Chapter 21

21

Eli

" S o, you're sending her home without putting up a fight?" I ask Jordan as soon as he steps foot into the apartment. I didn't have to hear their conversation to know it's true after Maddie ran in and locked herself in the bathroom. The shower turns on, no doubt she's finally washing her hair and crying underneath the stream. "God you're such a pussy."

"What else am I supposed to do?" Jordan huffs. "The only options I have are to kill you or send you both back to Vegas."

"Is that right?"

"Have you told her father that you found her here?" Jordan asks, face twisted with anger, frustration, his hands clutching his hips.

His question is a trap. I know that because he's already told me the options the biker boys all came up with. If I admit that I haven't told Dante I found his daughter, stalked her, fucked her, and screwed around with her boyfriend, they'll kill me, and Maddie will be safe to stay.

"Of course, I told Dante."

"Bullshit. If you had, he would've shown up here by now."

"I told him I was trying to convince her to come home voluntarily before he drags her ass back. I know he's angry Maddie left, but he still wants to make amends with her."

"You're such a fucking liar," Jordan remarks. "Give me your phone."

I pull it from my pocket and toss it to the foot of the bed for him to go through it. "Code is 0-2-0-1."

There are plenty of Vegas phone numbers in the call log, including the recent one from when Dante called in the middle of my blowjob. Not only that, I leave Dante a voicemail every few days, just saying I'm still searching, but getting closer or some shit. He never answers my calls, though. We only speak when he deigns to call me, like today.

"Well, you got a call from Vegas today. Sometimes you call a Vegas number. I'm not stupid enough to try any of the numbers from my phone," Jordan says, tossing the device back on the mattress. "And since you won't tell us whether or not you've mentioned to her father that you found Maddie with us, that leaves one choice—let you both go back to Vegas as soon as possible."

"You're forgetting one other option," I point out.

"No, I'm not."

"Sure, you are. Did it never occur to you that you could fucking make the decision to come to Vegas with us?"

"With you?" he asks with a bark of laughter. "Won't her father kill me? That's what you've been threatening this whole time."

"And that is exactly what makes you a pussy. If you actually loved Maddie, and had a pair of balls, you would take your chances with Dante. You would come to Vegas, tell him you're in love with his daughter, and beg him to let you two be together."

"No," he says, rejecting the idea without even considering it for five fucking seconds. "I'm not scared of Dante Salvatore."

"Sure, you're not. And it's Salvato," I correct him.

"I'm not. I just..." Staring at the closed bathroom door, he says, "Everything with Maddie is different now."

"You mean you're not sure if she still wants to be with you, knowing you're also into men?"

"I'm not stupid. I know that shit complicates our relationship. We both lied."

"You're forgetting one other piece of information that could resolve all of your and Maddie's problems, including your dick deficiency."

"What's that?"

"Me."

"You?" he asks, sounding confused.

"Maddie loved it when I fucked her. I give her something she needs that she doesn't get from you—a hard, rough pounding. And I have something she can't give you—a dick."

"That's not...I don't want a threesome. It would never work."

I shrug as if his rejection doesn't bother me. "Eh, you're probably right. If Dante found out, he would probably kill us both. And I'm just not sure if a pussy like you is worth that risk."

"Fuck you."

Winking at him, I say, "I know you want to. Bet you would love it."

"Whatever. It doesn't matter now, does it? You're leaving and I'm glad."

"You're a pussy," I tell him yet again, loving how he winces each time. "I stand by that initial observation."

The apartment door suddenly flies opens, banging off the wall as someone barges in, right around the same time Maddie finally comes out of the bathroom.

"Oh, shit," Jordan mutters when a tiny woman marches into the bedroom like she owns it.

She throws her arms around Jordan hugging him, then tells him, "Don't ever disappear and worry me like that again!"

"Sorry, Mom."

"And you…Maddie and I need to have a little talk," the woman says as she eyes Maddie, just before her gaze lands on me. "Who the hell is the man in your bed?"

"Hi," I say with a wave in greeting. From my stalking, I'm pretty sure she's Jordan's mother. She's cute, sort of reminding me of a brunette Vanessa, Maddie's new stepmom.

"Ignore him, Mom. And this doesn't concern you. It's between me and Maddie," Jordan tells her.

"Her lies affect the entire MC!" she screeches. "And you're my son. Your business is always my business too."

"It's fine. We can talk," Maddie offers softly, her freshly washed hair piled up on top of her head.

"She hates you. Always has," Jordan reminds her, literally making the beautiful, strong girl shrink.

"And I deserve it, so just let me talk to her so she can get it all out of her system."

"Great. Let's go for a walk," Jordan's mother says, nodding toward the sidewalk that runs beside the empty highway.

Maddie

Josie, Jordan's mom, doesn't say anything for the first few minutes of our walk. But when she gets going, there's no stopping her.

"I knew we couldn't trust you," she says. "I knew it, and I tried to warn Jordan, but you were beautiful and clinging to him, batting your big, brown puppy dog eyes at him, so I relented. Jordan has been through a lot of bad shit in his short life, so I thought what the hell. Maybe I'm wrong and this girl is exactly what he needs. The sunshine that's been missing in his darkness. And then you go and mess him up even more!"

"I didn't mean to," I tell her honestly. "I really do love him."

That has her stopping to turn and face me. Even though I'm seven or so inches taller than the petite woman, she glares up at me with viciousness filling her eyes. Pointing to the apartment complex, she says, "That is not love! You don't know the first thing about love. What you did to Jordan...he may never recover from it, you know. And I hope the guilt eats you up, because my son is a good boy, a good man, and you have ruined him!"

"We both lied to each other about some things. I know I was wrong for not telling him who I was and convincing him that we were married, but I was desperate and scared. Honestly, I thought I would walk away as soon as the plane landed. But then I was thousands of miles away from the only family I have, the only home I have ever known. And I was terrified. I had money and a gun, but I needed more. I needed the warmth and comfort that Jordan provided me even though he didn't know a thing about me." Taking a deep breath, I tell her, "Every day we were together I cared for him even more. And he loves me too. I know he does. And that is what I regret the most, that he loves me and trusted me, and I hurt him. But if he can forgive me, we can still work through all of this."

"Work through it? How? Do you really think your mobster daddy is going to welcome Jordan into his home with open arms?"

"No, probably not. At least not at first."

"Well, stringing him along will only make this worse. Just leave, Maddie. Leave and never look back. Let Jordan move on with his life. Let him find a nice girl to settle down with once he finally gets over you."

"A nice girl ? Are you even sure that's his preference? Will you be angry if it's not?"

"Look, I know that Jordan has...experimented with men. But not because he wanted to. He was...did he tell you what happened with my ex-husband?"

Her ex-husband?

I shake my head.

"Jordan was manipulated and abused by Darren. I had no idea it was going on, but when I found out...I felt so guilty that I had let that…monster into my house, near my son, and he had hurt him. Jordan was so depressed and confused. It was a miracle that he graduated high school that summer. Colt is the one who came along and gave him something to strive for, a goal, to become a prospect with the Savage Kings keep his mind off of what had happened to him. I'm not telling you this lightly, Maddie. You just need to know that my son has suffered enough. So don't drag him across the country where god knows what will happen to him. Don't take him from me. Don't let him get hurt even worse. If you love him, let him go. Please ."

Swallowing around the knot in my throat, I tell her, "He's already told me that he wants me to go back to Vegas. That it would be best for everyone. I don't think he wants to come with me."

"Good. Go home. I don't know much about your father, but he's probably been worried to death about you this past year. If Jordan had disappeared without a word like that..." She shakes her head. "I don't know how I would survive not knowing if he's alive or in trouble for months when a few days scared me to death. So leave, Maddie. End things with Jordan. Close this chapter in his life and let him begin to heal and move on."

Thinking about Jordan moving on with someone else, a man or a woman, makes me sick to my stomach.

But his mother is right. I've done enough damage to him. Jordan deserves better than me. He deserves a woman who worships him the way he worshipped me.

Besides, I don't even know anymore what was real and what wasn't. Jordan is right about that. The entire year feels like a lie. It was too good to be true.

All I can do now is to go home, take whatever punishment Daddy dishes out for leaving, and try to move on, even if that feels impossible.

When we get back to the apartment, most of the Kings have left the parking lot. Only Colt's bike and Jordan's that someone drove over from the garage for him are still in the parking lot.

"Tell Jordan he can come stay with me and Colt until you're gone."

"Okay," I agree before going inside.

Jordan is standing in the bedroom, still arguing with Eli who is being tended to by a young woman.

And I hate that I instantly loathe her before I see her face. I don't like the fact that she is running her hands all over Eli's bare leg, even if it is to try and help him.

"This is Megan, the vet," Jordan says.

"Good. That's good. Is he going to be okay?" I ask her.

Without looking up, she begins threading the stiches. Eli looks in agony and blissed out from the pain as she says, "The bullet went all the way through, so that's good. As long as he doesn't get an infection, he should be fine."

"Great. Thank you," I force out.

Eli lifts an eyebrow at me in question, but I turn to Jordan. "Your mom said you could come stay with them until...I'll leave as soon as Eli is up for it."

"He should be fine to walk on it in the morning," the vet announces helpfully.

"Then I guess we'll be leaving in the morning," I tell Jordan.

"The Kings will be relieved," he says. "My mom too."

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "For everything."

"Yeah, me too," he replies before he turns and walks out the door.

A moment later, I hear the front door of the apartment slam shut.

"So, it's over with him?" Eli asks.

"Guess so. I don't think he would want to come to Vegas even if I begged, especially since Daddy would likely shoot him on sight."

"He'll probably be okay, eventually," Eli adds. "He's young. He's still got shit to figure out, though. Like if he prefers pussy or dick."

The vet's head snaps up to Eli's face. "You're sewing up my bullet wound. I'm sure you can keep another secret, right?" he asks her.

"S-sure. I wouldn't...the Savage Kings are good men, but they don't tolerate anyone betraying them."

"Then good, all our secrets are safe," Eli agrees.

The vet cleans Eli's bloody leg up and gives him some dressing and antibiotics along with instructions for cleaning and covering his wound. Then, she finally leaves.

"What a day right?" Eli asks when I return to the bedroom after showing her out. I also looked out to the parking lot to see if Jordan's bike was really gone.

It was.

"So, I guess I should book us a flight for tomorrow?" I ask.

"You should probably call your father and tell him the good news first," he suggests.

"No. I can't...I don't want to deal with his anger on top of everything else right now."

"Right," he snorts. "You think he'll go easier on you in person."

"It's possible, right?"

"He's still going to be fucking pissed."

"Tomorrow. I'll deal with him tomorrow."

"So, you and Jordan are really over?"

"Looks like it. His mom seemed to think it was for the best if I not ask him to come to Vegas. I didn't know...she told me some things about what Jordan went through with her ex-husband."

"She told you about the manipulating stepfather?" Eli asks.

"How do you know?" I say in surprise as I take a seat on the other side of the bed.

"Jordan told me during our time together. We talked a lot, actually. Not as much as we fooled around, but here and there we shared shit about our past."

"Now I feel like an even bigger bitch for lying to him, putting him through this mess when he's been through hell."

"At least one good thing came out of all this," Eli remarks.

"What's that?"

"Jordan finally had to admit to himself that he's into men and women. He liked some of the things that bastard did to him. He just wished he was doing them with someone else, someone he wanted."

"And he wanted to do things with you?"

"Hell yes. He fucking loved it."

"Are you just trying to make me jealous? Because it's unnecessary. I already hate the thought of you and him together..."

"You hate the thought? Or you hate that you weren't there to watch or participate?"

Rolling my eyes, I tell him, "Fine. I wish I had been there. Maybe it's just hard for me to believe that Jordan would willingly cheat on me."

"Unlike what you did to him, Jordan didn't really cheat on you, Maddie."

"What do you mean?"

"The kid thought he was going to die. I had planned to kill him after the first time."

"Why didn't you, before we made the deal, I mean?" I ask him, glad, but genuinely curious since Eli doesn't usually hesitate to end lives.

"Because I knew you cared about him," he replies simply. "And I knew that if I killed him, you would never forgive me. For some stupid reason, I guess I give a shit what you think about me."

"I think…you're an asshole," I tell him truthfully.

"True. I am an asshole. But you have other thoughts about me as well, don't you?"

"I…don't know. Honestly, I'm too sad and too tired to even think about anything right now," I say as I stretch out on the bed, laying my head on the pillow facing Eli.

Reaching over, he runs his fingers through my clean, damp hair, then cups my face. "I know what will cheer you up."

"What's that?" I ask, certain I'll regret it.

"How about you get naked and come sit on my dick?"

"Eli!" I exclaim while batting his hand away. "Don't touch me again. The only reason I'm even letting you sleep in this bed tonight is because I put a hole through your leg. So, keep your hands to yourself or I'll toss your ass out."

"Fine. We can wait to get naked together again when we're back in Vegas. Or maybe on the flight, join the mile-high club."

"Neither of those things are going to happen."

"If Cass and Cole can sneak around the penthouse then we can too."

"No."

"Why not? Dante will be so happy with me for finding you and bringing you back that he may not kill me for fucking you."

"Yes, he would. He'll assume you've hurt me or forced me."

"Then you could tell him the truth before he pulls the trigger."

Rolling to my other side so I don't have to look at his handsome, exhausting face, I say, "Good night, Eli."

"Good night, Maddie. Thanks for coming home with me and convincing Jordan not to kill me."

"You're welcome," I whisper with a heavy sigh. "It's not like I could stay in Rockland any longer, not with Jordan hating me and all his friends and MC brothers angry at me. You've ruined everything, Eli."

With a heavy sigh of his own, he says, "That's what I do best. I ruin things."

A moment later, his much larger body is scooting up behind mine, spooning me, his arm thrown over my waist. Despite my threat not to touch me, I guess I don't mind cuddling. I could use a hug. "I want to ruin you too," he says, his mouth close to my ear.

"You already have," I remark sadly. Still, I cover his hand with my own. "Promise me you won't tell Daddy about Jordan or the Savage Kings."

"I won't tell him."

"You swear?"

"Yes, I swear. Jordan is too pretty to die. The other Savage Kings are too."

"You mean it?"

"Yes. The biker boys really are some gorgeous bastards…"

"Eli! I'm serious. You won't tell Daddy?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die," he says, swiping our combined fingers over my heart instead of his own.

"Thank you," I tell him. Craning my neck around, I even press my lips to his cheek. "And thank you for coming to find me, even though I didn't want to be found. If you hadn't…the PI and his friends…"

"You're welcome," he says on an exhale.

I tell myself I'll just close my eyes for a moment to rest, and then, I'll book our flight back to Vegas, even though it means I'll never see Jordan again. But instead, silent tears fall one right after another down my cheeks.