His Badass Mute

Chapter 13: Seeking Smiles

Distance doesn't separate people, silence does.

Mae

I woke up to the sound of the front door banging. I waited for Zach to get it but the banging didn't stop. I threw the covers off and slowly got out of bed. The pain from the fight wasn't bad, I've had worse. He's done worse.

I went to my closet and pulled on my hoodie along with my joggers. I looked at my safe and decided to get my gun, putting it in my waistband. Zach wasn't the only one with a gun. It was in the bag of money Billy gave me, so I put it in my safe.

He told me people would come after us because Mitch owned a lot of money and his life might not have paid that.

I knew James wasn't at the door because there was a key under the mat, and he knew where it was. He would just walk in and watch TV until we woke up. I opened my door and Zach opened his. I glared at him, and he shrugged.

"I was tired." He had his gun in his hand as well.

"I was the one who fought," I whispered to him and slap the back of his head as he walked ahead of me. He winced, and we walked to the front door.

Zach put his hand, the one that held the gun, behind him. I opened the door and immediately got engulfed in a hug. I looked at the door and saw Ryder and Bennett looking at my 'attacker' before they shrugged. I cringed in pain, but I didn't make a sound.

I froze because I barely even hugged Zach let alone another guy. He froze and pulled away. "Sorry," He said and looked at my face, furrowing his eyebrows.

I was confused as to why he was furrowing his eyebrows until I remembered the bruises on my face. I completely pulled away and looked at Zach, letting my hair fall on my face before I backed up a little bit.

"Mae, who did that to you?" Anger was evident in Damien's voice. I looked up and all three of them were in my house after Ryder closed the door. I shook my head, smiling, but he still didn't ease up. He looked at Zach then at me.

I looked at Zach, and he was analyzing Damien's face. Zach clamped the sleeve to my hoodie with his index and thumb, pulling me closer to him. "You should leave," Zach told Damien.

"Not until I know who did that to her," Damien said.

"Why?" Zach asked, nodding upward once. "We don't owe you an answer, and we never invited you into our house. How did you even know where we lived?"

"We asked," Bennett answered, smiling slightly. I knew that smile, I basically wore that kind of smile like my life depended on it. It was a please-don't-be-mad kind of smile. Ryder nudged him and cringed his face, kind of making him look constipated. "What?"

"Just leave," Zach said, letting go of my sleeve and lifting the same arm, gesturing towards the door.

"We wanted to talk to Mae," Ryder said.

"I don't mind if they stay," I signed towards Zach.

"What did she say?" Damien asked.

"She doesn't want you to stay," Zach lied. I looked at Zach, furrowing my eyebrows, wondering why he was lying. He looked at me, leaning his head slightly towards me and raising his right brow. "He seems like he'll cause trouble in your life."

"I thought you said you didn't care who I talked to," I signed, and he shook his head.

"Maybe some people I do," he said and pulled my sweater towards him, but I didn't want to let him tell me what to do, so I pulled back. He yanked me forward, so I stepped forward to prevent myself from falling but that stomp hurt my side causing me to wince.