Chapter One
TYLER
TWELVE YEARS LATER
The air feels different for the first time since I’ve entered this hellhole. I inhale a deep breath and smile when I see my best friend’s truck in the parking lot. After spending five years in prison, it’s the best fucking sight ever. Walking out with only the clothes on my back and a new sense of freedom, I head toward them.
Maddie hops out with her seven-month pregnant belly, and I chuckle when I hear Liam calling after her.
“Tyler!” she shouts, waddling as fast as she can to me.
As she approaches, I smile and open my arms, and she cries the moment we embrace. My emotions start to bubble over too, but I hold them back, knowing she’s on hormone overload.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re out!” She pushes back slightly, eyeing me up and down.
Liam joins and pulls me in for a side hug. “Dude. You look buff as fuck.”
I chuckle. “Gotta make sure I’m prepared for the real world now, ya know?”
Smiling down at Maddie, I look at her bump. “You look huge.”
She playfully pushes at my chest, laughing. “Shut up. I know. And I still have two more months.”
I cringe. “Yikes. Good thing I’m only staying for a few weeks.”
Maddie’s smile drops. “What? That’s it? Why?”
I knew she wouldn’t be happy about that.
Liam grabs Maddie’s hand as we walk to the truck. He helps her into the back seat, and I take the passenger seat.
“You know I didn’t even want to go to Sacramento.” We all buckle up, and I glance back at their firstborn sleeping soundly in his car seat next to Maddie. “I found a job back home. I need a fresh start. There’s nothing here for me,” I tell her, not wanting to upset her further, but Maddie has always been vocal for as long as I’ve known her. I don’t actually have the job set in stone yet, but if Maddie knows that, she’ll be even more relentless about me staying.
“Ugh. Me! And Liam and baby Tyler.”
“And you all have your own lives to live. You won’t mind me invading your space for a little bit, but after a while, you’ll want your privacy again, so it’s best if I try to go back into civilian life the best I can.”
Liam starts the truck and drives us out of the parking lot. “Babe, he’s made his decision,” he tells Maddie.
I glance back at her and see her shoulders slump. “Fine, but I’m using these next three weeks to change your mind.”
“You will after you realize my cooking game is weak.” I’m rusty from being locked up.
My grandmother taught me during my teenage years since my mother barely got her high, drunken ass out of bed on most days. Mimi and I spent countless nights and weekends bonding in the kitchen.
“I’m happy you’ll have time to spend with baby Tyler at least,” Maddie says, glancing at him with pride.
“Me too, Mads. I’m ready to get back to normal.” Whatever the fuck normal is.
I teared up with happiness when they visited me in prison and introduced me to him. After I saved Maddie from the O’Learys and got Liam out of his arranged marriage with the mob princess, they honored me by naming their first son after me. Even though helping them is what put me behind bars, I’ll never regret what I did to protect them.
Baby Tyler’s almost two now. I wish I could watch him grow up and be in his life every day, but I have to get away. After what happened in Sacramento and Vegas, the last place I want to be is somewhere she can easily find me. Victoria O’Leary ruined my life and stole time that I’ll never get back.
Even considering the outcome, I wouldn’t change anything I did. Liam’s been like a brother to me for years, and I value the friendship Maddie and I formed through it all. They’re my family and always will be.
After Victoria kidnapped Maddie and threatened Liam, I lied to get on Victoria’s payroll, and she stupidly hired me to be one of her bodyguards. When she sent me to Montana for a “classified job,” I had no idea it was to oversee Maddie. After setting a plan into place, I knocked out Eric—the other bodyguard—and escaped with Maddie. Victoria had a rich-bitch hissy fit and planted illegal guns and pounds of drugs in my truck. When I was driving to California to visit Liam and Maddie, one of her shady police officers pulled me over. He knew exactly what he’d find too and stated he smelled pot inside the truck, which gave him probable cause to search.
Fucking bastard.
Though all the O’Learys are fucking ruthless, Victoria takes the cake. In the few months I worked for their family, I saw and heard the craziest shit. Still, it didn’t prepare me when I witnessed Victoria murder her brother, JJ, the night Liam was shot by Victoria’s boyfriend, Mickey.