued.

I tried to shake my head vehemently. “I haven’t! I haven’t said any—”

“Stop lying!” he shouted in my face. “I saw you Monday night, making out with Candella at the end of your driveway. And you spent the night at Gage’s on Saturday.

I’m done playing around, Maya. Now you get to deal with the consequences of your actions.

” The let go of my throat abruptly and pulled away.

I’m left gasping against the door as Hillcrest climbed out of my car. Fear gripping my heart as the reality of what just happened settled on me. I’m done playing around, Maya. Now you get to deal with the consequences of your actions.

Fuck.

My heart pounded in my chest. My ears rang and my breathing started coming out in short, fast puffs. Oh fuck.

A knock on the window behind me had me whipping around in fright, yelling out.

Slade’s bright smiled dimmed as she saw the utter terror in my eyes.

“Maya?” she called through the closed car door.

Slade opened the door and crouched down beside me, her hands cupping my face gently. “Maya, what’s going on?”

I gasped for breath, clinging to Slade’s wrists. “I fucked up. Dax saw me kiss Marcos Monday night. He was just here, in the car. He said he was done playing around and I would have to deal with the consequences.”

“Fuck. Maya you have to tell them. Right now.”

“I can’t, I can’t,” I shook my head vehemently.

“If you don’t, I will!”

“No, no, no! Please, Slade. Please don’t,” I begged her frantically. I held Slade’s wrists tighter; I needed her to listen. Slade couldn’t say anything.

“Ok, ok,” Slade agreed, soothing me. “Shh, it’s ok. I won’t say anything.”

“Promise me!” I said, my eyes flaring wide as I stared at Slade. “Promise me!”

“I promise, I promise,” Slade said, nodding. “Maya, I promise you.”

I looked around the parking lot frantically. “He has people watching me always. He always knows what I’m doing, who I’m with. He will know if you say something.”

Slade stiffened, but nodded. “Ok. I promise. I won’t tell anyone.”

I took a deep breath and slowly let go of Slade’s wrists. “What are you doing here?” I asked, after moment.

Slade chuckled softly and shook her head. “I thought I’d come see Luke’s first game. Come support you, too. I didn’t want you sitting alone for his game—in case things were weird with the guys.”

I laughed and then continued to laugh hysterically, until I was almost sobbing in front of Slade.

“Fuck, Maya.” Slade sighed.

“I know, I know. I’m a fucking mess.” I shook my head. Hastily wiping my eyes, I tried to calm my breathing. “Fucking hell.” I let out a deep breath. “Girl, I have so much to tell you.”

Slade chuckled lightly. “I bet.” Standing up, Slade stepped away from the car, giving me the space to get out of the vehicle.

I composed myself, checking my make up in the rearview mirror and cleaning up my eyeliner. Slapping my sunglasses over my puffy eyes, I grabbed my ice coffee and keys, before I climbed out of the car and closed the door. “Fucking hell,” I said, glancing around the busy parking.

“Yeah, game’s in five minutes. We gotta roll,” Slade said, glancing at the time on her phone.

“Shit. Let’s go.”

Maya

The game turned out to be not that bad. Slade and I found a spot on the opposite end of the bleachers than where Marcos, Jason, and Nico were sitting.

I managed to ignore them for most of the game, cheering on Luke with all my might.

I tried not to show that anything was amiss with me, which should have been easy after all the practice I’d had lately, but it was still torture.

Slade was fantastic though. After telling her all about the paternity test subpoena I had been served the day before, Slade glared over at Marcos as much as possible throughout the game.

She had kept up a constant stream of chatter too, keeping my brain off of everything going on.

She even managed to make me laugh a couple times and cheered like a crazy person when Luke scored a touchdown.

She had been a complete life saver.

A couple of the moms had walked over to me after the game, introducing themselves as mothers of other players—names of boys I recognized because Luke talked about them. It was nice to meet other moms, especially in the area.

After we exchanged phone numbers, the women left, leaving Slade and I alone to wait for Luke.

He was still on the field with his team, huddled around the coach.

While the kids all listened and ate a snack, I thanked Slade for coming.

“Seriously girl, I don’t know if I could have made it through this without you. ”

Slade wrapped an arm around me and hugged me close. “After what you said about everything lately, I don’t know how you’re still standing.”

I wrapped an arm around Slade’s waist and sighed. “I just have to keep moving forward.”

The huddle on the field broke apart and Luke came running off the field. He stopped halfway to the stands, looking back and forth between Marcos and I at either end of the bleachers, wondering who he should go to first.

I smiled sadly and waved him toward his dad. “Go on!” I plastered a smile on my face, so he’d know I didn’t mind—even if my heart was breaking.

I wished so badly that things were different, that Luke didn’t have to choose.

Even though I told him it was ok, he still bounded over to me and Slade. “Slade!” he shouted, wrapped himself around her in a giant hug.

Slade laughed and hugged him back. “Hey Luke, buddy! Great game!”

“Thanks, Slade!”

“Nice touchdown, honey! That was awesome!” I said when Luke finally threw himself into my arms.

“Thanks Mom.” Luke grinned brightly and hugged me tighter before he let me go. “I’m gonna go say hi to dad and the guys.”

“Go head! I’ll be here.”

“He’s so grown up, it’s amazing to me,” Slade said, sitting back down on the bench while Luke walked over to Marcos and the guys.

I sat down as well. “Yeah,” she said softly.

“How does he feel about all of this?” Slade asked, looking over at me.

“He wishes things were different. He hasn’t asked me out right why I’m not with Marcos, not anything more than when he first asked last year and I told him that we just didn’t work out, but I know it’s coming. I can feel him needing to know more.”

“Yeah, it’s only a matter of time, especially when he has to submit to a cheek swab.” Slade sighed.

“Thank you for today,” I murmured, looking down at my hands. I twisted my fingers around a frayed edge of my cutoff jeans.

“No worries. I had fun. Want me to kick Marcos’s ass for you?”

I chuckled softly. “Nah… maybe Jason’s though.”

“Consider it done.”

My phone rang and I picked it up from the bench beside me and sighed when I saw my mother’s phone number. “Hey mom,” I answered the phone.

“Maya!” My mother screamed on the phone, frantic. “Maya, your father! He’s gone!”

I gasped loudly; fear immediately griped my heart as it sunk into my stomach. “What?” I asked in disbelief.

“You need to come home! Please!”

“Yeah, mom. I’m on my way.” I hung up the phone and snapped into action. “My dad’s gone.”

“Shit,” Slade swore.

“Yeah. I gotta go.” My eyes snapped over to where Luke was laughing with his dad and Jason and Nico. Nico’s eyes were on me, watching intently as I slowly stood up.

I steeled my spine as I descended the bleachers and walked over to Luke. Marcos looked up as I walked over and I watched the smile slide right off his face as he met my gaze. “Can I talk to you a minute?” I asked.

He nodded once.

I walked a few steps away from everyone and turned to Marcos. “Can you watch him today? Something just came up.”

Marcos’s eyes narrowed on me. “It’s not my weekend.”

Disbelief and astonishment flashed across my face before I schooled myself. “Never mind.” I shook my head and turned away.

“Wait,” Marcos said. “He can hang with me today.”

I walked over to Luke like I didn’t hear Marcos, shutting him out. “Luke, buddy,” I said, getting his attention. “I’ve gotta go, your grandma needs me. Your dad said you can hang with him today. There are extra clothes in your bag, and your phone. I will call you later on, ok?”

Luke grinned brightly and nodded. “Of course! Thanks mom!” He wrapped me in a bear hug.

I hugged him back and pressed a kiss to his forehead before I turned and walked away, not looking at either of the men standing with my son.

Slade caught up to me quickly. “Come on, I’ll drive you.”

I shook my head. “I need my car. I’m ok to drive. Just follow me.” I glanced at her.

“Of course.”

Maya

My parents’ house was already crawling with emergency responders when I drove up. I wasn’t able to pull in the driveway due to all the vehicles, so I parked as close as I could and ran the rest of the way to the house.

“Mom?” I called out, as I ripped open the front door.

My mother was standing in the living room, talking to uniformed officer, with the hospice nurse, Clarice, was standing beside her. “What happened?” I asked, interrupting the conversation.

Elaine turned to me, teary eyed, and reached for me. “He just stopped breathing. I went to start breakfast and was gone maybe ten minutes. No longer than we’d usually leave him and he stopped breathing in that time.”

I hugged my mother tightly. “It’s ok, it’s ok.” I murmured soothingly to her, rubbing her back as tears fell down her face.

Clarice met my eye over my mother’s shoulder. “This was always going to happen. We can’t predict these things.” She spoke calmly and soothingly.

I nodded and closed my eyes, hugging my mother as the tears poured down my own face. I knew that, had known that, but still it felt too soon. I looked over at the police officer who was pocketing his notepad. “Everything ok?” I asked.

He nodded, “Yes, it’s routine that we come when there’s a death involved, even with hospice. After the speaking with the nurse, I’ve got everything I need. I am very sorry for your loss.” The officer headed toward the door and walked out of the house.

I nodded once. “Thank you.” I turned to look down the hall toward her parents’ bedroom as I pulled away from my mother. Slade shifted in the living room and I sought her out. “Slade, shit.” I sighed. “You don’t have to stay. Thank you for following me. I appreciate it.”

“No, no.” Slade shook her head. “You do whatever you need to. I’ll be here if you need anything.” She picked up my book from the couch and held it up. “I’ll be good.”

I nodded absently and turned back to the hallway, mustering up the courage to walk that way.

“His body is still there. You can say good-bye if you’d like. It’ll be a while yet before the coroner will be here to pick up his body,” Clarice said gently.

I walked slowly toward my parents’ bedroom, wondering what I might find. The first thing I noticed was the window was open. Why was the window open?

My father looked peaceful though, so I supposed that was a plus.

His once handsome face was lined with wrinkles and gray in pallor.

Other than that, he looked peaceful, like he had just fallen asleep.

I took the chair next to his bed and slid my hand into his.

His skin was cool and his fingers stiff as rigor mortis was setting in already.

I bowed my head over his hand and let the sobs take me. I knew this moment was coming, but it still wasn’t easy.