Magic or Madness (The Wreck Me Duet #1)

OZZY

I never wanted this much weight on my shoulders, but it’s been a long time coming. I somehow managed to step into a position where I was Max’s second in command without realizing it, but the moment I chose to stand up to him, I knew where this would lead.

When he walked out, and the rest of the guys stayed, I became the head of the crew.

So much for trying to get out one day.

Fallon beamed at me with pride, and I could see how satisfied she was with how I took control.

She’s been begging me to reconsider this job, and finally, I listened to her pleas.

It took her bringing up Masha for me to realize how stupid we’ve been, trying to plan something so impossible. Whoever this client is, he can spread the word that Doc is dead all he wants, our track record since can speak for itself.

My concern now is getting us out of this, and deciding how to move forward. Max has a seat if he wants it, but I know he’ll try and cause discourse every step of the way. There’s always a rough patch when changing leadership, and I intend to keep Journey, Oliver, and Lex as happy as possible.

It starts with our first meeting, letting everyone have their own voice to offer ideas, and feel like this is a group effort, rather than a dictatorship that hands out orders without consideration from everyone.

“We have four days until we’re supposed to do this. Rather than waste our time surveilling the warehouse, let's try to find the client. Lex, how has he been in contact?” I ask, and he pulls up his laptop, everyone waiting while he loads his software.

“Email. Private domain, secure, the usual encryption levels. I can put all my focus into this now,” Lex offers, and I jot it down on the board, effectively assigning him a role.

“Journey, you’ve been working on the photos of the men. Does anyone show up often enough that we could possibly identify? With as much product as they’re holding, whoever the client is has to have inside knowledge to know how much to steal,” I say, and he pulls out his notes, skimming them, but vowing to get more organized before offering any solid leads.

“I’ll get these uploaded, run a software to see if anything pops. They’re timestamped, so I’ll sort them, too,” he replies effortlessly, and I nod with approval, adding it to what we’ve got so far this afternoon.

Progress.

The rest of the meeting is spent combing over what we know, and what we’d like to know. Nothing too complicated.

Fallon keeps quiet, letting me find my footing as the leader, and I notice how carefully she’s taking her own notes, hoping to find something that slipped through the cracks when we go over it together.

We have our new direction, and everyone breaks around lunchtime, ready to get to work.

Oliver, Fallon and I take the office, re-organizing things and opening space for new ideas.

“You did amazing, Ozzy.” She smiles softly, those dimples poking out as she kisses my cheek.

“It’s about fucking time, man. We’ve needed this change for a long time,” Oliver adds, and I shake my head, hating how this turned out.

“I didn’t want to take over, I’m no fucking leader, but something had to be done. Thanks for the support.”

“You got it, Boss,” he jokes, taping a blank poster board to the wall.

“Any ideas of what to do if we don’t figure out the client’s identity?” Lex steps into the room, and all eyes land on him.

“Fuck if I know, Lex. Worst-case scenario, he lets it spill about Doc. Our reputation may be ruined, but we’ve had clients who knew they weren’t dealing with Doc. The jobs we’ve taken have been much tamer since he’s been gone. Someone out there will hire us again, I’m not worried about it,” I say honestly, and he joins us in our efforts.

“Well, all I’ve got so far is that he signs each email with the name Mr. A., which could be a lead, but I doubt he’d be dumb enough to use a real name for something like this,” Lex explains as he descends into the rabbit hole.

Hours go by with us all buried deep in the work, barely pulling our heads out long enough to eat or take bathroom breaks. Journey has joined the party, finding four men who have overlapped in our surveillance footage, another long shot, but grasping at straws is better than absolutely nothing at this point.

Fallon is the queen of organization, turning these walls into a map that is beginning to make sense, and giving her a role that she can excel in.

I’m beyond grateful that she’s thrown herself into this with us, even if it took our first real argument to get here. I’ve been kicking myself all day about how I treated her last night, especially when I yelled at her. It’s never happened between us, and I damn sure won’t make it a habit. The guilt over it is nearly eating me alive, but I have to keep my focus on the task at hand. My apology will come later, and she knows that. For now, we can work together, even if there’s unresolved tension between us.

Cami and Pepper come sauntering in after a while, and it turns out it’s been six hours since they left and none of us noticed how much time had passed.

We take a break to order pizza, and Fallon pours herself a tall glass of wine, handing out beers for the guys.

“What a day,” she sighs, collapsing on my lap as I fan my arms across the sofa.

“It’s okay, Bambi. Go hang with the girls and take a break, we’ve got this,” I tell her, rubbing her back gently, but she shuts me down before I can even take a breath.

“Not a chance, Oswaldo. Besides, if my organization is messed with, you’ll all be sorry,” she laughs, and I concede, not wanting to poke the beast.

“Where’s Max?” Pepper asks, and we all exchange a look, unsure of how much to share with her.

It’s not that we don’t trust Pepper, but she has said that she has no interest in this side of things, or the violence. I can respect that, so I leave the explaining to Lex, as he knows better than anyone what she can handle.

“Max left earlier after a disagreement. Looks like Ozzy is in charge now,” he tells her, and her eyes light up, instantly swiveling her head in my direction.

“Oh! Congratulations!” She cheers, and I can't help but laugh at her relentless positivity.

“Thanks, Pepper. Not sure if a party is my next move, but I’m just trying to fix a mess we made.”

As if on cue, Max comes through the front door, stumbling over his own feet and mumbling to himself.

Perfect.

He spent the day getting plastered, and now we’ll all be on Max cleanup duty tonight.

“Fuckers,” he mutters, collapsing on the couch while continuing to talk to himself.

“Nice to see you too, Max.” Oliver attempts to connect with him, but I shake my head and hold my hand up.

No need to get him worked up, especially when he’s so far gone.

“After all I’ve done for you. You’d be nothing if it weren’t for me,” he slurs through hiccups, and I can see everyone trying to hold back.

I keep an arm around Fallon, ensuring the beast stays locked up inside her, too. Her smart mouth is the last thing Max will want to hear, and I’d hate to make this day any more complicated than it already is.

I nod toward the office, and we all slowly vacate the couch, leaving Max to sleep off whatever he drank, but he isn’t as out of it as I thought, firing off one last missile.

“What’s the matter, Boss ? Nothing to say?” He laughs to himself, and I take a deep breath, trying to keep my composure.

“Max, let’s not make this difficult. We’ve been on this all day, and would be happy to show you what we’ve got tomorrow.”

“I’ll pass. You have fun destroying everything we’ve built, though.” He gets up and makes his way to his room, slamming the door for effect.

There’s been enough tension around here lately and I’m tired of it. We all need to loosen up, and I know exactly what’ll do it.

“Olly, grab the top shelf shit. We need a night.”

We’re getting drunk, doing something other than dwell on this job, its consequences, and Max.

“How about a bonfire?” Journey suggests, and we all immediately jump on the idea.

One thing that surprised me today was how willing he was to follow my lead after everything we’ve been through. We used to be close, but since Fallon, our bond has suffered severely. I’m hoping after this change in leadership, we can begin to repair our friendship.

He seems to be on board with everything I’ve pitched so far, and him offering to build a fire is a great example of his willingness to be a part of the team.

“Is getting everyone drunk the best idea?” Fallon wonders, and I shrug, keeping hope at the forefront of my mind, rather than worrying about the worst case scenarios.

“Let loose, Bambi. We’ve all been so tightly wound up that we deserve a night to just relax.” I pull her close, draping my jacket over her shoulders, kissing her forehead, and she scrunches her nose, looking up at me with those big, beautiful eyes.

“Sono fiero di te,” she whispers, but my Italian isn’t as polished as hers.

“You lost me, I’m sorry,” I laugh and she does too.

“ I’m proud of you ,” she translates, holding my hand against her heart as we stand in the stairwell, sheltered from everyone else hanging on the roof.

“It’s all because of you, Bambi.” And I mean that.

Everything I am, do, and stand for is because of her .

“Alright, gather around!” Oliver yells, interrupting our moment, holding the tequila bottle in his hand.

The fire is roaring, and they’ve pulled chairs around the pit in a circle, getting as close as possible in this cold North Carolina winter.

“To Ozzy, let’s do this, brother.” He swigs from the bottle, passing it to his left, to Cami.

She holds it up before taking a sip and handing it off to her left. This continues until the bottle reaches me, and I take a slight bow, making everyone crack up, before letting the tequila burn down my throat, officially coronated as the new leader of this band of fucking misfits.

We share stories and jokes, just like normal, and everything feels alright in this moment. There’s no grand piano hanging over our heads, or questions about how we survive any of this. Just seven people having a little fun, and a lot of liquor.

“Let’s play a game!” Pepper cheers and my eyes widen, only imagining what she’ll suggest.

“What’re you thinking, Pepperoni?” Lex asks, and Fallon and I immediately exchange a look, attempting not to burst out laughing.

“Hmm … flip cup? Beer pong? I don’t know any other games,” she laughs, and I nod at Oliver, who immediately knows what I’m thinking.

“I’ve got one, hold on Pep,” he smiles, and she sips her fruity little seltzer, not liking the taste of the tequila.

“What is he going to come out with?” Fallon asks, her curiosity getting the best of her and I shush her, holding a finger over her lips.

“You’ll see. He’s not the only one with tricks up his sleeve …” I whisper in her ear, but she shakes her head.

“Do you see this outfit? Obviously, I’ve been visited by the red devil. I’m sorry, baby,” she says quietly, shielding her mouth so no one can read her lips.

I didn’t notice before, but now, I see her comfy clothes and pinned up hair, the signs in front of me all day.

“That would never stop me, Bambi.”

“Cramps. Stress. Not a good time. I’d really like it if we could snuggle tonight, and talk things out properly,” she counters, and I’m all for it, not a single argument coming from my lips.

“You tell me if you need anything else, even if it’s just an aspirin, my beautiful girl . I’ll get it,” I tell her, and she nods softly, keeping her attention on the crowd.

Finally, Oliver comes back with the Wheel of Doom , and the girls’ eyes light up, but instantly change when they read the options on the colorful wheel.

It’s an old game we used to play, equipped with a spinner and small ticks to stop it, determining what your task will be.

“These are a little manly,” Pepper says slowly, and Cami nods along with her.

“Let’s get some paper and add new options. We’re a part of this family now, and they know they can’t get away with some of these,” Fallon laughs, and the girls follow her inside.

After a few minutes and ensuring the girls are inside, Oliver clears his throat, turning to me.

“That girl … she’s our lifeline, Ozzy. If I hear you guys fight one more time, it’ll bring me back to the days when my parents got divorced,” Oliver slurs, and I tip the bottle toward him, taking a big sip.

“We never meant to be Mom and Dad,” I say, but everyone shakes their head almost in sync.

“You are, though. Fallon is the only person who didn’t endure Doc’s training but has a place in this crew. I think Oliver would agree that our girls are here for the nighttime, not a long time,” Lex pauses, looking at Oliver, who nods in support.

What have they been doing, having secret meetings to determine our family tree?

“But, the girl I think of as my little sister, is . She’s important, to all of us, and we wouldn’t be who we are today if it weren’t for her,” he finishes Lex’s sentence, and I’m a little shocked at their confessions.

“I know she means a lot to all of you, but I don’t want to make it a habit of including her on the jobs. This side of life isn’t for her,” I say, my protective side jumping out instinctively, and they reluctantly agree.

“She’s smart like Masha was. It comes in handy,” Lex adds, just as the girls come back with an updated wheel.

“This is much better,” Cami says, placing it next to the fire. “Who’s up first?”

We all exchange a glance, and Oliver is the first to speak up.

“Well, tradition is that we all drink ourselves stupid, and just spin until someone throws up or passes out. We’ll leave the honor of going first to the ladies, of course,” he laughs, waving his hand in their direction, and the girls eat it up.

They truly have no idea what they’re in for. The Wheel of Doom is a staple around here, and we take it very seriously.

“I’ll go, let’s see what this thing’s got,” Cami says, stepping right up and spinning the wheel.

It lands on one of our options – shotgun a beer in five seconds – which is one of the easier ones, and Cami doesn’t hesitate.

“That’s a piece of cake, beer me!” She pulls out her keys, digging a hole in the side of the can, and cracking the top.

Oliver starts the timer and we cheer her on as she chugs it down, the extra bubbles spilling down her shirt.

She crunches the can, finishing with milliseconds to spare.

“That was almost too easy,” she brags, but I know better than betting on your first spin.

“The Wheel of Doom can be cruel, you may land on that space four times in a row,” I warn, and she only shrugs, taking it as a challenge.

“Alright, Pepper, you’re up,” Fallon declares after winning the rock, paper, scissors battle.

Our resident blonde steps up, giving the wheel a delicate spin, watching as it ticks past three options before landing on her task.

“Take a dare from anyone, take a drink, then pass a new dare along. Continues until everyone participates,” she reads aloud, and this is obviously a new addition.

“Of course, this was my idea,” she laughs, holding her hands out to accept a suggestion.

After a few minutes, Oliver has something to offer, and I roll my eyes, knowing that he’ll have her do something ridiculously embarrassing.

“Pepper, I dare you to juggle three beers. The last one you drop, you drink,” he challenges, and she sighs, dropping her head back.

“You’re on.”

We watch as she attempts to juggle, actually getting the hang of it for a second before all three beers fall at once, forcing her to drink one that’s so foamy that she nearly chokes.

“Alright, my turn. Cami, I dare you to pin the tail on Oliver. We’ll blindfold you, spin you around a bunch of times, and you’ll have to find Oliver’s ass with this earring,” she explains, and Cami’s eyes light up with pure excitement.

“Oh, Pep. This was made for me,” she laughs, accepting her dare with a smile.

She succeeds after two misses and passes a dare to Lex. We continue until everyone’s completed a task, with Fallon having to serenade Pepper, and I’m forced to give my girl a lap dance.

It takes so much time that everyone is drunk, and the tequila bottle is nearly empty, but we told the girls that the game only ends when someone pukes, so Fallon is next to spin the wheel.

She lands on an old-school marker, which is a classic.

“Dirty drink: three liquors of your choice, plus hot sauce,” she reads, and gags immediately. “I can’t stand hot sauce.”

“You can’t resist the wheel, Bambi. Let’s whip you up a cocktail.” An evil grin spreads across my lips, but she isn’t thrilled, groaning while choosing tequila, beer, and vodka, along with a medium-spice buffalo sauce.

We all die of laughter, watching as she chokes it down, the tears streaming down her face because of how much she hates spicy things.

“Come here, Fallon,” I say once she finishes, wiping her tears and consoling her.

“Fuck, my mouth is going to burn for days,” she cries, and we move forward, cheering as Oliver takes his turn.

He spins, landing on another classic option.

“Shotgun a beer, run two laps naked.” He tips his head back, laughing like a madman because this was his submission to the wheel, and somehow it’s always the one he lands on.

“Alright, old friend. Let’s go!” He yells, stabbing a hole in the can, sucking it down like water.

Next, he strips out of everything but his boxers – out of respect for the girls – and runs up, then back down the street twice, screaming like a banshee the entire time.

“That one always gets my blood pumping!”

Lex, Journey, and myself are left, and I choose to take my punishment now, getting it out of the way.

I spin until the ticker stops, landing on a space that Fallon added.

“Confess a dirty little secret,” I read aloud, and everyone cheers, knowing I’m not the type to overshare.

“One of the older ladies from my neighborhood had a huge crush on me when I was like, sixteen. She’d always offer me cash to mow her lawn, or clean her pool, and afterwards we’d have lemonade together. Well, one hot summer afternoon she offered me a different method of payment, and I let it happen,” I confess, everyone’s eyes glued to mine while I tell my story.

“You got a blowjob from a grandma?” Oliver bluntly asks, and even I can’t help the laugh that escapes.

“She wasn’t a grandma, she was in her forties. She was one of those bored housewives. Pretty hot, actually,” I joke, feeling Fallon’s eyes burning a hole through my head.

“Best head ever, huh?”

“No, Bambi. Nothing compares to you, I swear.” I hold my hands up in defense, but she only shakes her head, rolling her dark-brown eyes at me.

Maybe that wasn’t the best story to tell, but it’s all I’ve got, really. I’m not much for secrets, especially dirty ones.

“Alright, I’m calling it a night.” I stand, brushing the ash from the fire off my lap, listening as everyone boos my decision.

“Excuse you all. He’s had a rough fucking day, and with everything we’re facing, you should get some sleep, too. We have a busy day tomorrow,” Fallon asserts, pointing at the guys and dumping the gallon of water onto the fire.

The flames sizzle and crack, but eventually die down, leaving the embers to crackle and burn until they flicker out.

All the guys move at her words, cleaning up the mess, and heading inside, Oliver tucking the wheel under his arm like he got in trouble.

They all tremble at her words, and she’s so well-spoken, the true Queen of the crew.

As much as I don’t want her sucked into this side of my life, the guys were right earlier when they said she’s a natural.

Fuck, she belongs here just as much as we do, but something keeps me from inviting her in fully, hoping that the element of danger will push her away. Knowing Fallon, though, it’ll only bring her in more, and she thrives off the sense of uncertainty. Look at where we are from where we started, her desire to follow me is what began this story, and her curiosity has never stopped her before.

Her protection, safety, and well-being is my number one priority, and the way she reacted to our fight is proof that she will never give up, whether there’s a resolution in sight, or not.

She’s stressed, upset, and pissed off at me for not listening sooner. I know when we get into bed, she’ll let me have it.

Now that I’m the head of the crew, I’m the biggest target, with arguably the most to lose, and I have to keep her safe. If something happens to Fallon, I’ll never forgive myself. Every move I make has to be calculated, correct, and most of all, beneficial to our future.

The pressure is on, and it's mounting quickly. If another domino falls, I may just tumble down with it.

“Come here, Ozzy,” she whispers, taking my hand and leading me to bed, pulling me back to reality.

Admittedly, I’m drunk, but seeing her lit up under the dim lights in our bedroom ignites something inside me, something that is so desperate to connect with her, that I’d stay up ‘til the sunrise just to be close to her – back to the way we’re supposed to be.

“I need to hold you, Bambi. I might die if I don’t,” I confess, and we strip each other down, climbing into bed together.

Her head rests on my chest, and I gently pull the scrunchie from her hair, raking my fingers through the lilac-colored tangles, enjoying her comfort after the day I had.

“Why didn’t you tell me about your neighbor?” She asks, and I sigh, knowing this was coming.

“Honestly, it’s not something I’m proud of. I should’ve known better, and nobody wants to admit when they’ve been taken advantage of.” I close my eyes, pushing the memories out of my mind.

“I know, Ozzy. I know.”

Of course, she does, considering what she’s been through before me. In a way, we walked the same path, with different consequences. Instead of dwelling on our pasts, I change the subject, ready to pour my heart into her lap.

“I am so fucking sorry for yelling at you last night, Fallon.” I start, tilting her chin so she’s looking into my eyes.

“I was out of my mind, terrified of admitting the fear I was hiding behind. About two days into us accepting the job, I knew it was impossible, but I kept going for everyone else, stuffing down how I felt. When you brought up the same concerns I’d already run through my mind I was so overwhelmed, I lashed out. I fucking promise you, Fallon Morell Mariano, I will never treat you that way again, especially when you’re voicing your opinion. We are an equal partnership, and I will never shut you down again.”

The tears well in her eyes while I speak, a few slipping out, and I brush the pad of my thumb onto her cheeks, swiping away her sadness and replacing it with a form of intimacy.

I lean down, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead while she sniffles, attempting to keep her emotions in check.

“I don’t care, I’m just thankful you listened to me. I could not stand by and watch you all do that job, it was killing me inside,” she whispers, her grip tightening around my midsection.

“I promise you, I’ll never fall asleep during a fight until we come to a resolution. I barely slept without your touch, and the unresolved tension between us,” I assert, bringing her lips to mine, solidifying my promise.

“I love you, Ozzy. I love every single person in this dealership like family, and I would do anything to protect you guys. I hate that we had to fight for you to see my point of view, though. I wish you had more faith in me,” she cries, and I feel my heart breaking inside my chest.

I pull her on top of me, keeping her eyes locked on mine, and I do everything I can to make her feel comfortable, safe and loved before I speak again.

I fix her knotted bun, using the scrunchie to wrap her hair up as she’s shown me, and I pull the covers over both of us, rubbing her shoulders afterward.

There isn’t much I can say to ease her mind, or convince her that I didn’t believe in her, because for a time, I didn’t. I thought we could handle the threat and do the impossible.

“I was being stubborn, and trying to fix things on my own, but I was wrong. You made me see the light, and I won’t doubt you again, I promise,” I say, and she nods against my chest.

“How does it feel to be in charge?” She teases, tracing her finger along my jaw while changing the subject.

I know she’s still upset, but I can feel the tension dissolving between us, and I know we’re going to be okay.

“A little strange, but it feels right. I never wanted to oust Max, but when he stepped into the leadership role, we just accepted it. Sometimes change can be a good thing, and I’m hoping that’s what happens for us,” I say honestly, and Fallon doesn’t skip a beat.

“You were made for this, Ozzy. I have complete faith in you, and so do they.” We talk until she falls asleep on my chest, and the quiet creeps in, sending waves of self-doubt through my mind.

Can I really lead these guys, and make decisions that not only affect me, but them too? We’re up against an invisible threat, with the scales tipped heavily against us, and I have no real idea how we can get out of this unscathed.

I look down at the girl in my arms, and all the fear seems to flood out of me. She believes in me, she thinks I can do this, and with her beside me, I think I can.

An idea forms, and I might know how we’re going to get out of this, or at least learn a bit more about who we’re dealing with.

It’s risky, but it needs to be done.

Tomorrow, we call the client’s bluff to see how he reacts, and maybe if we’re lucky, he’ll make a mistake.

This is the first time my back has been against the wall, and I’m certain it won’t be the last, but it’s time to push back and fight.