Locke

When she breaks the silence with, “I think we need to work on that roaring, you sexy man,” a smile breaks out on my face and I throw my head back and laugh.

Chapter 34—Emmy

This is it.

This is the moment I’ve been waiting for him to be ready for.

But as we stand in front of the massive house that radiates the malevolence that is his family, I feel fear stark, cold terror.

I have no doubt that he’s ready to tackle this.  My faith in him isn’t in question.  No, my terror is all my own.  I have felt nothing but raw hate since he told me of his horrifying past.  Each pain that these people inflicted on him fills me with the kind of anger I never thought I was capable of feeling.

I want to physically harm them.  I crave a weapon that would put their blood on my hands.  Even when I was stuck back at Syn and living my own personal hell, I never felt this kind of energy literally take over my being.

Every second we stand here only makes it worse, until I’m positive that I could lash out with just a flip of my hand and shoot lightning from my hands.

This isn’t about me or my inner rage over how he was treated.  This moment is all for him, and I will do everything in my power to remain a silent strength by his side.

My eyes roam the home in front of us.  Each brick, I hate.  The large floor-to-ceiling windows that line the first floor of the home make my fingers twitch for a rock—or maybe a flaming bag of horseshit tied to a rock followed by a grenade.  The wraparound drive is lined with flowers and bushes and shit that makes me want to jump back in our rental and start doing donuts in the grass.  I had to talk myself out of grabbing the keys from Maddox when we got out of the car and I saw the shining, red sports car sitting in the drive.  It would look wonderful with deeply gouged key slashes.

Jesus, what is wrong with me?

I look over at Maddox, expecting to see some dark essence in him over being back, but I just see a thoughtful expression.  His jaw is relaxed, his eyes are searching, and not a single pained wrinkle is visible.  I squeeze his hand and his eyes meet mine.

“You doing okay, big boy?”

“Yeah, angel.  Shockingly, I’m okay.  Ready to get this over with and get you back to the hotel.”

“You would be thinking about that right now,” I laugh, my mood feeling slightly less violent.

“That’s keeping me from going off the hinges right now, so I’m going to go with what works.”

I can give him that.  If that’s what he needs, then so be it.

“I think, maybe, we should knock or something.  Unless they’re evil little witches that somehow can sense our arrival.”

“I wouldn’t put it past them, Em.  I really wouldn’t.”

Right, then.  I reach out when it becomes clear he isn’t going to knock and bang my fist against the enormous wooden door, using it to take some of my madness out.  I pound until my fist tingles, not even stopping when I hear Maddox’s deep chuckles.

“Pretty sure there isn’t a question that we have arrived, baby.”

“I could start kicking too.  Don’t you test me, Maddox.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”  He smiles and my heart skips a beat.  Then he leans in until his lips hover next to my ear.  “Watch that sass.  You’re turning me on.”

My fist stops its banging and my jaw drops at his words.  I’m seconds from turning towards him when the lock disengages and the door swings open.

“What the hell do you want?”  The voice matches what I anticipated.  Snarky.

Maddox doesn’t react to coming face to face with his mother after almost twelve years.  He just tilts his head to the side and gives her a little half smile.

Her eyes go from my fierce scowl to the man standing tall and proud next to me, and I watch with satisfaction as her eyes flash.

Fear.

Or maybe it’s indigestion, but it looks a hell of a lot like fear.

“If it isn’t my unruly little shit,” she sneers.

“Invite us in, Diana.”  His voice holds no room for argument.  Just looking at him, if I didn’t know the kindness that lives within him, I would piss myself.

Of course, this bitch wouldn’t notice a predator after its prey.

“I think you can just say whatever the hell you need to right here, Maddox.  There is no need for you to dirty up my home with your filth.”

“Bitch,” I mumble under my breath.

She turns her head and looks over me from head to toe.  I picked my outfit with care.  I wanted to give her something to focus on if things went south.  I can handle anything she throws at me, and if Maddox looks like he can’t handle this at any second, then I’m prepared to work everything I have to gain her attention.

“Did you pick this one off the street?”  Her eyes zero in on my short—very short—black shorts.  They move to my tight—very tight—blood-red V-neck shirt.  I lose points with the shoes though.  I didn’t want to risk anything going wrong by wearing the heels Dee had packed for me.

“You focus on me and not her.  You hear me?”  For the first time, his calm demeanor slips and his rage comes through.

“Mother?”

I feel Maddox jolt when the masculine voice comes from down the hall.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake.  I really don’t have time for this.”  She turns and walks away from the door, leaving it wide open behind her.

I look over at Maddox and wait for him to make the next move.  He takes a few deep breaths before walking over the threshold.

Right into hell.

“What the fuck is he doing here?”

I move from where I was trailing behind him and lock eyes with who I assume is his brother, Mason.  Crap, he really got unlucky in the looks department.  I think that, if I squint and maybe tilt my head to the side, I can see how he might have been attractive one day.

Now though?  Now he looks like a middle-aged, fat-ass pervert I would have seen regularly at Syn.  His thinning, light-brown hair is combed over, doing a terrible job at hiding the fact that he only has a few strands left until his shining scalp is naked.  His beady eyes are bloodshot and his protruding gut is seriously testing the buttons on his pink dress shirt.

“Apparently, he has something to say, Mason.  This should be interesting.  To the study, Maddox.  I trust you can find the way.  I need a drink.” She walks away and leaves the two brothers standing in the entryway.