Page 47 of Brandishing Betrayals (Devil’s Psychos MC #2)

Maya

T he funeral for my father took place on Friday. A single-day Celebration of Life, that included a viewing at the church, followed by Mass, then a progression to the burial site. From there we headed back to my parents’ house for a potluck repast that everyone was invited to.

It was a lot. I was both emotionally and physically drained.

Jenna had been a godsend, organizing everything and running around like a headless chicken.

It helped that she was a little more detached from the situation, a little more pragmatic about it.

She was still sad, but as a doctor, she understood that her father had only been living on borrowed time since his accident.

While I had known that as well, it was harder for me after being here taking care of him this whole time, and knowing in the end, my father had been murdered.

I didn’t have the heart to tell her about Hillcrest. Jenna already knew that he’d been harassing me; it would only add fuel to the fire and Jenna would demand I tell the guys.

Or she would tell them herself, like my mother was promising to do.

My nerves were shot, having to play hostess and conversate with a million people I hadn’t seen in years was tiresome.

Though I had about died when Karma and Arturo Ventura showed up, along with Stephanie Stonewall, and Hunter Maxwell—my ex from college—and his roommate Travis Miles.

It had been a blast from the past that had immediately reduced me to tears over the friendships and life that I had lost when I had to move away.

No one had understood why I had left Marcos, Jason, and Nico.

I hadn’t been able to tell any of them anything.

And then my abrupt move to Chicago had put a strain on my friendships that were already drifting apart after college.

Only Slade had stuck around, mostly because Slade had gotten the truth out of me one night in Chicago after a long grueling tattoo session—where I had broken down in tears and confessed everything.

Seeing everyone again today was heartbreaking—the whole damn day was heartbreaking. Even Marcos, Nico, and Jason showed up, which I really hadn’t expected. But I was glad, because they had kept Luke company.

The repast at the house was finally winding down, and my mother and I were in the kitchen cleaning things up, but it was clear my mother was in a tizzy about something. “What’s going on?” I narrowed my eyes on her, trying to keep my voice down from anyone in earshot.

“I’ll talk to you in the garage.” Elaine walked away before I could respond.

I bit back a snarky comment as I followed her into the garage.

The entrance was off the hallway that led to my parents’ bedroom.

I closed the door behind me as I walked outside.

The overhead garage door was wide open on the beautiful summer afternoon, and I was immediately sweating as I stood before my mother, wondering what the hell was on her mind that couldn’t wait until everyone was gone.

“You need to tell them,” Elaine started immediately, turning to look at me with anger in her gaze.

I sighed deeply. “No, I don’t. It’s fine, everything is fine.”

“No, it’s not fine ,” Elaine snapped. “Your father is dead because it is not fine ! You need to tell Marcos and those boys!”

“I can’t tell them! Hillcrest already killed dad!

” I yelled at my mother, losing my cool.

Emotions warred inside me; anger, fear, anxiety and grief all swirled within me, threatening to pour out.

This was not the time for this conversation, not when we had a house full of guests.

“He’s already threatened Luke’s life if I say anything!

He already thinks I’m too close to them!

He said he would kill them next.” A sob tore out of me. My shoulders hunching in as I sobbed.

“You tell those boys, tell Marcos, or I will,” Elaine said. She spoke so calmly, her eyes drifting over my face and then past me to the inside garage door behind me.

“Tell us what?” Marcos’s deep voice rang out from behind me, sending a shiver down my spine.

A startled ‘eep’ escaped me as I glanced over my shoulder to face not only Marcos, Nico, and Jason, but also Kara. The guys looked pissed off and had clearly heard everything, while Kara looked at me concerned.

Kara pushed past the boys and walked over to me, immediately wrapping her arms around me. “Did we hear you right? Dax Hillcrest killed your father?” Kara’s voice was gentle and soothing as she pulled me into her.

“Yes,” Elaine spoke up. “I walked in on him leaving, the pillow was still over Harry’s face and Dax was climbing out the window. He looked back and I saw his face clear as day. He said if I said anything to the three of you, I’d be next.”

“Motherfucker,” Marcos swore, stalking toward me. “Why the fuck haven’t you come to me before?” he growled.

I flinched away from him.

“Back off, Marcos!” Kara snapped, holding me tighter.

Marcos didn’t budge; he still loomed over me.

I lifted my chin and channeled my rage. “He threatened Luke!” I shouted at him. “He said if I told you guys, he would kill Luke!”

“And why the fuck would he even care about Luke? What’s he got over you? Why does he even care about you?” Jason’s deep voice cut me to the bone.

“I saw something I shouldn’t have. Back then,” I admitted, my breathing labored.

Nico

Finally, we were getting somewhere! I thought as Maya gasped for breath.

I pushed away from the doorway and walked over to her and Kara.

Marcos hovered over them, but I didn’t care, I pulled Maya and Kara into my arms, holding them both against my chest as a way to gather Maya to me, without ticking off Kara.

“Little Dreamer, what did you see?” I asked softly.

Maya buried her face in my chest as one of her arms wrapped around me tightly.

“I saw him kill someone. Ten years ago, I was at the gas station one night after working late. I was getting gas when Hillcrest came flying in, following this BMW. They both got out of the car, Hillcrest and this older white man—I later found out he was the mayor—but Dax fired several rounds into his chest, killing him. Dax saw me watching them and got in my face, he grabbed my work badge and said he now knew who I was and where I worked, and if I said anything, he would kill me too.” Maya took a shuddering breath against my chest and clung to me tighter.

“Motherfucker,” Marcos swore again.

I met his gaze over the girls’ heads and shook my head, trying to get Marcos to back off. “Then what happened, Little Dreamer?” I asked softly, rubbing her back. I needed to know every single detail. All of it.

“Then he figured out who you guys were, that’s when the flowers started showing up—at work or in my car, taunting me.

He started leaving notes that said he would kill the three of you next.

Then one day it was like he got bored with it, or something happened with the club, I don’t remember, but he cornered me at the grocery store and told me to leave town or he was going to kill you guys, and give me to his crew to play with. ”

Jason hissed over by the door, and I looked over at him to see him leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed over his chest.

Ignoring him, I pushed Maya further. “Then what happened?”

“Then I told him to f-off. I wasn’t going to leave! I swear, I didn’t want to! I promise you I didn’t want to!” She sobbed harder against my chest.

“Shh, it’s ok, it’s ok,” I murmured. “I know, baby girl. I know.”

“But he had already shot Marcos and Jason the week before.” Maya’s voice caught in her throat again.

I made eye contact with Jason as he watched on quietly, while I slowly coaxed the truth from her. “Yeah, I remember how rattled you were then,” I muttered.

“I was so fucking scared!” Her voice broke as another sob tore through her. “Then, the party at the clubhouse. I wasn’t feeling well from when we played in the woods. I couldn’t get ahold of you guys. I tried calling, but no one would pick up! I was going to stay home.”

“I know, baby,” I soothed. “We saw the missed calls and heard the voicemails.”

“My head wasn’t right after how we left things during the scene—when Marcos brought up renegotiating in the middle of the scene—it fucked with my head, I didn’t know what to think.

Then I woke up alone that morning, and I was still experiencing sub-drop and some after effects from the hypothermia—I wasn’t in a good place. ”

“We never should have left you alone,” I said.

“I knew I had to see you, if you weren’t answering the phone. I was going to ask you take me to the hospital—I knew something was wrong.”

I sucked in a breath, my eyes darting to Marcos and Jason.

Marcos face had fallen, his tan skin looking almost pale, while Jason’s mouth opened, like he was going to say something, but quickly closed it.

“But then at the clubhouse… I saw Marcos smiling at her—at Trish—and I just lost it. During our fight Trish told me who she was to Dax, and passed along a message from him, the same message he delivered when he cornered me in the grocery store: leave town or he’d kill you guys and my parents.”

Maya shook her head and tried to pull away from me, but I held her and Kara tightly still.

“I don’t know, it hit different coming from her, seeing her in the clubhouse, like nothing was safe anymore.

Then you got arrested that night, Nico, and Marcos texted that Hillcrest had you framed for false charges…

” She broke off shaking her head. “In my mind, I had to go. It wasn’t safe anymore.

Hillcrest could get to you guys at any time and he had the power to have you arrested.

I couldn’t be the reason you guys were killed… so I left.”

“Jesus fucking hell.” I let out a deep breath.

“And Luke?” Marcos’s voice was gruff, but soft.

Maya pushed away from me, and I finally let her so she could turn to face Marcos directly. “I didn’t know I was pregnant until I was in Chicago for a week. I swear, I didn’t leave here knowing I was pregnant.”

Marcos looked absolutely gutted. The emotion in his dark eyes was heart breaking. I felt it too, but right now wasn’t the time to fall apart in front of Maya. We needed to be strong for her, we could fall apart later.

Maya’s face was wet and blotchy, her makeup was mostly rubbed against my dress shirt, but I didn’t care, she was still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

“Why didn’t you come back?” Jason asked, his voice so hoarse and soft I almost didn’t hear him.

Maya wiped at her eyes as she started crying again. “I wanted to. I was going to, but then I heard you and Marcos were arrested and sent to State—”

“Fuck,” Marcos swore.

“Everything I heard from Creekton wasn’t good.” Maya shrugged a shoulder. “All I knew was that Creekton or even Mourningside wasn’t safe, and I had my baby to protect, so I stayed away.”

Jason nodded his head once, as if the answer was enough for him.

“Maya,” Kara spoke softly. “I’m so sorry. I wasn—”

“Don’t.” Maya shook her head as more tears fell. “You had your own shit going on. Don’t do that. I can’t hand—” A sob broke out of her again and I pulled her back into my arms, tucking her head under my chin.

“Thank you for telling us the truth, Maya.” I pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

“I’m sorry,” Maya cried, as sobs wracked her body. “I’m so sorry!”

There was nothing we could do to change the past, but hopefully with time, we could move forward.