“No,’’ Harlow replies slowly looking at me.
“Exactly. Get your cameras ready, ladies,’’ I warn before banging the hell out of the door. Knowing Max as well as one can in the time I’ve known him, he’ll probably be plotting an escape thinking we’re the police. “MAX?’’ I shout, letting myself back in.
“What the fuck?’’ Booms from the sofa. I stifle a giggle when both brothers are looking down at themselves in confusion. When they see us walk in, Max’s eyes reach mine and soften but not before confusion seeps back in and he looks between each of us girls.
It seems Myles is the sharpest as well as the brightest, having already caught on to what’s happening, his eyes catching Kayla’s and narrowing. But even with his narrowed eyes he still looks like he wants to kiss the hell out of and protect her with his life. It’s sickening. Really sickening.
“What. Did. You. Do. Kayla?’’ Myles bites out and Max, slow as ever snaps his head over to his brother, finally catching on.
“What the fuck did I do?’’ Max shouts, horrified when he notices the strips between his legs. “Dude, she was near my junk,’’ he shouts just as loud, and an angry noise escapes Myles.
Uh oh!
I didn’t see this coming. Myles looks like he’s about ready to tackle Max to the floor, even knowing Max is also the injured party. I want to laugh but I’m not ready to draw attention to myself.
Then Kayla steps on my dreams of living in solitude when she turns all her attention to Myles.
“No, I wasn’t,’’ Kayla shouts, giving herself away. “Lake was,’’ she adds, dropping me right in it.
Good going, Kayla!
“Thanks,’’ I bite out sarcastically. Harlow chuckles, not caring, and moves farther into the room with her phone still in her hand.
Myles pulls at one of the strips, catching my attention. “MOTHER FUCKER!’’ he roars and I can’t help but laugh and cringe at the same time. It’s comical.
“Let me do it,’’ Kayla tells him sweetly but before he has chance to tell her no, she’s pulling at the wax strip under his left armpit. He kicks out to thin air, screaming and shouting a bunch of curses through the pain. Laughing, I pull my attention away to see Max’s reaction. He’s sitting down watching the commotion with an expression full of fear and pain for his brother. It only makes me laugh harder. He’s pale, looking completely terrified and frozen in time.
Yep, I still can’t feel sorry for him and I can’t wait for him to get his taken off either.
“Shut up and let me do it,’’ Kayla snaps, laughing. In my daze watching Max, Kayla has taken off a few more strips. Myles’ eyes are watering and I laugh when he grabs at the sofa with so much conviction I’m afraid he’s going to rip a hole in it.
“FUCKING HELL,’’ he roars again, making Kayla laugh harder. That’s when I notice Max on his phone.
“You’re up,’’ I tell him, grinning, but he ignores me, and I bite back a giggle. “Earth to Max.’’
“I’m on Google,’’ he snaps, typing furiously on his phone.
“Why are you on Google?’’ I laugh, ignoring Myles’ pleas to Kayla for her to leave him alone and that he’s sore.
“Trying to find the hospital number.’’
“Why?’’ I laugh, holding my side from a sudden stitch.
“Because I’m not going through that,’’ he shouts, standing up and pacing. He lifts the phone to his ear before pulling it away again and pressing some more numbers. After a few minutes someone must answer. “Hello? Hi, I’m calling about myself. Yes. It’s not good, no. Sorry, but listen, it’s an emergency. My sister-in-law and her psycho friends decided to cover my body in wax strips… How do I safely remove them?’’ He pauses, listening to the person on the other line before scrunching his face up in horror. “What? They’re torture devices. I’ve just watched my brother, my twin brother go through this. I felt everything,’’ he whispers, looking defeated as he plops back down on the sofa. “Whatever. Bye.’’
“What did they say?’’ Harlow asks, amused, sitting the farthest away from Max on the sofa.
“To do it quickly,’’ he whispers. “I feel so violated. One is on my ball bag.’’
I laugh. Hard. I can’t help it. It’s fucking hilarious. He leans forward, his elbow to his knees and his head in his hands looking like he’s thinking it all over.
“Let’s get this over with,’’ I smile, enjoying seeing him squirm.
“Please, enjoy yourself; don’t worry about me,’’ he waves off, looking at me with disgust.
“Women go through this all the time, Max. I’m sure it’s not that bad,’’ Kayla laughs.
“Let’s stick one on your most prized possession and see how you react. I can’t do it. I can’t. Look at him,’’ Max yells, pointing over to Myles curled up on the sofa, his hands cupping between his legs. “He’s never going to be the same again.’’
“Stop bein’ a baby,’’ I tell him and quickly grab the one under his armpit while his arm is raised. It pulls the hair with a loud tear and Max screams bloody murder. I have to admit, even I felt that, but it doesn’t stop me from laughing hysterically.
“OH MY FUCKING GOD, WHAT DID YOU DO?’’ he yells and Harlow, Kayla and I both fall to the floor laughing. Oh my God, this is the most I’ve laughed since… Since forever. I kneel up on the floor and crawl on my knees over to Max who is now lying on the carpet in a ball, his hand cupping his armpit. You’d think I just stabbed him, not pulled some hair out.
My eyes notice a bit of wax strip sticking out of his other armpit and, before Max can dodge my advance, I pull it with full force making him cry out in pain.
“Stop, God, please, just stop,’’ he cries, tears fully running down his face.
“The quicker it’s done, the easier it will be,’’ Harlow tells him laughing.
“Quicker? Easier? Are you having a fucking laugh? This shit is serious, Harlow. It’s not playing tickle me, Max,’’ he snaps.
“At least let us pull off the ones stuck to your balls before they get permanently stuck,’’ I force out between trying to hold my laugh in.
“WHAT? NO! NO WAY! Stuck? I can’t believe this is fucking happening to me. I’d rather have a night with Amy than go through this,’’ he cries, tucking his head back in his hands.
I look to everyone else in the room. Harlow is bending over the arm of the sofa laughing; Kayla is standing by the fire place, close to Myles who is face down on the other sofa. He still hasn’t spoken; his whimpers are the only sound to indicate he’s even conscious.
“At least let me take the two from off your legs,’’ I plead, trying not to sound like I’m enjoying this too much when I turn back to him.
“Or me,’’ Harlow adds, sitting up straighter. She’s looking rather pale and I’m about to ask if she’s okay when Max grabs my hand.
“Don’t… Don’t hurt me,’’ he whispers, his face full of pain and anguish.
I nod my head, keeping my face straight. There’s no point in rubbing in the fact that I’m enjoying his pain right now. I’ll wait till after.
Men! They proclaim they are the stronger sex but give them wax strips, child birth, and period cramps and they’re fucked. Just proves my point that women rule.
“STOP,’’ he shouts, pushing me away. “Do the legs at the same time. Just…Fuck, just do it.’’
“Okay,’’ I cough out, trying to cover another laugh. He lies back against the sofa, his head resting by the side of Harlow’s thighs and his legs sprawled out in front of him.
“On the count of three,’’ I say quietly. “One…’’ And before he can take a deep breath, I rip them off, falling back on my ass when he flies to the side, screaming in pain.
“YOU MOTHER FUCKING DONKEY,’’ he roars. “My hair, my fucking hair.’’
“Suck it up,’’ Kayla laughs.
“Suck it up? Suck it up? Kayla, you’ve damaged me for life. I’ll be surprised if my hair grows back,’’ Myles cries, sitting
up. “I need some painkillers.’’
“Just two more, Max,’’ I tell him, ignoring the others bickering.
“No, no more. I can’t do it. Not to my balls.’’
“They’ve got to come off,’’ Harlow tells him, laughing.
“No, they don’t. Can’t I soak them in water? Yeah, I’ll soak them in water.’’
“It makes the glue turn harder,’’ I lie quickly and he sighs, leaning back with defeat.
“Just fucking do it,’’ he bites out and sits back down again, this time with his legs spread wide open.
“Bro, just know, I’m here for you,’’ Myles whispers.
“Thanks, Twinny,’’ Max whispers back before closing his eyes. My hand isn’t even inches away before he’s slapping them away. “Hold on, I’m not ready,’’ he breathes out before giving me a nod to go ahead. I move again, but just like last time he slaps my hands away.
“Stop it,’’ I snap. “The longer you leave it, the more it will hurt.’’
“I’ll do it,’’ he bites out.
“It hurts more when you do it yourself,’’ I tell him. It’s like pulling a plaster off. When you do it yourself you tend to do it slowly, making the process more painful. But when someone else does it for you, it’s over and done with.
“Just. Let. Me. Do. It,’’ he growls and grabs the wax strip. “FUCK! I can’t do this,’’ Max cries, more tears falling from his eyes.
I giggle but it gets caught in my throat when Max snaps his head to mine; his expression stormy and hard.
“For God’s sake, just do it already,’’ Harlow says and leans forward, grabbing one of the strips. Max moves as she’s doing it so when he slaps her hand away, it’s hanging half off. We’re all giggling while he screams murder, telling us we’re all going to die a slow, painful death and that revenge is a bitch.
While he’s still screaming with his eyes closed and his hand waving the stripped hair like a fan, I take the opportunity to grab the other wax strip, pulling sharply so he doesn’t have time to smack my hand away. His eyes open wide with horror, his mouth hanging open.
“ARRRGGGHHHHH! WHAT DID YOU FUCKING DO?’’ he all but roars to the room. “Man down, MAN DOWN!’’ That’s when the front door slams wide open and Maverick, their older brother, comes rushing in.
“What the fuck is going on? Max? Myles? What’s wrong?’’ he asks, concern lacing his voice.
“They’ve… I can’t talk about it,’’ Max whispers, his voice finally calming down, while Myles looks to the floor. Maverick surveys they room, his eyes landing on me and Harlow near Max’s legs. Harlow’s sitting on the floor now next to me while I’m still sitting between Max’s legs.
“Someone tell me what the fuck is going on right now or, so help me God, I will kick every single one of your asses… Not the girls, though,’’ he adds on once he sees the look on our faces.
“We’ve gone through enough pain, brother,’’ Max snaps, narrowing his eyes on Maverick.
“What the hell is that?’’ Maverick commands.
“What they took away from me,’’ Max confesses, his head bowed.
“Are you wearing a sanitary towel?’’ Maverick laughs, pointing between Max’s legs and I can’t help but giggle. I honestly thought we were in trouble when he walked in. I’ve not had time to meet with Maverick. He’s always busy at work or from what Joan has said, wanting to start another business. He seems pretty cool, though, and hot as hell. His tattoos are freaking hotter than hell.
“No, it’s a fucking wax strip,’’ Myles answers for Max, wincing, probably at the reminder of the pain.
“Please, don’t tell me this is to make your dick look big? A mate of mine from work does it all the time. It’s sick. I don’t get why you’d torture yourself just for that.’’
“What are you talking about?’’ Max asks, his tone perking up.
“You know Jimmy, the doorman? He removes all his hair down there. Said girls dig that shit and it makes his dick look bigger,’’ Maverick shrugs. He’s talking about dicks like it’s no big deal. Both Harlow’s and Kayla’s faces have turned beet red and I’m counting my lucky stars I’ve never had that problem. Don’t get me wrong, I get embarrassed, I just don’t turn beet red.
Max’s eyes light up, like there’s a silver lining now after his temper tantrum. I roll my eyes and to wipe the smile from his face I rip off the last bit of the remaining wax strip Harlow failed to remove.
“Holy mother of God,’’ Maverick mutters, wincing as he stares between Max’s legs. “I think I’ll get you an ice pack; that doesn’t look too good,’’ he adds, looking at where Max has his balls on show, but thankfully, his dick is still covered.
That’s when I look, I mean, really look. The left increase of his leg is red and swollen. It’s also the side that was mostly stuck onto his ball bag and with it shamelessly hanging out a little you can clearly see it’s swollen and red.
“What the fuck have you done to my balls?’’ he screeches, standing up.
“Go soak it in cold water,’’ Harlow chimes in, looking pale again.
“Are you okay?’’ I ask her, ignoring Max when he asks me to look up his symptoms.
“Yeah, just tired,’’ Harlow answers, however, from the look on her face I can tell it’s more.
“Are you even listening?’’ Max snaps as Maverick walks out of the room with Myles.
“Your balls aren’t going to drop off,’’ I tell him before looking back to Harlow. “Are you sure? You look seriously pale.’’
“Yeah, you do,’’ Kayla adds, concerned, helping Harlow stand up.
“Do any of you fucking care about my balls?’’ Max screams.
We all look to him before simultaneously snapping, “No,’’ at him. I turn back to Harlow in time to watch her sway. My arms reach out to steady her but I’m too late and before I know it she’s on the floor unconscious.
“Call an ambulance,’’ I scream as Maverick and Myles run back into the front room to see what the commotion is about.
CHAPTER TEN
MAX
I shift in the uncomfortable seat in the waiting area of the hospital. We’ve only been here ten minutes or so but already Malik, Joan, Granddad, Mason and Denny are all here. Malik was the only one let in the room with Harlow. The last we heard she was awake still and was waiting for the doctors to see her.
She could be losing her fucking baby and they’re making her wait. Shouldn’t she be a priority?
“Are you okay? You’ve not seemed yourself since we arrived,’’ Joan sniffles from beside me. She taps my leg and I wince at the pain it causes between my legs. What a fucking place to put a wax strip. I can feel the rough sting with every fucking movement I make. I’m not even going to go there and describe the pain I’m still in. Getting fisted by Liam and Amy together sounds less painful than what I just went through.
I cough, remembering Joan asked me a question and answer, “Yep.’’
“You sure? Myles doesn’t look right either. You need to know Harlow’s going to be fine. You don’t need to worry,’’ she tells me but it sounds like she’s trying to convince herself more than me.
If only she fucking knew. I was too busy ranting about my balls being sore to notice Harlow was suffering too. I remember hearing Lake ask her if she was okay but I was so self-absorbed in my ball bag that I didn’t even stop to register that they were truly concerned.
“I need to just pop to the reception,’’ I wince out, needing an icepack like…now. My balls feel like they’re on fire.
“Where are you going?’’ Lake whispers when I stand up.
“I need something. I can’t handle this.’’
Her eyes soften and she reaches out for my hand. Her touch has me almost forgetting the pain between my legs…Almost. “She’ll be okay.’’
“I hope so; I’ve got payback to dish out,’’ I tell her, but my voice lacks any conviction. If Harlow is okay, and the baby, there is no way I’ll be doing any
thing to her. Not even putting toothpaste in her hair when she’s asleep. After seeing her on the floor unconscious today… It’s just knocked me about. I just pray her and the baby are both good and healthy.
Lake rolls her eyes. “So, where are you going? I’ll come with you.’’
“I need to go get something for um… You know…’’ I cough and look down to my dick.
“Ohhhhh,’’ she giggles quietly and stands up to join me. “This I have to see.’’
We arrive at the reception desk where an older lady sits typing away at a computer. Her eyes lift up to us when she hears us approaching, her glasses slipping half way down her nose when she does.
“Can I help?’’ she asks tersely.
“Um, I hope so,’’ I cough, feeling embarrassed and nervous. “My sister-in-law, she was brought in twenty minutes or so ago. Before she had her fall I was in the middle of getting some… um, medical attention.’’ Fuck, this is hard.
“I’m confused,’’ the lady tells me and I sigh, scrubbing my hand down my face.
“What he’s trying to say is that he’s had a reaction to some wax strips,’’ Lake helpfully butts in. I turn my head to the side and glare down at her. At 6 foot I tower over her 5 foot 5 frame, so I’m hoping my height is enough to intimidate her.
“Let’s see,’’ the lady says, moving around the desk. I look wide-eyed at Lake but all I get is her silent laughter. I’m so going to get her back for this if it’s the last thing I bloody do.
“It’s um… It’s,’’ I pause, taking in a deep breath, then lean in and whisper, “It’s down there,’’ I point.
“Why on earth are you waxing down… Ohhhh. Well, if you’ll follow me I’ll get you a bed and you can wait for a doctor to see you.’’
Not wanting to be away from the others or Harlow, I decline. “I’m sorry, I can’t. My sister-in-law was brought it. I was just wondering if you had an ice pack or something until we know everything is okay.’’
“Very well, but if it gets worse you must see a doctor immediately,’’ she scolds me. I want to reply with something sarcastic but something tells me I’ll have my balls handed to me, pun intended. I mean, what does she think I’ll do, leave it until my balls drop off? Un-fucking-likely.
Max (A Carter Brother series Book 4) Page 14
