Текст книги "Beautifully Loyal"

Автор книги: Nicole Edwards

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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 25 страниц)

Chapter Eighteen

According to Courtney, his view wasn’t always the best one. Who knew?

“Where are you?” Max asked the instant Leyton answered the phone.

He’d managed to get into the limo alongside his wife before he’d punched in Leyton’s number, and now, as they headed back to the hotel, he wanted an update on the news they’d received regarding Marco Moroso. Namely the hit the bastard had ordered on Max’s fucking sister.

“In your sister’s garage,” Leyton replied.

Garage? What the fuck? “Why the hell are you there?”

“She practically kicked me out. But I can’t bring myself to leave.”

“Good.”

“Good?”

Max heard the confusion in Leyton’s voice, and he weighed his words momentarily. He needed to be as clear as he could here. “I told you not to leave her alone for a minute.”

“She’s got Jase,” Leyton said a little too quickly.

If Max wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of jealousy resonating in those words. It was the same tone Leyton had used the last time they’d discussed Ashlynn and Jase. “Is there a problem with Jase?”

“No. Not at all.” Again, Leyton’s response came a little too quickly. Leyton took a deep breath, obviously attempting to calm himself, which made Max curious as to what the hell had happened to put Leyton on edge.

“Somethin’ wrong?”

“No,” Leyton snapped again. “Sorry. No, nothin’s wrong. Jase is here with Ashlynn. He won’t let anything happen to her.”

Max laughed. He had no doubt about that.

“What’s so funny?” Leyton asked.

“He loves her.” Max chuckled again. He wasn’t even sure whether he was talking about Jase or Leyton at this point, and he didn’t clarify.

“What?”

Okay, so he’d obviously thrown Leyton for a loop. Peering over at Courtney, Max said, “That’s what my wife told me. She said Ashlynn can’t see it and neither can he, but he’s definitely in love with her.” Again, Max wasn’t sure which man he was referring to. Possibly both.

The question was whether or not Leyton would be able to move forward knowing that Jase had feelings for Ashlynn, or more importantly, that Leyton did. Max was well aware of Leyton’s feelings for Ashlynn. He’d known since they were teenagers that Leyton was fond of Ashlynn. Until recently, he just hadn’t realized how much.

At the time, when Max had issued his command for Leyton to stay away from Ashlynn, he’d fully expected his best friend to argue, to tell him that he wanted to be with her. A nod of agreement sure as hell hadn’t been what Max had anticipated, although it was the only response he’d received.

“Have you heard from Moroso?” he asked when Leyton said nothing.

“No,” Leyton offered, his tone calm once again. “Rock left him a message. Told him I expected a call tonight.”

“You need my help?” Max knew Leyton was more than capable of dealing with any issue that arose, his faith in the man was strong, but when it came to Ashlynn, regardless of what Leyton wanted him to believe, there were some strong emotions involved. Max remembered when his own father had attempted to take a hit out on Courtney. He’d been blinded by rage, and as far as he’d been concerned, there was only one way to deal with that threat. He could only assume Leyton was feeling the same way at this point.

“No,” Leyton ground out. “I’ve got this.”

“I know you do,” Max assured him. “But if you need me…”

“I won’t hesitate to call,” Leyton replied.

“Stay with her, Leyton.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“Oh, it’s necessary.” Rather than explain further, Max hung up.

“Everything okay?” Courtney asked.

“For now.” How long that would last was anyone’s guess, but he was fairly certain they had a reprieve until Leyton spoke with Marco Moroso in the morning, although he wasn’t sure that was what Courtney had been referring to.

“I hope you know what you’re doin’,” Courtney relayed.

“Me, too.” Truth was, he didn’t know what he was doing, but for some reason, forcing Leyton to protect Ashlynn was the right thing. If he didn’t instigate it, Max feared Leyton would do his best to keep his distance, all because Max had stuck his nose where it didn’t belong—his wife’s exact words.

And in the end, if Leyton did as Max had ordered and he stayed away from Ashlynn, that would only put his sister’s life in more danger.

He still remembered the day he’d caught Ashlynn and Leyton making out at Trace’s wedding. It had stunned him. Of all the people he’d expected to see together, never had it crossed his mind that his best friend would want his sister. Oh, he’d seen the way Ashlynn looked at Leyton, but as far as Max knew, Leyton had never returned that interest.

Because he’d been stupefied by their actions, Max had dished out a warning to Leyton that day, and he still remembered it vividly:

What the hell were you thinkin’? No, don’t fucking answer that. You will only receive one warnin’. You stay the fuck away from my sister. Do you understand me? If I catch you with her again, I’ll saw your fucking nuts off with a rusty butter knife. And then I’ll fucking feed them to you. Don’t touch her again.

At the time, their interactions had seemed somewhat spontaneous to him. As though Ashlynn were looking for a quick fuck and Leyton was available. But then, that same night, after he’d been shot, Max had heard the terror in Leyton’s tone as he’d drifted into unconsciousness.

You’re gonna be fine, boss. If you’re not, I hope you know I’m gonna fuck Ashlynn all over your goddamn house. Every room. In your bed. Your shower. Your favorite fucking chair. So you better fucking live through this so you can kill me for doin’ it.

Although he suspected Leyton had made the statement in order to push Max to fight for his life, he’d heard something else that day. And when he’d issued another order—the day he’d made Leyton his second-in-command of his organization—he’d known then that Leyton had real feelings for Ashlynn. Leyton hadn’t said anything in response, but he hadn’t needed to.

And yes, Max could accept that he’d interfered when he shouldn’t have. As far as he was concerned, there was no better man for his sister than Leyton. He was loyal and honest, and above all else, he deserved to be happy. But at the time, he hadn’t been sure Leyton could handle Ashlynn.

She was more the fuck ’em and leave ’em type. Ashlynn kept herself distanced from emotion, and he understood why. She’d been manipulated for so long, lived in a house where the people who were supposed to love her only used her. That was the main reason Max had always kept an eye on her.

“You know he’s gonna give in, don’t you?” Courtney asked, placing her hand on his thigh.

Max didn’t respond. He didn’t know what was going to happen, but he sensed if it did, things would be complicated. Although his sister hadn’t been in a serious relationship her entire life, there was something going on between her and Jase Malone, and it wasn’t just a nightly romp. There were true emotions there, even if Ashlynn wasn’t willing to acknowledge them. Emotions they both attempted to conceal.

And Leyton… Max didn’t even pretend to understand how a man could be bisexual, but he knew for a fact that Leyton was. And so was Jase. The tension between those two had been high for a while, and he could only assume they’d set their sights on one another as well as Ashlynn.

“It’s gonna get complicated,” Courtney explained, speaking his thoughts exactly. “RT was telling me about some friends of theirs back in Z’s hometown who are in a ménage relationship.”

“Ménage?”

“Yes. You know, two men, one woman. And they all love each other.”

“That doesn’t make any damn sense to me.” Max could not wrap his head around it.

“That’s because you aren’t into women and men. You only prefer the opposite sex.”

“No, I only prefer you,” he said as he lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

“That’s good.” Courtney grinned. “But it’s not absurd to think that a person could be attracted to both.”

“Okay, say you’re right. What about Ashlynn? She wants two men? To what? Share her?” He did not want to think too hard on that, because the mere notion of his sister with a man was something that made his stomach churn. Thinking about her with two… Nope, he didn’t even want to go there.

“I assume you’re referrin’ to Leyton and Jase?” Courtney glanced over at him. “I can see it.”

Max sighed. He had no idea what those three were up to, but Courtney had convinced him that it wasn’t his place to warn Leyton away from Ashlynn. As much as he wanted to protect Ashlynn, he’d come to terms with the fact that Leyton wasn’t a threat. He wouldn’t hurt her.

“They’re good men, Max,” Courtney went on. “She could do a helluva lot worse.”

True. Leyton was the worthiest man Max knew. And Jase… Max didn’t know him all that well, but in all the years Jase had worked for the family, the guy had never let Ashlynn down, and that was something.

“What am I supposed to do?” Max asked.

“Nothin’.” Courtney smiled. “It’s none of your business. Let them work it out. You’ve done your part. For now, it’s safer for Ashlynn if Leyton’s there to protect her alongside Jase. If something’s gonna happen between them, it’ll happen. If not, then it doesn’t matter.”

“What if Ashlynn and Jase are serious? What if Leyton gets hurt?”

Courtney smirked. “He’s a big boy, baby. He can take care of himself.”

But could he take care of Ashlynn? That was the only question Max needed an answer for.

Chapter Nineteen

Everyone has their scars.

Seven years ago

Ashlynn walked into her brother’s office, expecting to find him waiting for her, but to her horror, Max wasn’t there.

But her father was.

And so was another man she didn’t recognize. Big guy, pock-marked face, scraggly beard. He looked as though he hadn’t showered in a month.

“Where’s Max?” she asked, peering around the room as though he would miraculously appear if she willed it to happen.

“He had other pressing matters to attend to,” Samuel informed her. “Have a seat.”

Hesitantly, Ashlynn made her way across the room and took a seat on the black leather sofa. “What’s goin’ on?”

“We’ve got an issue to discuss,” Samuel stated. “Turns out, we’ve got a problem.”

And that was the reason she was there, only she’d expected to talk to Max. Her father had called to let her know there was a family meeting and that Max specifically requested her to be there. Sure, it’d been a little strange that her father had called, but she hadn’t thought anything of it. Her brother had started playing a bigger role in the business, so it hadn’t surprised her that he’d want to talk.

But he wasn’t there, which meant Samuel had likely lied to her.

Ashlynn glanced over at the unknown man, who was now leering at her, a menacing grin on his face.

“What problem?” she asked, forcing her gaze back to her father’s.

“Dwayne here has informed me that you’ve been falling behind in your duties.”

“Is that right?” Ashlynn couldn’t hide the anger that burned in her gut. She knew for a fact she hadn’t fallen behind in any of her duties. In fact, she’d been doing exactly as her father had instructed, collecting debts from those who were overdue, ensuring those she dealt with understood they would no longer tolerate them falling behind in their payments. It was a test, she knew, a way to see whether or not she had what it took to be part of the family business. She’d gladly accepted the challenge.

“Watch your mouth, young lady,” Samuel snapped, his eyes narrowed on her. “You were short on collections this week, and Dwayne informed me that Gary Halliston didn’t deliver as he’d said he would. What do you have to say about that?”

“Halliston did deliver,” she challenged firmly, glaring at Dwayne, whoever the hell he was.

“No, he didn’t,” Dwayne announced. “I went to collect from him myself, this morning.”

“That’s bullshit,” Ashlynn shot back, getting to her feet. “And who the fuck are you, anyway?”

Her father was instantly up in her face, his hands gripping her wrists painfully. “He works for me. That’s all you need to know. And since he’s doin’ a better job than you, I asked him to help out.”

“With what?” Ashlynn didn’t like the sound of this. Her father was a cruel bastard, so there was no telling what deranged plan he’d come up with.

“I think it’s time you learn the punishment for lying to me, young lady.”

“I didn’t lie,” she argued, yanking out of his grip.

“Are you sayin’ Dwayne’s lyin’ to me?” Samuel swung his head toward Dwayne, but Ashlynn noticed they traded a look, one that had a chill racing down her spine. Not a good one, either.

“I’ve hired Dwayne to keep an eye on you.”

“Does Max know?” she countered, wishing like hell her brother was there.

“You forget who runs this family,” Samuel snarled. “Now take your punishment like a good girl, and we’ll talk later.”

Ashlynn’s eyes widened when her father backed toward the door. “Where are you goin’?”

“I’ll be back when he’s done. Since he’s the one cleanin’ up your messes, he gets the honor.”

When he’s done? What the fuck did that mean?

Before she could get the question out, her father slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaving her alone in Max’s office with the big, burly guy who was once again leering at her from across the room.

When he began to pursue her, Ashlynn put the sofa between them.

“Make this easy on yourself, bitch.”

Ashlynn frowned. “Bitch? Did you seriously just call me that?”

“That’s what you are, ain’t it?”

Confusion racked her. Ashlynn had never heard of this guy before, had no idea why her father felt it necessary to hire anyone to keep an eye on her. She’d been working for him for less than a month, ever since her nineteenth birthday, and had been issued very few jobs, other than collecting money. Which she’d done exactly as she’d been instructed.

When Dwayne lunged for her, Ashlynn backed up a few feet. “What the fuck are you doing?”

He didn’t answer; instead, he scaled the sofa—pretty damn agile for a man his size—and slammed her into the bookshelf. The wind was knocked out of her, but she managed to slip out from between him and the shelf, scrambling across the room and putting Max’s desk between them.

She recalled the incident with her uncle. Four years had passed since Patrick had attempted to rape her in her own bedroom, and from that day, Ashlynn had vowed she would never allow a man to get the upper hand on her again. And she wasn’t going to start today.

“I think you’d be smart to leave before my brother gets back.”

“He’s not comin’ back. Your father sent him on a wild goose chase. He’ll be gone for hours.”

Great. That wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear, but Ashlynn wasn’t going to let her fear show.

As he maneuvered closer, they circled the desk once, until Ashlynn was behind Max’s chair. She knew he had a gun in the top drawer, and if she could just get to it…

“Your father took the gun,” Dwayne said with a disgusting chuckle. “Said you’d be a gutsy one.”

He might’ve taken that one, but Ashlynn knew of others. Her brother was well-armed, and he’d always instructed her to be as well. Though she didn’t have a gun on her, she did have a knife. But that would mean she’d have to get close to the big bastard, and she had no intention of doing that.

Not if she could help it.

“Sit down!” he yelled. “I’m done playin’ games with you. Your father instructed me to punish you as I saw fit. Said I needed to ensure you learned your lesson.”

Lovely.

Ashlynn might’ve been at Samuel’s mercy when she was a kid, might’ve not had control over the things he’d forced on her or the people he’d tried to give her to, but she’d always managed to come out on top. She was beginning to think this was a game to Samuel. A sick, twisted game that he enjoyed playing with his older daughter. Ever since Max had killed Patrick for attempting to rape her, Samuel had put her in the same situation at least a half dozen times. But since the incident with Patrick, he’d always ensured Max wasn’t around to take care of her.

So Ashlynn had learned to take care of herself. Whether or not that was his plan—teaching her to defend herself—or if he truly was a sadistic fuck who wanted to have a man brutalize her, she couldn’t say. Not that it mattered. Today wasn’t going to be Dwayne’s lucky day.

Unfortunately, she found herself out in the open once again, and before she could make a move, Dwayne launched himself at her, knocking her backward onto the sofa while his giant ass came tumbling down on top of her. She raised her knee, attempting to hit him in the nuts, but he shifted at the last possible second.

He frowned down at her while his hand quickly slid up her skirt. She writhed to get away from him, but he wasn’t after what she thought he was.

No, what he was after was worse.

Even though she was thrashing and hitting him, he still managed to free her knife from the sheath on her leg. As he held it above her, Ashlynn noticed the wild look in his eyes.

“Your ol’ man didn’t know what he was askin’ for,” Dwayne snarled. “He thought I’d be content with pussy. Little does he know.”

Fuck.

Ashlynn put her hands on his chest and shoved, but he was far too heavy for her to even make him budge. When the blade of her knife came down and caressed her neck, she quit moving.

“You better kill me,” Ashlynn bit out. “’Cause if you don’t, I’m gonna kill you.”

“Try me, bitch.” He sounded as though he was enjoying himself, and that only fueled her anger.

Remembering what Max had told her the last time she’d been there when she’d asked where he kept his guns—always where you’d least expect it—Ashlynn slid her hand down into the cushion, feeling around. She prayed like hell this was one of those least expected places, because if not, she was likely going to have a really shitty day.

Her hand nudged something metal, and she felt around it. She wasn’t sure what kind of gun it was, but she felt for a safety and found one, which she prayed meant there was a bullet chambered. If not, she wasn’t going to be able to cock the damn thing in time.

She felt the cool blade against her neck, and she was pretty sure Dwayne had drawn blood at that point, but she felt no pain. Not even from where he was crushing her into the cushion. Her only thought was getting that gun in position so that she could…

Pressing the barrel of the gun into his side, Ashlynn met his gaze. His eyes widened, but she didn’t give him time to make a move. Praying, she pulled the trigger. She felt the recoil in her arm, at the same time she gripped Dwayne’s arm with her other hand, forcing the knife away from her neck. His full weight fell on her, causing her to scream at the top of her lungs as she tried to get out from beneath the dead man.

Partially paralyzed from fear, partially fueled by adrenaline, Ashlynn managed to get half of her body out from beneath him, but it wasn’t until the door flew open and Leyton stormed into the room that she knew she was out of danger. He was instantly at her side, pulling Dwayne’s limp body off her and dropping it to the floor.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice gravelly, his hands sliding down her arms.

“Yeah,” she huffed, trying to suck in air.

“What the fuck happened?” he asked, his tone lethal.

“You’ll have to ask my father. I think this was a test.”

Leyton didn’t look surprised. “You’re bleeding,” he said, his hand going to her neck.

“It’s just a scratch,” she told him, then stared back at him for a moment, her eyes wide as she took him in.

His hair was wet, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt, so she had to assume he’d been in the shower, though she had no idea how he’d heard her, where he’d even come from, or why he wasn’t with Max, but the sight of him half-dressed stole her breath. The scars that marred his body were numerous. Burns covered a large portion of his arms and part of his chest, more along his shoulders. Small circles that looked as though someone had…

“You need to get out of here,” Leyton commanded, grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet. “Now!”

Knowing that someone had to clean up the dead guy—the first man who she had killed—Ashlynn stumbled toward the door, staring back at Leyton.

“Fucking go, Ashlynn. Don’t make me tell you again.”

With that, she ran out the door, not looking back. For days she wondered about those scars she’d seen, thought about who had hurt him and why they’d done it.

And that was when Ashlynn had realized that not all scars were visible to others. Not even when they weren’t deep inside. Some people simply managed to hide them well.

Which was when she’d decided it was time to hide hers, too.