Flip Trick

I rub my chest. I hate the feeling that stab there every time I think of her not being near me.

  “Sit down,” Stace orders, gesturing to my chair. “Your dick can wait one more night.”

  I crank my neck and sit back down.

  “Now, so this Travis thing is a mess.”

  “Yeah.” I pull my phone out, grinning at Ken and Amethyst’s photo I saved as my wallpaper.

  “So we need to answer the press on what you and Amethyst are…” Stace says.

  “No, we don’t.” I shake my head. “Fuck that, I don’t owe anyone shit.”

  “Maddox, you’re a public figure. It’s the least you could do, and it will give everyone a piece of the truth.”

  I clench my jaw. “I’ll talk to Amethyst about it first.”

  “You are together now, right?” Stace asks.

  “Yeah.”

  “So, she said that you guys are now a couple?”

  I glare at her. “Stace, this is me and Amethyst. We don’t need to define shit. You can’t put a label on what we have, trust me, I’ve fucking tried.”

  After breakfast, I go back home and call Kennedy. I bought her a phone so I can call her whenever I want. Cass wasn’t hot on it, but she allowed me to do it anyway. Considering she was Mrs. “this is the way of the future, leave her with her iPad,” she really didn’t have a leg to stand on.

  “Hey, Daddy.”

  “Hey, princess, how was school?”

  I make my way into the closet and pull out a whole bunch of clothes. “It was okay, but Linda was mean.”

  I pause. “Who’s Linda? That a teacher?” I shove shit into my bag.

  “No, she’s a girl in my class. She was my friend, but she started being mean to me today.”

  My face scrunches. “Who even calls their kid Linda.”

  “I know, right?”

  I clear my throat. Fucker. “Don’t worry about her, baby. You have lots of friends.”

  “Yeah, I know, do you want to talk to Mama? She’s in the gym with that guy.”

  “What guy?” I ask, taking a seat on the bed.

  “She has a new boyfriend.” Of course she does. “Melissa is cooking dinner again, but I like her cooking because Mom can’t cook.”

  “This is true.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Ah, getting ready to fly to LA…”

  “Oh?” That perks her interest. I wonder why. “Why?”

  I smirk. “You got something to tell me, princess?”

  She pauses, then sighs dramatically. “Fiiinneee, me and Mommy have been going to see Ame.”

  My smirk widens. “I know, baby, hey can you put your mom on?”

  “Yup! Love you, Daddy!”

  “Love you too, baby.”

  There are muffled sounds and music playing before Cass answers. “To what do I owe the pleasure.”

  I massage my temples. “It’s Amethyst’s birthday this weekend, we’re all flying there tomorrow morning. I’ll get you and the kid picked up.”

  She clears her throat. “Um, well actually, we’re going there tonight.”

  “Of course you are,” I shake my head. “Alright well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Okay, and hey, Mad?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Don’t fucking hurt her.”

  Then she hangs up. Why the fuck do people keep saying that. If there are any two people walking this earth who I will never hurt, it’s Amethyst and Kennedy. I toss my phone onto my bed, just as the doorbell rings.

  I jog down the stairs and swing it open to my dad and Jessica. “Everything ok?” I search the look on both of their faces.

  “Yes,” Jessica says. “But I need to talk to you about something.”

  I let her and Dad in and shut the door, gesturing to the kitchen. “After you.”

  AMETHYST

  Chris Brown’s “Privacy” is blasting through my house and I’m dancing and singing around the kitchen. Alesha is here helping prepare the food.

  “You know, we can hire people to cater all this?”

  I shake my head. “No way! I’m old school. We can do it all ourselves.”

  “Amethyst?” One of the guys who are walking around my house to help set up comes in. “Yeah, the fire pit is all set up!”

  “Perfect!” I suck down some more wine.

  Alesha looks to the glass then back to me. “Should you be drinking during the day? Won’t everyone be here soon?”

  “Yes,” I hiss, winking at her. “But they’re my family and friends, Lesh, chill.”

  She has a Bluetooth thing in her ear still, answering calls. She leaves the room, pushing the button. “And drink something!” I yell at her. She’s a brilliant PA, I can’t fault her on that, but seriously, live a little.

  I run upstairs and quickly get ready, throwing on some skinny jeans and a white strapless crop top that has the words “Punk Chick” splashed across it. It shows all of my stomach and is a bold move considering my diet lately consists of chocolate and potato chips, but dresses still aren’t my thing. Besides, I want to wear my belly chain. I comb my hair and leave it in its natural state. Wavy and thick down my back. I’m excited to see everyone, but mainly to see Maddox and Ken. I feel bad because I haven’t spoken to Leila much over the past week, but we have the kind of friendship that doesn’t need constant interaction. Unicorn friendship.

  Later that night once everyone is here, Maddox pulls me down beside him, lacing his hands with mine. He kisses me on my head. “You ok?”

  “Yep, a little buzzed.”

  “Buzzed?” He laughs. “Baby, you’re a little more than that.”

  I chuckle, sipping my water. Having Ken around makes me not want to be a mess. If she wasn’t here, I’d be having shots.

  Maddox’s eyes drift to the halfpipe behind us. “Can’t wait to see all this art tomorrow.”

  I follow his sight. “Yeah, it’s something else. Maybe you can help us finish the rest.”

  “Sure thing, baby.” His focus goes to my mom, then to Elliot, before coming back to me with a tight smile on his mouth.

  “Where are Talon and Liza?” I ask, finally noticing that they’re not here.

  “Talon will be here a little later.”

  “Okay, and Liza?”

  “Liza couldn’t make it.”

  Cass and Kennedy left around ten p.m. I told them they didn’t need to check into a hotel, but Cass didn’t really want to stay with Maddox here. I guess the set up would be a little weird with her and I and him under the same roof.

  I didn’t push Maddox any further with where Liza was. I figure her and Talon must have had a big fight. It was nearing midnight and I was more than drunk.

  We’re all sitting around the fire pit, music in the background. “Birthday Sex” starts playing and my eyes dart around. They land on a smug and grinning Leila, sipping her drink and watching me.

  I scowl at her. “Bitch.”

  My phone vibrates in my pocket and I stand, reaching to grab it out.

  Unknown: Hey, Ame, it’s Liza. I’m outside. Can you come and talk? Don’t tell Maddox.

  Confused, I stand from the log that’s around the fire and send her a quick text back.

  Me: B out in 5

  Maddox grabs my hand as I stand. “Where you going?”

  I gesture inside. “To get more ice.”

  He halts, his hand squeezing mine briefly and then he shakes his head and let’s go. “Ok. Don’t be long.” He’s being extra over-protective, more than usual.

  “Awwww,” Leila teases. “Y’all so cute.”

  “Shut up, Lei,” he snaps, and I take this moment to quickly dip through the glass doors and jog through the sitting room, heading straight for my front door. Pulling it open, I jog out to the road, which isn’t far from my front entrance.

  A black limo is parked on the side of the road. I tilt my head, examining it. The car is on and the headlights are dim. Goosebumps break out over my skin from the sweep of wind that rushes through
and I reach for my phone just as another text comes through.

  Unknown: I’m in the limo.

  My eyes go from my phone to the limo. I didn’t know much about Liza outside of her and Talon. Didn’t know anything about her as a person when she wasn’t with Talon, or her family, mainly because I never thought to ask. So really, maybe she is rich, but I just didn’t know. I head toward it, figuring I’ve been a pretty shit friend and stepsister-in-law for not asking more about her. She must be upset and that’s why she hasn’t come inside. I wonder what the hell Talon has done now.

  I pull open the limo door and lean inside. “What’s he done no—” I pause when I see Liza isn’t in here. Just when I’m about to run, the sole of a shoe slams into the side of my head and everything goes black.

  MADDOX

  “Maddox?” Jessica comes over to me, just as I’m getting up to see what the hell is taking Amethyst so long. “Where’s Ame?”

  I look at the house. “She went to get more ice.”

  There’s a long pause that passes between us, and then I sprint into the house. “Amethyst?” I call out, going into the kitchen. Everything is unmoved. Wolf and Leila come walking in through the glass doors, Leila giggling.

  “What’s going on?” she asks. When she sees the seriousness of mine and Jessica’s face, her smile disappears.

  I run up the stairs, taking two steps at a time.

  “I’m sure she’s fine, son!” Dad calls to me from below, but I’ve blocked everyone out.

  “Ame?” I yell, slamming open every bedroom door. I run downstairs, almost tripping on a few steps and fly out the front door. “She’s not here.”

  My heart pounds in my chest as my blood boils. Helpless. I feel fucking helpless and out of control. The street is dead quiet, no sign of life. Just black shadows from the trees and crickets chirping in the distance. My fists clench, jaw tense. Something catches my eye across the road, so I slowly make my way to it.

  My heart fucking stops when I see it’s Amethyst’s phone. Picking it up, I clench it and storm back to the house.

  “Maddox?” Jessica whimpers, clutching the necklace around her neck.

  “They took her.”

  “What?” Leila shrieks, confused. I storm past her and head into the kitchen, just as my phone rings in my pocket.

  I answer, unable to speak. I can’t even fucking see straight let alone speak. She was just here.

  “I still can’t find Liza! I can’t find her anywhere, it’s like she’s just disappeared.”

  “They took Amethyst,” I whisper out, my vision fixed on the wall. “They fucking took her!”

  “Who fucking took her?” Leila says, panicking and looking around the room.

  Everyone who is anyone is in the kitchen now. The rest of the guests have started filing out and leaving. I look to Wolf.

  “Get these fucking people out of this house.”

  I breathe in and out. I’ll get her back, and I’ll fucking spill blood in the process. Dad is already on his phone and Jessica is crying near the dining table. Leila was with her, rubbing her back and Wolf had disappeared to tell everyone to leave. Alesha comes in and catches my eye.

  “I’ll help get everyone out.” Her eyes glass over. “Do you want me to alert authorities? Or is this going to be handled privately?”

  I look to Elliot, who pauses his talking and covers the end of his phone. “Privately. Just try your best to make sure this doesn’t spill into the media and the people who were here tonight shut their mouths.”

  She seems to swallow, and then slowly nods her head, but she looks terrified. I like her. I see why Amethyst had her. She wore her loyalty on her sleeve, a lot like Ame.

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Talon growls and then the line goes dead.

  I put my phone on the kitchen counter and inhale and then exhale.

  “Maddox?” Leila whispers, and my eyes finally go to hers. “What’s going on?”

  I look at Jessica. “Jessica has a past that no one knew about. Not even Amethyst.”

  Leila swallows. “Always knew you were hood, Mama J, but what’s going on?”

  I inhale and count to ten. “Jessica’s mom runs Satan’s Angel’s MC. Turns out, Jessica had two daughters. One, her mom raised within the MC because Jessica had said she could. When Amethyst was little, her grandmother tried to take her, so Jessica made a deal with her mother that if she gave her one of her daughters, she’d leave the other one alone. She wouldn’t interfere or try to come after them again.”

  “—Wait! What do you mean one of her daughters? She only has Amethyst!” Leila says, shaking her head like I had lost my damn mind.

  I snort. “Yeah, well, it turns out that’s not entirely true, is it Mama J.” My lip curls. I fucking hate her in this very moment.

  “Son…” Elliot warns.

  My eyes cut to him. “Shut up, Dad! Just shut the fuck up.” I exhale, squeezing the counter. “Liza is Jessica’s other daughter. Her and Amethyst are ten months apart, making them Irish twins. Liza’s dad is someone in the MC. Listen,” I exhale, annoyed with this whole fucking thing and wanting my girl back. “Talon only just found out about Liza, and just because this has just come to light, we can’t assume that Liza is sitting on their side. We don’t know why or what the fuck they want.”

  Leila screams in frustration, then turns and launches her fist into the wall. I watch as she unfolds in front of me and I want to fucking hold her. In this moment, I know she feels what I’m feeling. I push from the counter and go to her, pulling her into my chest and glaring at Jessica.

  Leila starts crying, her arms going around my torso. “I’ll kill Liza if she has anything to do with this, Maddox.”

  Right now, we’re just a girl’s best friend and her boyfriend who are fucking falling apart.

  “I know.” I kiss her head. “But we need to fucking get her back first.”

  Leila steps backward, rubbing the tears from her cheeks. “Ok.” Her shoulders square and I know it’s game on. “What’s the plan? How long have you known?”

  I shake my head, going back to the counter to get my phone. “Since fucking yesterday. I was going to tell Amethyst tomorrow. I didn’t want to ruin her birthday.”

  “That story is true,” Jessica clears her throat. “When Amethyst was two, Liza went with Paulette. Amethyst doesn’t remember her much, and when she asked about the girl who she only remembers faintly from the day her grandmother tried to take her, I said that she was a friend’s child and that’s why she hadn’t seen her again. It broke my heart to do it, but Amethyst never belonged in that life, Liza did from birth. Her father is the president now.”

  I narrow my eyes. “Did Liza know about Amethyst?”

  Jessica swipes the tears from her eyes. “Yes and no, she didn’t want to hurt Amethyst. She wanted to know her, but I pleaded with her not to tell her that she was her sister. Amethyst will never forgive me if she found out what I did.”

  I hit dial on my phone, Jessica’s eyes fly to mine. “What are you doing?”

  “Jonah, it’s Maddox. We have a problem.”

  AMETHYST

  The sweet tang of freshly picked roses and cherry blossoms waft around me in a hypnotic-like aroma and I quickly reach for the blindfold that’s secured around my head. Ripping it off, I shoot off the bed and allow my eyes to adjust.

  Victorian ancient. Stone walls and white trimmed windows that overlook the backyard. Well, what I’m guessing would be the backyard judging by the tips of the trees I can see poking up in the window. I’m confused. I look around the room, stretching out my wrists that feel as though they’ve been tied together for months and get to my feet, quietly walking around the room. A small fireplace is built into the wall at the opposite end of the four-post bed and the walls are trimmed in dark maroon paint. There’s an articulate painting hanging over the fireplace that looks to be two hands in one. A baby hand sketched onto an image of a real adult hand. There’s dark smudged grey over the edges,
but it’s framed and, to be honest, a little eerie. The room is nice in appearance, but the empty pit in my stomach doesn’t sit right with me.

  A door opens and my head snaps there automatically, my heart pounding in my chest. A woman stands at the threshold, leaning against a frame. She has short grey hair that hangs perfectly around her jaw and familiar bright blue eyes. Guessing by the visibly aged lines indented into her skin, I’d say she’s around late 50s to early 60s. Petite frame and not much shorter than me. She’s wearing a leather biker vest over a long sleeved white V-neck and tight jeans with black leather boots.

  Who the fuck is this woman and why does my head hurt.

  “Amethyst Tatum,” she announces, her voice husky. She smokes, for sure.

  “Yes?” I look around the room in skepticism. “Excuse me, but why did you steal me?”

  She laughs while walking into the bedroom more. I counter her steps by walking backward. She catches it and laughs again. There’s a big man with an equally big beard who is standing behind her, wearing the same vest. I squint my eyes on the patch in the front, since his is much larger than the small one she bears, and I see the snake emblem with “Satan’s Angels MC.” Never heard of them, ever, then again, I don’t have anything to do with motorcycle clubs. They kind of freak me out, if I’m being honest. The woman sits on the chair that is directly in front of the window, the sun bright behind her, her grey strands now casting shadows over her face. I can barely make out her expression. My head aches and just as I open my mouth, a sharp throbbing pounds at my temple again.

  “Seriously, why did you hit me and where is Liza?”

  Oh God. Liza.

  I square my shoulders. “If you’ve hurt her, trust me, your biker friend there” —I gesture to the back of me— “has nothing on her man, or mine, for that matter.”

  The woman doesn’t say anything, she merely watches me with interest. Then she tilts her head and clasps her hands on her lap. “You really don’t know who I am, do you?”