“Nothing. I just sprained my wrist, that’s all. I guess it’s sorer than I realized.”
“You want me to look at it? Maybe we should take you into the clinic and get it checked out tomorrow?”
“No. Its fine, Mom, really. I’m sure it’ll be better in the morning. So, Dad, what movie did you pick for tonight?” she asked, anxious to change the subject.
“Oh, you’re going to love it! It’s a timeless classic, full of action and suspense…”
“It’s a Clint Eastwood movie, isn’t it?” she interrupted, giving him a teasing smile.
“How did you know?” He sounded genuinely surprised.
The night crawled by at a snail’s pace. Olivia had a difficult time focusing on the movie “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” It wasn’t the first time she’d seen it, more like the fifth or sixth. She looked over at her dad, completely enthralled, munching popcorn as if it was the first time he’d ever seen the old movie. She smiled to herself, comforted by the normalcy of the moment when it felt like everything else in her life was spinning out of control. Today’s events and conversations played over and over in her mind. She could no longer deny that something was very, very wrong.
***
Liam bent over the bathroom sink, poking at his cheek as he looked into the mirror. The cut on his face was already healing. Skin fused back together, leaving an inch-long pink line across his cheek bone. The bruise around the cut already faded to yellow-green.
Balen leaned against the door jam, his arms crossed over his chest. His brows pulled together in a thoughtful frown as he watched Liam from the hall. “Well, that’s going to leave a mark. What did the other guy look like?”
“A hell of a lot worse than I do,” he growled. “That son of a bitch nearly hit her! Do you realize how badly she could have been hurt by him?” His voice escalated with every word, his temper reflected in the amethyst glow of his eyes, raw fury still flowing through his veins. He shouldn’t have let Max go, but he didn’t want Olivia or her parents witnessing what would have surely become a bloody battle to the death.
“Hey,” Balen said, holding his hands up defensively. “I realize you’re pissed, but don’t take it out on me. Max isn’t going to give her up without a fight. You knew this, and the Dark Court’s really turned up the heat since you arrived.”
“I know. Rowen’s legion came after her today. You know, this would all be a hell of a lot easier if I could just tell her what’s going on.”
“What are you going to tell her, Liam? Seriously? That her sight transcends dimensions, and she’s not really seeing people, but angels and demons? Are you going to tell her she’s a threat to the Dark Court, and they’ve been trying to kill her for the last eighteen years? That should go over really well,” Balen added sarcastically. “I’m sure you’ll score big points with that revelation.”
He shot Balen a dark scowl. “I don’t know what to tell her. She isn’t stupid, Balen! She’s going to figure it out sooner or later. Three demons disappeared right in front of her eyes today! I think she’s already figured out that something isn’t right here!” He dragged his fingers through his hair in frustration. “And what’s with this, huh?” he asked, pointing at the cut on his cheek. “Since when do I get marked this easily?”
“I don’t know,” Balen answered. The concern in voice matched his frown. “I was thinking the same thing. Your body must be different here, I guess.”
Chapter Eighteen
Max leaned over the bathroom sink, inspecting his battered reflection in the mirror. His whole body ached. At least the cut on his lower lip had sealed shut. He flexed his jaw, reaching up to push on the sore area. “Shit…” he growled. He wasn’t used to getting the brunt of any fight.
Olivia’s betrayal had lit a fire of burning rage inside of him. He hadn’t figured her for such a lying little bitch! If she thought getting rid of him was going to be this easy, she had another thing coming. There was more than one way to impose upon her free will.
Max smiled to himself, the wicked musings of his mind quickly forming a plan to get back at her. The test of true friendship… “Just how deep do your alliances really run, sweetheart?” Maybe Olivia’s altruism would be the key to her demise, but one thing he knew for sure—he better find out quick, because he was running out of time.
He took one final inspection in the mirror. At least he didn’t look as bad as he felt. The bruises on his face were almost healed. Besides, they wouldn’t be very noticeable where he was heading. The night was still young, and there was a lonely girl just waiting to be swept off her feet. Ashley just didn’t know it yet.
It was shortly after ten when Max pulled into the parking lot of Waterworks. According to Olivia, this was Ashley’s favorite hangout. He walked into the low-lit club and headed for the balcony that overlooked the dance floor. It didn’t take him long to spot her. Damn…that girl sure could dance. The way she moved promised any guy an exciting time in the bedroom. Max stood among the crowded upper level. His eyes locked on her with the intensity of a lion watching its prey.
She didn’t like him, a fact she never tried to hide. Which meant she didn’t trust him…so what would it take to get her to change her mind? No time like the present to find out.
Max walked up to the bar and ordered a beer. He quickly downed the drink before making his way onto the dance floor. He silently approached Ashley, standing several feet behind her. He flashed the man she was dancing with a warning glare and gestured for him to take a hike. The guy quickly excused himself and left Ashley standing there alone. She turned abruptly and nearly ran straight into him.
“Oh, excuse me,” she automatically said, not looking up. Max stood there, smiling down at her with a devilish grin on his face. When he’d reached up to steady her, her skin was flushed, damp with perspiration.
“Hey, Ash.”
She stiffened beneath his touch and took a startled step back. Reluctantly, he let her go.
“Is Liv here?” she asked, looking over his shoulder to scan the room.
“No. We broke up—actually. I just stopped by to have a drink, blow off a little steam.” Max tried to paint a crushed look on his face. He didn’t do vulnerable well, but hopefully it was good enough for Ashley to let her guard down—just a little. This would probably have gone much easier if he’d been nicer to her in the past.
She looked surprised. Apparently Olivia hadn’t called crying to her yet. “I’m sorry to hear that, Max,” Ashley’s tone was dry and filled with insincerity.
Yeah, I’m sure you are—ya little bitch. “So, Ash, are you here with someone? Can I buy you a beer or something?”
“Umm…I better pass. I’m already here with someone, but thanks anyway.”
“Sure. If you change your mind, I’ll be up at the bar,” He gave her a flirtatious grin. The look she gave him in return said she was surprised by his interest in her, and untrusting of his motives. Maybe this girl isn’t so dumb after all.
Max sat up at the bar, drinking a beer as he watched Ashley from across the room. She glanced his direction a few times, but she never came up. Little tease.
“Hey, Max.”
He slowly turned his head to see who would be stupid enough to sit down beside him.
“Cale,” he replied coolly.
“You here with the girl?” Cale asked, looking around the room.
Max shot him a dark scowl. “Is there something you wanted? Cuz I’m not really in the mood for chit-chat.”
Cale took a swig of his beer and set it down on the bar. “You got your work cut out for you with that warrior,” he went on as if Max hadn’t said a word. “Rowen went after her today, and the warrior had him running like a whipped puppy with its tail between its legs.”
“Thanks for the info, Magpie Mary. Hey, why don’t you go make yourself useful? You see that girl down there?” He pointed to Ashley out on the dance floor.
“You mean the hot blonde with the long curly hair? Oh yeah, baby, shake
that ass. Yep, she wants me.”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“Really?”
“Nooo!” Max nailed him in the arm, and Cale slid off his stool. “She ain’t even lookin’ at you, asshole! I want you to go down there and give her a hard time.”
“Why?” Cale asked suspiciously.
“So I can go down there and rescue the damsel in distress, that’s why!”
“You’re gonna hurt me, aren’t ya?” Max almost smiled at the edge of fear in Cale’s voice.
“I’m gonna hurt you if you don’t get your ass down there,” Max growled.
“Fine,” Cale held his hands up in surrender, then his eyes suddenly lit up. “Can I hurt her?”
“Not too bad. I still want her pretty. But I’m gonna come down there in a minute or two and smack you around a bit, so you might as well make it worth your while.”
A wicked grin spread across Cale’s face, making the scar pucker at the corner of his mouth. He stood up and walked toward the dance floor.
“See you in five,” Max called after him.
“Make it ten.”
Max sat back with a beer in his hand and watched Cale descend on the dance floor. This was going to get interesting—fast. Ashley stood out on the crowd, swaying to the music, oblivious to the predator descending upon her. Cale walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. Ashley spun around. He’d obviously startled the girl.
Even from here, he could see the fear and mistrust in her eyes. She gave Cale a small polite smile and shook her head no. He probably asked her to dance. Too bad he couldn’t hear what they were saying from over here.
Cale slid his hand off her shoulder and ran it down her arm. Ashley jerked out of his grasp and turned to walk away. True to form, Cale’s hand shot out and grabbed her, jerking her back toward him. The girl stumbled forward and crashed into Cale’s chest. His arms wrapped around her. She struggled in his grasp. The panic in her eyes excited Max. A slow fire began to burn low in the pit of his stomach. He tipped his beer back and drained the last of its contents. He set the empty bottle on the bar and slid off the stool. Show time…
“Let go of me!” Ashley’s protest carried over to Max as he approached the dance floor. Her voice rose with panic as she struggled against her captor, trying to break free of Cale’s tight hold.
“Come on, sweetheart, there’s no use fighting it. I know you want me.”
Cale bent his face to the side of her neck. Ashley’s wide, frightened eyes searched frantically for someone to help her. They landed on Max as he approached, full of desperation and panic, pleading with him to help her. The pungent scent of her fear fueled his desire.
Max weaved his way through the crowd and descended on them like her knight in shining armor. He grabbed Cale’s arm and twisted it behind his back as he ripped him away from Ashley. With his free hand, he reached out, took a hold of her arm, and pulled her behind him. He gave Cale a shove that sent him stumbling into the crowd. “Keep your goddamn hands off the girl!” Max growled.
Genuine rage filled Cale’s lust-filled eyes. Clearly, he’d decided this little peach was too delicious to walk away from. He charged Max, who spun to the side and drove his elbow into Cale’s face. Ashley squawked in surprise and jumped back.
“What the fuck!” Cale yelled, bringing his hand up to of his face. His eyes flashed black and he charged Max again.
He sidestepped Cale’s attack, not too keen on the idea of getting into another fight tonight. He already hurt like hell. Cale flew past him, and Max put his boot into his back, sending him sprawling into the crowd of dancing people.
“Come on,” Max said, taking advantage of the chaos. He grabbed Ashley’s hand and pulled her along behind him. She stumbled on her pumps as they weaved in and out of people, glancing over her shoulder as they fled the bar.
He burst through the side exit, keeping up the momentum and urgency of their escape. If they stopped now, she may think twice about leaving with him. She had to fear going back inside more than leaving with him. They ran over to the Harley, and Max swung his leg over the bike, kick-starting the engine in one fluid motion.
“Get on. I’ll take you home.”
Ashley glanced back at the bar, maybe checking to see if they were being followed, or maybe trying to decide if she should get on or take her chances back inside the bar. He waited patiently for her to decide. If he pushed her, she’d bolt. After another second of hesitation, she climbed on the back of the bike and tentatively slid her hands around Max’s waist.
That couldn’t have gone better.
***
“Do you mind if we stop at my house before I bring you home? It’s not far from her.” Ashley stiffened, alarms sounding inside her head telling her she was a fool for going anywhere with Max. Her heart still raced from the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Going to his house was a bad idea. What would Olivia think? She just wanted to go home, but Max had saved her from that guy tonight. He helped her when no one else would, so it’d be pretty rude of her to say, “No, bring me home. I don’t trust you.” Besides, it was right on the way.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to, I understand. It’s probably a little weird for you, being Olivia’s friend and all.” He glanced over his shoulder, flashing her a charming smile she’d never been privy to before. Damn, he was gorgeous when he smiled. She’d once wondered what Olivia had seen in him, and right now she was getting a crash course.
“Sure, we can stop,” she found herself saying, against her better judgment.
“I won’t be very long. What time do you need to be home?”
“No particular time. My parents are out of town for the weekend.” Why did she just tell him that?
Max opened the throttle and they flew down the road. Ashley’s grip on his waist tightened as the bike lurched forward. Her arms pressed against his hard, flat stomach. Wow, well I can certainly feel what Olivia saw in him. Stop it, Ashley, she scolded herself. She shouldn’t be thinking of her best friend’s boyfriend that way. Ex-boyfriend…the little devil on her shoulder corrected.
She’d always been a sucker for a cute face and a hard body. She never let herself really look at Max before. His offensive personality had made it easy to avoid him. Not that he’d ever given her the time of day before tonight. She certainly had no intention of becoming his rebound, so he better not think that was where this was headed.
It didn’t take long for her to start feeling guilty for sitting this close to him—and liking it. Her chest pressed up against his back, straddling his hips, the inside of her thighs molded against his. What would Olivia say if she saw them right now? She should really find out who broke up with whom, and what exactly had happened between them.
Despite her guilt and common sense telling her this was a mistake and she was a shitty friend, Ashley couldn’t deny that she enjoyed the feeling of being this close to him. She liked it a lot. It’d been a long time since she had a guy who could rock her world. She had no doubt that the one she was hanging onto right now could do just that. There was something raw and powerful about him. She’d always just thought of him as a self-absorbed asshole, but tonight he’d proven himself to be a hero—her hero. Maybe she’d been wrong about him all along.
They pulled into the driveway, and he climbed off the bike. He turned to her, reached over, and placed his hands on her waist. “Here,” he said, picking her up and lifting her off the bike. “I wouldn’t want you to get burned on the pipes.”
His hands lingered on her waist, when he set her down. His thumbs brushed against the bare skin on her waist right before he let her go. Innocent or intentional, she wasn’t sure, but despite herself, desire coiled in the pit of her stomach, filling her with guilty pleasure. He turned away and walked up to the house, leaving her standing there to contemplate her idiocy.
“Coming?” he asked, standing in the doorway as he held it open for her.
She followed him up to the house and took a tentati
ve step inside. She looked around the living room, furnished with basic needs. He kept the place relatively tidy, except for the large hole in the wall with sheet rock dust peppered across the carpet below.
“What happened here?” she asked, pointing to the hole as she followed him into the kitchen.
“I’m remodeling. You want a beer?” he asked, walking over to the fridge. Max opened the door and pulled one out before she could answer. He twisted the cap off, tossed it into the sink, and took a long pull from the bottle before handing it to her.
Max already had a second bottle open and half gone before she took a sip. He carried over a few more beers and set them on the table. “Have a seat,” he offered, pulling out a kitchen chair for her.
She sat down, and he plopped into the seat beside her, turning his chair to face her. He gave her that slow flirtatious smile. “So, do you always get yourself into so much trouble?”
“Not usually,” she said, tipping the bottle back.
“That surprises me. Somehow I think trouble would just find you. Seeing you dancing out there like that, it’s bound to attract some unwanted attention. You may want to have someone with you next time, someone who wouldn’t mind watching out for you. Guys can be real dicks sometimes.” Max handed her another beer, and she accepted it without hesitation.
“What happened to your lip?” she asked, walking over to the trash with her empty bottle in hand. When she stood up, she was surprised to find her balance was a little unsteady.
Max got up and followed her, holding an empty bottle in each hand. “I cut it, shaving.” His voice was a husky whisper over her shoulder. He dropped the two bottles in the trash, glass clanking loudly against glass. The heat of his body warmed her back. She turned around to face him, the alcohol making her brave, and clouding her already less than exceptional judgment.
“It looks sore,” she said, boldly reaching up to touch the pink scar on his bottom lip.
He reached up and caught her wrist before she could touch him and turned her wrist palm up. He lowered his head and placed a soft kiss in the center of her hand. “It’s not,” he whispered.
The Redemption Series Page 15