CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Maisy

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Maisy

I felt like a typical rebellious cop's daughter as I held on tight to Mad Bell while he whizzed by cars in an attempt to make it across town in half the time it was supposed to take.

Oh, and how I didn't even hate it.

It was thrilling. A rush like I'd never had before. And while he might have been pushing the traffic and speeding laws a bit, I didn't feel like I was in danger. He knew how to control his beast machine and I knew he'd never intentionally put me in danger. So as my body leaned with his through turns and shifting lanes quickly, I never once thought my life was in danger.

Who knew riding motorcycles could be so much fun?

Pressing my boobs into Mad Bell's back only added to the thrill. I knew things were fucked sideways and up and down right now, but try telling that to my body. The prospect was probably about to be arrested and all I could think about was how long until I could relieve the growing ache between my legs.

Mad Bell pulled up into the yard, not even caring about the grass. My stomach swooped as he came to a sudden stop. The kickstand was down in a flash, and I was worried about the way it sunk down into the dirt. I didn't want the thing to tip over on me when I got up. Mad Bell helped me off and got to his feet. He put me behind him, shielding me before I had a chance to take in the scene.

There was a cop car in the driveway, parked a little crooked. It irked me for some reason. It was like they came in hot. This wasn't a damn movie, and though I didn't know the situation, I couldn't imagine the prospect doing anything to warrant urgency like that.

It just reminded me that I knew too much when it came to cops. There were good ones. There were arrogant ones. And there were bad ones, though sometimes those last two were one and the same.

Rhonda was on the porch, arms folded across her chest. The moment she laid eyes on me, I felt all the evil rise up inside her. She looked like a woman who wasn't used to not getting her way, and she'd do anything to turn the tables back in her favor. My stomach dropped.

"Maisy?" Cliff's voice cut through the ringing in my ears.

"Cliff?" I looked at my brother.

He was standing behind the prospect, who was bent over his bike. Cliff had his cuffs in one hand and the other he used to lock the prospect's hands behind his back. The look on his face was not happy. His partner— I couldn't recall her name at the moment— stood a few feet away, hand resting on her gun, which was thankfully still tucked away on her utility belt. Her face looked more neutral, if not a little unsure.

"Do I even need to ask what you're doing here?" I asked, though it was stupid. Mad Bell said that Rhonda had called the cops, and my brother was clearly a cop and on duty. Just a shitty coincidence.

He was pissed. Not the big brother trying to be protective pissed, it was more like he couldn't believe that I'd come there on "the other side" of things. He looked at me with a face full of disgust, which honestly, reminded me so much of our dad. Things were always so black and white for him and Dad, and I just never understood it.

"Cliff, what's going on?"

"Stay out of it Maisy." He slapped the cuffs on the prospect and hauled him upright.

Another cop car rolled up, parking in the road.

Great.

"Get over by my cruiser, now, Maisy," Cliff barked.

The crackle of radios filled the air as the new cops relayed their arrival to dispatch.

"No," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"That's him. That's my husband," Rhonda yelled from the porch. Her feet carried her down the stairs quickly. Her arm was raised, pointer finger aimed accusingly at Mad Bell. "He ordered this guy to keep me trapped in the house. And he did this to me."

I gasped when she pulled up her shirt to reveal a torso that was blue and yellow. There must have been four or five fist-sized bruises there. The freshest ones looked a few days old, and there were some that seemed older. It was like someone had been using her as a punching bag.

My eyes cut to Mad Bell. His jaw was clenched and his body was stiff. I could tell he was doing everything to keep his hands from curling into fists.

It did cross my mind for a second that he'd done it. I hated myself for having the thought even as brief as it was. Mad Bell was a grumpy asshole, but he wasn't mean, he wasn't abusive. So… who had done that to her? What was her game here? Did Mad Bell know about the bruises?

"He won't let me leave the house. I'm so scared." Rhonda was laying it on thick.

I felt… sorry for her. This was sad and pathetic. Clearly, someone was hurting her, but she wasn't trying to stop them. If anything, she was using what they did to her against Mad Bell. I had a feeling she knew what she was doing. It was sick. And fucked up beyond anything I could comprehend.

"Ma'am," my brother's partner said. Her hand was out like she wasn't quite sure if Rhonda was a threat or not. Like she was waiting for the crazy to truly break out. "Ma'am, can I get you to stay where you are, please?"

This shit was chaos.

Rhonda shot the cop a glare but didn't move from her spot at the base of the stairs.

"Are you gonna arrest him?!" Rhonda screeched.

Cliff handed the prospect off to the new officers. They let him rest against the back of their cruiser as they tried to play catch up.

I wanted to know what was going on. What reason did they have to put the prospect in cuffs? Mad Bell said Rhonda called the cops, but I couldn't figure out why. On what grounds did she have to do that?

A quick glance over my shoulder told me we had eyes on us. A few neighbors had the courtesy to peek out from their blinds and curtains, but I did count three who were standing on their front stoops and porches, no shame as they gawked at the scene.

Poor Mad Bell. I knew he avoided drama like the plague. I wished there was more I could do.

Shifting focus, my eyes locked with my brother. He was coming at us like an angry lion.

"Don't," I said, stepping in front of Mad Bell. It was the wrong move and I knew it, but I couldn't stand by and watch my brother put Mad Bell under arrest before we attempted to get this straightened out.

"Maisy move," Cliff said at the same time Mad Bell moved protectively in front of me again, holding me behind him with an awkwardly bent arm around my waist. "Get your hands off my sister."

Cliff's hand was on the butt of his gun. He hadn't drawn, but I could tell in the way his fingers flexed that he wouldn't hesitate to.

"Maze?" There was a list of questions in the way Mad Bell said my name.

"Everyone just stop," I said calmly. "I'm going to step to the side and we're all going to take a breath. Cliff," I held my brother's eyes as I slid from behind Mad Bell, "you need to hear him out." I realized my mistake the moment the words left my mouth. You didn't tell my brother what he needed to do. It was the one thing that really pissed him off. Normally, I might have gotten away with it, barely flying under the radar and whatnot, but now, with eyes and ears all around, he wasn't going to take that kind of talk.

"As far as I see it, there's no need for you to be involved, Maisy Jane." My eyes narrowed at my brother. How dare he treat me like I was twelve?! "Get over to my cruiser or I'm going to be forced to remove you from the situation. I will take you in for Obstruction of Justice."

"Maisy, please," Mad Bell pleaded coolly. "I need you safe. I can handle it but only if I know you're safe. Call the club. Get LT and tell him what's going on. Please. I need you away from this mess."

I held Mad Bell's gaze for a few pounding beats of my heart. Moisture built up in my eyes and I wanted to stomp my foot because of it. I did not want to cry. I was frustrated and some might take it as a sign that I couldn't handle this shit.

I really, really wanted to hit my brother. I wouldn't because I wasn't dumb, but the thought was there.

"Do you see her? He's cheating on me with that woman! She's one of those biker club girls, you know? Always spreading their legs for those men," Rhonda yelled out.

I saw red.

So did Mad Bell. His expression turned deadly as he took a step in her direction. This was not good. It wasn't going to do him any favors walking up to her like this.

"Maddie," I said, wrapping my fingers around his arm. "Don't let her get to you. I need you safe too."

That seemed to work because he stopped moving. I just wished his muscles would have relaxed, but it was understandable why he was so rigid.

"I didn't do it," Mad Bell told my brother with a sternness in his tone that was hard to ignore. "I'd never hit a woman, no matter what."

"Well, gonna have to take you in until we can get this all sorted out," Cliff said. I was seconds away from telling him where he could stick it.

Instead of getting in a fight with a cop, I chose to do what Mad Bell and the prospect needed. I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Payback. Other than Mad Bell, Payback was the only contact from the bar or club that I had stored in my phone. I knew I'd get a quick response and he'd be able to handle it on the club's end.

"Alright. Don't want any trouble," Mad Bell said calmly.

I was half paying attention to the conversation between Mad Bell and my brother as I read the text that came in. Yeah, I was right. Payback was handling it on his end, and the Prez would know real soon. When he asked if I was okay, I didn't know how to reply, so I told him it wasn't about me right now and to hurry.

"Turn around and put your hands behind your back," Cliff said as I put the phone back in my pocket, but he didn't pull out a pair of handcuffs. I surveyed the scene. If he only had one pair, he'd likely used them on the prospect.

My gut rocked with the feeling that something was wrong.

"Disrespectful little whore," my brother muttered low enough for Mad Bell and me to hear.

Fuck.

I knew what was about to go down even before I saw Mad Bell lunge at Cliff. His fist collided with Cliff's face. My asshole brother had the balls to wear a smirk when he wiped the blood off his lip.

Rhonda screamed in the background— as if the situation needed it. I cursed under my breath but didn't dare move. Honestly, I was still reeling from what my brother had said. I knew we were kind of on the outs since I showed up at Dad's place and basically gave them the "fuck you" before walking out, but I never would have expected this from him.

Mad Bell was taken to the ground by one of the other officers and my brother.

He was cuffed before I could blink.

I was both pissed and felt completely helpless.