No one decides to answer, so I take my chance to get into their faces. “Little baby brother Calluci thinks he is big and bad and sent you, or could it have been Mathew or Vincent?”
I notice that when I mention Mathew and Vincent that they both kind of flinch. I glance over at Jackson with raised brows, and his look shows that he saw it too. So now I know I was wrong with my initial thought that it was the baby brother, but we now know for sure that the attacks are coming from Mathew and Vincent.
“We have what we need to know,” Jackson says to them. I can see them shaking in their shoes; they don’t know what is going to happen next. We both turn to walk away, then Jackson looks back over his shoulder and tells the bouncers, “Rough them up some, make it noticeable, and then send them on their way.” He looks pointedly at the guys sitting there that look like they’re about to shit themselves. “Tell Mathew and Vincent that Max and Jackson are on to them, and we won’t be going anywhere. They may want to watch themselves.”
Chapter Fifteen
Bren
My mom gets me settled on the couch with a heating pad— supposedly it is going to help with the cramps. I don’t know if it will, but it’s worth a shot. I take my medication, and she goes into the kitchen to make me something to eat. She comes out with my favorite soup and bread and sits down next to me. We eat in silence. Once we are both finished, she takes our dishes back into the kitchen and returns quickly.
“Can I get you anything?”
“Mom, I’m fine. I could have gone home tonight, but I appreciate you taking care of me.”
“Have you heard from Max?”
“No, Mom. No messages. I’m fine, though.”
“Okay, sweetie. I have to get some things done before your dad gets home. Yell if you need me for anything.”
“I will, no worries.” She gives me a quick hug and then flitters off to do her thing. I realize I haven’t given Kat and James a call yet, so that is what I do instead of staring at a television screen. The phone barely rings before it is picked up.
“How are you? How did everything go?”
With a chuckle, I respond, “Everything went well, Kat. I’m fine, just a little cramping. I’ll be at my mom’s house tonight, but back home tomorrow.”
“I was so worried about you. I’m so glad you called. Have you heard from Max?”
“Why is everyone asking? He took off without a word. I have no idea what he’s doing.”
“He loves you. I know he does, Bren. I see it in his eyes when he looks at you. He will be back, and, after a good ass-whooping from me, everything will be good.”
I laugh at her spunky, protective attitude and just say, “Thank you. I love you, Kat.”
“Love you too. Let me know when you are home tomorrow, and I’ll stop by. I’ll also tell James you are fine and resting at your mom and dad’s place. He has been worried about you.”
“Thank you. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Bren.”
I hear my dad walk through the front door, and when he sees me he breaks out in a huge smile.
“Hey, sweetie. How did it go today?” he asks as he hugs me.
“Everything went good, Dad. I could have gone home, but Mom insisted that I come here. She is around somewhere.”
“Glad to hear it. You are a tough cookie. Everything will go great and be over before we know it.”
“I believe that too, Dad. Mom has soup in the kitchen; I bet you’re hungry.”
“Thanks, I’ll find your mom and then grab some.” He kisses my cheek and then off he goes to hunt for Mom.
I sit here a while longer, staring at the TV, when I hear my phone ding. I look at the screen and see that it’s Max. I try to ignore it, just like he has done to me the last twenty-four hours, but I fail miserably.
Max: Hey Bren. How was your day?
Seriously, how was my day? Is he a damn moron? Oh, yes, he is, because he wouldn’t let me talk about my cancer, my treatments, or even what is happening. So, I decide to shoot back a sarcastic message about being poked and prodded. A few minutes go by before I get a return text, asking me what I meant about being poked and prodded. At this point, I am really pissed at him. He would know if he cared enough to ask, and I let him know I’m not impressed. We go back and forth for a little while, and he tells me he will have to talk to me face to face about what is going on with him. He can’t tell me when, and I expected that, but I hope it’s soon. I eventually tell him about the procedure I had done today, but after a quick reply he tells me he has to go and vanishes.
Seriously? I let him in again, and he bails once more. I really wish I knew what was going on with him. I get he wants to talk face to face, but how long until that happens? I care about him—no, I actually love the damn asshole, and I want him in my life. Maybe I will just go to Boston and surprise him before I have my surgery next week. School is done, I have no job, so all I have is time. Time to get home and pack a bag—that is, if my warden, also known as my mother, lets me go on good behavior. She will probably keep me captive here through the weekend to make sure I don’t go running off before I should.
I was right. My mom made sure she didn’t have time to bring me home until Sunday afternoon. Since I didn’t have my car, I really was stuck, bored and going stir crazy. She doesn’t like the idea of me running off to Boston to find Max, and I get it, but this is something I need to do before I have my surgery. I need to figure out what is going on with us. I need him by my side, and I need to know why he isn’t. So, against my mom’s wishes, I am going. On a side note, I got some really good home-cooked meals while I was there, and she even had her salon send over someone to do a mani/pedi to make me feel better about being held captive. I really can’t complain with that one, because now my toes and hands look amazing.
So, now it’s Sunday evening, I have a bag packed, and I’m ready to go in the morning to surprise that tall, sexy bodyguard. I probably should’ve told James and Kat I was going, but I didn’t want either of them to slip and ruin the surprise, so I will call them once I’m in Boston.
I decide that I need a bath to calm my mind and relax my tense muscles. I miss the feel of his body when I sleep, and I miss hearing his breathing against my ear. I really just miss everything about him, being in my space, in my world.
I take my bath, get into my pajamas, and curl up into bed and go to sleep, the quickest way to get me to morning.
The next morning, I wake up, choose the perfect outfit, and do my hair and makeup before I run down to The Java and get my morning caffeine fix. Luckily, for the first time in a few weeks, James and Kat aren’t down in the shop early, so I can get in and out without anyone seeing me. Once I’m in my car, I get my playlist on and head for Boston. I should make it there in two hours if the traffic is working with me and not against me, but knowing me, I’ll hit traffic.
As luck would have it, I drive clear through with no traffic, and now I have to try to find parking during business hours on the street in Boston. Twenty minutes later, I am parked and walking up to the brownstone.
Something feels off as I walk up the stairs to the door. There are men wandering on the sidewalk, and I feel like I’m being watched. I ring the bell and am greeted by a voice. “Hello, who is there?”
“My name is Bren Montgomery. I’m here to see Max Esposito.”
“One moment while I see if he is in.”
I wait for what seems like forever before the door opens. I am greeted, but not by Max, and not Jackson, but an older guy I have never seen before.
“Miss, Max isn’t available, can I leave him a message?”
“Is Jackson here?”
“He is not available, either.”
What the fuck am I supposed to do now? Obviously, they won’t let me in to wait, and I just drove two hours to surprise him.
“Thank you, I will just give him a call.”
“Have a good day, Miss Bren.”
I’m pissed and frustrated as I stomp my way ba
ck to my car. Once I get seated back inside, I call Max. I sit fuming while I wait for him to answer. One ring, two rings, three, and four, then straight to voicemail. I slam my palm against my steering wheel then rest my forehead against it. I should have just told him I would come to him. I decide to grab something to eat in one of the cafés down the street before I try to make contact with Max again.
Once I get to the café, I order a chocolate croissant and a white mocha caramel latte. Then I get myself settled at an outside table so I can enjoy the weather and send a text to Max.
Bren: Max, call me. I’m in Boston. Where are you?
I sit here long enough to finish my croissant and latte, but I still haven’t heard from him. I then call Jackson, and he answers the phone.
“Hey, Bren, What’s up?”
“What do you mean ‘what's up?’ I'm in Boston. I went by your house and got turned away because you and Max were busy. Now I'm sitting at a café down the street. Didn't the guy at the door tell you I was here? And why isn't Max answering his damn phone?”
“Whoa, wait a minute. You’re in Boston? What are you doing here? James said you had a procedure on Friday.”
“I came to see Max. He said he had to talk to me, but it had to be face to face. So, I came to surprise him.”
“Bren, it isn’t a good idea for you to be here right now. I hate to be an asshole, but I need you to go back to Portland. I promise I will tell Max you came to see him and have him call you as soon as he can. There are things going down around here that I don’t want you involved with.”
“You know what? I see Max walking up the street right now, so don’t bother. Bye.”
I get up out of my seat, toss down a few bills for the bus boy, and make my way to the sidewalk so I can stop Max before he walks by. I stop in front of him, and he stops dead in his tracks as I wrap my arms around his neck and full body hug him. Even though I’m pissed at him, I missed him just as much, though I’m slightly regretting the enthusiasm I put into the hug as I get a slight cramp from the procedure I had Friday. He pulls back, sets me down on my feet, an unreadable expression on his face.
“Bren? What are you doing here?” He starts to look around, like he is afraid someone is going to see us, then before I can answer, he tugs me into an alcove away from any eyes and glares at me.
“What the hell, Max? I thought you would be happy to see me. I stopped by the brownstone earlier, and when they said you weren’t there, I came here to wait a while. Aren’t you happy to see me?”
“I’m always happy to see you, but you shouldn’t be here, Bren.”
“That’s what Jackson just told me on the phone. What the hell is going on?”
“You have to leave, Bren. I hate to turn you away like this, but you have to go. Now.”
“You know what, fuck you! I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on lately. So, if you don’t want a pissed-off Bren scene you better find a place to talk to me. Now.”
I throw his word back into his face as I demand answers. He better start giving them to me, or I will roll out the drama like it’s my job.
With a frustrated growl, he tells me to walk back to the Brownstone and he will follow me in five minutes.
“We can’t be seen together. It isn’t safe. I’ll make a call so they let you in, and I’ll follow you shortly. We will talk, and then you’ll be going back to Portland immediately.”
As pissed off as I am, I stomp all the way back to the brownstone and wait for him.
Chapter Sixteen
Max
Fuck, fuck, fuck. This isn’t good. She shouldn’t be here. I pace for a few minutes in the alcove I pulled her into, and with my size, there isn’t much room to pace. I pull my phone out and make a call to Jackson.
“I just sent her to the brownstone, make sure they let her in. She will be leaving within the hour.”
“Why the fuck are you not sending her on her way now? It isn’t safe.”
“She wants answers, and I need to tell her something. She won’t leave without something. Just have them let her in.”
“Fine. Get here quick.”
“On my way, but taking the long route from the café back.”
“Okay. I’ll get the door myself.”
I walk out of the alcove and head in the direction of the coffee shop that in no way compares to James’s. I grab a coffee and walk around the block in the opposite direction than Bren went and head back to the brownstone. My approach is noticed, and as I hit the landing on the stairs, the door opens for me.
“Where is she?” I yell to whoever will listen.
“We’re in the office,” I hear Jackson yell from a distance.
I storm into the office, not because I am pissed at Bren, but because I am more worried about her being here and the Calluci family getting wind that she is my one and only weakness. When I enter the office, Bren and Jackson are sitting there glaring at each other.
“What’s going on in here?”
Jackson looks up at me the same time she does, and all I see is my pissed-off girl, who is now glaring at me.
“You tell me. Why is it a problem for me to be here? Why can’t I stay, and why the fuck didn’t you answer my calls or messages?”
I take three strides over to her, pick her up, and wrap my body around her. She relaxes and sighs into my chest.
“It isn’t that we don’t want you here, love, it’s because it isn’t safe for you to be here.” I look over to Jackson and ask, “Can we have a few minutes? I need to talk to her and fill her in on my past.”
“Sure, man.” He turns to Bren. “It’s always good to see you, but sometimes, in my business, timing is everything. I’ll see you before you leave.”
He walks out and closes the door behind him. I take her hand, walk over to the couch, and pull her onto my lap.
“I’m sorry I was an ass today. Seeing you out on your own like that scared me. I’m here for one reason. I hope you can understand that when I’m done talking.”
She takes my face in her hands and kisses me softly on the lips. “I’ve missed you, you damn asshole. Now explain.”
I take a few calming breaths and try to get myself together to relive the past. This time I cup her jaw and kiss her softly before I pull back and look into her eyes.
“About five years ago, I was dating a girl named Clarissa Calluci. Not the best choice in girls, since her family hates the Milano family, or anyone affiliated with them, to include Jackson’s old connections. I have always been close with Jackson, and he’s saved me more than once from myself. Clarissa and I were happy, and I know you don’t want to hear this, but I loved her with everything I had.”
I take a second to take a deep breath and check to make sure Bren is still with me for this conversation.
“Go on.”
“About three and a half years ago, Clarissa was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Six months later, she was dead.”
She takes a sharp breath, and her hand covers her mouth. “I’m so sorry,” she says.
“Her family has blamed me for years for taking her away from them, even before she had cancer. When she died, I was even more to blame for the loss of their time with her. I made some really stupid decisions pertaining to her family and ended up sending a few to jail. Jackson took me under his wing and gave me the mission to protect Kat last year after I had spent some time by his side. He made me disappear, or go under the radar, if you will.”
She just sits there in my lap, curled into me, listening to every word and seeing me for who I am, not for who I was.
“Coming back to present day. When you told me you had ovarian cancer, my pain of losing Clarissa came rushing back. I got scared. I didn’t want to go through it again with someone else I love. And Bren, I do love you.”
“I love you too, Max. I love you so much.” Again, she kisses my lips softly, and I take the opportunity to make love to her mouth, taking possession of her tongue as I move it with mine. As I hold h
er face, I angle her head so I can deepen the kiss. I start to pull back before we get any further and bite her bottom lip gently. I am now regretting letting it go that far, because my jeans have become a lot tighter. I want to take her to my room and make love to her, but I need to get her on her way back to Portland. Still holding her face in my hands, I look into her eyes as I clear my throat.
“Going back to what I was saying before that beautiful distraction—I called Jackson up and told him about you. I didn’t have to tell him my turmoil; he immediately suggested I come to Boston for a job. After the idiotic job he sent me on, I questioned him. That is when he told me the real reason he wanted me here in Boston and away from you, Kat, James, and the baby—two of Clarissa’s brothers are out of jail now and have been causing trouble for Jackson. He has found out they were baiting me, trying to draw me out. They want me. Jackson wanted to keep everyone in Portland out of it, especially after last year. I agreed with him. We weren’t angry about you being here, and I should have figured that you would come here when I said I needed to talk to you face to face. We just don’t want the Calluci family to connect the two of us. We want to keep you safe from this shit storm going on. James knows what is going on, and he is keeping an eye out for any suspicious people hanging around. He was talking to me the other day when you came into the shop.”
“Oh, my God! Why didn’t you tell me any of this? Damn you, Max, I wouldn’t have come here if I knew what was going on. You need to talk to me. Always be honest. You need to let me talk to you about what is going on with me, too. We can’t ignore it, as much as I wish we could. I avoided you for so long, until it became unbearable to stay away. I don’t want to lose you either. I’m sorry that I shut you out for so long.”
She stands up and slips her leg over mine so that she is now straddling me. Once again, her hands are on my face, and she pulls me in with her eyes.
Fighting to Save US Page 6
