I lean my head against the wall a second, then spin to face her.

“Can I come back to the house?”

Her forehead crinkles, but her lip twitches. “Not gonna run, huh?”

I glare, and she laughs, a sigh falling shortly after.

She reaches for my hand and slowly drops to sit, her feet dangling over the edge of the porch, laughing lightly when I pull from her grip.

She pats the space at her side, so I plant my ass beside her. She blows my damn mind when she pulls an old school metal pipe from her pocket, packed and ready to go.

I gape at her, a laugh escaping me, and she shrugs.

“I’m an old, achy woman who deals with a good dozen females on a daily basis. These nerves are shot.”

I laugh and watch her hit it, taking it when she passes it my way.

“You knew I was smoking the whole time?” I ask her.

“I know everything, child. I’ve been a mother to many.” She looks my way. “I also knew you stole the binder from me.”

“Why not confront me, or take it back?”

“I wanted to see what would happen next.”

My mouth opens then closes. “What?”

“I wanted to see what would happen next,” she repeats. “I knew you’d do no harm to them. I could feel it in my gut.”

“You shouldn’t have trusted in your gut. You don’t know me.”

“I know you’re a fighter, like them. I knew right away you’d love him, and I was waiting to watch it happen.”

I frown at the orchards. “Maybe I don’t.”

She scoffs, and my eyes fall to my feet.

“Maybe ... I don’t want to.”

“Raven,” she starts but pauses for a long moment. Finally, she shifts to face me. “Child,” she whispers, something sounding a lot like devastation making her voice crack. “Things are gonna get real complicated, but I need you—”

The door is thrown open and a crazy-eyed Maddoc storms out, his feet screeching to a halt when he spots us off to the side.

His shoulders visibly drop.

Maybell smiles meekly from me to him. “Yes, boy, she’s still here.”

Maddoc nods, his frown not leaving me.

“What?” I ask a little more bitchy than necessary.

“Come inside.”

“I’m talking to Maybell.” Anything to prolong this.

“We’re done, child.”

My stare slices back to her and she offers a tight smile.

“Go on, girl,” she whispers, her hand reaching out to squeeze mine. “Boy,” she calls and Maddoc comes over, helping her stand.

He kisses her temple and she makes her way down the steps.

I stand and Maddoc steps against me.

“You good?” he rasps, his voice tense.

“Are you?” I counter, and he frowns.

I step past him and into the house.

Cap and Royce are on the couch, so I drop between them, not missing the frown that comes from Rolland as I do.

Maddoc moves to sit on the arm of it, on the other side of Royce.

“So,” Rolland starts.

“So...” I let my eyes trail him this time. “You look like the man I used to see once a week ... but at the same time, you don’t.” My eyes lift to his. “You played the trucker role well, never would have guessed you owned a suit, let alone wore one like a king.”

His lip tips slightly.

Fool.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Don’t. You’re fake. What’s the point of being you, the supposed man to beat, if you can’t even be real?”

“I have a lot of enemies.”

“A lot of people do. Only the weak hide from theirs.”

His eyes harden slightly. “Are you weak or are you smart, Raven?”

“I’m not the one who got sucked in by the she-devil and landed my ass in prison for eleven years over beat up pussy.”

“Raven,” Royce draws, but Rolland lifts his hand.

“It’s okay, son,” he says, and I grind my teeth together.

“I don’t need you to pacify them for me. I can handle them on my own.”

He eyes me, then slowly stands. “Perhaps we should speak tomorrow. It’s late. Let’s all try our best to get some sleep.” His eyes bounce between the four of us then tighten. “I’ll take the pool house for the night. Ms. Maybell set it up for me. Tomorrow, I have some calls to make, but soon.” He looks back to me. “We speak.”

I don’t respond, but trail every movement of each of them as they walk him out back, hugging him as he exits.

I take the steps two at a time and rush into my room.

I pull my knife out, flipping it open and closed several times.

He’s home.

He’s fucking home.

Son of a bitch, what’s this mean? And what the hell was Maybell trying to tell me with her cryptic ass bullshit?

I groan, dropping my head into my hands as it starts to pound. I reach into my side drawer and swallow two ibuprofen, jumping when my door is thrown open and Maddoc steps through the door.

He closes and locks it behind him, lifting his eyes to mine.

My features tighten right along with his, but when my shoulders drop his follow and he rushes me.

I toss the knife to the floor and he scoops me up and drops me on to my mattress in the same second.

He pulls my jeans off while losing his and my legs fall open, welcoming him in. He takes up every inch of the space, pushing his dick against my clit over my underwear.

His rough hands run up my sides until he’s pulling my shirt over my head, but he doesn’t pull it all the way off. He leaves it tangled there, covering my face, my arms both up.

His lips drag across the edge of my breasts, his chin pushing my bra down so he can bite on my nipple.

He licks it, blowing his warm breath over the wet spot, making me shiver.

“Maddoc...” I whisper, and he grinds against me.

“Almost, baby.” He kisses his way to my left breast and does the same, before making his way up my neck, and finally he pulls the shirt off the rest of the way.

I grip his face and pull his mouth to mine, kissing him fiercely.

Hungrily.

Fucking needy.

I shift my lower half, gasping when the heat of his head slides past my underwear.

He groans against my mouth and reaches down to shove them aside the rest of the way. He aligns himself and I lift my hips, forcing him inside me when he tries to take his time.

When I sigh, he grins and nips at my lips, but when he catches my eyes, his features shift.

His hand comes up to run down my temple, slowly sinking into my hair.

His hips move leisurely, deep full strokes that are driving me mad, but it’s such a good kind of torture.

I moan softly, and he drops his forehead to mine.

“Wrap your arms around me, baby.”

I do as he asks, and he buries his face into the crook of my neck, sighing against my skin and he fucks me slow.

“I love the feel of your pussy, baby,” he whispers. “So tight, so wet.”

I throb around him and he twitches inside me.

“So fucking good.” He grinds deeper and my head tips back. “And mine.”

My fingers twitch, and I slide them up his back, gripping the tops of his shoulders, using his body as a barrier and forcing him deeper.