I mumbled my good morning to everyone, and they all watched as I placed my glass down on the table. Everyone seemed to be used to me and my preference of a pick-me-upper, except Max.
She frowned and said, “Really? You’re drinking this early? What happened to coffee or juice or milk, even?”
“Oh, it’s in the same place your steak and eggs are.”
I frowned at her grapefruit she had in front of her.
“What’s wrong with my grapefruit?”
“What’s wrong with my glass?” I retorted.
I felt everyone’s eyes on us, but I didn’t mind the attention. This is the most she’s spoken to me since we laid eyes on each other.
“Nothing. I guess that explains it, though,” she replied, and started on her grapefruit.
I was, of course, bothered by her statement and took her bait.
“Please enlighten me. What does it explain?”
She looked at me wondering whether or not she should elaborate.
She then sighed and said, “It explains how I could tell the difference between you and your brother. You look like you aged like ten years. I guess your new drinking hobby has taken a toll.”
“You think I have a problem with drinking? That I’m an alcoholic?” I asked incredulously.
She shrugged. She actually shrugged at me. I laughed.
“Wow, angel, that’s…um…interesting…as it seems I’m not the only one that has changed at this table.”
She frowned as I knew she would. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Let’s just say you need to eat more than a grapefruit for breakfast.”
“Are you saying I’m too skinny?” she asked.
I shrugged but didn’t reply. She dropped her spoon. “I am not too skinny.”
I laughed. “Yeah, okay.”
“And how would you know? No… You know what?… Never mind. I’m not too skinny. I eat just fine.”
“Oh yeah? Then let me order for you.”
She folded her arms in front of her. “Okay, then. Give me that glass.”
“I have no problem with that. As soon as your food gets here, you can have my glass.”
The waitress came, and I ordered myself two orders of two scrambled eggs, using egg whites only, and a medium well T-bone steak. She nodded that she had my order.
Then Max added, “Can you bring a large coffee—black?”
“Of course,” the waitress said and walked away.
Maxine and I had a staring match, until my brother cleared his throat.
“So…uh, Tiffany…what do we have on the agenda today?”
I finally removed my gaze from a stormy and very sexy Max, and I turned my attention to her friend who was sitting next to her.
“Well, we have a date with a fishing boat this afternoon. Are you guys ready to teach us girls how to fish?”
“I think I’ll leave the fishing to you guys, but lying out on the deck sounds like a plan,” Marie added.
Conversation started about the kind of boat we’re going on and what type of fish we could catch. I watched Maxine reach in her pocket and pull out her cell. I watched her expression change from bewilderment to shock then, what looked like, fear. She got up and looked over at Tiffany as she stood and walked away. Tiffany followed her, and Cory sat with the rest of us, stunned.
My brother leaned into me and whispered, “That foreplay that I just witnessed between you and Max was hot. And what’s up with the ‘angel’ term of endearment?”
“What?” I looked over at him.
“You called her ‘angel.’”
I shook my head, “No, I didn’t.”
There was no way I used the nickname I used to call her back when we were together. But looking at my brother grin at me and nod his head, I knew he was right. I wondered if anyone else noticed.
Marc said, through the amused look plastered, on his face, “Tell me something. Was it always like that between you two?”
I rolled my eyes at him then sighed, “You have no idea.”
He laughed and sat back. Ten minutes later the food came, and I started eating part of my share. But I wanted to wait for Maxine. I wanted to make sure she ate her food, or I wasn’t letting go of my glass that has been calling me for the last fifteen minutes.
Finally, Tiffany returned to the table with tears in her eyes. She went to Cory and whispered in his ear. He rose quickly and left the table. AB grabbed Tiffany’s arm.
“What the hell was that all about?” AB asked.
Tiffany sighed.
“Maxine is leaving.”
“Why?” Marie asked.
I looked at Tiffany and asked, “Who was that on the phone?”
Tiffany looked at me and said softly, “Her father.”
“Did she give him her phone number?”
This was something that I needed to know. If he could get ahold of her, no telling who else could find her.
“I don’t think so.”
Cory came back in looking exasperated. He looked at Tiffany and shook his head.
“I’m sorry, Kat. She’s hell bent on leaving. She thinks he’ll find her and…”
“Who will find her?” AB asked.
I felt my brother and Marie looking at me. I returned their gaze. I then knew what they wanted me to do.
“Fuck,” I said, and then I took the Scotch to the head.
I stood and left the table in search of Maxine. I saw her popping the hood of a car. She had a lot of bags in her hand, and she had to put the keys on the hood of the car so she could grab the bags on the ground. I snatched the keys from the hood. Then, as she turned to see who took the keys, I closed the trunk. Maxine turned all the way around and gave me the evilest eye I had ever seen.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“You aren’t going anywhere.”
“Give me my keys, Mason.”
I put them in my pants pocket and looked at her.
She frowned and said, “What? You think I won’t go in your pocket for them?”
“I hope that you do. He misses your touch.” I smirked at her.
She sighed, and I could see the emotion creep up in her eyes.
“You don’t understand, Mason. I need to leave.”
“Actually, I do understand. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about being kidnapped.”
She stepped back slightly and looked over by the hotel. “Who told you that?”
I walked closer to her, not caring that my rage was surfacing. “Does it fucking matter? The point being you should have told me.”
“And what good would that have done?”
“What good would that have done? Allura, I’ve shared with you my deepest secrets. For you to have kept something like that from me…”
“Oh please, Mason. Don’t act like you give a shit that I didn’t tell you.”
“What the hell do you mean by that?”
“Please, let’s not pretend I meant anything to you. If I did, you wouldn’t have lied to me.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve never lied to you.”
I walked closer to her. She moved closer to me.
“Fuck you! Yes, you have. Every fucking day you lied to me. You had me believing that I was the most important person in your life, that you couldn’t breathe without me, that your life was meaningless without me. You said no one has ever made you feel the way I did. But it was so easy for you to throw me away like I didn’t matter. You sent your fucking brother to tell me you didn’t want me anymore because you didn’t have the guts to tell me to my face. So, yes. You fucking lied to me.”
“Look at me,” I said to her. But she wouldn’t, so I raised my voice. “Look at me, Allura.” She did. “I want you to take a good look at the man in front of you. Do you really think I’m living without you? I miss you so fucking much it hurts. I’m empty and lonely and a miserable son of a bitch because you’re not with me. But I had to let you go.”
“Why?”
> “Because I couldn’t come back to you the way I was. I couldn’t take seeing the sadness in your eyes that no doubt would’ve turned to pity, and then to loathing. I know you would have done everything you could to help me, and I was so far gone, I would have taken you with me. I was trying to protect you from me. So yes, if you want to say that I broke a promise to you, then fine, I did. But I have never lied to you about how I felt. I did some unspeakable things in the name of revenge, and the man that came out of that jungle wasn’t worthy of you.”
“So, you took it upon yourself to determine what I was capable of handling? You knew how I would react to you without asking me? You didn’t even give me the chance to say I couldn’t handle it. You broke my heart, Mason.”
She leaned back against the car, and I moved closer. I touched her arm, knowing that I would no doubt want to touch more.
I said softly, “I’m sorry, Allura. All I wanted to do was keep you safe from me the only way I knew how. And now I’m going to keep you safe from your father and anyone else the only way I know how.”
She shook her head.
“Mason, I can’t let you do that.”
I backed away.
“You really don’t have a choice, now do you?”
She grabbed my arm.
“Please, Mason. I can’t let anything happen to Tiffany or Cory. Please, I have to protect them.”
“What? You want to protect them, even if they don’t agree on how you’re going about it?”
She looked at me for a second and then realized what I was getting at. I’ve done the same thing, and she wasn’t in agreement on how I went about it.
How quickly the tables have turned.
She sighed deeply.
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt, Mason.”
“They won’t. You’ll just have to trust me, Allura. I will not let anything happen to you or anyone else, for that matter.”
I reached down, grabbed her bags, and headed back to the hotel. I didn’t wait for her to follow me. I just kept walking. I got to the lobby and was greeted by a crowd that apparently got an eye full. Diane looked at me skeptically, but I didn’t care to entertain whatever thoughts were going on in her head.
I put her bags in front of Cory and pulled the keys from my pocket. I put them in his hands and walked away. Tiffany stood in front of me, and she mouthed, “Thank you.” I leaned into her and kissed her on her cheek.
I whispered so only she could hear, “You know, I would do anything for her to keep her safe.”
I left them all standing there. I knew the anger I was feeling was about to consume me, and I needed space. I heard footsteps behind me, but I didn’t turn to see who it was. I knew who it was, and I was thankful that he was here. He was the only one who knows what type of hell I was in. He was the only one who can talk me off this ledge I’m on.
Everyone went on the fishing trip, except me and Diane. She didn’t want to go in the first place. So, since I didn’t go, I didn’t want to subject them to her winning personality. What I did instead was call Roland. I gave him Max’s cell number, not really telling him who the number belonged to, and asked him to trace where the last call came from. It should get him to the man we were looking for.
After that, I got Sammy Morales to look into the kidnapping case covertly. Sammy is a computer whiz who works for Roland. But I get him to do special jobs for me from time to time, when I’m investigating a business I want to take over.
I wanted him to tell me if the cops found any connection from the kidnapping to Max’s father. If so, what information did they obtain? Was the case still open? Where were they on the whole thing? I was sure it was a cold case because of the time that had elapsed, but I was hoping to get some leads. If the people that are responsible haven’t been found, I need to know who they were. That would require me to talk to Max. That wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation, so I’m hoping to get the info that I need without her.
“I’m going to lie out by the pool. Do you want to join me?” I heard Diane say.
I shook my head, not really paying her any attention.
I did say, out of habit, “I’m working right now, so I’ll have to meet up with you later.”
Sammy got me information rather quickly, but there was not that much for me to go on. The cops did identify a Latin mob gang that is running in South Dallas with ties to Ray Jr. and a cartel out of South America. I sent the name of the cartel to Roland. I think I remembered them from the list of America’s most wanted. If they were one and the same, I will definitely be making a trip across the border soon.
When it was dinner time, I did join everyone. We went to the restaurant in the hotel and found a nice spot on the deck outside. I watched Max eat more than just a salad, which put a smile on my face. I kept up my end of the bargain, and I just had a beer—nothing heavy. I didn’t drink the next morning either. I simply had coffee in the morning before we left to play a round of golf.
We drove in silence, each of us immersed in our own thoughts. I’ve been talking with Roland off and on since last night. He was able to find Max’s father, and he gave me the rundown on his operation. Apparently, he really is a big deal. In fact, Roland said that the FBI and ATF are looking at him. He has known ties to the South American gun and drug trade. It was no wonder I found that connection to Max’s kidnapping. I’m also wondering if whoever touched Max was dealt with.
“Bro.”
I turned to my brother in the driver seat.
“What?”
“You didn’t hear what we said?” I shook my head. “We’ve been debating if AB should get Tiffany a birthday present.” I looked at him confused, and he explained, “The schmuck thinks that this trip is enough of a birthday gift for her. Cory and I disagree. What do you think?”
I turned slightly to AB, who is sitting behind Marc, and shook my head.
“Haven’t I taught you anything? You should be doing something special just for her, you heartless SOB.”
“Why should I? I mean, this trip should be enough.”
“Yeah, and what exactly have you contributed to this trip? Did you set up some quiet time, not just to fuck, but just some alone time?”
“Yeah, right. Trying to get her alone and away from ‘Monkey’ is a difficult task.”
I blanched at the nickname, but I looked over at Cory.
“I’m sure Cory can occupy Maxine for a few hours, so that you can wine and dine your woman as best as you can, considering where we are. That’s the least you can do.”
Did I just say that? AB looked at Cory, and he nodded.
“Of course I can do that. You want to do it tonight?”
AB and Cory started talking on another topic, and I looked back out the window at the scenery going by.
“You alright?” My brother asked me.
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m cool. I hope playing golf will give me the anger release that I need.”
He chuckled. “Well, I have something in my trunk that I think will work. When we get back, I’ll show you.”
We didn’t stay out too long. I wasn’t feeling the course today, and everyone else seemed otherwise occupied and not really paying attention to the game we were playing. When we got back to the hotel, my brother told me to change into some workout gear and meet him in the lobby.
When I made my way back into the lobby, my brother was there already in shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt that was similar to what I was wearing. He threw a pair of boxing gloves at me, and I swear that the biggest smile grew on my face.
“You think your slow ass is up for it?” He asked me.
“Do you think you can handle me?” I responded, grinning with anticipation.
“Well, there’s one way to find out.”
He grinned too, and I followed him outside and toward the beach.
When I tell you that every muscle in my body is screaming at me, believe me, they are. Even though I’m still somewhat in shape, I feel like I haven’t worked out in years. I ha
ve to stop drinking as much. My brother and I were exhausted, but we tried not to show the fatigue our bodies felt. We made our way back to the hotel and stopped when we saw Diane and Marie laying out poolside.
I quickly pulled off my shirt and tore off my shoes and socks and dove into the pool. Damn this water feels amazing. I did a few laps before I pulled myself out of the pool and headed over to Diane. She threw me a towel, and I put it over my head.
I sat down and leaned back, reminding myself to give Roland a call. He was looking into verifying that the South American cartel responsible for Max’s kidnapping was on the government watch list.
When I removed the towel, Maxine was standing right in front of me. I think we both surprised each other, but I was more blown away by the sight of her body. My eyes traveled the length of her and stopped at her side.
Holy shit. My eyes were big, I knew. That’s because I was shocked as hell. Maxine had a tattoo on her beautiful skin, and it was sexy as shit. It started on her side but traveled a little down toward her stomach. She tried to move away so I wouldn’t see it, but I reached for her hips without hesitation and pulled her closer to me. I gasped. One look at her tattoo made me feel like someone kicked me in my chest with a steel-toed boot.
“When did you get this?” I asked her softly, while rubbing her skin with my fingers.
I heard her say, “Three weeks after you left.”
She had the anchor to represent the Navy, which mirrored the tattoo I had on my chest over my heart. She made hers unique, though. That’s what impressed me and also produced the proverbial lump in my throat. Where ours were different is that she had dog tags circling the anchor where I had rope. Of course, I had the Navy SEAL symbol on mine carrying the anchor. But hers had the anchor going through a heart. She then had two dog tags hanging from the anchors. I touched the dog tag with Alex’s name on it and the initials NFNF. I had the initials spelled out on my forearms “Never Forget, Never Forgive,” and I hadn’t had it when we were together.
I then looked at the second dog tag. The chain wrapped around the heart, and it seemed to be squeezing it a little. The tag said “the reaper” in all caps. I looked up in her eyes and saw all the hurt and pain I caused. Before I’d seen the pain in her eyes, and now I saw it expressed on her side for all to see.
Ruined: Loving An Alpha Male: BWWM Romance Page 28