That's Not My Baby
Page 18
“He’s in front of you but covered by the stairs. Take him out.”
Max lifted the rifle and shot through the wall. A groan and curse had him taking another shot aiming higher. This time the body fell down the stairs and landed on the floor. Max removed the rapid fire weapon from lifeless fingers and slung it over his shoulder before turning the man over.
“I think this is the old man. Who’s out there?” Max asked Chip.
“Adele said this was the one who raped her, the bastard.”
Max checked Adolpho’s pulse, it was thin and irregular. One bullet hit his thigh the other went through his chest. He’d be dead in a minute.
“Where’s Maria?” Chip asked.
Max returned to the closet and pulled her out. The bullet grazed her thigh but bled in a steady stream. “We need medical supplies and a clean up here,” he said, explaining Sergei was down.
“On my way with medical,” Brock said.
Max sat Maria down and tied a towel around her thigh. “It’s not–”
“If you say another word, I will duct tape your mouth,” Max said, still angry at her duplicity.
“No, Max, it’s not like you think. After I found out what happened, she explained everything and kept them from touching me. No one touched me, Max,” Adele said. “Maria protected me.”
“You shouldn’t be here in the first place. Look at Sergei, and then tell me she’s innocent in all of this,” he snapped. Incensed she’d take the woman’s side in all of this.
“Adolpho contacted her, told her about the hit. She didn’t know it was me until later. When she discovered he was going to come after me again, she decided it would be easier to keep me safe by watching them.”
“What if he shot her like I did, how would she protect you then?” Max asked seeing so many holes in their logic.
Adele’s mouth opened and then snapped shut. She leaned against Chip and lapsed into silence. Brock entered the house, looked at Maria and then went to Sergei. He worked on the man for a few minutes, got the bleeding from the knife wound under control and then removed the towel from Maria’s thigh.
“Are you sure we want to do this?” He asked Max with a smile.
“No, but do it anyway. I’ll bring my truck around.” Max stood and left.
When he returned, Sergei sat drinking something Brock held in the kitchen. “I’ll take you to a friend who’ll check you over off the record.”
“My truck?”
“I called Skinny, he has to go to the club, get another driver and then come pick it up. By the time you’re ready, it’ll be in the parking lot at the club,” Max said.
Sergei nodded. Max helped him stand and walk to the truck.
“He needs to ride in the van with me,” Brock said. “That way he can lie down. I didn’t realize how bad off he was, but looking at him now, he won’t be able to sit for long.”
“Agreed.” Max helped him back to a chair and waited for Brock. When Brock arrived, Sergei could barely keep his head up. Max carried him to the van and lay him in the makeshift space Brock created.
“There’s too much blood to clean,” Brock said near Max’s ear. “When Skinny comes to retrieve the truck, they’ll torch the place.”
Max nodded and left the van.
Maria sat in the front seat of his SUV with metal cuffs securing her hands and ankles to custom bars he installed for that purpose. Not once did she speak. Chip and Adele talked softly the entire ride to the club where he released them.
Adele looked at Max and then Maria with a worried frown. “Max I know you don’t believe this or understand, but she is my friend.”
“You need better friends. This whole set-up was about her making money, not you or your safety. She knew she’d be dead if anything happened to you, that’s the only reason she offered protection. Once again it was about her. She’s been jealous of your relationship with Vincente for years. When Adolpho contacted her, she agreed to help him kill you for the money but also because she thought her husband cheated on her with you. Brock heard them talk about it.”
“No… that’s not true,” Adele said looking at Maria.
Maria looked at Adele over her shoulder and shrugged. “It was business, nothing personal, Chica.”
Adele’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “You bitch.”
Maria shrugged again and looked straight ahead.
Max drove off.
Chapter 32.
“So the club passed all the inspections?” Tamara asked snuggling closer later that night in bed.
Max chuckled remembering the Environmental inspector’s hasty departure from the restaurant. Charlene had given the man so much information; he’d been late for his next appointment.
“Yes, the restaurant has the highest rating, and the liquor license for the club is safe for a while.” He inhaled her fragrance and allowed it to flow through him. She always smelled so damn good.
“Adele and Chip, huh? I wonder if he’s still buying the house.”
“I doubt it. He’s divorcing his wife. Bernard had hired someone to watch Viola, so when Chip asked him to do it, the report was already completed. She’s been all but living with her childhood sweetheart their entire marriage.”
“What? Why didn’t he notice?”
“Lots of deployments, short periods of time in the states, plus she traveled to see her family every month no matter where she lived with Chip. Her family knew and covered for her.”
“Well, at least she can marry the man she loves, right?”
Max shrugged, not interested in anyone other than the woman in his arms. But he’d been gone for almost twenty-four hours and after making love to release tension, he answered her questions.
“Maybe. Who knows how she thinks. Could be exciting because of the taboo nature of the relationship. She may not like the day in thing with anybody, some people are like that.”
“Not me. I want you every day and every night.” She placed a kiss on his mouth, punctuating her statement.
“Good, because I would never put up with separate rooms, not having sex, you being my roommate bullshit. I want a woman who wants me.” He stared down at her, asking without saying the words.
“That’s what I want, baby. Your heart, your bed, your woman… all of me until the end of time.”
He kissed the top of her head, enjoying her warmth.
“What happened to Sergei? He okay?”
Max withheld a sigh. “Yes, the knife didn’t hit anything major but he lost a lot of blood and needs to rest a while. And no, he and Adele won’t be getting together again. Chip plans to care for the baby. He and Adele may pick up where they left off but I didn’t ask because I don’t care. He promised to be responsible for her care and she agreed, that’s all that matters to me.”
“That’s so romantic,” Tamara said in a wistful tone.
“What?”
“Chip’s giving up his military career for his love.”
“If you mean for his child, then that’s the right thing to do for him, I don’t see how it’s romantic. A man’s supposed to care for his offspring, it’s not the child’s fault or concern of the marital status of the parent,” Max said warming up to one of his favorite rants.
“What about Maria?” Tamara said in a rush changing topics.
Max inhaled thinking of Maria and her part in the abduction. “I turned her over to Pascale.” The man had been livid when he learned of Vincente’s additional assets and her role in Adele’s troubles. He backhanded her right in front of Max and had his men take her away. Whatever her fate, Max was done with the Baretti family.
“Who’s Pascale?”
“The man who took over her deceased husband’s business. He was the one who contacted her for us.”
“Oh, that’s good then. So this is over? Adele’s safe? No more threats against the baby?”
Max thought how to answer that truthfully. He promised Tamara no lies but there were things, like the nature of Baretti’s death or the d
isposition of the two Grant men that she shouldn’t know.
“It’s over if Viola’s family doesn’t push back against Chip and try to mess over his kid. If they do, there may be more problems,” he said carefully. The Admiral had sent him a message saying they kept their end of the deal and asked Max to keep his. Not wanting to make an enemy, Max agreed the tape would never be aired unless there were further problems with Adele’s health.
“In that case, it’s all good. I’m sure no one wants to hurt a baby. Maybe we should plan a baby shower for her. I’ll check with Charlene tomorrow, we can have it at my house. What do you think?” She looked up at him.
Max smiled and thanked God that she always saw the good in people. “Are you inviting Terri?”
“Terri? No. She had the nerve to send me a text asking me to re-list her house. I said no and blocked her. Can you believe the nerve of some people?”
Max brushed his lips across hers. “Yes, baby. Some people are just too bold.”
Thanks for reading another adventure of Max Delgado and his friends at Reclamation, a veterans club owned and ran by vets from all branches of service. It’s not always easy juggling parenthood, a business, a new love interest and being available to your brothers in arms, but Max is determined to try. With his former team-mates, he doesn’t back down from the enemy, foreign or domestic.
If you enjoyed this story, please leave a review for others, I’d greatly appreciate it. Max and his team will be back soon, with another thrilling mystery to solve.
Erosa
Erosa Knowles has a love for the written word. Originally from Miami, Florida, Ms. Knowles now resides in North Carolina with her teenaged son. Two older children are married and live in North Carolina as well. An avid reader since college, Ms. Knowles is one of those people who keeps her books as old friends and has re-read all of them at least once. Many have been read more often.
Writing stories, creating worlds and characters fuels her imagination. It is both physically relaxing and mentally invigorating. Although life got in the way and she had to postpone her writing, it is the one career she always craved. As a full time writer, her days are just as full, except now she is doing what she loves; reading exciting stories from talented authors from various genres, and writing the stories that tickle her imagination.
Please visit her website: http://www.erosaknowles.net for other titles. Also check out the Men of 3X Construction website: www.menof3Xconstruction.com
All my books can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, All Romance, and SittingBullPublications.com
Other Books by Erosa Knowles:
Reclamation – Murder at the Beach
Reclamation – Lies in the Morgue
Reclamation – That’s Not My Baby
Letting Go
Lyon on a Leash
Promises Kept
Loving a Bad Boy*
Secrets
Special Forces
Nikki’s Challenge
The Ultimate Breed
Have I Told You Lately?*
Ready for Love*
Where There’s Smoke*
Not This Time*
Run to You *
Double Trouble *
Lawked Flame
Jaleesa’s Pleasure
Jones Girls – Sabrina
Jones Girls – Melissa
Jones Girls – Angela - (coming March 2015)
* denotes Men of 3X CONStruction series