Page 25 of Eternal Pieces (The Violet Delights Duet #2)

MADDOX

A fter explaining to Dad what happened, he agreed to go back home early. Max and I spent the rest of the day glued to Violet’s side. She didn’t complain or ask for space once. The close proximity is what we all needed.

Violet told us exactly what happened with Aaron and divulged how her mom sprang up out of the blue as well. I want to deal with both of them, but hurting Violet’s mom would hurt her. If she shows up again, I’m not sure what I’ll do.

For now, knowing I get to deal with Aaron is enough to calm the rage inside me.

Max and I tried to make the day as nice as possible for Vi.

We took her mind off of it in all the ways she loves in the bedroom and watched her favorite movie after, cuddled up in bed until she fell asleep.

There’s no denying that she knows exactly what we’re planning.

It feels right to have her approval this time around.

Grabbing what we need, Max and I leave Vi sound asleep in bed and head to the car.

Earlier today, I got Sarah to tell me where Aaron lives. Turns out he’s part of a fraternity, and tonight is their graduation party. Luck must really be on our side because the party is actually a costume party.

I park a few blocks away, far enough away from the house to not have my car seen, but still within a good distance for a swift getaway.

We grab our costumes from the backseat and put them on once we near the party.

“We’ve really got our money’s worth out of these masks,” I joke to Max.

He doesn’t say anything back, doesn’t even chuckle a little.

I can feel his anger. If I don’t deflect it with humor, I worry it’ll eat me up like last time.

As pissed off and hungry for retribution as I am, one of us needs to keep a clear head and this time it seems like it’ll be me.

I’m no stranger to a house party, back in high school, I went to almost every one. But once Violet came into my life, they lost their appeal. Why would I want to be up close and personal with a bunch of sweaty strangers when I can do that with my gorgeous girl at home?

“Let’s split up. If you find him first, take him to a secluded room and text me where you are. I’ll do the same,” Max gives me my orders as we put our masks on at the edge of the lawn to the frat house.

I hold my baseball bat over my shoulder and salute Max.

“Yes, sir. What are we actually going to do once we have him?” I have plenty in mind, but since we didn’t want to leave Vi alone all day, we couldn’t make any plans, and the car ride here was full of silent tension rather than devious plotting.

“We’ll figure it out once we have him. Try and find his friend Theodore as well. We saw that he was part of it back when we first should have dealt with them. He could be sending those texts as well.”

I nod, confirming I’ve received my orders loud and clear. At the front door, we part ways inside. Max heads into a side room that looks like it leads to a kitchen and the back patio; I take the main hall, which has turned into a dance floor. Loud EDM blasts out of the speakers on the DJ’s set-up.

It’s packed tight in here. All sorts of costumes bump up against me. Slutty cops and bunny girls. One of them starts brushing up against me, and I nudge her away with the bat. I smirk as I imagine Vi dressed up in these outfits. Fuck that would be so hot.

There are some low-effort costumes as well, so no one pays much attention to my simple mask or cares why I have a baseball bat.

According to Sarah, the whole frat should be wearing togas. Very original. I spot a few jocks with white bed sheets wrapped around them and laurel wreaths on their heads. None of them are who I’m looking for. I could ask them where their friend is, but I can’t risk being remembered here tonight.

The next room over is less crowded. A few couples are making out on the couches, and there’s a game of beer pong being played on the pool table.

I’m about to move on to the next room when I spot another wreath-adorned head. Some girl dressed as a sexy cat has it hooked over one fuzzy ear as she makes out with a guy.

Pretending I’m going to the drinks table, I circle the couch. It’s Aaron. I’d recognize his tiny head anywhere.

I flop down next to them, my knee knocking against her leg. She looks blankly at me. I wave my hand, and she doesn’t blink. Lipstick is smeared across her dark cheek, and her mouth is losing a battle of tongues as Aaron persistently tries to get his down her throat.

I watch them for a little while, figuring out how to get him alone.

The girl is pretty out of it, her eyes are glassy, and the light of my mask reflects in them, making her look particularly cat-like.

She doesn’t stop looking at me as she struggles to keep up with Aarons’ one-sided game of tonsil tennis. Is she not enjoying herself?

Aaron’s hand goes between her legs, and she winces. No, she’s really not into it. I’m surprised I care. Guess my upcoming fatherhood has changed me for the better.

“How much?”

Aaron abruptly breaks off his tongue wars and slips his hand out from beneath her miniskirt. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Whoa, man.” I hold my hands up, the bat resting on my legs. “I heard you were the guy to see if I needed any party favors. Guess I’ll look elsewhere.”

I make to get up and he says, “Wait. Sash, fuck off for now. I’ll find you later.”

The girl barely registers what he’s saying, but hops off his lap and staggers out of the room.

“So how much then?” I repeat. “My friend is usually the one who buys our shit, but it’s my round tonight.”

Thinking he’s about to scam me out of everything I have on me, Aaron smirks and grabs his beer off the coffee table.

“Not here. Follow me.”

He takes me through another door that leads to the kitchen I saw earlier and outside to the patio. I’ve yet to see or hear from Max. He could still be searching, but something feels off.

“So who’s your friend?” Aaron asks, taking a packet of cigarettes out of the fold of his toga and lighting one up. He offers me one, and I shake my head.

“Joshua.” I pull the name out of my ass and hope for the best. “He usually gets his gear from Teddy.”

“Joshua…” Aaron mulls the name over as he leads me past the outdoor pool. More people are partying out here. All of them are too busy with themselves or each other to pay us any attention.

“I know a few Joshes.” He finishes the dregs of his beer and tosses the bottle into the pool. “Cool mask by the way. Reminds me of something. Is it from a movie?”

We stop by the closed doors of the pool house. It’s quieter over here. No lights on to attract the guests. The perfect spot for Max and me.

Aaron leans against a wooden pillar to scrutinize my outfit and waits for my answer.

“Yeah, a movie. So you gonna let me buy anything or not?”

He stares at me for a moment, dragging on his cigarette before flicking it to the floor and crushing it under his sandal.

“Sure. In here.” He points his thumb at the door, gesturing for me to go in first.

I take a look over my shoulder for any sign of Max, but don’t see him. Something still feels off, but at least the pool house will work for what we need.

Keeping myself alert, I head inside. Aaron closes the door behind us, and I sneak a look at my phone. No new texts yet.

“I keep it all in the kitchen, it’s just through there.”

Walking through the door Aaron’s pointing at, I keep the bat held tightly in my hand.

Shit. I knew something was off. Max is sitting on a chair, a bruise forming around his eye. His mask is glowing on the table next to him and his bat is in fucking Theodore’s hands as he chokes my brother with the metal.

“You really think James didn’t tell me about the dumb masks you guys wore?

Fucking idiots,” Aaron mutters the last part.

Catching me off guard, he knees me in the balls.

I involuntarily let go of the bat, and he grabs it before it hits the ground.

He yanks my mask off and drops it in front of me, then walks away with a smug smile on his face.

“Let my brother go you fucking psycho,” I wheeze, picking my mask up and stuffing it in the pocket of my leather jacket as I attempt to straighten up.

“Why the fuck would we do that when you came here ready to hurt us?” Theodore shouts, moving the bat closer to Max’s throat.

“You can’t scare us like you did James. And now that you have too much to lose you’re not going to do shit,” Aaron taunts.

Max’s face is pissed as he listens to the two guys try to sound macho, but he keeps still, biding his time. He’ll have a way out of this. That’s his thing. That’s always been his thing. My brother is the brains, and I’m the brawn. I just have to wait for his signal.

“What we have to lose is exactly why we’re going to destroy you. We should have killed your friend when we had the chance,” Max spits at Aaron.

I take a step forward, but before I can do anything, Aaron hits Max in the stomach with the bat.

“I’m going to kill you!” I snarl.

“Uh-uh.” Aaron points the bat at me, stopping me from getting any closer, and then aims it at Max’s knee. “Try anything and your brother will be leaving twice the cripple he came here as tonight.”

Max’s shoulders shake, his head tipped down. He’s laughing. Theodore shifts uncomfortably behind him. His head snaps up, and he locks eyes with Aaron.

“You’re on track to be a professional football player, you wouldn’t want anything to ruin that.

Especially not when your mom’s killing herself working overtime at the hospital, and your dad had to take out another loan to support your dreams. All it would take is one phone call to the bank or one little medical slip-up for it all to come crashing down.

You can beat the shit out of us here and threaten our family all you like, but the only way you’re getting away with any of this is by killing us.

If we leave here breathing, your entire life will come crashing down. ”