Mace (Untamed Sons MC: Birmingham Chapter #1)

13. Maylie

THIRTEEN

MAYLIE

I know I shouldn’t be here. It’s only going to inflame the situation between me and my sister, but I don’t know what else to do. Toby said she’s come home a few times while I’ve been at work, and I try not to let her avoidance of me sting, but her distance from me makes it hard for us to talk, and we really need to talk.

I found out Link’s address from one of Ivy’s friends. Well, one of her former friends. She told me that she and Ivy no longer speak and haven’t for months. How have I become so disconnected from my sister’s life that I had no idea she’d already cut off people who are important to her? Mollie didn’t have a lot of good things to say about Link, and I got the impression she doesn’t like him at all.

You and me both.

Surprisingly, his building is nice and in a better part of town. As I approach the apartment, the back of my neck feels clammy, and as I lift my hand to rap on the door, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little apprehensive. I don’t do very well with conflict, and I’m pretty sure this is about to be the mother of all conflicts.

There’s movement behind the door as I wait, and then a moment later, it’s pulled open. Link is standing in the doorway wearing only a pair of boxers. My stomach sinks.

He better be here alone dressed like that.

A smile creeps across his face, but it isn’t a pleasant one. “If it isn’t the annoying sister. How did you find me?”

Considering that isn’t the most pertinent piece of information here, my mouth pulls into a tight line. “Is Ivy here?”

“Where Ivy may or may not be is none of your business,” he tells me as if he’s the one who spent years taking care of my sister. As if he’s the one who loves her the way I do.

“Ivy,” I yell around him, catching a glimpse of the hallway beyond.

He steps out, closing the door behind him, just as I had with Bernie. I’m about to give him a mouthful of abuse when his fingers latch around my arm in a vice-like grip. I barely get out my yelp of surprise before he shoves me against the opposite wall with so much force, it pushes the air from my lungs.

Pain ripples up my spine and settles around my shoulders as he presses me between his thick body and the wall. This isn’t like when Mace cornered me in the office at Temptation. I feel no heat, no desire, nothing but consuming panic as it bubbles up my throat.

It’s instinct rather than a conscious decision that has me shoving his chest as hard as I can, but he’s a fucking giant and barely moves an inch. Instead, he laughs at my pathetic attempts, sending waves of terror rolling through me.

I’m an idiot for coming here alone. I can’t fight him. He’s so much bigger than me, and when he holds my shoulders, pinning me to the wall, there’s nothing I can do to fend him off.

He leans into me, and I press my skull into the wall behind me, seeking some distance as his mouth contorts into the most savage snarl I’ve ever seen.

“I’m going to say this once and once only. Ivy ain’t your concern. You keep trying to get between us and I’m going to make your life hard.”

There is no trace of smiles or humour in his tone. I truly believe this man will hurt me if I don’t back off.

But I’m not leaving here without my sister, and I’m not allowing him to scare me away. The more I see into their relationship, the more concerns I have. This man makes all my instincts fire to life. Something is seriously wrong with him.

Despite my own fear, I fight for my sister, because I’m the only one who can.

“You’re not the only one who can make life hard, you sanctimonious prick. She is a minor, and you’re an adult. What you’re doing with her is disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourself, and if you don’t leave her alone, I’ll have you arrested.”

He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth, his face an angry sneer as he peers down at me. “Careful who you’re threatening. I’m not one of those little schoolboys she’s been with before, Maylie. It would be a shame if anything was to happen to you or that little brother of yours.”

My stomach twists at the threat, and without thought, I pull my fist back and slam it into his face. I get a brief moment of satisfaction as blood spurts from his nose, but it’s short lived as his face becomes a mask of such violent rage that I fear for my life.

“You fucking bitch,” he hisses, and for a moment, I see the true man beneath the mask he wears.

He’s a monster.

A devil in disguise.

He’s the wolf among the sheep, and every primal part of my awareness flashes danger.

He’s going to kill you.

As he goes to grab me, the door opens behind him and his mouth twists into an ugly smirk, as if he knows he’s won whatever game we’re playing.

Who the hell is this guy?

I glimpse past him to see Ivy standing in the doorway, her hands covering her mouth in shock when he turns to face her, blood careening down his top lip.

I can see how this might look bad to her, but I try to communicate my fear with my eyes. I try to tell her without words the danger I was in. She either doesn’t see it or chooses not to, and when she snaps her gaze to me, all I see is hot fury burning in them.

She’s lost to me.

I can’t win over him, and that terrifies me more than the thought of him hurting me.

This is not how I wanted this to play out, but there is no way in hell I’m standing by while her dick of a boyfriend lays hands on me.

“Are you out of your mind?” This question should be directed at Link, but it’s not. That anger is all for me .

“I could ask you the same thing,” I say, my heart sinking as Ivy rushes to him.

He brushes her off, and the sting of rejection in her eyes almost breaks me. What is this bastard doing to her?

“Are you okay?” she asks, her hand hovering as if she wants to touch him but is scared of another rebuttal.

I have to give it to him—he puts on a good show of playing the victim, holding his nose as if I’ve caused him immense pain. The blood is certainly helping that narrative.

“Your psychotic sister hit me.”

I’m psychotic? “You grabbed me and then insulted me. You’re lucky all I did was hit you.”

It’s not the right approach, and letting my anger get the better of me only stokes the fire burning in my sister’s face. “This is exactly why I moved out.”

Moved out? She’s moved out?

“Since when? All your shit is still at the flat.”

“I don’t need any of that stuff.”

Link pulls her into his side, tucking her there as if she’s a doll. “Ivy has everything she needs here, right, baby?”

For a brief second, I swear I see a hint of fear in my sister’s eyes, but it vanishes so fast before I can latch onto it.

Did I imagine it?

Is she… scared of him?

“Ivy, please. Just come home so we can talk about this.” I try to appeal to her, but I notice his fingers tighten around her arm. “If you don’t take your hands off her, I’m going to break every single one of your fucking fingers,” I hiss, finding an anger and strength I didn’t know I possessed .

I am the mama bear protecting her cub, and I will go down fighting for her, but if I expect Ivy to be on the same page as me, I’m mistaken.

“Go home, Maylie.”

“No, you’re in a dangerous situation here, Ivy. I’m not going to leave you in a toxic relationship.”

Her eyes widen a fraction before the hardness seeps back into them. “What would you know about a relationship? You’re a fucking pathetic virgin who hasn’t even been kissed before.”

I flinch. Not at the accusation—that’s all true—but at the acidity of her words. There is so much hate in them, but I refuse to believe she feels that for me.

“You’re a virgin?” Link snorts. “What are you, like twenty-five?”

“Twenty-two,” I correct. “Ivy, I can help you. You don’t have to suffer in silence?—”

She steps out of Link’s grasp, and my heart surges. Have I gotten through to her?

Oh, thank you…

She moves closer and then she shoves me so hard that I jolt back. I don’t expect the assault, so I don’t have time to stop the force as I bounce off the wall and fall forward onto my hands.

My knees burn as they hit the tile, and I let out a cry as sickening pain vibrates through my wrists. Bile coats my throat, and I swallow it down as I draw in a ragged breath.

That hurt so badly.

I slowly lift my head to look at my sister, and I note the wide-eyed terror on her face at what she’s just done. She’s not gloating or happy she’s hurt me, and even though I know it shouldn’t, it gives me hope that my sister is in there somewhere, fighting.

She licks her bottom lip, lifting her chin. “Please, for your sake, stay away from me.”

Those words are odd, but before I can question her further, he steps into her space, his fingers wrapping around her shoulder as he steers her back to the door.

“Ivy’s made her choice. Respect that. You come back here, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

Tears prick in Ivy’s eyes as he gives her a push into the apartment. My throat is clogged as I sink back onto my heels, trying to find the strength to rise and fight him, but her frightened face is the last thing I see as he shuts the door and takes my sister from me.