Max

by Terry Bolryder

  “What’s the matter?” Lock prodded. “Don’t like the rain, kitty?”

  “Don’t call me that.” Max snarled, nodding at the line. “Humans.”

  Lock sighed, and his dark, reddish-purple hair swayed to one side, brushing his collar. He had orange eyes like a sunset, which lent him an exotic look when combined with his tanned skin. “Like they’d get it even if I screamed it in their faces. People only see what they want to see. That’s why this club works.”

  Max nodded. “Anyway, I have a situation to deal with. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Lock raised a brow curiously. “Oh? What kind of situation? Never known you to leave the door easily.” He grinned. “Someone go inside that you like?”

  “I’m not here for that, and you know it,” Max said.

  “Then what should I tell Benny if he asks?”

  “Just that I upset a patron and have to go deal with it,” Max said, walking off before Lock could ask more questions.

  Max strode past the line, hands in his pockets, ignoring the women catcalling him. He could already hear Lock charming the women in line, sounding as flirtatious as he did when he was in the club, making sure everything went smoothly.

  And that anyone who prematurely found out needless information got their memory erased.

  When Max didn’t see the woman at the back of the line, he continued toward the back of the club and stopped when he heard sounds coming from the back alleyway where the dumpsters stood.

  Soft murmuring and something else. A high-pitched mew.

  The woman from before, blending into the dark alley with her navy-blue hoodie, looked up at him, eyes sparkling as they caught the light from a streetlamp overhead.

  Her hood was up, but her face was damp, and she was cradling something in the front of her hoodie.

  Max stepped forward to see it was small and furry, black and white, moving softly.

  The woman looked up at him with an expression of fear mixed with defiance, and despite his usual ambivalence around humans, he felt an instant need to comfort her. To get her out of the rain, to talk more to her. To connect in a way he hadn’t wanted for a long time.

  For a few seconds, he just stood there, staring back at her as the rain fell, so light it was gossamer, and then she let out a deep breath.

  “I found him behind the dumpster.”

  Max raised an eyebrow as he walked forward, trying not to tower over the woman as he got a better look at the little creature in her hands. “May I?” He reached out a hand.

  She was protective at first, then seemed to realize he was only there to help her and raised the lump in her hoodie toward him. He picked it up with both hands, only to quickly realize his mistake.

  The thing, which appeared to be a kitten, was filthy, both from the rain and the dirt in the alleyway.

  Trying to ignore his strong sense of smell that came with being a shifter, Max turned the little body over in his hands. The kitten was almost totally black, save for a white patch on the chin and little white paws smeared with the rain and God knew what else.

  As Max moved it onto its side in his palm, it let out a little sigh and went limp, and he almost thought it had died on him until its chest rose with a quiet, raspy breath.

  Max walked quickly behind the dumpster to check for more but saw no sign of other kittens or the mama cat who must have left this one behind. He looked down at the tiny creature in consternation, cursing it for choosing his back alley in which to die.

  “Can I have him back?”

  Max looked over at the woman who had asked so meekly, saw the concern in her pretty brown eyes, and wondered how to tell her that this creature was a lost cause.

  Cats in the wild abandoned their young for many reasons, but this one in particular was probably left behind because it was sick and therefore unlikely to survive. The best thing to do would be to put it back where they found it and let nature take its course.

  But he didn’t feel like saying that to this beautiful woman. Not when she had tears glittering in her eyes. So he handed over the kitten, watching as she swaddled it up in her hoodie again.

  “It could be carrying diseases,” Max said tersely, resting against the alley wall and wondering what to do next.

  “I know,” she said. “I’ll wash my hands, though, and he hasn’t tried to bite me.”

  “Does he even have teeth?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said, reaching down.

  “Don’t check,” he said quickly. “Good God, woman. Have you no sense of self-preservation?”

  She straightened indignantly. “Excuse me? Have you no heart?”

  Max let out an aggravated sigh. “I’m just trying to watch out for you. For your own safety, you should put it back where you found it.”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head defiantly. “If I put him back, he’ll die. I know it.”

  Max raised an eyebrow as if to ask what was wrong with that. Death was a part of life. “And if he dies anyway?”

  The woman looked down at the little fur ball with such tenderness it took Max’s breath away. “Then at least he won’t die alone.” She rolled the creature up in her hoodie and held it closer, protectively. “What are you doing out here anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be running the line?”

  Max rubbed the back of his neck, itchy from the rain running down his hair. “I came out to check on you. Make sure you’re doing okay.”

  She frowned at him, and he saw the kind of fight she hadn’t shown with her friends at the door when she’d let them push her. “Why would you care?”

  Max folded his arms, irritated with the way things were going. He just wasn’t very good at talking to humans. “You seemed upset.”

  “Well, no one likes being the butt of a fat joke.” She glared at him frankly, and he felt utter confusion come over him

  His jaw fell open. “What? When did I make fun of you?”

  She sighed. “You know, what my friends said. You let them in because they brought a fat chick.”

  He had to take a deep breath to steady himself. “I wasn’t making fun of you.” He gestured to her awkwardly. “Yes, maybe you have the kind of body that our members… prefer. But it’s not some kind of mean joke.”

  Even now, he had to pull his eyes away from her gorgeous figure. That sumptuous, exaggerated hourglass shape that couldn’t be hidden, even beneath that old hoodie.

  She frowned. “You said it was because of me, though.”

  He pushed back a wet lock of hair. “It was because of you. Your friends were acting heinous, and I thought if I let them in, they would leave you alone. I was trying to help you out.”

  She blinked in surprise, mouth still open as if to let out a retort, though now she didn’t seem to have one. Her full lips snapped shut, and he found himself wanting to run a finger over the bottom one to see if it was as soft as it looked.

  But he really shouldn’t be having those sorts of feelings about a human. What made this one so different from all the rest?

  “So it wasn’t because of my weight?”

  He wrinkled his nose and snorted. “No. Though, I won’t say that the club doesn’t have a preference for a certain type.”

  She bit her lip, then glanced up at him nervously. “Well, thanks, then. For trying to help me out.”

  He relaxed against the wet wall again. “Don’t mention it. Now what are you going to do about that creature? Because you really should put him back.”

  Her expression grew stubborn again. “I already told you I wouldn’t, and besides, it’s none of your business. You came to check on me, and now you see I’m not crying or anything. I’m fine. So you can go back to what you were doing and leave me to enjoy my night.”

  Max looked down at the kitten that was probably soiling her hoodie as they spoke, doubting her night would be at all enjoyable.

  But most likely, there was nothing he could do to change her mind. And he’d done his job in making sure she was okay.

&n
bsp; Max took a few steps toward the entrance to the alley and then stopped, letting out a groan and running a hand through his damp hair.

  He whirled around to face her with an annoyed expression. “So if you aren’t putting it back, what are you going to do, then?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said, looking at the kitten nervously. “Hopefully help him get better and then find him a home. I can’t keep him at my apartment, but I bet someone would like a nice cat.”

  Max fought back a groan. “There are already too many cats around.”

  She looked out at the street. “I mean, maybe there’s a hotel around here I could stay at, just until—”

  Max let out an aggrieved sigh, unsure why it should bother him so much to think of her going to one of the sketchy hotels in the area.

  He was pretty sure no cab was going to pick her up with that stinky animal, and any hotel that would allow her to check in wasn’t one she should stay at. “I’ll take it.”

  She looked up at him in shock, long lashes glittering with either tears or rain. “What?”

  “I’ll take him,” Max said, moving forward as he pulled off his button-up shirt. “Here, give me your hoodie and wear this.” He helped her keep the kitten bundled as she unzipped the hoodie, giving him a quick glimpse of a white tee over full breasts before she quickly pulled his shirt over her shoulders.

  She did up the buttons, watching him the whole time as he wrapped the kitten in her sweater.

  He got the impression she wasn’t the type who would still be talking to a strange man, let alone wearing his shirt, if it weren’t for this sick little creature.

  As Max wrapped it up so it would be warm and hidden from view, he realized how crazy all of this was. Yet, as he heard a faint mewing noise from under his arm, he felt a welling of unwelcome tenderness inside him.

  Dammit.

  “I’ll take care of it,” he said quietly. “So you should probably get home.”

  He’d expected her to jump for joy or something, but instead, she just narrowed her eyes at him, cocking a hip.

  “How can I be sure you’re going to take care of him and not dump him in the mud once I’m gone?”

  He had no idea about that. This was all going in a direction he’d never intended, and he still had to get back to the door. What would make this crazy woman finally accept that he was helping her? “You can come with me if you want. I’m going to take him to my apartment, get him cleaned up.”

  Good God, what was he doing? He was supposed to work tonight. He couldn’t invite a strange woman into his house. There was no way she would accept, and—

  “Don’t you have work?” She bit the inside of her cheek.

  “What are you two doing?” A voice cut in as a figure stepped into the darkened alley. After a few steps, Lock was illuminated by the streetlight, and he stared at them, cocking his head.

  Max and his new friend looked up sharply, and Max was a little relieved to see she didn’t have any kind of interested reaction to Lock.

  “Nothing,” Max said tersely, hoping Lock wouldn’t scent the kitten nestled deep within the hoodie.

  Lock sniffed the air, then eyed him knowingly. Stupid dog nose. “Let me see.”

  Max tried to turn away, but Lock was quick, pulling the hoodie open to look down at the kitten before stepping back, repulsed.

  “It’s dying,” Lock said with a sneer.

  “Not necessarily,” the woman said.

  “And who are you?” Lock asked, his usually polite pretense dropping as he took an aggressive step forward.

  Max stepped in between Lock and the woman. “A new friend. No one to concern yourself with.”

  A knowing glint lit Lock’s eyes, and a smile crooked his mouth at the corners. “Ah. Interesting. Max found someone he likes.”

  The girl gaped at him. “No, it’s just—”

  “If you two want to take off, I’ll manage the door for you,” Lock said. “What was your name again?”

  “Jackie,” she said softly, eyeing Lock as if she didn’t quite trust him. At least she had good instincts in one way.

  And a nice name, too.

  Lock just smiled. “It’s not often we find someone Max doesn’t hate who is also a human woman. So you two dump that thing and go have fun.”

  “No,” Jackie said, eyeing Lock with disgust.

  Lock looked exasperated as he threw his hands in the air. “You can’t be serious. There are a million more important things in this world you could be doing other than risking your life over something so small.”

  Jackie stared defiantly back at Lock, making Max gain even more respect for her. “When we stop fighting for small things, we lose track of the big things.”

  It was an odd thing to say, and Max was still mulling it over, so he barely heard her add the next part.

  “Besides, Max is going to take it home.”

  Lock turned to Max, frustration warring with shock in his expression. “Seriously? That thing?”

  Max nodded. “So are you still willing to cover my door shift?”

  Lock’s mouth shut abruptly, and he paced for a second, muttering to himself while Jackie and Max waited in frustrated silence. “This is stupid.”

  “I know,” Max said, waiting. If Lock said no, he’d just go to Benny.

  But even Lock knew Max rarely asked for anything, and he couldn’t really deny him. “Fine. You’re disgusting from being in the rain and handling that creature anyway, so you’re better off going home.” He caught Max’s eye and sent a leer in Jackie’s direction. “But if you ask me, there are better things for the two of you to be doing together, especially on such a cold night.”

  With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the alley, disappearing from view.

  Jackie looked up at him, eyes shining with a hope that somehow kindled a hope in him. “So where do you live?”

  Chapter 3

  When the big, silent man continued to stare at her, Jackie decided maybe he hadn’t heard her question.

  Or maybe he was still in shock over the whole situation and was about to renege on his offer. Which, given the condition of the kitten in her arms, couldn’t happen.

  “I said where do you live.” She hoped her tone was polite. She liked this man, trusted him to help her, and besides, he was her only hope.

  She was still a little disgruntled over what had happened at the club, but he couldn’t be that bad of a person if he would let her and her friends in just to save her further embarrassment.

  He cocked his head, making his damp hair shimmer and move in the low light. “And you’d just trust me enough that you’d follow me home?”

  She looked at the kitten. “Do I have a choice?”

  “You could just let me take care of it.”

  “I could, but I don’t know if you’ll do the right thing.”

  “So you trust me with your safety, but not a kitten?” He shook his head, sending water droplets flying. “Sounds backward to me.”

  “I can take care of myself,” she said stubbornly. “He can’t.”

  The man let out an aggrieved sigh. “Fine. Then it’s this way.” He turned to lead the way down the alley, and she stayed close behind, not wanting to engage with anyone near the club again.

  She’d had enough social interaction for the night. Maybe for a lifetime.

  “I’m Jackie, if you didn’t hear before,” she said, staying up with him. “And that guy said your name was Max?”

  “Yup.”

  “Nice to meet you. I really appreciate you doing this.”

  “It’s lucky I live close,” he said, leading the way across an empty street to a small apartment complex.

  “True,” she said. “And just in case, I’ll text my friends and let them know where I am so I’m safe.”

  He paused to look over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “The same friends who left you to cry alone in an alley?”

  “I wasn’t crying,” she muttered.

  “You w
eren’t? Then why did you run?”

  “I was almost crying. I stopped when I heard this guy crying.”

  “Cats don’t cry.”

  “Meowing, then. I think if he could have been crying, he would have.”

  “He’s not human,” Max said, irritation tinging his voice. “You shouldn’t try to think of him that way. There’s a huge separation between humans and other creatures, and the sooner you learn that, the better.”

  “What?”

  “Otherwise, you’ll be too softhearted and do things like this because you think of animals as having the same emotions you do. They don’t.”

  “How do you know?” She stared at him frankly as he led the way into the complex and they walked up stairs with worn, orangey-brown carpet. “You can’t talk to him.”

  Max shrugged. “You can’t save everyone in this world, sweetheart.”

  “I’m not your sweetheart.” Not that she wanted to be. He was a big, handsome man who could date anyone and probably did.

  Except he was here and helping her, which changed her opinion of him. Taking a deep breath, she realized she should be a little gentler on him since most people wouldn’t be helping her right now.

  She was a little crazy about animals.

  “Sorry,” he said insincerely as he fished out keys and unlocked the door to his apartment.

  She followed him in, expecting a disaster from the looks of the faded carpet and the dingy smell in the hall, but was pleasantly surprised to see a neat, homey space with clean but sparse furniture.

  “Do you live with anyone?” She looked around, seeing no signs that anyone lived here. Including Max. It was so clean as to almost be sterile. Gray carpet and blue, worn-looking couches. Steel appliances from a few years back.

  And a feeling of general coldness to everything around.

  Jackie hadn’t ever thought to imagine where super-hot guys lived, but it still wasn’t what she would have pictured.

  Maybe there should have been beer bottles everywhere and panties strewn across all surfaces.