Fear Inc

by Melinda Valentine

  Max raked his hands through his hair. He didn’t mean to yell at her, but he couldn’t help himself. A tear slid down his cheek when he raised his head to meet her eyes. She looked shocked. Why did everyone think it was so unheard of for him to feel something for someone? Sure, he never had before, but that’s because he didn’t know Sloane before. She was everything he never knew he’d wanted.

  “I’m sorry, did you say love?”

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “Whoa. Stop right there and let’s take this step-by-step. When did you fall in love with my cousin?” Bella put her hands on her hips and waited for him to answer.

  “When? I don’t know, exactly. I knew I wanted her the moment I saw her. I knew for sure, without a fuckin’ doubt, before I took her to my bed though. I don’t know if Foster ever mentioned it, but I don’t bring women to my house. There are definitely no overnight guests, ever.”

  “Why is that?” She sounded sincerely intrigued.

  “Someday when I settle down, I don’t want my girl to have to wonder how many women were in my bed, or if I took them on the couch or kitchen floor. I wanted every experience to be new and special.”

  “Then why, Max? Why did you pick Sloane?” Tears were freely flowing from Bella now.

  “Because I love her.”

  “No, Max. Why did you tell Charlie that Sloane was a mistake, that she was just a release to you?” she yelled at him.

  “What the hell are you talking about? I haven’t talked to Charlie since she left the club that night with you guys.”

  “The next morning Sloane heard you on the deck. You were whispering on the phone with her.”

  “I was talking to Gutter Mouth. To answer the other question, I wasn’t talking about Sloane, I was talking about Charlie. Gutter Mouth has the hots for Sloane. I told him Charlie meant nothing, that I was in love with Sloane.”

  Max stood up and paced back and forth. He couldn’t believe it. After what they shared that night, she actually believed he felt nothing for her. Was she blind?

  “Call him and ask him if you don’t believe me, Bella. I need her. Please help me.”

  ***

  Sloane

  Sloane had been in her new apartment on the opposite end of town for a few weeks. She had been working ridiculous hours as a waitress at Sully’s, a trendy bar and grill. It was tiring being on her feet all the time, but it kept her mind busy. The less time she had to think about Max, the better off she would be.

  She had thought time would make the memories bittersweet, but time didn’t always heal. Every day she missed him more. She had to stop herself from wondering what he was doing. Or who he was doing. Her heart couldn’t take the answer.

  Tonight would be a madhouse. A huge fight was playing on the television screens. She didn’t know the names of the guys beating each other’s face in; however, she knew her tips would be improved because of them. The crowds were already filling in. Normally she welcomed the chaos, but this damn flu was kicking her ass this last week.

  “Hottie alert at your table seven, Sloane.” Donna grinned as she walked past.

  “Great,” she mumbled. The other girls got excited when good-looking guys sat in their areas and flirted with them. Slone only compared them all to Max. Every one of them she found wanting. A lone man sat at table seven. With the menu concealing his face, she began her rehearsed speech to get his attention.

  “Good evening. My name’s Sloane. I’ll be your waitress tonight. Can I get you something to drink to start with?”

  The man slowly lowered his menu. Staring back at her were the same whiskey eyes that haunted her dreams each and every night. She was stunned.

  “Max?” she barely whispered.

  “Yes, you can start by sitting down and talking with me,” he said smugly. Bastard.

  “I’m working, Max. What do you want?”

  Sloane was getting impatient as he sat there smiling. What was he doing here? How had he found out where she worked? Did he just happen to come in here today for dinner by chance? Was he meeting a date here? That last thought soured her stomach.

  “We need to talk, Sloane. Now. I’m not waiting anymore. I’ve given you more than a month. That’s all you’re getting.”

  “I’m not doing this.”

  Sloane turned to walk away. Donna could take his table. She would most likely be in his lap with her tongue down his throat before last call. That’s what usually happened on Fridays and Saturdays with her. The thought made Sloane’s stomach churn even more than some random date showing up…He didn’t want her, but she still loved him.

  She couldn’t sit and watch him with someone new, especially not someone Sloane worked with. She felt the bile rising. Max grabbed her arm, spinning her quickly to face him. Too quickly. The whole world spun along with her. The burning sensation filled her mouth at the same time as her saliva glands decided to work triple time. She threw up on the floor in front of them.

  “Sloane, baby. Are you okay?” His voice was laced with concern. He held on to both of her upper arms as she tried to get the room to stop spinning. Maybe she was sicker than she originally thought. The spinning wasn’t slowing down. If anything, it was speeding up. Before she could answer him, everything went black.

  Sloane woke up in another hospital bed. This was becoming a bad habit. She had an IV needle in her hand with clear fluids running into it from the bag hanging by the bed. She didn’t feel any shittier than before, so that must be a good sign. Actually, she did feel a little better. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  A gentle knock sounded at the door before a doctor entered the small room. He looked up from his clipboard. His smile was almost as sexy as Max’s, and his brown eyes were so dark they almost looked black. His brown hair was a little longer than she would have expected from a doctor, and the tips were dyed blond. He looked so much like an actor playing a doctor on a cable show that she scanned the room for cameras.

  “Ms. Robertson, it’s good to see you awake. I’m Dr. Hutchinson, but most of my patients call me Dr. Hank.” He extended his hand for her to shake.

  “Is everything all right? I feel a lot better now.” Okay, so she was stretching the truth a bit, but he couldn’t know that.

  “How long have you been feeling sick?”

  “I’ve been kinda tired the last two weeks or so, but this last week has been brutal. I’ll be glad when this damn flu is gone.” She let her head fall back into the pillow. A moment later she lifted her head back up. “Um, did anyone come here with me?”

  Sloane had been both hoping and dreading that Max would be there when she woke up. She knew they couldn’t be together, but damn, she wanted to see him again even though she knew it would just make things harder for her in the long run.

  “There was a gentleman here with you. Last I saw, he was in the waiting room on the phone. So let’s just jump right on in, shall we?” He smiled. “Are you married?”

  “No.”

  “Are you seeing someone?”

  “Um, no. What does my relationship status have to do with why I’m he—” Her eyes widened. “OH MY GOD!” Sloane yelled, jumping up to a sitting position, the IV tugging painfully on her hand. “Did that rat bastard give me an STD?”

  Dr. Hank had the audacity to burst out in a full-out belly laugh. Sloane didn’t see the humor in finding out she’d gotten a venereal disease. Please let it be treatable. She was gonna kill him. She was gonna cut his—

  “Goodness no, Ms. Robertson.”

  “Sloane, just call me Sloane.”

  “I asked because well, Sloane, you’re pregnant.”

  Pregnant. She just stared at him. She could feel her mouth hanging open. She wanted to close it. She just couldn’t seem to manage to make anything move at the moment. Pregnant, oh God. How did this happen?…Never mind, she knew how it happened. She remembered every delicious moment of how it happened.

  What was she going to do? How was she going to raise a child on her own? No, she couldn’t th
ink that way. Bella would be there to help her. Plus, her parents would support her any way she needed. Shit, she was going to have a baby. She was going to have Max’s baby.

  “I take it from your expression and from my earlier questions, that this was an unplanned pregnancy?”

  “It was an unplanned affair. Not even an affair, it was one night with a friend that meant more to me than him. Shit,” she blurted out.

  “Well, we’re going to need a follow-up appointment to get a family history, and at that time we can do a sonogram to find out how far along you are.”

  “About four weeks,” she mumbled.

  Another knock on the door. Sloane looked up at it, waiting for a nurse to walk in, but no one did. Dr. Hank answered when she didn’t.

  “Come in.”

  Max opened the door, and she wanted to crawl in a hole. He looked like it had been a while since his face saw a razor. She knew exactly what it felt like to have his stubble brush against her sensitive skin.

  “How is she, Doc?”

  “Flu,” she blurted. “Just the flu. I’ll be fine. Thank you, doctor. I’ll be sure to call your office later today to set up a follow-up appointment. Thank you for everything.” He gave Sloane a mischievous smile. Her guess was that he’d just realized Max was this baby’s father.

  “Take care of yourself, Sloane. Get plenty of rest and double your fluid intake. You were severely dehydrated when you came in. It’s no wonder you fainted.” He pulled a small business card from the front pocket of his white coat. “Here’s my card.” Before handing it to her, he flipped it over on his clipboard and wrote something on the back. “My cell phone number is on the back. If you need anything, call me.”

  “Thank you,” she replied while taking the offered card. “When can I leave?”

  “I’ll start your discharge papers now.”

  He stood up and made his way to the door. He gave a chin nod to Max before leaving them alone. Alone again with Max. That’s how she’d ended up in this mess. She looked over at him. He stood there with his hands in his front pockets, his gaze locked on hers. His stare was so intense that she wanted to pull the covers over her head and hide until he left. Why the hell did he have to look so good?

  “Are you really okay?”

  “Yes, Max, I’m fine.”

  “I called Foster. He said he would get Bella and meet us at your place.”

  “Thank you. You don’t have to take me home. I can get a ride.”

  Max stalked over to her and planted both of his hands on the arm rail of the bed. Sloane could see his knuckles turning white with the force of his grip. He looked angry as hell and the fact that it was directed toward her was terrifying. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her physically, but it didn’t stop her from leaning back into her pillow further.

  “Why the hell would I leave you on your own to get home when, one, I wanted to talk to you in the first place. Two, you’re obviously sick and need some help. Now let’s get you outta here.”

  Once Sloane hopped up into Max’s truck, she gave him directions to her new apartment. So much for him not knowing where she lived anymore. Then again, if he’d found her at work, he could find her at home.

  He parked his truck in the underground garage in one of her assigned parking spots since her car was still at Sully’s. Sloane’s guest spot was currently occupied by a silver Ford Focus belonging to Bella. Since she wasn’t inside of it, Sloane knew she must already be upstairs in her apartment. She was the only person Sloane trusted with her spare key.

  The elevator ride was silent. She didn’t know what to say to Max. Surprisingly he hadn’t said anything to her either. Being this close to him again was wreaking havoc with her sensibilities. Part of her wanted to scream at him. The other part wanted to rub herself up against him and purr. She had to get him to leave so she could talk to Bella.

  “You better not be sick for my wedding,” Bella yelled, getting up from the couch.

  “I’ll be fine by then,” Sloane lied.

  “Good thing.” She smiled. “Foster ran to pick up some essentials. You hardly have anything in your pantry. When’s the last time you went grocery shopping? Never mind, it’s not important. He should be back any minute, so let’s get you settled.”

  “Thanks for the ride, Max,” Sloane called over her shoulder as she walked toward the bedroom.

  “I’m not leaving, Sloane,” he replied firmly while he shook his head in amusement. “I need to talk to Foster, I might as well wait here for him.”

  Sloane didn’t say anything else to him. She just continued on to her bedroom with Bella close behind. Once they were inside, she plopped down on the bed, falling backward. Bella shut the door quietly behind her.

  “Maybe you should talk with him, Sloane.”

  “I can’t. Please, Bella. You don’t understand what I’m going through right now.”

  “I know you’re sick, honey. I just think he—”

  “Damn it, Bella, I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “All right. We won’t talk about it.” She took a step back. Sloane knew she’d hurt Bella’s feelings, but she was still processing her own right now.

  “Get some sleep. I’ll bring you some soup in a little bit.”

  “I’m sorry, Bella.”

  “I understand. No worries.”

  Sloane stripped out of her clothes. Pulling a t-shirt on, she snuggled under the covers. It didn’t take long before she was sound asleep.

  ***

  Max

  Max sat on the couch with his head in his hands. Hearing a door creak open, he looked up in time to see Bella emerge from Sloane’s bedroom. She looked tired and upset. Max stood up and pulled her into a hug.

  “She’s gonna be fine.”

  “I was so worried when you called, Max. She hasn’t been herself. I know she’s going to be all right eventually, but I miss her.”

  “She won’t talk to me. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Just give her a little time. That’s what we’ve all been doing. I’ll try to put in a good word for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  It wasn’t long before Foster came through the door struggling not to drop all the bags he was carrying. Max rushed over to grab a few from him.

  “Let me help, man.”

  “She hasn’t thrown you out yet, that’s a good sign.” Foster smiled.

  “She’s asleep.”

  “Ah, okay.”

  Max helped Foster take everything out of the shopping bags and place it on the countertop. Bella put the things in their proper places.

  “How long has she been sick?” he asked.

  “She first told me she felt under the weather last week. I didn’t realize she was this bad, though. It’s probably all the hours she’s putting in at that sports bar.”

  “Why isn’t she working in an office somewhere? That’s what she did before.”

  “She said she needed the money while she waited on interviews.”

  Max frowned. “Do you mind if I stick around? I really need to talk to her.”

  “Of course you can. I can’t guarantee she’ll talk to you, though.”

  Bella patted his shoulder before leaving the kitchen for Sloane’s room. This time she carried with her a tray covered in food. Max took a moment to nose around the apartment. It was smaller than her last place and the neighborhood wasn’t quite as good, but it wasn’t bad either. He recognized the same furniture. Figuring he might as well get comfortable, Max once again took a seat on the couch, leaning his head back to rest.

  Max woke up to the sound of a door opening. It was dark out now and he didn’t see Bella or Foster. How long had he slept? Stretching his back, he watched Sloane walk into the kitchen. He got up slowly, entering the room behind her. He missed the sight of her in those little cotton shorts. Hell, he just missed the sight of her.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Better. I’m surprised you’re still here.”

  “Why?” he asked,
confused. She knew he wanted to talk to her.

  “Just am.” She shrugged her shoulders. There was a sadness about her that he hadn’t seen before. He had to see her smile.

  “Sloane…”

  “I’d really rather not discuss it, Max.” She stood next to the kitchen sink, looking down the drain. She couldn’t even look at him.

  “Well, we are going to discuss it. You can’t just walk out on me without an explanation. As to what you think you heard that morning, you were dead fucking wrong.”

  ***

  Sloane

  Max stood there with his arms folded across his chest. God, why did he always have to look so good? His hair had grown out a little more on top. His five o’clock shadow was sexy as hell. Mentioning that night stirred something inside her involuntarily. Her mind played back delicious moments that she knew she would cherish for all of her days. The reminder of that one perfect night was growing in her belly…Wait. What did he just say? How did he know what she’d heard him say?

  “What?” she stammered.

  “You know what I’m talking about.”

  “It doesn’t matter now.”

  Slapping his hand on the counter, Max bellowed, “The hell it doesn’t!”

  “I’m seeing someone, Max. Whatever happened between us, it just doesn’t matter.”

  Sloane hated to lie to him. It broke her heart all over again to see the look that blanketed his handsome face. Immediately she wanted to take the words back. She should tell him she was lying. Only how could she tell him that night was the best night of her life? She knew what she heard. Knowing Charlie was on his mind was enough. It told her all she needed to know. She was just one more in what she was sure was a long line of discarded women.

  The reality of it was, it wasn’t just her anymore. Sloane was carrying his child. She wasn’t going to be an obligation. The next man she made love to would want her for who she was. Since she was pregnant, that was a problem for the far-off future.