"I feel quite fearless protecting the people I love." — Paloma Faith
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Chapter 37
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Maggie

Fuck.

There's not a word to even barely describe how much I hate working.

Maybe I should start selling feet pics. It'd be a good side hustle, and—

I was forced out of the idea at the chime of the door, which signified another customer coming up to check out.

I forced a smile, and remained pleasant until they walked out with their change. My smile fell right away at the bell, as it usually did.

For the past couple or days, I had to call out due to everything that was going on, but now I was back. I wasn't here as much, since I had to split the time with Luke's building, and my online classes, but I still dreaded this place most.

It wasn't even the job itself that I hated, it usually wasn't. It was usually the customers, or the management, but in this case, it was more management.

Lowen was supposed to be working on a customer's order, but instead, he was here, pretending to be taking calls in the office. In reality, though, he'd been staring at my ass for the past half hour.

I jerked around to cast another glare at him, but his hungering gaze didn't drop. Weird ass bitch.

Lately, he'd been more shameless in his ogling, though. I wasn't sure if he had the guts to pursue them, but lately, he'd been acting like he did.

My eyes jerked over to the clock. 2:58.

Only two minutes of this bullshit, and I'm gone. I can do this. Barely, but I can.

"Maggie!" I heard from behind me. "Come visit me in my office."

My head fell against the counter as I cursed, "I hate my life."

With another curse for good luck, I straightened my back, and turned to follow up on the demand. Hopefully, it'd be quick.

Lowen had his moments of blaming me for his own mistakes, but it had stopped ever since Luke threatened him. I guessed that was gone now, though.

I pulled my crowd winning smile on as I tagged my knuckles along the wood. "I'm here."

Lowen was in his chair, mud-caked boots crossed at the ankles atop the desk. He was pretending to be observing something on his desktop, but when he noticed me, his lips stretched into a smile.

I nearly threw up at the sight. Ugh.

"Come in, come in," he insisted, waving a hand to me.

I did, rather slowly.

Lowen stood, wiping his stained hands across the material of his jumpsuit. "Take a seat, Maggie, I'm not gonna bite. Anywhere is fine."

I chose the one farthest away from him, the ragged sofa. It reeked of garlic, and weed. I tried to hide my shudder, but it was inevitable, once I looked at him.

"Did you need something?" I questioned. "My shift is scheduled to end at three." My words were respectful, but my tone suggested that he bullshitted me, which he had.

Lowen chuckled, still standing by the door. "I'm sorry for the short notice, I just needed to discuss a couple of things with you." His oil-stained fingers landed on the door, shutting it.

My eyes bounced between him and the wood, before finally ending on him. "What is it?"

"We don't always have to be business, you know," he chuckled. "We could be a little personal. You know, get a little personal."

"I don't get personal with my bosses, and bosses shouldn't get personal with their employees."

My mind flickered to Luke after saying that, but I pushed the thought back down. Whatever.

Lowen darted his tongue across his dry lip. "I can understand that."

I wasn't in the mood for this. "Can we get to the reason of why I'm here?"

"Oh," he mused, stirring his finger into the air, and nearly hitting the door, which he still hadn't moved from. "Right, right."

I didn't like when people stood over me while I was sitting. It was weird. It made me think they were readying themselves for an attack, and were looking for an easy win. It made me cautious.

"Are you gonna take a seat?" I asked him, nodding at said space in front of me.

"I needed to stretch my legs out," he answered. "Being under those cars all day fucks with my back." He crossed the space, stepping up to the front of the desk so that he could lean on it. "Sorry about that."

It was more than past three, now. I had to get going to Luke's soon.

Finally, Lowen's lips parted to say, "You know...you've been a fantastic worker, Maggie. Spectacular, even."

Oh.

"You're firing me?" I guessed.

My voice sounded much chipper than I would have thought, but there was no disappointment, honestly.

"Firing you?" Lowen shrunk back at my observation, a snort following. "No, of course not."

My happiness fell into doom. "Oh."

"Trust me, you'll always have a spot here, but...that spot, lately, has become a little too expensive."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He lifted his hands in surrender. "No disrespect intended, don't worry; I'm just looking out for the business. Ever since the mayor's son had me give you a raise, I've been having to take that money out of my own pocket to ensure my promise."

"Well, if you would have paid me the wages I was worth in the first place, then that wouldn't have been such a problem."

"I'm just—"

"You're just what?" I hissed, squinting my eyes at him.

He chuckled, crossing his arms, again. "Your current pay rate is far higher than what I'd prefer, but with a little extra payment, I'm sure that we could both leave this situation satisfied."

My confusion grew until I looked even closer. His dark eyes were studying my body over too closely, like it was his to do so. It was disgusting.

It clicked, then. What I was here for. "No. Fuck no."

Lowen chuckled. "I knew you'd be a little difficult, but I understand. Women love to tease and ploy, but in the end, they all give in."

My nails dug into my palms. "There's a difference between giving in, and being afraid of what'll happen if they say no."

He clicked his tongue, crossing the space between us. "You seem pretty smart, Norris. So, don't act stupid here, okay?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Please. Did you really think I didn't pick up on those little looks you've been giving me? That little swing thing you do with your ass? You think I didn't notice how you always wear those tight-hugging clothes?" He chuckled, running a hand down his scruff of a beard. "I mean, come on. You've been begging for my attention from the moment you walked in."

My anger was rising by the minute. "Those little looks were just that. Looks. And, those tight clothes? Again, just clothes. You're the one who's making it not be."

"Maggie, you can't expect to wear those type of clothes, to give off those type of signs, and not expect a man to react. What carries on afterwards is simply a consequence."

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. "Are you serious?"

"I'm just being honest," he responded, casually.

I ran my eyes over his disgusting figure. "Let me tell you something."

"I'm all ears."

"Everything that you just said was bullshit," I spat. "Nothing, but bullshit. Women dressing how they want, and acting how they want has nothing to do with your inability to accept rejection," I hissed at him. "You were already a piece of shit before a piece of clothing changed that fact. Don't blame me or anyone else for it."

A laugh that came out more howl-like ripped from his throat as he laid a hand on my shoulder. "If you've taken the ignorance on to believe that, then go ahead. Doesn't hurt me none."

I jerked away from his touch. "Get your fucking hands off of me, Lowen."

A chuckle left him as he leaned down until the heat of his breath scraped my jaw. "Just keep your mouth shut while it's around my cock, won't you?"

I went to react, but something made me pause. Stop. Quit. Malfunction, all of it.

That scent.

Peppermint.

It filled me with such an anguish that I nearly tumbled over. Bile rose at the back of my throat, only blocking the words I wasn't capable of saying aloud.

It was what he always chewed on, whether it be the gum or the hard candy. It was all I smelled while he was on top of me, the heat and beer-stained breath mingled right in with it.

My mind shrunk until I was practically a corpse, a bag of skin and bones, nothing. I was nothing.

I was back in that house. In that room. As that little girl. We were screaming. We were fighting. We were crying. We were begging, and kicking and—

It was going to happen, again.

That realization made me curl back into myself. I didn't have the strength. If she didn't, then I didn't, either. We were too small, too weak, too ripped apart, too broken to even resemble an ounce of strength.

His voice was attempting to push through the pain, now, stained by feigned innocence and reassurance. It was hiding behind a vault, and I was attempting to push it, him, back, but spots and clips of his torture broke through. Once it was out, I feared of it having no return.

'Stay still.'

'I'm doing this because I love you, sugar."

'If you don't fight, it won't—'

No. No. No.

I shoved it away.

I shoved it all away. It didn't belong here. I didn't belong there.

The pain only intensified until I thought my mind would peel back at its pitiless wrath. It needed to happen, though. If I wanted to have a chance, I needed to detach from that fear, and do what that little girl couldn't do.

Fight.

I blinked, then did so again, allowing my mind to zero back in on the situation. My vision blurred as I tried to adjust to my reality.

"That's it," Lowen coaxed, his palm stroking the thickness of my thigh. I heard his free hand fumble with his zipper. "Let me take care of you, Maggie. I'm gonna be good, so good that you'll never wanna stop—"

My hand lurched out for the first thing it could grab hold to. I fisted his hair so tight, I thought it ripped under my grip. Without a second thought, I swung my arm back, causing his head to thump into the wall behind us.

"Fuck!" he cursed me as he crumbled.

I copied the move Luke had done to his brother. It was difficult with the weight, but I managed. My fingers curled around the back of Lowen's neck, the other remaining around his hair.

His eyes jumped up to me, the anger in them evident, even over the heaps of pain. "Maggie—"

With all of the strength that I could muster, I slammed his head onto the desk. His groans bounced right off of the walls.

I held him there, my palm pressing into his back while my nails dug into his neck. "You don't ever in your fucking life think to touch me, again, do you hear me?"

Lowen mumbled something obscure, only sparking and ticking at what little patience I had left. Dragging him up by the whisks of hair on the nape of his neck, I leaned down to him.

"Do you fucking hear me?" I seethed.

My fingers tightened around the first thing I could find. It turned out to be a stapler. I didn't think twice about it as I dug the staples into his sickly skin.

His arms attempted to thrash behind him to stop me, but with their length, it wasn't possible. "I hear you!" he relented, his voice trembling. "I hear you, damn it!"

I released him, but only to launch my foot into his crotch. Lowen doubled over once-more, a mix of a curse and groan sounding out. As soon as I jerked around, I heard him retching up the contents of his stomach.

I carried on to the door of the office, my feet slapping against the ground until they faded out of the building. I shoved through a couple of the customers who were waiting to be serviced, but they'd be waiting for a while. I was out of here, and I was never coming back.

I hadn't even realized I was driving until the car began to stutter under my heavy foot. I laid off a bit, instead turning the tension to the wheel.

I couldn't breathe.

I hadn't gotten that deep in years. Years.

That simple scent, fucking peppermint, had nearly doomed me. It made me forget who I was, who I pretended to be, in a matter of seconds.

Shame gutted me.

I was a pussy. A scared little bitch. A coward.

If I couldn't handle the scent of peppermint, then how in the fuck could I handle the man that made me fear it?

I swiped at my cheeks that were now slippery wet with tears. I hadn't even realized I was crying.

Everything was slipping. Everything was going wrong, and I'd be the bearer of it.

I had to pull over only minutes away from Luke's shop to ensure my facade. I contemplated on going home, but home was now Luke's house, so that was a lost deal, either way.

I pulled the driver's mirror down, glaring back at myself. The skin around my green eyes was puffy, and red. My cheeks weren't doing any better, the splotches of blood too evident.

I touched myself up until I appeared at least a little normal. The bruises around my neck were slowly, but surely beginning to fade away, but I made sure to apply some makeup to those, as well.

Checking my side-view, I put the car back into drive and got back on the road.

I could force myself through these next couple hours, go home, then run straight to my room in order to avoid Luke and all of the questions he'd bring along with him.

As soon as I pulled in, I saw him.

Luke was waiting right outside the building, tapping at his imaginary watch. Usually, I might have been ready to curse him and his teasing, but right now, I couldn't muster up the strength. I didn't have the strength.

The tires to my car came to a stop right next to his. There was no waiting in the car with the way he was staring.

Huffing, I pulled what little energy I had left, and stepped out of the car. I wasn't even sure if I locked it behind me.

"I know you like your little dramatic entrances," Luke started, drawing out a sigh. "But, you're half an hour late, Norris."

I pulled my bag up my shoulder, nodding once. "I know. I'm sorry."

My steps felt sluggish as I walked past him. After I put my things down, I would used the distraction of working on his car to distance the two of us.

I heard him trailing right on my heels, but made no move to face him in return.

His voice sounded out through the quiet space, "You know...you're really making me regret getting those pizza sticks you were asking for."

My eyes jerked over to the chair, which had a container of which I guessed were said pizza sticks. This morning, I'd had the appetite for them, but after the past hour, it was long gone.

"Thank you." Placing my bag down, I grabbed my gloves out of my bag, next. "I really appreciate it."

Luke didn't cease. I heard him take a step closer to my backside.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing, praying that he'd take the hint and leave me alone. No questions, no prying.

"Your hair looks like a rat's nest today," he commented.

My lips parted for a response, but none came. My mind was too scrambled to produce anything out of basics. All I could give was a shrug as I shoved my gloves on.

"Norris?"

"Mhm?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I turned to leave the conversation before it even started, but he wasn't having it. He blocked me off before I could go any further.

Luke was studying me over closely, arms framed over his chest. "I just insulted you, and you stayed quiet," he recounted slowly. "I offered you the food you spent all morning crying about, and you didn't care. What's up with you?"

I swallowed past the wedge in my throat. "Nothing's up. I'm just tired."

"Tired my ass," he retorted. "You're mean as shit. I'm mean as shit. Exhaustion doesn't change that, and hey—" he stopped me as I went to pass him, his fingers clamping down on my arm. "I'm trying to talk to you, Maggie."

I sighed, that same bridge I'd attempted to rebuild trembling so horrendously. "And, I'm trying to go and work on your car. You know, the one you asked me to fix."

"Fuck that," he scowled, his eyes trailing over me before stopping. Right on my wrist.

I jerked it back before he could look too closely at whatever he'd found. "Leave it alone, Luke."

His hand fell to my wrist to raise it to eye-level. "Why the fuck is there blood on you, Maggie?"

My eyes jerked down to it in panic. The specks of blood were obvious. Shit. It was from the staples. I'd been so concentrated on clearing my face of any physical signs that I never thought of it potentially being elsewhere.

"It's paint," I rushed out like a fucking idiot.

Luke remained just as unconvinced, his eyes narrowing at me. He moved closer until our chests were sharing a space. "You wanna play the bullshit game, Norris?"

"I'm not playing anything—"

"I'm going to give you five seconds to tell me before I go and find out for myself." Luke studied me over, again, dark eyes tracing over every single crease I thought was tucked away perfectly. "Five fucking seconds, Maggie."

I swallowed back the panic, shaking my head. "It's nothing."

His finger balanced under my chin, tipping my head up to him. "You've been crying. Why?"

Without waiting for a response, his gaze fell into a dangerous pit, the one he always wore before havoc. "Fuck five seconds. Tell me what the fuck happened. Now."

Shit. "Nothing happened, okay?" I argued. "You're just—"

His eyes jumped behind me as he thought something over. Then, they returned to my own with a sense of realization. "You were just at work, so something happened there."

This was the problem with having someone else read me in ways I couldn't even achieve. "No, that's not what—"

"Fine," he relented, sidestepping me with a nod. "I'm gonna go and find out myself."

My hand clamped down on his arm so hard, I was sure I drew blood. "Don't, Luke."

He threw a look at me over his shoulder. "You feeling a little less 'tired' now?"

I drew out a sigh. I was torn, but there was no point. Luke went after what he wanted, no matter how hard or how difficult it was to catch it. For some reason, he was hellbent on this, too.

"If I tell you..." My eyes fell to my red stained wrist. "You have to swear not to do anything drastic."

I wasn't even why I offered it; drastic was Luke's middle name. It was worth the shot, though.

He snorted. "I'll be damned—"

"Luke," I hissed. "Swear."

He turned around to face me, a scowl building before he let it turn into an eye roll. "Fine." He took the steps until he was in front of me, again. "Now tell me."

I pulled in a breath for encouragement, but it did nothing. There was nothing I could do.

"Lowen," I mumbled, my gaze falling to the floors. "My boss. He called me into his office, right before I was supposed to leave, and tried to corner me. He claimed he wanted an exchange for my new pay, and he wouldn't stop touching me, and—"

I wasn't even finished before Luke was turning, and walking toward the exit.

"Wait!" I called out, fumbling to catch up to him. "Where are you going?"

His expression hardened with every step he took. "Where the fuck do you think I'm going?"

"What?" I ran a hand down my face, not even bothering to remain careful of the makeup. There was no point in having it anymore. "You said that wouldn't do anything drastic, Luke. You swore."

He lifted his hand, a smirk following up past the rage in his expression. His fingers were crossed.

I should have known better. "That's not fair."

He was by his car in seconds. "I'm not fair, Norris. Besides, I'm not being dramatic. I'm being completely reasonable." His and my ideas of reasonable were on different pedestals, as I knew what his version involved.

With a grim expression, he started the car up. The window to the passenger side rolled down, and his face peeked through. "Get in, Norris."

My mouth was hanging for so long, I thought a fly flew in. I shook myself out of it, stepping back from his car.

"No, okay? I'm done with that place, and with him," I attempted. "Let's just go inside and eat the pizza sticks." I motioned toward the building, but his murderous gaze didn't falter.

Luke shrugged, his tongue darting over his lip. "I told you what would happen if anyone laid their hands on you, didn't I, angel?" His hand fell to the gear shaft. "Get in or stay here and enjoy your food. End result's gonna be the same for the fucker, either way."

Fuck. I should have stayed quiet, but with Luke, it was impossible. The son of a bitch was far too hellbent on finding out everything there was.

I didn't want to protect Lowen by any means. If anything, he deserved a good ass beating, but I was tired. I was so tired.

And, afraid.

I doubled back on that scent because of him having it. Lowen obviously had no idea, but I did. I wouldn't be able to forget it.

Luke was waiting, the raging glare in his eyes never dying. That same look that he had the night he found me had returned with a bloody edge to it.

I suppose if it got too far, I'd stop Luke from landing himself in a jail cell.

I sighed, nodding once. Luke reached over, opening my door from my side for me, and waiting for me to get in.

I didn't even have time to click the seatbelt in place before Luke was tearing out of the parking spot.

He sped through town, cutting the regular time right in half. Neither of us said a thing, but the hovering emotions in the car said enough. My uneasiness and his rage created a storm of catastrophe.

I sucked in a breath that only remained in my throat as I risked a glance at him. His eyes were squinted down at his phone despite driving, nostrils flaring as he geared down on the gas. If the wheel wasn't so dependable, I feared it'd snap right off the hinges from the way he was gripping it.

The car lurched as he braked right in front of the shop, throwing his phone into the cup-holder so hard, I wondered if it cracked. Without a word, he put the car in park, slammed the door, then got out.

I debated following after him, but a moment later, he came back out. The garage door creaked opened a second later; it was where the cars were held or worked on, as well as tools and tires.

Without a word, Luke got back inside, slamming the door so hard, the car shook from under the force.

My hands were a mess. I swept the sweaty palms over my jeans before looking to Luke, again. "What are you doing?"

His mouth thinned, but nothing came from it. He pulled the car into the garage before putting it in park, again. 

"Luke..." My eyes jerked between him and the garage, cautiously. "You know that this place has security cameras, right? This is a bad—"

"I texted a friend on the way here," he responded shortly. "He had them disabled for me."

I blinked at him for confirmation, but his raging expression remained as sane as it could get. "What? How did he—"

Without looking to me or providing an answer, a steady tone demanded, "Stay right here for me."

Just like that, he was gone. My eyes followed his tensed backside as he went to the front of the car.

My stomach rolled the longer I tried to piece it all together. I didn't know what he was planning, but I knew it couldn't be good.

My eyes jerked over to the wooden door once it was yanked open from the other side. Lowen came through, a white bandage around his nose. I couldn't see much, but I noticed that he walked with a bit of a stumble, now.

Luke lifted the hood of the car, and stepped to the side.

"What is he up to?" The words formed a whisper, but with the tensed silence, they nearly startled me.

I saw their lips moving, but I couldn't hear too well, so I decided to crack the window, just a bit. Enough to hear, but not enough to attract any attention to me.

From my view, I could see Luke perfectly. Standing next to Lowen, tatted arms crossed and lips pressed together so tight, it appeared painful.

"It started a couple nights ago," Luke said in a nearly mechanical voice. "It wouldn't stop kicking back at me every time I tried to shift gears."

"Let's see..." Lowen, who I couldn't see too well, stuck his hand under the hood. "I wanna guess that it's the transmission, but I hope not for your sake."

"Me either," Luke responded curtly, fists tightening under his arms.

"I'm sure it'd be pocket change to you Vaudest men, though, right?" he cracked a joke, bumping into Luke with his elbow, whose nostrils flared in return.

"Haha, yeah, funny," Luke replied, rolling his eyes, and shuffling closer. "You know...I didn't see that girl at the desk. What was her name, again?"

"Maggie?" I heard Lowen question, cluelessly. "Oh, yeah. She won't be back for a while."

My fists tightened in my lap at his casual tone. I had to force myself to remain in my seat. There wasn't one trace of guilt in his tone.

"Really? Why not?"

Lowen shrugged. "Had to let her go. She threw a fit because I wouldn't give into her shit."

Luke swept his disgusted eyes over him. "What kind of shit?"

"She's been throwing hints at me for a while," he responded with exaggerated annoyance. "I told her to stop today, but the girl was determined. She tried throwing herself at me, practically begging me to let her suck me off for a little raise."

This motherfucker. My hand fell to the handle, but I stopped myself when I heard Luke.

"Mhm," he hummed, the muscle in his jaw tightening. "Is that right?"

"I told her that I have a family, and I wasn't willing to go through with it. Two adorable boys and a beautiful wife that I wouldn't throw away for the world."

Luke rolled his eyes at this. "How cute."

Lowen mumbled something intangible while he  tampered under the hood. "Don't get me wrong, though. A little of more time, and I definitely would have slipped."

Luke's chest fell as he sucked in a breath. He released it, his eyes landing on Lowen. "You serious?"

Lowen's chuckle made my stomach turn. "Have you seen the body on that girl? That ass of hers would make any man question his morals, but her mouth blows it. I'd stuff it with something else to keep her quiet though, you get me?" He leaned up, laughing and bumping shoulders with Luke, again.

Luke cast another disgusted glare at him before stepping closer. "You get to feel her up?"

Hesitation came before he responded, "Just a little bit. I had to find out for myself whether or not I was willing to go through with it, and man was it temping."

"Ah," Luke mused, a dark, tinted chuckle following. "You seeing the problem, yet?"

"Not yet." He wiped a hand along his rag that was slung over his shoulder. "It might take a minute or two."

"Mhm, it usually does, but that's fine," Luke passed off, leaning up. "It'll leave us some time to talk. You know, as pals."

I froze at the menacing death stare that passed Luke's face. It was the same one that he'd worn when he found me that night at the ball, and at my house. Except, every time I saw it, it seemed to invoke even more terror than the last time it was used.

"So, pal." Luke slapped a hand across Lowen's back that nearly sent him tumbling from the weight of it. "Tell me more about Norris."

"What about her?" he snorted, oil-cloaked fingers falling to the side of the hood. "She's gone, now. That's it."

"Oh, come on, man. I need some details," Luke encouraged. "Which hand did you touch her with?"

Lowen chuckled, shaking his head. "Shit, I don't remember, honestly. I was just trying to feel her up as much as I could, so I guess both."

"Both?" Luke repeated, tilting his head at him. "Interesting."

"Honestly, I couldn't even keep up with the girl. I managed to get a good grip, though."

"Is that right?" Luke repeated.

"Yep."

Luke nodded, darting his tongue in the corner of his cheek. He didn't release a fake chuckle this time.

Instead, he placed a hand on the hood, and pulled his head under it. "Tell me something else, then."

Lowen's hand twisted at something else. "What's up?"

"Why are you lying?"

A moment of silence passed. I tried to stretch my neck to get a better look at what was going on, but I caught enough from Luke's deadly expression.

"What?" Lowen's voice peaked to a plausible height as he leaned up from the car. "I'm not—"

Before he could finish, Luke slammed the hood down so hard, I heard the fingers that Lowen had left under it crack.

I jerked back out of shock. "Shit."

I had a perfect view from my seat, now. Luke was leaning over Lowen, a threatening expression painted along his face.

"I'm gonna ask you, again," he offered, calmly. "Why are you lying?"

"Shit! Shit!" Lowen cursed, attempting to pull his hands free, but only building the pain in the process.

Luke chuckled. "No answer?"

Luke's hand swept out, next. His fingers made contact with Lowen's hand, which was already purple.

With a sane expression, he bent the bone of his hand back until a pop sounded out through the garage. Holding a screaming Lowen in place, he grabbed the other hand, and did the same to that one, continuing to bend the limb even after it snapped.

Oh. My—

In between Lowen's squeals, Luke forced his hands back in place on the car, purposefully applying extra pressure to the broken bone.

His hand fisted the back of Lowen's hair before he could run, slamming his head into place on the edge of the car. He lifted the hood, again, his fingers tightening around the top of the hood, then slamming it across his fingers, again.

Luke leaned in, his blustering eyes squinted as he hissed, "Why. Are. You. Fucking. Lying." Every single word made me shudder, and it wasn't even me that he was talking to.

Lowen screamed so loud, it seemed to rattle some of the tools. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Really now?" Luke clicked his tongue at him, mockingly. "Because I think you do."

"I don't!"

Luke flicked his head at the waiting hood. "You want me to slam it, again?"

"No!" he hollered. "No! Please."

"No?" A look of confusion spread over his face. "But...wasn't it you, that didn't respect a woman telling him 'no'? Tell me why I should listen to yours, then."

Lowen's face was reddening with pain, frustration, and anger all bundled into one. "I-I didn't—"

Luke slammed the hood, again, so hard, I thought it bent. This time, the paint of the car hood came back up with blood to accompany it.

"Norris." I jumped at the boom of Luke's voice before he honeyed it over, "Come out here for me, yeah?"

I blinked a number of times before, I finally managed to pull myself together. I fumbled at the seatbelt, then the handle. My steps were slow, but with the distance between us, it didn't take me long to reach them.

Lowens' distraught gaze jerked between the both of us before finally settling on the hood, his whimpers in tact.

Luke flicked his head at him. "This was who you were just lying about, right?" He nodded at me, next. "The one who threw herself at you?"

"I-I—"

Luke yanked him up by his strands. "Speak the fuck up when you talk to her."

"I'm sorry," he rushed out, his words trippy.

Luke moved his vengeful eyes to mine. "How'd that sound, Norris? Think he can try a little harder?"

I pulled my arms over my chest, stepping closer to Luke. A shaky nod followed as I glared back at Lowen. "I do."

A grin danced across his lips. "Great minds think alike." Lowen started to protest, but to shut him up, Luke slammed his head down on the hood so hard, it bounced back.

With one hand to the nape of his neck, he kept him trained in his spot. "Get on your knees."

Lowen jerked back in shock, barely able to make sensible speech with the pain. "W-what?"

Luke reached to his side, grasping the first tool he could. His fingers tightened around the wrench, and with the speed of lightning, he jerked his arm back, and swung it right into the back of Lowen's kneecap.

Lowen screamed in a way that made me flinch. I didn't even realize I was holding my breath until my chest began to hurt under the restriction.

Luke threw him to the hard ground as if he were a crumb on his shirt. Lowen attempted to catch his fall on injured hands and his broken knee, only resulting in worse punishment before Luke grasped him, again.

A hand tightened around the back of Lowen's neck as he leaned in close enough to growl out, "I said, get on your fucking knees for her."

Ripping some of his strands from his grip, Luke hauled him up until he was on his knees. Bood leaked through Lowen's pants-leg from his injury, but out of fear, he kneeled in front of me.

Red leaked from the corner of his head, his frantic expression only deepening. His dark, pleading eyes leaped to Luke. "I'm sorry!"

Luke did it so quickly, I nearly missed it. His hand came across Lowen's face in a slap, sending his head to the side with a red imprint to follow.

"Don't look at me. I'm not the one you disrespected." His fingers ripped the back of Lowen's head back as he pointed a finger at me. "Talk to her."

His fearful eyes jerked over to mine. "I'm sorry!"

Luke slapped him, again. From the size of his hands, it was really a punch more than anything. Blonde strands grazed over the skin of his forehead as he lowered his head to Lowen's level.

A sharp heat itched at my skin as I watched on. I couldn't help it. Despite the situation, it was an attractive sight.

"When you talk to my girl, you look her in the eye, address her with respect, and you speak the fuck up," Luke warned him in a violently calm tone. "I'm not gonna repeat myself. Try again."

His girl? I blinked over the statement, jerking my eyes up to him. My lips parted, but before I could add anything, Lowen's weeps sounded out.

Tears grew under the frame of once confident eyes. It was laughable. "I'm sorry, Maggie! I'm so sorry! Please—"

"Don't talk over her," Luke warned him, before looking at me, a brow cocked. "How was that, Norris?"

Lowen's weeping was pitiful, full of squeals and sobs at the mix of injuries. Between his head, his nose, hands and fingers, it was impossible to pick the one that tormented him the most.

I hadn't wanted Luke to retaliate, but now, I could admit: it was satisfying. More than that, actually. He had ruined the one thing that Lowen needed the most: his hands. They were beyond repair, now.

I narrowed my eyes at Lowen, my lips rising. "Did you learn your lesson about touching women without their consent?"

"I did!" he rushed out, his bloody face scrunching. "Please, I-I swear I did."

"Good." I walked to his side, flicking my head at Luke to put him back in place. He did, throwing Lowen back to the car with a thump. I shrugged. "Not that it matters. You won't be able to use these anymore, anyway." With as much strength as I could muster, I lifted the hood, and slammed it down, this time on his wrists.

His howl of pain made my ears bleed, but I accepted it, nonetheless. It was what someone like him deserved. Karma was a bitch.

Luke cast me a grin, one that lit up his handsome face. "That's my fucking girl."

I bit back my own grin, focusing my attention on leaving this weeping creep in front of us.

Luke's gaze returned to Lowen, his eyes narrowing at his next thought. "I think Maggie deserves a little more for all the shit I'm sure you've put her through these past couple years..." he paused for a moment to consider it over. "Your wallet. Give it to her."

His eyes went wide at the both of us. "What?"

Luke lurched his arm back, causing Lowen to yelp, "Wait, wait! It's in my back pocket. I-I can't reach it." His eyes jerked down to his bloody hands.

I huffed, stepping forward to pull it out. The old, worn down thing had had its days, for sure.

Luke flicked his head at me. "Take whatever you want out of there, Norris."

Why the hell not? For all of my trouble, I deserved this shit, and more.

There were only a couple bills, and a credit and debit card inside. Luke glanced the debit card over with a tsk of the tongue.

I would have fun fucking with his credit, but the pin was needed for a debit card. I was going to drain the fucker dry.

"What's the pin?" I asked Lowen, who now had snot dripping down his shirt.

"I-it's my wife's birthday—"

Luke scoffed. "I don't give two shits if it's your mother's damn death-date," he snapped, smacking the back of Lowen's head with an open palm. "She asked you what the code was. Answer her. Politely, too. If I hear any disrespect in your tone at her, I'm putting a bullet in the back of your other knee, you get me?"

"Yes," Lowen sniffled. "0-4-2-5."

As soon as the numbers left Lowen's mouth, Luke reared his fist back again, slamming into into his bandaged nose. He did it again and again, until Lowen was crumbled atop the hood, face unrecognizable. I didn't try to stop him, nor did I want to.

Every hit made that fear that my father brought shimmer away. Slowly, but surely. And, in that, so did my doubt.

I'd been so afraid, so lost and distraught because he reminded me of my father, but here we were. It reminded me that anyone could fall with the right push.

No one was untouchable, and my father wasn't an exception. He'd made me believe he was, but I'd prove, for a fact, that he was not.

"I didn't mean to knock him out so quick," Luke sighed out with disappointment, kicking Lowen's slumped figure once-more. "Pussy."

At my silence, his eyes found mine, the rage in them still present, but in less consideration. "Maggie."

He stepped to me, concern written over his expression. "Are you okay?" I caught his gaze. His own was watching me with caution. Despite the violence, it peeled away at me, instead being replaced with softness. "Maybe I shouldn't have had you see all that—"

My arms wrapped around him so tightly, it left his body in shock. His arms trembled before he returned my hug with a harder grip than I could have mustered. I only sunk into his grasp, focusing on the waves of warmth he brought on.

"Thank you," I mumbled into his chest.

His hand went the side of my head. "Stop thanking me, brat," he mumbled against me. "I told you, I got you. No matter what, and no matter who the fuck it's against."

I smiled into him, my chest finally falling with relief. I believed it. I believed him.

Somehow, someway, I believed that he'd help me destroy the monster in the dark.
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Hi!!

I love my protective boys. Such cuties. Especially Luke. So impulsive. 😂 Here comes the questions!

1. How are you guys feeling about Maggie possibly, or possibly not moving in with Luke?

2. Has your favorite chapter, favorite character, or favorite boy of the evil trio changed?

3. I meant to ask this in an earlier chapter, but I forgot lol! If you have one, who is your favorite girl? Kimberly, Maggie, or Raven? I have a sort-of favorite but I can not say, as I happen to switch my answer a lot😂.

Thank you so much for reading! Also, on the next chapter, PLEASE read the trigger warning!!