Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Max looked deflated.
“What?” Maddy whispered.
Stripes wasn’t done. “But if you find yourself back here and somehow slip through security, let us know if you need anything. You got me?” His head lowered, waiting for his response.
Max gulped before bobbing his head up and down. He didn’t look torn up about being banned. He seemed relieved. He looked over at Maddy and pushed away from his dad, clearing his throat. “Can we go?”
“Max—” Maddy started to go to him.
“Now.” Max turned his back on her.
He’d been speaking to his dad.
Maddy gasped, rocked by his rejection.
I reached back for her, not understanding the details, only knowing she was hurt by that action. But this was Max. It was Max and Maddy. The dynamic between them was solid. Max was the good kid. Maddy led him into trouble, and Max usually had to clean it up. I wondered again what else had happened to precipitate all of this.
Logan met my gaze and shook his head.
Channing glanced over.
I dipped my head, indicating we should all go.
He nodded back. “Yeah. Okay.”
“I want to go home,” Max added. “Not to…” He flinched when he saw me.
Not to my house, where my daughter would be. Shit. What had happened?
“Max,” Maddy whispered again.
Channing coughed. “Yeah, we’ll head home.”
“We’ll give Heather a ride home,” I told him as he passed.
He nodded. “Appreciate it.” He gave Stripes one last glare before he and Max disappeared into the crowd. Moose and Congo trailed behind.
Maddy whirled to me. “Dad—”
I shook my head, stopping her. “We’re going to wait a little bit. Let them get clear before we follow.”
Her shoulders fell. She looked utterly dejected. Her head hung down and she mumbled, “He didn’t want to come. He told me he knew he’d end up fighting, and he didn’t want to go where he knew that would happen. I… He asked me to leave, and I wouldn’t go. He’s not mad at me about what that guy did, which I hate. I was just standing here and he walked up and put his hand there. He didn’t fully cup—you know, make contact. He was close enough, and Max lost it on him. This is all my fault.”
“Hey.” Logan’s voice was sharp. “It’s not your fucking fault some guy invaded your boundary. It’s called personal space. That’s never your fault. I don’t care what you’re told. We don’t blame girls and women for fucking just standing there. You could be naked, and no one’s got a right to touch you unless you ask for it—” He grimaced, hearing his words. “You know what I mean. I have a wallet, and if someone sees my wallet, my cash, they don’t have any right to take it. Same fucking premise.”
She drew in some oxygen, her eyes watering. Seeing her bottom lip trembling, Logan held his arm out. She stepped in, and he folded her against him, holding her. His gaze met mine over her head, heated.
We were both angry at a lot of things.
Stripes returned, almost cordial. “They’re clear. You can go now.”
We nodded, turning to leave.
“Kade,” he called.
Matteo and Nate paused with me.
He lifted his chin toward Maddy, who was walking ahead with Logan. “I’m not going to lie. The fighting ring is popular, especially with the high school and college crowd on the weekends. I’m sure they’ll show up again. I’ll put them on the banned list, but I’ll just be honest. Sometimes it hurts them more not to be able to get into a place their friends are going, and if that’s the case, they’ll probably be allowed in. You’ll get a notice from us when and if they show up.”
Fuck’s sakes. I didn’t know how to take this guy. I just gave him a grunt. “Thanks.”
People were looking as we went back through the warehouse. Logan moved in front. I kept Maddy tucked next to me, using one of my hands to shield her face. I knew they had a policy of no phones, but I’d learned people figured ways around rules. Matteo walked on Maddy’s other side, and Nate blanketed us from behind.
It wasn’t long until we were to the lot and heading for my vehicle.
Once we got inside, Maddy started, “Dad—”
“Don’t.” I gave her a look in the rearview mirror.
She clammed up, shrinking down in her seat.
I tried to gentle my tone because dammit, there were multiple layers here. I didn’t know which one to handle first. I needed to talk to Sam. Get a game plan together. Sam tended to know the best ways of dealing with things. “We’ll talk it all out with your mom.”
Sam rarely yelled. She rarely lost her head when it came to the children, but she listened to everything. When it was all said and done, she would deliver a clear and precise assessment of everything Maddy had done to put herself in this position. Then she’d deliver an articulate list of all Maddy had learned for the future, which usually seemed to deliver the hardest blow, because that let Maddy know how she’d let her mom down. That’s what she really hated hearing. At the end of the night, Sam would open her arms and hug her kid, and she’d cater to however her daughter had been hurt. Sam never missed a beat. Maddy would leave that discussion feeling like she’d been put through a tornado of emotions.