Page 23 of Maximus

“Oh my God.”

Max was hurt because he was protecting us.

“I’m thinking there was more than a tracking device,” Tex mumbled. “Max needs to get you to a safehouse immediately. No more vacations, no more screwing around.”

“Okay,” I agreed instantly.

I may’ve wanted to give my boys normal, but I wasn’t stupid.

“You’re gonna have to find a way to communicate with Max. His ears are likely ringing like a son-of-a-bitch right now. I need you to tell him to head north. I’ll call you back in thirty minutes with a location. And tell him, I’ll call this in to his team. You’ll have backup soon.”

Backup. Holy shit.

“Okay.”

“Stay calm, Eva. And listen to Max—he’s one of the best men I know. I wouldn’t have sent him to you if I didn’t trust him. He’ll keep you and the boys safe.”

Staying calm was a thing of the past—no longer an option on this fucked-up adventure.

But, I could listen to Max, and weirdly, I did trust him.

“Mommy?”

“Hold on, honey,” I told Liam, then went back to Tex. “I’ll wait for you to call and I’ll find a way to explain things to Max.”

“Copy that.”

Tex disconnected and I took a moment to gather my thoughts. I had some explaining to do to my kids, but I didn’t know where to begin.

“Did Max save us?” Liam asked.

“Yeah, sweetie, he did.”

“I’m scared,” Eli whispered.

“I know, baby, I am, too. But Max is going to help us.”

“Where are we going?” Liam inquired.

“I’m not sure where. Max has some friends that are going to help, too. The man I was speaking to is going to find us a safe place to go.”

“Max’s friend is a nice guy?”

I didn’t have time to allow my guilt to consume me. I’d think about it later—why my six-year-old had to ask if every man he met was a nice guy and how utterly fucked up that was.

“Yes, Liam. We can trust him.”

“Okay.”

“I need to let you boys go for a moment and find something to write on.”

Liam disengaged and sat back in the seat, his eyes going to the window. Elijah held on for dear life.

“Baby, I’m not going anywhere. I just have to look around the car for a minute.”

“Is Max staying at the place?” Eli asked.

It took me a second to figure out what my son was asking, and when I did, my heart squeezed. “Yeah, baby, he’s gonna stay with us. You don’t have to be afraid of Max. He’s here to keep us safe. He’s a nice guy, too.”