Mace (Untamed Sons MC: Birmingham Chapter #1)

28. Maylie

TWENTY-EIGHT

MAYLIE

It doesn’t take us long to settle into a routine in the new place. Every morning, Mace wakes me with the most delicious sex.

After we clean up, he makes breakfast while I get ready for the day.

This morning is a little different than usual, because Ivy has not only finished school and her exams, but she’s also turned eighteen.

As I step into the kitchen, Mace has already got some of the banners up, and I do the rest as he makes her favourite food.

He’s a really good cook, and he seems to like doing it, which is good because I only like baking, and that’s why I spent six hours yesterday making her cake.

“I can’t believe she’s eighteen. I actually managed to get one of my siblings to adulthood without them dying, getting maimed, or anything else horrible.”

He glances up from the frying pan. “You did a good job with both of them. ”

Somewhere deep down, I know that is true, but hearing it from him makes my insides swell with happiness.

He takes the pancakes off the heat just as my sister emerges, yawning. Her sleep shorts and top are tight around her stomach, which seems to be growing more every day. I can’t believe how fast her body is changing,

Her smile is radiant as she takes in the decorations. “You didn’t have to do all this,” she says. “You’ve both done so much for me.”

“Of course, we did. You’re only eighteen once.” I pull my sister into the tightest hug I can manage, so grateful to have this moment with her because there was a time when I thought she was lost to me forever. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

“Are we having a group hug?” Toby asks a moment before his arms wrap around us both.

Ivy didn’t want a party, but she is going out to dinner with some of her old friends from college tonight. Most of them are heading off to university in September, and although that’s what I’d wanted and wished for my sister, she’s going to take time out to focus on being a mother.

Toby heads to school, and Mace has stuff to do for the club, which means I’m alone in the apartment. I’m just setting up my laptop to work when I get a message from Bella.

We’ve barely spoken to each other since I took over as manager, and I hate the distance between us. She is one of the few friends I have, so I can’t lie when I say my heart soars when I see her name on my screen.

The message is to the point, asking if we can meet up in half an hour .

I agree, mostly because I hate the tension at work, but also because I miss my friend.

I grab my stuff and head to the café she suggests, my stomach in knots. I don’t want to fight with her, so I hope she’s here to make up.

As I step into the café, I scan the tables and spot her sitting in the window, a cup of coffee in front of her.

She seems relieved when she sees me, as if she expected I might not show. I slip into the seat opposite her, smiling in spite of the situation. “I’m glad you messaged.”

“I’m glad you came. I wasn’t sure you would, considering how I’ve acted.” Bella licks her lips, glancing to the window as if ashamed to look at me. “I should never have behaved the way I did. I guess I was annoyed that you got that position over me, even though I don’t even want it. It just made me feel like nobody recognises me, you know?”

I’m not sure I do know, because Bella is not the kind of person you don’t recognise. She’s smart, confident, and beautiful.

“You said some hurtful things to me, I’m not going to lie about that. I know I’m not the smartest person in the room, and I’m probably the least qualified to do the job, but no one has ever given me a chance with anything.”

That shame rises in her eyes again. “I was such a bitch. I’m sorry.”

“I understand, but all you did was enforce all the negative things I believed about myself anyway. I’ve never thought I was worthy of anything, and I know I only got that job because Mace likes me”— loves me —“but I didn’t deserve the things you said to me.”

“You didn’t, and I can never make it up to you, but I’m going to try. I miss you, Maylie, and I hate that we don’t talk to each other anymore. I’ve been so miserable, and I know it’s my own doing, but please let me try to fix things.”

I grab her hand over the table as tears brim in her eyes. “Let’s just put it behind us. I want us to be friends again. I don’t have a lot of people in my life, Bella, and I’ve been dying to talk to somebody about me and Mace.”

Her smile softens. “I’ll admit, we were wrong about him and his club. I see how good he is to you, how much he clearly cares about you. You deserve all the goodness he’s showering you with, Maylie.”

My chest feels full as I glance down at my hands threaded together on the table. “He’s so good to me.”

“You’re gonna have to tell me everything.”

I’m on a high after meeting with Bella, which is why my guard is low as I make my way into the lift that will take me up to the floor the apartment is on.

I fire off a message to Mace, telling him I met with Bella and that we sorted things out, then I add that I’ve headed home and I can’t wait to see him. I send a fifth message that just says ‘I love you’.

He replies back with ‘Get that pretty pussy of yours warmed up for me’.

My pussy throbs at that. Sometimes, when he’s not busy doing whatever it is he does for the club, he’ll nip home for an afternoon quickie before Toby gets back from school.

I unlock the apartment door and step inside, closing it behind me. I bought some black lace underwear yesterday that I’m dying to try out. Mace will love it.

Shrugging out of my jacket, I hang it on a hook by the door and slip off my boots .

I expect to find my sister lazing on the couch, but the living room is empty, and as I enter the kitchen, a huge figure darkens my path. I barely have time to react before a hand wraps around my throat and I’m shoved against the wall so hard, my spine bruises.

Link’s cold, angry eyes glare at me as he squeezes so tight, I can’t breathe. I grip his wrist, digging my nails in, trying anything to unhook him from me without any success. Fuck. Dark spots spill across my vision as the air is locked behind his fingers. I can’t breathe. I’m going to die. This is the end.

“I’ve been dying to get you alone.”

Did my sister go out? She must have or he’d have taken her.

He slams my head against the wall, and splintering pain shoots down my spine as my vision winks out.

Pain spreads through my neck and shoulders as he loosens his grip just enough for me to suck in a small amount of air.

“She’s eighteen today. You can’t keep her from me any longer. She’s legally an adult.”

My stomach twists at his words. Bastard .

I kick out blindly, trying to hurt him in any way I can, but it’s useless. I connect with him, but I can’t get enough force behind my hits.

“Where is she?” He screams the words in my face.

I’ll die before I tell him where my sister is. His fingers tighten around my throat as he presses his body against me in a way that would have made me hot if Mace did it, but all I feel from this situation is panic.

“She’s having my baby! ”

“A baby you forced her to have.” I gasp the words as he loosens his hold enough to let me breathe again.

His nose curls up into a snarl, his lips playing with it. “She wasn’t a kid when I was fucking her and she was begging for more. Call your sister and get her back here.”

I shake my head, and the rage in his eyes terrifies me. The thought that my sister had to deal with this guy alone makes me sick to my stomach.

Escape… I have to get out of this situation. I have to survive long enough for Mace to arrive. The thought he might find me dead in our apartment sends searing pain through my chest.

Link pulls me off the wall and tosses me across the room like I’m a ragdoll. The momentum sends me flying, and I crash into the table where we eat breakfast every morning before slamming onto the floor. I hit with enough force to send pain spearing through my wrist, and my stomach instantly contracts. I clamber forwards, trying to escape, but he fists his fingers into my hair and drags my head back.

My scalp burns as I try to grab his wrists, my feet scrambling for purchase as he pulls me along the floor before releasing me.

I collapse face first, my chest heaving and my lungs burning. He’s going to kill me.

“Where is your sister? You tell me that, and I’ll let you live.”

On unsteady feet, I somehow manage to stand. My wrist and my neck burn, but I back away from him until my spine bumps against the counter behind me.

“Where is she, Maylie?” he roars at me, and I jolt back.

“If you come any closer, I swear, this time, I’ll kick your balls into your fucking throat,” I hiss at him, ready to fight despite being hurt.

This seems to fuel whatever adrenaline kick he’s on. He rushes at me, and I snap my fist out, catching him in the side of the head. My punch is pathetically weak, and he grabs both my wrists in his hands, holding them against my chest as he spins around, walking me back until my legs bump the kitchen table.

A wicked look crosses his face as he forces me onto it until I’m lying with my legs over the edge. I fight, or try to, as spots fill my vision again and dizziness swamps me, the room rolling around me.

Don’t pass out.

Link plasters his body against mine, and my thin leggings do nothing to protect me from his hard cock pushing against my pussy.

Is this sick freak fucking turned-on by this?

I thrash against him, fear sticky in my veins, but he lifts my wrists over my head, pinning me to the table like a sacrifice.

The way he’s holding me doesn’t allow me to fight against him, so I do the only thing I can—I scream. His hand presses over my mouth, stifling the sound, though I still yell as loud as I can, at least until he grinds himself against me. Vomit fills my mouth, my entire body recoiling from his violation.

I shake my head, no doubt looking as terrified as I feel.

This isn’t happening. I’m not going to let it happen.

I try to fight, bucking against him, but he has super strength, or maybe I’m just really weak because he’s just not moving.

“Don’t… please,” I beg .

“I’m going to fuck you bloody and then I’m going to take Ivy.”

A loud crack fills the air, reverberating around the space. Link releases his hold on me, his eyes wide as he stumbles back.

I take immediate advantage, sliding off the table, and that’s when I see him. Mace is standing in the doorway, a gun raised. I’ve never seen a firearm before, and it feels as if my throat is so tight, I can’t draw in a single breath.

Mace, on the other hand, is cool like ice as he strides around the table to stand in front of a writhing and moaning Link.

He fires off another shot, and the back of Link’s head seems to explode, spraying stuff all over the cabinets behind him.

I squeeze my eyes shut, but that image is burned into my brain forever.

All I hear is my heavy breaths in my ears as I try to calm my hammering pulse.

“Maylie?”

My eyes pop open as Mace fills my darkening vision. His hands cup my face, anguish lining every part of him.

“Fuck, darlin’, I’m so sorry.” He helps me off the floor, and my legs buckle, forcing him to hold me up. I can barely see straight, and I can’t look at the mess of Link behind us. “Just take a second, okay. Get your bearings.”

A grunt erupts from my mouth as the movement sends a sharp pain through my side. Link tried to kill me. Trembles turn into full body shakes.

“Baby? Talk to me. You’re scaring me.”

I unglue my tongue from the roof of my mouth. “Is he… is he dead? ”

Of course, he’s fucking dead. There’s blood all over the kitchen. His head exploded. I close my eyes, trying to escape the image left behind, but there’s no escaping this.

“Yeah.” He winces as a myriad of emotions cut across his face. “I never wanted you to see that side of me?—”

I don’t let him finish, grabbing the edge of his kutte with my uninjured hand and pulling him into me as I let out a sob. “He nearly killed me.” I suck in air as his arms wrap around me, cocooning me in his warmth. I feel his relief as he holds me tight to him. “I thought he was going to rape me right there on the kitchen table. It’s a good thing you’re a horny fucker. If you hadn’t come… come home…”

Mace swipes the tears that escapes down my cheeks. “He shouldn’t have even got this close. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“You saved me, and that’s all I care about. I need to find Ivy. He came looking for her, but she wasn’t here.”

“She’s probably out with friends.”

I know he’s right, but I still need to hear from her. I let go of his kutte, stepping out of his arms, still cradling my hand to my chest.

“Fuck.” He sounds angry, though I know it’s not directed at me when he takes my wrist very gently, turning it so he can look at the damage.

It hurts… I’m not going to deny that. There is a throbbing pain spreading through my fingers and up my arm. Mace goes to the freezer, pulling out a packet of ice and wrapping it in a towel before handing it to me. “Go and wait in the living room. I’ll have my brother find Ivy and check that Toby is still in school and safe.”

I don’t know how he thinks of everything, because my mind is whirling like a storm. He kisses my head, and I close my eyes, trying to calm myself.

“Living room, baby.”

I stumble across the hallway into the living room and sink onto the edge of the couch, holding the ice pack against my throbbing wrist.

I can’t seem to stop shaking, and my gut churns savagely with nausea.

I don’t know how long passes before Nicky and Diesel, another brother from the club, turn up. I hear their voices talking, but I can’t understand a word.

Unable to stay awake, I lie down and let my eyes drift until I feel the sofa depress.

My eyes fly open, only relaxing when I see it’s Mace.

“Is he gone?” I ask.

“Yeah. You okay?” I shake my head. I don’t see the point in lying. He closes his eyes, pain rippling across his face. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I didn’t think he’d be an issue. I should’ve known better.”

He’s not going to be an issue now. “Did your brother get Ivy?”

He nods. “They’re both safe.”

“I’m sorry you had to kill him for me. I never wanted to drag you into my problems, and all you seem to do is fix all the broken parts of my life.”

His hand cups my face, so much emotion shining in his eyes as he stares at me. “That only seems fair when you fix all the broken parts of me.”