Max

by April Kelley

  Max turned to him. He hoped the look on his face would get Sydney to shut up. “Really?”

  Sydney just shrugged. “It’s the truth. Just because I have a common enemy as him doesn’t make me on his side. I’m on your side. That’s it.”

  Max turned to Justin, whose eyebrows were raised. “I know, but I promise he’s not gonna hurt anybody.”

  “Unless they fuck with me,” Sydney chimed in.

  Max walked over to Sydney and got in his face. “Would you shut up? You’re not helping yourself get out of those cuffs.”

  “Maybe I need a reminder of what they feel like. Seems like your people are just as ready to put me in prison as Victoria.” Sydney leaned in, suddenly becoming serious. “Come here.”

  Max leaned down.

  “She sent people to follow me. They might know about the car I drove here. Can you get rid of it?”

  “We got it covered already.”

  “We?”

  “Shade, Tanner, and Finn are already taking it a few hours north of here. Finn thinks of it as a fun road trip, so you made his day. It’ll look like you just kept driving and then ran out of gas. That’ll lose your trail.”

  “Oh.”

  “Now, will you shut up and quit acting like a bad ass?”

  Sydney nodded. Max grabbed his arm gently and helped him stand. He walked over to Justin. “He’s a little ass when he’s scared. It’s all an act. He’s harmless.”

  “I’m harmless to everyone but you now, fuck boy.”

  Max rolled his eyes and held out his hand for the key once again. Justin smirked and gave it to him. Justin’s face hardened. “You better be right about him. Twenty-four seven, Max.”

  Max nodded once and then looked at Sydney, who still narrowed his eyes. There was something about the look. Max recognized the falseness of it. He knew he’d hurt Sydney with his words, and the bad ass act was Sydney’s way of dealing with that hurt. “Turn around, honey,” Max murmured.

  Max’s chest hurt from just looking at Sydney. Never in the whole of his life had he felt like that about someone. More than anything, he wanted to run out of Justin’s office, go to the local bar in town and fuck some nameless man against the bathroom stall. He wanted to feel nothing but the pleasure on his dick. He needed to get away from Sydney, but Justin’s order to babysit him all day every day didn’t make that possible.

  Instead, Max grabbed Sydney’s arm gently and undid one of the locks. He let Sydney’s arm go and undid the other lock. The cuffs and key he handed to Justin. “I’ll be right back,” he mumbled and then left the room. He shut the door behind him and leaned against the wall next to it. Shutting his eyes, he rested the back of his head against the wall. He tried to alleviate the ache in his chest by rubbing it out, but it was pointless.

  How had he let this happen?

  He’d never in his life wanted anything more than just a fuck with another guy. It wasn’t that he had a problem with commitment, either. He’d commit to a guy if the love was there and things were easy. He had an aversion to all things complicated, and Sydney was a walking, talking complication.

  His parents had a complicated relationship, and he didn’t want the heartache they’d endured. Even after the divorce, his mother spouted hatred for his father, which Max never understood. How could someone love a person one day and then hate them so quickly when things didn’t go their way? While his mother never had a successful relationship, his father had managed to make it work the second time around. Garrett was wonderful. He was the best stepdad a kid could have, and Max missed him every day.

  Max couldn’t help but think maybe his dad just got lucky with Garrett.

  Max had read somewhere that the initial stages of love were hormonally based. Attraction was just hormones, and his were going crazy for Sydney. Max had never let himself get to the next level until Sydney. So maybe he wasn’t in love, but he was more charged hormonally then just simple attraction. He was even up to the strong affection phase, which would eventually lead to the needy stage in which he wouldn’t want to do anything but spend time with Sydney.

  He couldn’t let that happen.

  “What’s up with you, man?”

  Max opened his eyes to see Webb standing in front of him. Max started to shake his head but thought better of it. Webb was a good listener and one of his best friends. He’d give him solid advice.

  “I think I’m falling in love with Sydney Marshall.”

  Webb stared at him for a full minute before he started laughing.

  “I’m serious, asshole.”

  Webb held up a finger and tried to calm down.

  “It’s not that funny.”

  Webb shook his head as he came down from his laughing high. “The one person on the face of the planet that you go and fall for, and it has to be him. That’s fucked up, Max. Even for you.”

  “He’s not a bad guy, Webb.” The need to defend Sydney said more about how Max felt then anything could. Shit.

  Webb grew serious. “Maybe not, but he’s a dead one.” He looked at Max, studying him. “Are you freaking out because of who he is, or because of who you are?”

  Max didn’t even have to think about that. “Because of who I am. You know this isn’t me. I don’t know how or why, but I can’t stop it.”

  Webb rolled his eyes. “Then don’t. Just go with it and see what happens.”

  “What if I suck at it?”

  “What if you don’t? Listen, you have to keep him alive or out of prison first. Focus on that for now, and see what happens.”

  Max sighed, then nodded his head.

  Webb patted him on the shoulder as he turned and left the small space. “Heard about your dad, man. You need anything, just let me know. I can be there in a couple hours.”

  “Thanks.”

  Maybe Webb was right. Focusing on getting Sydney out of the situation he was in had to be a priority. Everything else would have to take a back seat, and that included Max’s feelings.

  He didn’t want to feel anything for Sydney at all, so it shouldn’t be too hard.

  Max went back into the office and saw Sydney sitting on the couch. He had a smirk on his face, and Max just knew he’d said something snarky. Justin looked at Sydney as if he wanted to kill him, which just confirmed the obvious.

  Max sat beside him. “What did you say?”

  “Nothing.” Sydney smirked at Justin.

  “Just tell me.”

  Sydney grabbed Max’s hand and laced their fingers together. Max was a little surprised at the intimate gesture, but he didn’t say anything. He just sat and waited for Sydney to talk. “I didn’t say a word to him. At all.”

  Max sighed and nodded. So Sydney refused to answer a question or obey an order, which was something Justin wasn’t used to.

  “Now that you’re back, I’ll just say this once so it’s clear to both of you.” Sydney looked pointedly at Justin. “I don’t work for or with you. I’m not asking for your help. I’m asking for Max’s help, and I work with him. So don’t fucking think you can sit there and pretend you’re my boss.”

  Max saw Justin’s jaw muscle jump and thought he just might kill Sydney if he said one more word. “I’m still taking those couple days off,” Max said to Justin, hoping to distract him.

  Justin nodded. “Tell your dad I said hi. He’s welcome here, you know that.”

  Max shrugged. “I don’t know how bad he is this time.”

  “You need one of the other guys to go with you? Your dad really likes Creed.”

  “God knows why.” Max smirked.

  Justin grinned. “Poor taste?”

  Max shook his head. “Dad married Garrett, so that’s not it.”

  “We’re here if you need us.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  Sydney squeezed his hand in a surprising show of support. Max looked at him, and he knew he couldn’t keep the stress off his face.

  Max was well aware o
f Sydney staring at him. “Where are we going?”

  “Visiting my dad.” Max wanted to tell him more, but he was afraid he’d lose his shit if he started talking about it. Max wasn’t a crier or anything like that, thank god, so there would be no embarrassment on that front. He had a seek-and-destroy attitude whenever something upset him. Sometimes all the anger was directed inward and he’d do something self-destructive. Max was afraid he’d direct his anger at Sydney, and the man didn’t deserve it. It wasn’t Sydney’s fault Max’s father went off the deep end again.

  “Right. So I take it your dad isn’t well, and the shit I just put on you isn’t helping.”

  Max nodded but didn’t say anything right away. “It’s not your fault.”

  “I don’t think it is. Not my fault that bitch, Mize, is making my life hell. It is my fault for coming to you for help though. If you need me to back off, then I will. I’ll figure it out myself.”

  Max sighed and then held his hand open in the seat. He wiggled his fingers until Sydney took them. He didn’t think anything needed to be said. The gesture was enough. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to Sydney. Even if he didn’t want to feel affection for the man, he did, and it was too late to turn back now.

  “My dad’s husband died a couple years ago. He hasn’t been right since. I’m not sure why he’s losing it, but he tried to kill himself earlier this morning. A neighbor found him. He’s in the hospital now. This is the second time.”

  “So what Justin said about him coming to the mansion is a possibility.”

  “It’s a definite, but dad isn’t going to be happy about it. He’s gonna fight me on the issue.”

  “He’s lucky to have you.”

  Max shrugged.

  “I don’t have parents. Used to have a mom, but she was a drug addict. Probably dead now, I’m sure. I was in the foster care system from the time I was four years old.”

  Max squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not looking for sympathy or anything.” Sydney shrugged. “So tell me about your dad’s husband.”

  Max smiled. “Garrett was great. Best stepdad ever.”

  “What made him so great?”

  “My dad, he’s bisexual. So he and my mom were fucking back in high school. They got pregnant and got married.”

  “Stupid to get married because of a kid,” Sydney mumbled.

  “I know, right. It didn’t last, and I lived with my mom. Only visited my dad on weekends and holidays. When he met Garrett, he moved in with him after only like three weeks knowing each other. It was quick, and I was a little asshole those first couple times of meeting Garrett. But that third time, Garrett was the one that picked me up that weekend. My mom was livid.” Max laughed at the memory. He still remembered his mother’s red face and then names she called Garrett as she stood in the front doorway, watching him get in Garrett’s car. “He took me to a home improvement store and told me to pick out paint for my new bedroom. We had a painting party, listened to music and ate pizza. It was a fun day, and something he didn’t have to do. I mean our time together started out with my mom yelling at him, calling him a faggot and stuff. That had to make him feel like crap, and he could have just told me no, that my dad would pick me up later, but he didn’t. He made me feel like my mom’s attitude wasn’t my fault, even though I felt like it was.”

  Sydney looked out the window. “I had a foster brother like that. He was older than me by a few years. He treated me like I mattered, so I understand.”

  “When I finally told my mom I was gay, he was the one that came and picked me up, because my dad was working at that time of day. I lived with them full time after that.”

  Sydney looked at him sharply. “She kicked you out?”

  “Yep, told me to never come back, and I haven’t.”

  “Not one time?”

  “Why does that surprise you?”

  “Because you came running when I asked, and you immediately offered your help. I guess I figured that made you a softy.”

  Max chuckled. “No. My mother was a bitter bitch that never had anything good to say about me or my father. She lost more than I did that day.”

  “Does she see it that way?”

  “I don’t have a clue. I haven’t talked to her since.” Max remembered watching her house once. He’d been on the Demon Elite team a couple years at that point. He’d always felt as if something was missing in his life and figured it might just be her. He had intended to talk to her but then he saw her walk out her front door with that same scowl on her face. “Some people don’t change,” he muttered.

  After that, there was a comfortable silence between them. At one point, Sydney had turned on the radio with his free hand, and that filled some of the spaces the silence left empty. It was a full hour later when Sydney said, “Why are you helping me?”

  Max let go of Sydney’s hand. “It benefits Demon Elite if I do.”

  Max could feel Sydney’s narrow-eyed stare boring a hole through his skull, trying to pick his brain. His next words suggested he’d succeeded. “That’s not the reason you’re doing it. That might be the reason Justin would help, but not you.”

  “I do what he tells me to.”

  “He didn’t tell you to help me.”

  “He would have.”

  “Naw, he would have assigned someone else.” Sydney had the right assessment. Max had been halfway to his father when he got the call to turn around and come back home. Justin wouldn’t have pulled him from his personal family crisis if the circumstances were different.

  “Does it matter why? Just say thank you and drop it.”

  Max could feel Sydney study him for the longest time. He tried to keep his expression neutral and thought he’d succeeded when Sydney turned back to the window.

  Sydney whispered, “Thank you.”

  Chapter Six

  Sydney had no idea how he’d pissed Max off, but the man hadn’t said more than two-word sentences for the past hour. The fact that they were sitting in the hospital parking lot staring at the large building as if they were surveilling the place only made the tension between them thicker. Sydney kept his mouth shut, though, and let Max deal with whatever internal battle he was fighting. He obviously needed the space.

  Sydney didn’t know what it was like to have a parent in the hospital. Hell, he didn’t even know what it was like to have a parent in any capacity, but he imagined it wasn’t easy. Dealing with one problem at a time seemed like the plan.

  It was when Max started up the truck again that Sydney said anything at all. Max put his hand on the gearshift, intending to put the truck in reverse, but Sydney covered it with his and slowly pulled it away. “Shut off the truck, Max.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Fuck you right back. Shut off the truck.” He wouldn’t let Max run away and pretend that his dad didn’t matter. Suddenly, Max made complete sense to Sydney. “You’re not going to run to the nearest bar, get drunk and laid by some random guy.”

  Max snorted out a laugh. “Even if I wanted to, you fucked that up for me.”

  Sydney snatched his hand away, his shoulders came up to his ears. “Just go into the damn hospital and see your dad. After, if you want to fuck some random dude, then I’m not stopping you.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Fuck you, Max. You don’t get to sit there and call me a jealous asshole. I’m not so naïve that I don’t know that you’d just fuck me, pat me on my head afterward, and never see me again.” Even if Sydney wanted more from Max, he knew he wouldn’t get it.

  “I never said you were a jealous asshole.”

  “You didn’t have to.”

  “Sydney,” Max said his name as if he were gearing up to give some long explanation as to why he wasn’t relationship material. The whole it’s me not you argument was something Sydney had heard before, and if he had to hear it from Max’s mouth, Sydney would punch him.

  “Look, this
is about you running away. Not my feelings for you.”

  Sydney opened the door of the truck and got out. He walked around the front, aware that Max was watching him with an intensity Sydney couldn’t decipher the meaning of. He opened Max’s door and gave him a look that suggested he either do what Sydney said or suffer the consequences, not that Sydney really knew what those consequences would be. He hadn’t really thought of anything that didn’t involve violence.

  Max stepped out of the car, and as soon as he did he grabbed Sydney around the waist. Sydney’s body hit Max’s hard. Max still had that same intense gaze, and Sydney didn’t know what to do but give in to its demand to not look away. “You got it all wrong.”

  “What?”

  “I might have been thinking about getting drunk and laid, but I wasn’t going to go to some bar. I was going to go back to my father’s place and do those things with you.”

  Sydney scoffed. “I’m not that type of girl.”

  Max smiled. “If you were a girl, we wouldn’t be standing here like this.”

  “I’m not a quick fuck, Max.”

  Max’s forehead came down to rest against his own. “I know.”

  Sydney sighed. And rubbed his hand up Max’s back. It was so stupid to want more from Max. For a moment, Sydney could pretend that Max liked him enough to stay. No one ever stayed, and Max wasn’t making any promises. Sydney needed to remember that.

  He tried to withdraw, but Max strengthened his hold, drawing him closer, until Sydney felt like an extension of the other man’s body. He felt Max suck in air against his skin. “Are you sniffing me?”

  “Yeah. You smell good.”

  Sydney smiled.

  “You know when you were dancing at the strip club?” Max’s lips brushed against his skin as he spoke.

  “What about it?”

  “There was a guy that touched you.”

  “Okay.” Sydney shrugged, which was awkward to do because he was tucked so tightly against Max. “I don’t remember that, but what about him?” Sydney had been so focused on Max and finding out if he could trust him he hadn’t paid attention to everyone else that stood at the base of the stage wanting his attention.