Hagen, Lynn - Murphy's Madness [Brac Pack 15] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) by Lynn Hagen Page B

collar. “Thanks, that means a lot to me.” And it did. He had thought they all asserted him crazy and were ready to wash their hands of him. It’s a pretty lonely feeling when you think you’re standing on your own.
    “We’ll catch her. Then we’ll make her pay.” Oliver cracked his knuckles.
    Murphy chuckled. “A hit man at such a young age. How cute.”
    “Nah, I’m nonviolent, but for another mate, I’d kill a rock.”
    “Thanks goodness I have no rocks out to destroy me, but I’ll let you know if the pebbles form an uprising.”
    Oliver held his side as he laughed. “I like you.”
    “Sorry, Ludo had first dibs.” Murphy chuckled. He was feeling better now.
    “ Rebenka , come.”
    Murphy leaned over to Oliver. “I swear I’m going to buy a dog collar if he keeps that up.”
    Oliver grinned widely. “I have one upstairs.”
    “I just bet you do.” Murphy winked at the pierced young man before rising.
    “Woof, woof.” Murphy walked out of the den and followed Ludo into the demon’s office.
    “Please, have a seat.” Maverick splayed his hand over toward the leather couch.
    “I think I’d rather stand when I go in front of a firing squad.” Murphy said flippantly. He was getting really tired of all the hubbub.
    Ludo shook his head as he kept a few feet away. “No one is here to judge you. Nicholas thinks it best that you see a psychologist and maybe get some medicine to help you.”
    Murphy took a step back, his eyes darting from Ludo to Maverick. Were they fucking serious?
    “It’s going to be okay, rebenka .”
    Murphy shook his head as he ran his hands over his hair nervously. “But I’m not crazy.” He bit his bottom lip as he lowered his eyes.
    Maribel was real.
    He wasn’t the one who had tried to maim or hang himself. Had he? Murphy looked up into his mate’s sad eyes. Ludo doubted him, doubted his sanity. It was there in his fucking eyes.
    “Ludo won’t abandon you, Murphy.” Maverick tried to reassure a man that couldn’t be comforted right now.
    Murphy looked over at the biker Alpha then back down at his shoes. There was no way he made all of this up. His fingers flexed at the memory of her accuracy as she swung the damn hammer. He still felt the burn around his neck.
    He hadn’t done that. She had .
    Murphy glanced back up at Ludo, sweet and loving Ludo. The man that swore to love him was now trying to medicate him. Murphy’s face pulled back in rage. “I’m not crazy. You saw her yourself. You saw the damn note.”
    Ludo shook his head slowly. “The only thing I saw was a woman coming into your store and asking for you, rebenka . And you told me that the note was just a reminder.”
    Murphy looked back down. He did have a stalker. Not that he wanted one, but he did have one. Had he made her up? Was Ludo even real? Maverick?
    Murphy looked around the office confused. Was any of this real? Maybe he was locked up somewhere in a padded room and hallucinating all of this. He looked back down at his shoes again.
    “Please don’t lock me up,” he whispered.
    “Never, I would never leave your side or send you away. There are places that can help you, mate.” Ludo spoke to him as if he were a small, lost child.
    Murphy bit his bottom lip again. Had he swung the hammer that hurt his own wrist, or tied the noose around his neck that he swung from?
    Was he schizophrenic? Was this even the real reality? Wait, he’d asked that already. Murphy glanced once more at the most handsome man to ever walk into his life. Too bad his mate didn’t love him enough to believe him.
    Murphy slid his hands into his front pockets. “I need to think.”
    Ludo nodded in what he probably thought was understanding. How could his mate understand the betrayal he was showing by not standing by his side and believing him? “Of course, rebenka .”
    Murphy pushed past the two men. His heart was no longer beating to his mate’s smile.
    It was dying.
    He looked up to see the other mates playing