He stops the bike and gets off, striding towards me with a ferocity that’s frightening. His black hair swishes around his face, and his blue eyes are fierce. He stops in front of me, his fists clenched. His eyes rake over me, stopping on my tousled hair.

“Where the fuck is that dirty, stinkin’ cunt. I’ll fuckin’—”

“It’s not like that,” I croak. “He didn’t . . . I . . .”

He flicks his eyes to me, and grates out, “Tell. Me. What. Happened?”

I swallow. “I . . . We . . . were . . .” I drop my head.

Maddox takes my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Now, Santana.”

“I slept with him!” I screech. “I told him to stop, and . . .”

Maddox has let me go before I’ve even finished my sentence. He goes to the door and he pounds on it, roaring Alec’s name. Alec doesn’t answer. I stare in horror as Maddox turns and charges towards the window, lifting his boot and kicking it so hard it shatters. Glass bursts out and goes everywhere.

“Maddox!” I scream.

He kicks the remaining glass in, and then he’s gone. I hear the roaring sound of his voice in the house, and then the clear sounds of fists hitting skin, and bones crunching. Alec’s pained bellows trail out the broken window. I rush towards the front door, shaking and rattling it. “Maddox!”

It swings open and he steps out, holding a bleeding, battered Alec by the back of the shirt. “You fuckin’ apologize,” he roars.

“I’m sorry, Santana,” Alec croaks, blood dribbling from his mouth.

Maddox turns and throws Alec into the house. “You ever fuckin’ come near her again, I’ll blow your fuckin’ brains right out your skull.”

I press my hand to my mouth. In a matter of minutes, Maddox pummeled Alec to that bloody, pathetic mess lying on the ground.

Spinning, Maddox takes my arm and drags me down the footpath. He’s bleeding, his knuckles and his face. There doesn’t seem to be any deep lacerations. He’s cut himself on the glass. He doesn’t say another word to me; he just throws me on the back of the bike and gets on himself.

Then we’re gone, into the darkness.

I let the tears go freely now; there’s no point holding back.

CHAPTER TWELVE

2014 – Santana

The minute we arrive back at Mack’s, Maddox gets off the bike and storms inside. He doesn’t stop; he doesn’t even check if anyone is around. I follow quickly, keeping my head down, ashamed of myself. When we step inside, Mack looks up and his eyes widen. “What the fuck happened?”

Maddox says nothing, he just disappears down the hall. I watch him go, and swing my eyes to Mack. He gives me a well? expression and I begin to sob again.

“Hey,” he growls, standing. “Pull your shit together, stop that fuckin’ crying, and tell me what went down.”

I suck in my crying and nod, swiping my tears. “I went to Alec’s and . . . I . . . we . . . had sex. I said stop, and he didn’t . . .”

“Fuck.”

“Maddox beat the shit out of him, Mack. He is lucky he didn’t kill him.”

Mack runs his hands through his hair, his jaw tight. “Had about enough of this shit.”

I shake my head, confused.

Cold brown eyes turn to me. “You care about him, Santana?”

I nod.

“Then get your selfish ass in there and fuckin’ make him see that. Grow the fuck up.”

He turns and storms off, not giving me a chance to respond. My pride is wounded, but his words are true. I’m a selfish cow. I’ve been dancing around this for so long. I’ve been a horrible, crazy brat, and I could have gotten myself killed.

I turn on shaky legs and I walk down the hall. I see the bathroom door slightly opened, so I push it open and step in. Maddox is leaning over the sink, his head dropped, blood running down the sides of the sink. My heart breaks. What sort of girl am I? What have I done?

I take a step forward. My hands tremble as I near the shaking man leaning over the sink. He’s shaking with rage—I know he is. I’ve upset him, hurt him, used him, and thrown it all in his face. I stop beside the sink, reaching out and placing my fingers on his hand. He flinches, but he doesn’t look up.

“Get out,” he rasps.

“No,” I say, my voice not coming out as strong as I’d like.

He jerks his head up, and his eyes burn into mine. His jaw flexes as he grinds his teeth.

“I have had enough of your fuckin’ bullshit for one fuckin’—”

“I know,” I croak.

His eyes flicker over my face quickly.

“You know fuckin’ nothin’, Santana. Nothin’.”

“I know you care about me, I know I’ve been a horrible little brat, and I know I’ve hurt you.”

He glares at me. “You. Know. Nothin’.”

“Then tell me!” I cry. “You dance around this as much as I do. We’ve both been playing games for more than a year now, Maddox. I’m done; I’m fucking done.”

“You wanna play with the truth?” he bellows, swiping all the items off the sink. They crash onto the floor. “Then tell me why the fuck you ran off when you found out I got my cock sucked by Ash?”

His words cause me to jerk back. I stare at him, letting the hurt show on my face.

“I don’t know why I ran,” I say.

“Get out.”