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“Yesterday.” Every time I thought about it, I wanted to cry, which wasn’t helpful. “I have some of her money and her mother’s permission to get her grandson back. So I called Michael—he’s in charge of my security, and I guess he’s good at this kind of thing. He’s arranged all of this, and we’re going.” I swallowed. “We’re all going. They need me.”
When Max spoke, it was through gritted teeth. “The fuck you are.”
14
“Excuse me?” He’d shouted at me, so I shouted right back.
When he spoke to me again, it was through gritted teeth. “You aren’t going with them to Slomestikan. That is insanity. It’s dangerous, and I forbid it.”
My mouth fell open. “Youforbidme? Who are you to forbid me to do anything?”
Clayton whistled through his teeth. “Damn.”
“Maybe you two would like to talk in the hall?” Michael suggested. “And you are going to watch how you speak to her, got me?”
Max rounded on Michael. “Look, I don’t know why you think you can talk to me like that. Maybe you’re in love with her? I don’t really give a shit. Right now, all I see is that you’re the imbecile suggesting this civilian should go with you to a country the State Department doesn’t even acknowledge exists.”
I held up my hand. “In the hall.Now.”
Max followed me to the hallway outside my apartment. I could hardly breathe from the anger surging through my veins.It was like my entire body was on fire, and not in the same way it was when I was in the bed with Max.
“You understand that, in order to get his dick in you, that man is suggesting you risk your life.”
I pointed my finger right into his face. “First of all, he’s not in love with me, and he doesn’t want to stick his dick in me. I’ve known him since I was sixteen. Besides, if he’s in love with anyone, it’s my sister Bridget. He’s helping me out. Plus, he saved Layla’s life, so whatever macho thing is going in your head about Michael, you can let it go. Not to mention you have no right to come in here and order me around like some sort of caveman!”
He flared his nostrils. “It’s insanity. Why do you care so much about this, anyway? This isn’t your problem. Give the grandmother the money and let her hire her own mercenaries.”
“She’s a little old lady who can hardly speak today from grief. She isn’t going to be hiring anyone to do anything, and Tim is there alone.”
Max shook his head. “You know, I knew you had a self-destructive side that could make you do stupid things, but I didn’t imagine you could be this…ridiculous.”
My body went cold as the insult hit just where he intended it to—in my gut. “Remember, friend, when you told me that there would come a time that I wouldn’t want to do this anymore? Yeah…this is that time. I’m done. Goodnight and goodbye, Max. I’ll always regret ruining your life. If I can ever help you, please let me know, but this thing between us, yeah, it’s over. Please send Anna and Eric my regards.”
With my back somehow straight and my emotions hidden away until I could lose it later, I shut the door in his face.
The room of mercenaries—I’d not thought of that word myself until Max introduced it—stared at me as I entered.
“You okay, Hopey?” Michael spoke in a low voice. “Want me to go take care of him?”
Mitch shook his head. “I don’t know which one of you I would pick in a fight. Max has been out of the game for a while, but he was lethal. So are you. It’s fifty-fifty which one of you would win.”
“No one is fighting,” I informed the room. I was the boss in this, after all. Or something like that. Who knew what I was anymore? I sure as hell didn’t know.
Michael rocked back on his feet. “You don’t have to go.”
“I think I do.”
That must have been the right answer because Clayton and Mitch nodded like they agreed. It looked like I was going toSlomestikanto rescue a little boy that shouldn’t have been there in the first place. These men were going to help me get him, and I’d bring him to his grandmother on her white sand beach.
Another mistake I could try to amend.
Somehow.
Excusing myself, I left the guys in my living room, my mother’s painting staring down at them with the lights of the city behind them. Someone had opened my curtain.
We were leaving in the morning.
No time for heartbreak. No time to wonder if he’d lingered in the hall at all or just left. No time to remember that he thought I was self-destructive and ridiculous. Just the hours of the night ahead of me to not let myself feel pain.
