ARE Indecent Arrangement Part III epub

by Steph's Mac

  If Max’s cold tone affected her, she didn’t show it as she set the plate and glass on the bedside table next to Jesse then propped her hands on her hips and stared back at Max.

  “I guess you do. Are you going to tell me where you went last night or are you going to shut me out completely?”

  “The less you know about last night, the better.” Max didn’t hesitate, his voice steady and his expression calm as he stared back.

  Max’s condescending tone made Jesse want to punch him. Mally looked like she wanted to, as well.

  “I understand your reason for not wanting to tell me. And it doesn’t matter because I can ask Adam. And he will tell me. My problem is, I don’t want to have to do that. I want you to tell me.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  She shrugged, but Jesse saw hurt flash in her eyes as she turned with a tight smile to pick up the plate and hand it to him. He took it, steeling himself against the smile she gave him. When he didn’t return it, hers faltered.

  “So that’s how it’s going to be.”

  Too damn smart for her own good.

  Fuck.

  She crossed her arms over her chest and stared back at Max. “Let’s see if I get this right. You’re about to tell me it’s been fun but now you have things you need to settle and I’ll be in the way. That I need to leave, and when you’ve taken care of this situation, maybe you’ll contact me…if you’re still interested. You think pushing me aside is for my own good, that you wouldn’t be able to live with yourselves if anything happened to me. How am I doing so far?”

  Max’s eyebrows rose. “I think you like hearing yourself talk.”

  Jesse bit his tongue against his automatic response to Max’s cold statement. Even though he knew Max didn’t mean it, he wanted to tell Max to go fuck himself.

  Jesse didn’t. Because this was exactly what they had to do. And this was the way to do it.

  Because Mally was stubborn. She’d dig her feet in and entrench herself deeper into their lives, and if something happened to her…

  Jesse didn’t think he or Max would be able to live with themselves.

  “And I think you’re a fucking coward.”

  Max didn’t flinch at her angry words. “Think what you want. You’re still going to walk out the door at some point and not come back. That was the arrangement, wasn’t it? Six months and then we were done.”

  She swallowed hard but never looked away. “Six months aren’t up yet.”

  “We all know that doesn’t matter. We don’t want you here and you should have enough self-preservation to realize it’s in your best interest to get out now.”

  All the color left her face. “No messy emotions. Right, Max?”

  “Emotions were never part of the arrangement. Your reputation for our expertise in bed. That was the arrangement. Sorry if you didn’t get enough, but I’m sure there’re other men out there willing to scratch that itch for you.”

  Jesse practically bit through his tongue as he forced his hands to unclench. The urge to punch Max for putting that expression on her face roared up like vengeance.

  Mally looked ready to pass out or puke. His stomach clenched in sympathy, which made his side ache, even with the drugs starting to kick in.

  Mally did neither of those things. She stood there and stared at Max like she was waiting for him to take the words back.

  Jesse wanted Max to get on his knees and beg for her forgiveness. To tell her they’d keep her safe.

  And last night proved you can’t.

  Max remained silent and so did Jesse when she turned to look at him.

  She took a deep breath. “Okay. I get it. I do.” She nodded but didn’t move. She looked so damn fragile, as if the slightest touch would make her shatter. But she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t break down, beg, or cry.

  No, she just turned, grabbed her clothes and shoes from the chair along the wall and headed for the door.

  Max continued to stare straight ahead, not watching her leave. Jesse couldn’t help it. The bed faced the door and he couldn’t look away.

  So he saw her stop, watched her turn. “I’d appreciate if you wouldn’t stop by the office for any reason. If you need to speak to Adam, do it somewhere else.”

  Then she disappeared down the hall.

  Seconds later, Jesse heard Max suck in air like he’d been holding his breath for the past five minutes. Maybe he had. Or maybe he just felt as shitty as Jesse.

  “Christ, Max. That—”

  “Stop.” Max’s gaze met his, those dark eyes blazing. Furious. Hurt. “Don’t.”

  Jesse’s throat dried at the strangled pain in Max’s voice.

  “I’ll have Ian make sure she gets home safe. Then I’ll call Adam and tell him— You just…take it easy. I’ll take care of everything.”

  “Max… Don’t do anything stupid.”

  Max’s expression looked feral. “I already fucking did that.”

  Chapter Three

  Mary Alice made it home without incident, even though everything around her seemed hyper-real.

  Too bright. Too loud. Too much.

  She was afraid she’d wrap her car around a pole or sideswipe a row of parked cars. But as she drove, she realized that made her hyper-attentive. So she drove all the way home like an eighty-year-old going to church.

  Sunday morning traffic in Philly wasn’t as bad as rush hour, but horns still honked as she drove the speed limit along Spring Garden.

  Let them honk. Let them give her the finger, yell obscenities, whatever. She didn’t trust herself to go any faster. She needed to contain, to hold it in. Couldn’t lose control. Not here.

  By the time she got to her apartment, her entire body felt like one huge knot. She needed a shower. A scalding hot one for about an hour.

  Jesus, she hoped Izzy and Damaris weren’t home. She didn’t want them to see her like this. They’d know something was wrong as soon as she walked in the door.

  All she wanted to that shower and her bed. Wanted to sleep until her heart didn’t feel like it’d been used as a punching bag.

  And what did you really expect?

  Not a question she wanted to ask herself now, especially not while she sat in her parked car only a block from her apartment. Frozen.

  God, every muscle in her body hurt from tension. Even her bones felt brittle, like she’d crack apart at the slightest tap.

  No, damn it. You’re stronger than this.

  Carefully, she looked in the rearview for oncoming cars before she stepped out of the car and into the street. In her current state, she wouldn’t be surprised to be flattened by a truck.

  The street was quiet. Grabbing her bag, she headed for her apartment. And nearly wept to find a note from her roommates, both of whom had spent the night at their boyfriends’ places.

  She’d told them yesterday she was doing the same.

  Emotion slammed into her chest. Something she couldn’t put a name to. Or maybe just refused to label.

  She lifted a hand to rub at the spot but knew she couldn’t do anything about the ache.

  Dropping her bag in her room, she headed straight for the shower. Halfway there, she heard her phone ring. Adam’s ringtone.

  No way in hell.

  Stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the steaming water and stood there until the water started to cool.

  She heard her phone again when she got out of the shower. Tristan’s ringtone this time.

  Had Max told them to call her? Or were they just checking up on her? Probably the latter. Max knew Adam and Tristan would kill him if they knew how he’d treated her. The thought still made her want to curl up in a little ball and cry.

  No way in hell would she do that.

  In fact… Fuck them all. She’d go to her brother Tommy’s bar tonight. She’d talk to the regulars, make some drinks. If she was lucky, Jason wouldn’t have told Tommy—

  Her phone rang again. The guys had gotten smart. That was Kat’s ringtone.

&nbs
p; With a sigh, she picked up her phone as she sat on her bed.

  “Kat, I’m fine.”

  A short pause then a slight huff of amusement from the other end. “I’m glad to hear it. My men are understandably…perturbed.”

  “I take it Max called Adam.”

  “There was a phone call, yes. And then Adam said something about Max’s balls and a knife and Tristan started swearing and then they both tried to call you. And when you didn’t pick up your phone—smart choice, by the way—they figured I’d have better luck.”

  “I’m sure they had help making that decision. Thank you.”

  “I did pick up a few things in law school about mediation. Now, I’ve put the guys in time-out downstairs so it’s just you and me. Do you want to do this on the phone or do you want me to come to your apartment? Or do you want me to back off?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know what I want. Except maybe a good cry and a nap. And when I wake up, I want to rewind to yesterday. Before Jesse was hurt and Max nearly killed the man who hurt him. Before they tossed me aside.”

  Another pause. “Is that really what you think they did? Tossed you aside?”

  “That’s what it feels like.”

  “I get that. I do. But…you know that’s not what happened. You know they’re only doing this because they think they’re keeping you safe.”

  “Now you’re taking their side.”

  “No, I’m not taking their side. I think they’re being assholes.” Kat’s inflection on that last word left Mally in no doubt that “asshole” was the politest word Kat could us to express her thoughts. “I think they’re totally discounting your feelings. And I don’t think you should let them get away with it.”

  Mally took the first full breath she’d managed since she’d woken that morning. Then she took another.

  “I’m not sure I’m up for plotting my revenge today.”

  “I’m not saying you need revenge. I think you need to show them exactly what they’re giving up if they let you get away.”

  “And how do I do that?”

  “Well, that’s going to require a few drinks. And the addition of the only other woman I know in the same type of relationship.”

  For a few seconds, Mally had no idea who Kat was talking about. Then it came to her. “You want to have drinks with your brother’s girlfriend?” Who was also involved with Kat’s former fiancé, Keegan. “I didn’t know you and Julianne got along that well.”

  “This club is pretty small. Just by the nature of the relationship, the men have us outnumbered two to one. We women have to stick together. And I like Jules. I think you will, too.”

  “So do you think you and Jules can meet me tonight at my brother’s bar? We can drink for free and I guarantee we’ll be left alone. My brother will stay far away from a table full of pissed-off women.”

  Kat laughed. “I’ll give her a call right now. If she can’t meet us tonight, I’ll still be there. We can plot tonight and then refine your strategy when we talk to Jules. She can be surprisingly bloodthirsty despite how sweet she is. But sometimes that’s what it takes to deal with two men.”

  “Are you telling me I have to toughen up?”

  “Not at all. You’re plenty tough already. You just need to use that toughness in a different way.”

  “And if I can’t?”

  “You will if you don’t want to give them up.”

  “Tristan and Adam have no idea what you’re telling me, do they?”

  “Of course they don’t. They’re pissed that you’re upset, but they think Max and Jesse did the right thing. Which proves that most men really are idiots.”

  Kat let her think about that for a few seconds.

  Finally, Mally said, “How’s eight o’clock?”

  Chapter Four

  Jesse had finally fallen back to sleep a few hours after Mally left and Max breathed a sigh of relief.

  He had phone calls to make and he didn’t want Jesse agitated. He needed sleep to heal.

  Which made Max want to do serious harm. He still couldn’t believe he’d let the prick who’d stabbed Jesse live. He should’ve put a bullet through his head and—

  And she never would’ve spoken to them again.

  She still might never speak to you again, not after the way you treated her.

  Fuck.

  His hand clenched on the phone and he forced himself to release it before he crushed the damn thing. He needed it. Needed to make sure he and Jesse wouldn’t have to face another attack like they had last night.

  He checked his messages first. Found several. A few expected, a few not so much.

  The expected ones were from members of other city crime organizations. All assured him they’d gotten Antonoff’s message and wouldn’t think of breaching the contract they’d made with David Oleksy to leave Max and Jesse alone.

  None of them even hinted about Jesse’s injuries, and Max figured Antonoff must not have made that public knowledge. Good. Jesse didn’t need anyone to know he wasn’t a hundred percent. It could leave him open to another attack.

  Two organizations were notably absent from the list of callers. Max would give them the benefit of the doubt for a few hours. Then he’d make some calls.

  Of course, Mally hadn’t called.

  Did you really expect her to?

  The anger he’d been trying to tamp down rose up again, threatening to choke him. He couldn’t let it. He still had calls to make.

  The first was to Risa. He owed her an explanation because he was sure her father hadn’t given her much of one. He left a message on her burner, made sure she knew Jesse was okay and that her dad had kept his word.

  The next call should’ve been easier.

  “Make it fast.”

  Max paused, taken aback by the level of antagonism coming from Adam.

  “I wanted to say thank you again for last night.”

  Adam grunted, which Max took as acknowledgment. Or maybe that was Adam’s way of saying “Fuck you” without having to actually say the words.

  “How’s Jesse?”

  “Fine. He’s sleeping.”

  “Good to hear. Anything else?”

  Yeah, there was, but he wasn’t sure Adam would give him an answer if he asked the question.

  “Is she okay?”

  Silence.

  Shit. “Adam—”

  “She’s fine. Is that it?’

  No, not by a long shot. But what the hell else could he really say? He’d been ruthless. He’d had to be.

  “Max.”

  “I… Yes. We appreciate your support last night.”

  Adam sighed. “Shit. Max—”

  “Thank you.”

  “Christ, Max—”

  He hung up before Adam could finish. He didn’t need any more bullshit today. Didn’t need anyone else to make him feel worse.

  Adam cared for Mally. He got that.

  And Max had hurt her. But honestly, Max had figured Adam would be happy Max had broken off their arrangement.

  His jaw clenched so tightly, he was afraid he’d crack his damn teeth.

  Christ almighty, why the fuck did this suck so fucking much?

  Because you didn’t want to give her up.

  But he couldn’t see his way clear of all the bullshit crowding his life right now.

  And he’d do anything to keep her safe. Even give her up for good.

  *

  Her brother’s bar sat on a quiet corner on Frankford Avenue in Fishtown.

  Still mostly a local crowd. The kind of place where everyone knew your name, your parents, your parents’ parents, and had either taught you in Sunday school, coached your peewee team, or worked with a close relative.

  Almost everyone over the age of fifty had a blue collar and sat on a barstool that held an impression of their ass.

  Mally had been working for Tommy since he’d bought the bar five years ago. She’d waited tables, served, even cooked if Tommy needed help in the kitchen, which was typically h
is domain. She was the only one her prickly brother allowed in his kitchen beside him. He didn’t even allow their mom back there.

  Tonight was even slower than usual for Sunday. Only four regulars sat at the bar and another two couples had separate tables.

  “Hey, little girl. How goes it?”

  She dredged up a smile for Tommy, leaning against the bar and watching the game with the regulars nursing beers.

  “Hey, old man. It’s going.”

  Nodding his head to the deserted end of the bar, he met her there, sharp gaze locked onto her like a laser beam.

  She caught back a sigh and tried not to let her smile falter. But Tommy had always been the one who knew her almost better than she knew herself. He was the one she’d confided in when she’d had trouble with friends or boyfriends. He didn’t immediately try to fix her problem for her, like her two oldest brothers, or harass the hell out of her, like her next oldest brother.

  It also meant he was going to be pissed that she hadn’t told him about Max and Jesse.

  She swiped a kiss on his stubbled cheek as he leaned over the bar to hug her. And when he pulled back and crossed his arms over his chest, she figured she should probably get comfortable. This was why she’d arrived fifteen minutes before she was scheduled to meet Kat and Jules.

  “So.”

  He didn’t say anything else. He didn’t need to.

  “I guess you heard from Jason.”

  “If you mean did Jason bend my ear for ten minutes about how he was gonna make life a living hell for the guys you were dating, then yeah, I heard.”

  She restrained herself from sticking her tongue out at him. “Then I guess you’ll be glad to hear that we’re not dating anymore.”

  He didn’t say anything right away and she stared into this blue-green eyes, trying to read his mind. Tommy had never done the protective older-brother thing with her, which was why she’d always felt she could talk to him.

  Why did it seem so hard now?

  Tommy raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you’re glad you’re not dating them anymore?”

  “Honestly?” She shook her head. “No.”

  “Then why would I be glad?”

  Surprise made her eyebrows rise. “So you’re not freaked out that I was dating two guys at the same time?”