Fueled by Lust: Maxim (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Celeste Prater

  Petrus’s evil chuckle escaped the speaker. “Call me back as soon as you take care of this shit, my brother. I want to know if he pisses himself when he realizes he’s fucked.”

  Chapter 27

  Maxim couldn’t help but laugh. Petrus usually didn’t get this wound up. He’d obviously gotten caught up in the hunt. “You got it. Later.” He ended the call and turned to Skylar. “How you doing?”

  She shook her head and shrugged. “I feel like I’m in some kind of TV show, and I’m just hoping someone yells ‘Cut!’ real soon.”

  Maxim chuckled and reached for her hand, halting as soon as the phone rang. Their eyes locked. “Here goes, baby.” He touched the speaker icon. “Yeah.”

  “Meet me at Ted’s Diner in twenty minutes.” He rattled off the address and the directions from the highway. “Don’t do anything stupid. I’ll be inside, and we can do the hand off there. You go your way, and I’ll go mine. I’m going to look for a tracker on that money and any other little surprises you think you can sneak by me. Be forewarned.”

  “How will I know who you are?” Maxim was beginning to hate the cocky chuckle that kept sliding out of the bastard’s mouth.

  “Oh, you’ll know. Just look for the biggest guy in the place. I like to wear black.” He hung up.

  Skylar snorted as they watched the dickhead get out of the SUV. He wore the same black fatigue outfit as his former team, buzzed-cut blond hair, and packed with muscles.

  “He’s obviously never seen you, sweetie. You got him by forty pounds and at least five more inches.”

  “He’s about to get to know me up close and personal.” He watched as the guy slipped the phone in his front pocket, shoved a handgun in the back of his pants, and grabbed the folder off the dashboard. Maxim felt adrenaline hit his belly, excitement building for the confrontation. When the asshole disappeared around the front of the building, he leaned over, grabbed Skylar’s hand, and kissed her knuckles.

  “Skylar, I know that you want to help me, but I won’t be able to think straight if you’re anywhere near this. Will you promise to keep your cute butt parked right here? I promise I’ll be fine. The fucker will never know I’m there.”

  She squeezed his hand, unbuckled, and leaned in to give him a hug.

  “I promise to stay put. I don’t want you distracted. Go do your thing.”

  He grinned and kissed her on the nose. “You’re a worthy female. Just lay on the horn if you need to get my attention. I’ll be right back.”

  Loping across the back lot, Maxim opened the rear door, made a quick glance toward Skylar to confirm nothing was lurking by the Hummer, closed the door behind him, and misted. It didn’t take him long to spot the guy in the corner booth. A waitress with startling red hair stood next to his table, pen and pad in hand. Maxim drifted over. The man planned on staying for a while if the huge order was any indication. Sending a stream of energy inches away from the guy’s chest, Maxim breeched the pocket and incorporated the phone into his grid. The dipshit was too busy flirting with the waitress to notice.

  Try as he might, he couldn’t get the mist between the man’s back and the booth. If the contact came too close, he’d feel the vibrations and become curious. Maxim waited patiently until the waitress returned with the food and then absorbed the folder from the table. He made his way back outside and reformed in front of the Hummer.

  Skylar’s eyes widened and she leaned out the window as he approached the passenger side. She grinned when he handed over the phone and the folder.

  “This misting thing is just way too cool. We done? Can we go now?”

  “Nope.” He patted her hand when she frowned. “I still have to take care of the dipshit. Just because we have this doesn’t mean he won’t make a call to the cops and drop our names.”

  She grimaced. “Shit, you’re right. What now?”

  Maxim grinned. “His leverage is gone, so I’ll just have to do some convincing that’ll stick in his skull. Simple. He talks, and he’ll get another visit. Watch, he’ll be back at the SUV in just a bit to try and find his missing items. He’s going to think he’s losing his damn mind. I’ll be waiting to help him along.”

  Skylar lifted the folder. “What’s in here?”

  “When he first called, he told me it was something Tullius had on you. He found it in the limo. It’ll give you something to occupy yourself with while I’m gone.” He gave her a quick kiss and misted. Seconds later, he hovered by the Suburban and waited.

  Within minutes, his nemesis pushed out of the door, brows drawn together, patting his pockets, and searching the ground. When he reached for the handle to the SUV, Maxim struck.

  Wrapping his energy around the goon’s thick neck and twisting his right arm flat against his back, Maxim powerwalked the very frightened mercenary toward the back lot. No matter how much he struggled, he had nothing to grab and no way out. His feeble attempts to yell out were thwarted by the unyielding pressure against his windpipe.

  Needing privacy for what he needed to do, Maxim was beyond happy to discover that the ground sloped downward nearly ten feet, flattened out, and then rose again before butting up against the tree line. A wide, slow rolling stream flowed down the center. He had a deep well of privacy to take his time. Shoving the struggling man to the edge, he easily pushed him over the side and watched him tumble head over ass down the loose dirt. He came to a stop close to the bank. Maxim took his time drifting down the hill.

  He watched in amusement as his blackmailer leapt to his feet, pulled the gun from his waistband, held it aloft in one hand, and began a circular dance trying to find a target. His eyes were wide and darting, voice shaky and hoarse.

  “What the fuck! Son of a bitch! Who’s there? Goddamn it!”

  Maxim reached out, touched his energy to the weapon, and absorbed it. The guy opened his palm and stared at the appendage as if it he’d never seen it before. Reforming the weapon, Maxim dangled it in front of the bewildered face before tossing it into the stream.

  Mouth open, but saying nothing, the man began backing up toward the hill. He halted as soon as Maxim let his energy slowly morph into a foggy mist before fully forming. The stunned man blinked rapidly and clamped his mouth shut. Maxim narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice to a deep, growling rumble.

  “Have you finally figured it out?”

  The guy took a step back, his throat working on a hard swallow. “What are you?”

  “Your worst fucking nightmare. I’m about to beat some sense into your thick skull and then you’re going to go away, forgetting everything you know about this town and everything you’ve learned since you arrived. Feel me?”

  The object of his ire took another step back, and Maxim followed.

  “You’re Maxim Telarius?”

  “In the flesh, and when I’m not, keep in mind that you’ll never know if I’m looking over your fucking shoulder.” Maxim dematerialized and quickly reformed right in front of the idiot before slamming a fist deep into his gut. Air rushed out of his mouth as he stumbled backward, cradling his stomach. Maxim stalked toward him.

  “You touched my mate’s intimate things, something that was special to us both. You need to pay.”

  Maxim knew immediately by the man’s deep breath and the positioning of his feet that he was about to attack. Not going to happen, asshole. He seized the upper hand, bulldozing him to the ground and punching him repeatedly in the face. Blood ran freely from his lip and cheek. Leaping up, Maxim moved back a step. He felt his muscles twitching, eager to pound the worthless piece of shit into a pulp, but he had much more to say.

  “That’s for the fucking sick display you left for me to find. Get up.”

  Scrambling to his feet, the guy wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared at the blood before spitting on the ground. Maxim could see the fear in his eyes morph quickly into anger. Swiftly, he reached into the side of his boot, flipped a long, serrated knife into position, and waved it menacingly back and forth. His voice came o
ut more confident and boastful.

  “I don’t know what the fuck you are, asshole, but I’m going to spill your goddamn guts.”

  Maxim snorted, crouched low, and waved him forward with the tips of his fingers. “You can try.”

  The pissed-off human bellowed loudly and charged.

  Maxim dodged the blade and grabbed the male’s wrist and the crook of his elbow with both hands. Twisting the captured arm, he bent it inward and let their forward movement push the weapon deep into the guy’s belly. With one hand on the hilt, Maxim grabbed the back of the mercenary’s neck and slowly lowered him to the ground. He stared into eyes filled with pain and horror while giving the dying man his last message on this Earth.

  “That’s for thinking you could ever take my sweetness away from me.”

  Maxim released him and watched without expression as the guy slumped over, his sightless stare facing the peaceful water. Grabbing a fistful of the dead man’s T-shirt and the belt at his waist, Maxim lifted the lifeless form from the ground. Calmly, he walked over to the stream, tossed him in, and then promptly fell to his knees. His body shuddered as the massive amount of adrenaline flowing through his veins finally took its toll.

  Lifting his hands, Maxim was surprised that they weren’t covered with blood.

  So much death, and for what? Gods damn greed!

  Shaking his head in disgust, he rose to his full height and took several calming breaths. Unsure if his legs would hold, he misted and rolled his energy up the hill. Returning to the Hummer, he reformed by the driver’s side door. As soon as he parked his tired ass in the seat, Skylar shoved up to her knees, bent over the console, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was happy to bury his face in her soft hair and inhale her exquisite scent. It was exactly what he needed.

  He especially liked the feel of her soft lips kissing the side of his neck before she leaned back. She scrunched her features and then chewed on her bottom lip for a few beats. “I have a confession, Maxim.”

  His gut tightened. “What, baby?”

  “I saw the whole thing. I was so scared when that guy went over the edge and you didn’t reform. I tried to stay put like I promised, but I couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t give you a choice. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through all of this because of me.”

  Maxim gazed into her beautiful, blue eyes. He couldn’t lay a measure to how much he loved her. It was impossible. He pulled her over onto his lap and palmed her cheek.

  “Please don’t think that way, Skylar. I love you. I’d die for you, without hesitation. That man could’ve walked away, but he chose to take a path that ensured his death. All of them did. Are you okay?”

  She closed her eyes and released a rush of air. “Yes. I’m just glad it’s over.”

  Maxim placed gentle kisses across her cheeks and forehead, letting his thumb drift slowly over her soft lips. “Let’s get out of here.”

  She nodded and scooted back to her seat. “I called your friend back and told him you were okay. He sounds nice.”

  “Yes, all of my brothers are, and I’m about to introduce you to the rest of them real soon.”

  Skylar buckled up and smiled. “Good, I’m looking forward to it.”

  * * * *

  “What was in the folder?” Maxim glanced over when Skylar perked up and straightened in her seat upon hearing his question. The sun was sinking below the horizon, and he felt immense relief when he spotted the sign indicating Marfa, Texas just a few miles ahead.

  “Oh, yeah, I forgot all about that.” She leaned over and picked it up from the floorboard, set it on her lap, and opened the flap.

  “The asshole had my damn life story in here. It just goes to show that if you have enough money, you can pretty much do whatever the hell you want. Addresses of all my family members are here, the trial transcripts, the doctor evaluations regarding the loose hold on my sanity, my credit card information, bank records, and anything else that resembles a serious breach of privacy laws. Can you believe he even knew when I went to the gynecologist? Sick fuck. A lot of it was pulled before we ever found the jewel. It pisses me off knowing that he was able to get this so easily.

  “Vulnerability.”

  “What?”

  Maxim shrugged and looked back to the road. “He was the king of his own little world, and he wasn’t an honorable man. Put those two together and you get instant paranoia. I’m sure he had that same type of information on anyone close to his empire. It gave him opportunity to find any weaknesses that could be exploited whenever he needed to keep someone in line.”

  “That makes sense, but it still creeps me out.”

  “Burn it.”

  “I plan to.” She tossed the folder onto the back seat and chuckled. “Tell you what, at our next stop I’ll find a dirt patch and light the damn thing up. You can laugh at me as I do a little ritual dance around it.”

  Maxim grinned and patted her on the knee. “I can’t wait to see that. What kind of ritual would you do?”

  “Hmm, let’s see. My mom used to talk about banishing negative energy by burning white sage, but that’s probably the only thing I don’t have in my bag of tricks.”

  He squeezed her knee. “Salvia Apiana.”

  “What?”

  “The Latin name for your purifying plant. Hey, it’s West Texas. I’m sure you can turn any direction and find it.” Maxim flipped the blinker on and pulled over to the side of the road.

  “What are doing?”

  “Finding some sage so you can burn that shit and clear your energy. Quick, before the sun goes completely down.”

  “You’re serious?”

  Maxim cocked his head. “Why not?” He chuckled when Skylar’s eyes widened.

  “Yeah, why not.” She jumped out of the vehicle and followed him away from the highway. It took less than five minutes for her to find a large patch of the silvery-white plant. “Oh, this is good. I see some fallen leaves and they’re dried enough to burn. What can I put them in?”

  Maxim looked around. “Ah, here you go.” He picked up a flat rock, set it at her feet, and headed back to the Hummer. “I’ll be right back.”

  Stuffing the folder under his arm, he pulled a T-shirt from his bag and then grabbed her duffel. He looked inside and retrieved the lighter he’d used for their candles. He couldn’t keep the stupid grin off his face as he brought the items back to her. Placing the shirt flat on the ground behind her, he gestured for her to sit. Once she was settled, he scraped the ground in front of the rock with the heel of his boot until he had a decent-sized patch of dirt. He placed the folder in the middle and then held out the lighter.

  “Okay, do your thing.” She smiled up at him.

  “You make a good assistant, Maxim.”

  He gave her a quick bow and stepped back. “I’m at your command.”

  She laughed, motioned for him to sit down, and started rolling the dried leaves between her fingers until she had a small pile of the sage situated on the rock. She held up the lighter and waggled her brows.

  Maxim did the same and they shared a secret smile.

  Skylar lit the stack, and they watched the smoke rise and push lazily into the air. Moving her hands slowly back and forth over the small flame, they were soon surrounded by a thin fog of the aromatic plant.

  Maxim glanced around, surprised that the roadway had fallen silent. Not a single headlight was in sight. The sun had disappeared below the horizon and the entire area appeared serene, and just theirs. Skylar grabbed the folder, held the lighter to a corner, and locked her eyes to his. Her voice came low and husky, sending chills racing along his skin.

  “My affirmation is to forget all of this shit that happened to me in my life, to move past my old life, and to push aside the belief that I could never be loved for who I really am. I’m starting fresh with you, Maxim. No matter what happens in the future, always know that I love you.”

  Maxim’s chest filled with warmth, the overwhelming love for his life mate filling his he
art as she shared this moment with him. He smiled, and she struck the lighter. The folder caught easily, and fire licked quickly up the sides. She set it back on the dirt patch and closed her eyes. He watched her head loll back on her shoulders and her chest expand and contract. She was internalizing, pushing the negative energy from her thoughts and body. He’d done this many times at home and knew the process would leave her reenergized and finally at peace.

  Frowning, Maxim leaned closer and peered through the slow moving smoke. He blinked a few times and then his eyes widened. Just above her head, a light was beginning to form, growing larger with each breath until it glowed brightly and began to descend. It rested on her forehead and then wrapped around the outside of her head. It almost looked as if two hands were gently cradling her as she worked through releasing her past. The sight was mesmerizing and frightening at the same time. He reached forward and caught her arm. The second his fingers touched her skin, the light winked out and Skylar gradually lifted her head. She blinked rapidly and then her lips parted, her words barely a whisper.

  “Wow. You won’t believe what just happened.”

  “I saw it.”

  “What?”

  “Your visitor. I actually saw it.

  “You’re kidding?”

  “No, it was embracing you. Did you receive a message?”

  “Yes.” Skylar stood and extended her arm.

  “He clasped her hand and rose from the ground.”

  “What was it?”

  She smiled and squeezed his fingers. “It told me to thank you and

  that it’s time to go home.”

  Chapter 28

  “Hey, where you at?” As he waited for Kallon to answer, Maxim glanced over to the convenience store and watched Skylar grabbing two water bottles from the cooler.

  “We’re approaching the mountains now. Are you there, yet?”