“Max, I will be fine, and I will beat this poison inside me. Friday I harvested my eggs to be frozen. My one main emotional train wreck with this wasn’t surviving it; it was the thought of never being able to have a child. I didn’t think that you would ever want to be with someone who couldn’t give you everything. I was wrong to take the decision from you, and I’m sorry we lost the last six months together.”
Now it’s her turn to take a breath before she continues. “So, the next thing that will happen is I have surgery to remove one tube and one ovary. I will still have half of myself left in the end. There is still a chance I can have my own child. I didn’t know that until a few weeks ago. I am one of the lucky ones. So, after the surgery that is at the end of this week, I will have a few weeks to heal, then I start chemo. This is where the egg freezing comes into play. Chemo can destroy my other ovary, so I may not produce any eggs. This way I know I have good, healthy eggs available in the future. I will beat this, and I’ll have the ability to have everything I’ve always wanted.” She kisses me softly, ending it with a little nip from her teeth.
We sit there together, holding each other and feeling the heat from one another, until Jackson pokes his head back into the office for just a split second, shooting me a we need to get her out of here look.
I pull back from her, kiss her again, and start to stand up, setting her on her feet.
“I love you, Bren, and we just talked about a lot of heavy stuff, but you need to go home. I’m sorry for not being there when you needed me, for not being able to be there for your surgery, and not being able to tell you when I can come back home. You are my home, and I was too much of a coward to face you and what you are going through. I’m so, so sorry. I promise I will text you and call you when I can. But, Bren, I need to keep you safe more than anything. Just know you are all I think about, and that I’m doing this for you, for us, for our future. I don’t know what is going to go on here over the next days or weeks, but I will make sure to check in with you.”
I capture her lips again, kissing her for what will be the last time for a while. I want to send her out the door feeling weak in the knees from my kiss and my touch. I slip my arms around her back and lift her up so she can wrap her beautiful, long legs around me. As I devour her mouth, she starts to grind against my cock. It’s about to kill me that I can’t take her to my room. I must protect her, and the longer she is here in this house, the more danger she will be in. I try to pull away from her, but she grips me even tighter. I pull my mouth away from her and briskly walk to the door and lock it. I stalk my prey as I return to her, grabbing the hem of her dress. Quickly, I pull up, and her dress is gone from her body leaving her in a matching bra and panty set that I have never seen before. I wonder if she bought it for me, for this trip? I shake the thoughts out of my head as I capture her mouth again. I run my hands up her sides until I meet the curve of her breast. I pull the lace away and start to lick her nipple that is so aroused it has already formed a hard peak. I palm her other breast then make my way down, showering kisses down to her belly button. I snag the sides of her panties with my thumbs and pull down. She steps out of them and kicks them to the side. Lowering my kisses, I make my way to my favorite spot. I flatten out my tongue and lick until I meet her clit and take the tip of my tongue and swirl it around and around until I feel her legs buckle a little bit. I snake my way back up her body, twirl my tongue around her nipple again, and when I am at full height, I slip two fingers inside her, feeling that she is all ready for my cock.
“Please, I need you inside me now,” she begs.
I am eager to please, so I quickly remove my shirt and toss it to the side. She is already working on my button and zipper. As I capture her mouth once again, she yanks my pants down so now they are resting at my ankles. I pick her up as she wraps her legs around my waist and press her back to the wall at the same time I enter her hot, wet pussy. I don’t want to make it quick, but I know that I have to—we are running out of time. I take my thumb and start to rub her clit as I increase my speed. I can already feel her contracting against my cock, so I move a little faster. I feel my release coming, and her body starts to hug me tighter.
“I’m going to come, Max. God, your cock feels so good inside me. Faster.”
I increase my tempo and that throws her over the edge. She squeezes me so tight that it forces me into my own orgasm. As we ride the waves of pleasure together, I slow down my pace until I am just sitting inside her, relishing her warmth. Reluctantly, I slide out of her and set her feet back on the floor. It takes a few more moments to catch our breaths before we both get dressed and then Bren goes into the executive bathroom to get cleaned up.
Once the sex haze has gone, I realize the time has come for me to let her go. We walk to the door together, but that is as far as I can go. Jackson or one of his men will have to take her to her car.
I take her in my arms and whisper in her ear, “I love you, you are my home. Please watch your back and stay safe.”
She kisses me quickly, hugs me tight, and in my ear, she whispers, “I love you too, so much. Bye.”
And then she is gone, and I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so alone.
Chapter Seventeen
Bren
I understand more now that I know the information. This shit scares me to death, but we have been here before. Once I leave Max in the office, I have Jackson in front of me.
“I will have one of the guys walk you to your car; you need to leave here and not look back. Keep an eye out to make sure no one is following you, and if you do notice someone tailing you, call immediately but keep driving. Bren, I want you to know I’m not mad. I get it—he was being an asshole to you, and you wanted answers. I hope you got what you wanted from him.”
“I did. I don’t like it, but I got answers. I will call if I notice anything, and I appreciate what you are doing, Jackson. Take care of my Max.”
I wrap my arms around him for a hug, back away, and go out the door of the brownstone with my escort to the car. Once inside, with the doors locked, I pull away from the curb and head toward Portland.
I’m distracted with the thoughts in my head; it was a heavy day—the best sex in my life—and sad, too, because I don’t know when I will see Max again. With all the thoughts stirring in my head, I don’t notice the sleek black SUV on my ass until he bumps my bumper. The car lurches but I keep control, adrenaline surging through me. Increasing the gas, I use the voice controls to dial Max.
He answers on the first ring.
“Max, I need help. I was just bumped by a black SUV, and they are still on my tail.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m on 1, making my way toward 95.”
“Keep driving, Bren, stay calm and keep control. We will be there soon.”
“I love you, Max, I’ll do my best.” They bump my bumper again, and a short scream escapes me. “Max, hurry! I’m scared.”
“I love you, Bren. I’m out the door already.”
I hear him yell to Jackson to get someone to me as soon as he can, he gives my location, and I hear a car door slam. “Stay on Route One, Bren. Don’t go on the highway.”
“Okay, I’m doing my best. Fuck. Shit. No.” The damn SUV slams into me with more force this time; I try to keep control of my car, but it’s a losing battle. One final swerve takes me just off the road, where the incline is steep, and the car tips and start rolling. Max’s face is what flashes in my mind before the world goes black.
Chapter Eighteen
Max
I hear nothing after she wails, “No!” I call her back, over and over, but it goes straight to voicemail. I pull up my app that can track her phone, and I see nothing, so I change the search to the locator device I attached to her car. Her car isn’t moving. Panic chokes me. I call Jackson and give him the location then speed up, determined to get to her. As I approach her location, all I can see are flashing lights and hear sirens blaring on their way to the scene. I can’t lose he
r, I think to myself. I pull over as close as I can and see her overturned car. Before I can make my approach, my phone rings with an unknown number. I hit the accept button and I fling myself out of the vehicle.
“I can always get to you, never forget that.” hisses a man’s voice, and then the line is dead.
I barge my way closer to her car and am immediately faced with the police trying to block my path. “That’s my girlfriend’s car, let me by.”
“Sir, we can’t let you by. They need to work the scene. She needs to get to the hospital.”
“She needs me. She needs to know I am here. Please let me by,” I beg.
As he starts shaking his head, I lunge forward to try to push my way through, and more officers run over and keep me back. Jackson shows up and takes hold of me. He looks me in the eyes, drawing my attention to him and not the scene behind me.
“Max, let them do their job. Bren knows you were on your way. She knows you are here. I’m sure she can hear you. Now stay here while I talk to them. I’ll find out what is going on.”
“I don’t like it. You better find out fast.”
“Stay here with Mike, I’ll be right back.”
I stand there with my own bodyguard in my face, keeping me back, and rage overcomes me. I sink down to my knees and slam both fists into the concrete next to me, over and over. I need to feel the pain she is going through. This is all my fault. Mike is quick to grab my arms and haul me back to my feet, but my knuckles are split and bloody. Mike drags me to Jackson’s car and starts ranting.
“What the hell are you doing? This isn’t helping her. Snap the fuck out of it.”
I say nothing, I just sit there, hands dripping blood, as I wait for Jackson to come back and tell me what is going on with my girl. As if I willed him back to me, Jackson is in my line of sight.
“What happened?”
He takes a deep breath before he starts to speak. “It looks like a hit and run case. There are witnesses saying that some black SUV slammed into her, causing her to lose control of the car. No one got a plate. Bren lost control and rolled her car, Max. Right now, she’s stable, but she is unconscious and still in the car. They have the Jaws of Life and are about to cut her out of the car. No one knows what all is wrong with her, but they are working fast, and as soon as they can get her out she will be on her way to Mass General. Max, look at me.”
I raise my eyes to him as tears slide down my face. “We will get them for this. Bren is family to me, too. They will pay for this.”
“They called me when I got here. Said they can always get to me,” I muttered.
“Who?”
“Whoever did this to Bren. They didn’t say who they were.”
Before we could talk about it any further, a cop called over to us. “She’s out. They are leaving now, Mass General.”
“Thanks,” Jackson yells as we all get into the car and follow the ambulance.
Everything seems to move in slow motion from this point forward. We arrived at the hospital right after the ambulance, but I still haven’t been able to see her face, to let her know I’m there. We’re told to have a seat in the waiting room. That was three hours ago, and we are still sitting and waiting.
Jackson made the call to Kat and James but told them to stay where they were. We had to be careful who was involved at this point, so no one else gets hurt. They didn’t like it, but they understood for their own protection why it had to be this way. Jackson was finally able to convince me to get my hands looked at while we waited. They took me back for a quick X-ray and confirmed my hands weren’t broken, so they got them cleaned and bandaged up. I went back out to the waiting room where Jackson was and confirmed we still didn’t have any information. As I sat still and waited for what seemed like days, I finally got up the nerve to call Bren’s parents.
“Hey, Max,” she said as she answered.
“Hi, Mrs. Montgomery.”
“What’s up?”
“I’ve got some bad news. Bren came to Boston to see me today, and she’s been in a car accident.”
I hear her gasp and there’s an edge to her voice when she says, “Is she okay? Where is she? Oh, my God. What happened?”
“We are at Mass General and are waiting to find out what all is going on with her. The doctor hasn’t been out to talk to us yet. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
“How is a car accident your fault?”
“Because I have someone after me who decided to go after Bren instead. That’s why I’m in Boston. I wanted to keep her safe. I failed her, and I failed you. I am so sorry.” Tears start falling down my cheeks again. I should be the strong one here, but I just can’t be. I love her, and I can’t lose her. I’m scared.
“I had a feeling you didn’t leave because you wanted to. I don’t blame you. I know you would do whatever it takes to protect Bren. I’m calling Bren’s dad and then we’ll be on our way. Call me the second the doctor comes to talk to you.”
“We can’t have you here. It isn’t safe for you or your family to be here. I hate to tell you to stay away, but I need you to be safe. Bren would never forgive me if something happened to you guys. I will call as soon as we know anything. I love Bren, and I know how important you guys are to her. Please listen and stay home, at least right now.”
She lets out a sob. “I need to be with my daughter. I need to be there.”
“I know you do, but please wait until we make sure it is safe for you. I will call you as soon as I have an update on Bren. You should be able to come tomorrow.”
“You’d better not even take one breath before you call me, once you know something. I will stay here for now, but if she needs me, I’m going, no matter what anyone says,” she snaps. Good, I deserve her anger. As soon as I get off the call with Bren’s mom, the doctor approaches us.
“Bren Montgomery’s family?”
We all stand at attention before him. Jackson, Mike, a few other guys, and myself. All looking big and mean. “That’s us. I am Max, her boyfriend.”
“Max, we have her stable, but she has a broken arm and a lot of bumps and bruises. The part that is concerning is the head trauma she endured. She woke up for a few seconds, called out for you, and then she lost consciousness again. We should know more in the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours.”
“Can I see her?”
“You can, but only one or two people at a time, and for short periods.”
“Doc, you know that she has cancer, right? She was due to have surgery this week. Her doctor is in Portland.”
“Ah, that might explain some strange results with her bloodwork. Can you get her doctor’s information to me so we can talk to him?”
“I will make a call and get it for you.”
I needed to make that call, not to mention call Bren’s parents, but my need to see her in person was much greater. I made my way to her room and stood there in the doorway, trying to gain the strength to walk in and see what I caused. Jackson walks up behind me and puts a hand on my shoulder, giving me the strength to take that step, and I do with him by my side. He stops a few feet into the room and lets me approach her bed first. One look at Bren and I hate myself. The rage and self-loathing has come back full force inside me. I take a seat next to her and take the hand that isn’t in a cast, bringing her fingers to my lips. I gently kiss each finger. I look her over from head to toe, and then I turn away. I can’t be here any longer. I did this to her, and I need to stay away.
I softly kiss her on the lips and forehead before whispering, “I love you with all my heart,” into her ear. I carefully place her hand back down, turn, and walk out her door. Jackson is hot on my heels and finally puts a hand to my shoulder to stop me.
“What are you doing?”
“I did that to her. That is my fault. I can’t be here and put her in any more danger. Please call her mom and tell her we need the cancer doctor’s name and number to give to the attending doctor. I need to go.”
I don’t wait to hear
what he has to say. I just walk away.
Chapter Nineteen
Bren
The last thing I remember was the black SUV bumping me on Route 1. I woke up in a hospital bed, my mom by my side. It’s been four days since the accident. Mom just arrived yesterday, once she got the go-ahead from Jackson. I’ve seen Jackson a couple of times, and Mike or his relief has been at my door every moment of the day and night. Who I haven’t seen is Max, and no one will tell me where he is or why he isn’t here.
The doctor here in Boston has talked to my doctor in Portland about my treatments. They have decided that the surgery needs to wait until I am in better health. Not what I wanted to hear, because I was supposed to be in a hospital today, getting this cancer out of my body and out of my life.
Nothing is going as planned, and I hate it. I want to know where the hell Max is and why he’s pulled a Houdini act on me again. While I sit in the bed being poked and prodded for my vitals, the doctor comes in and has the best news in the world at that moment.
“Hi, Bren, I think I have some news you may want to hear. I’m releasing you today.”
“Thank God,” was the first thing out of my mouth. “No offense, but I am beyond ready to go home.”
Everyone in the room chuckles, then the nurse is beside me, getting ready to remove my IV so that I can shower before leaving. My mom has her car over at Jackson’s brownstone. Mike offers to collect it so we can head straight to Portland from here.
In not so many words, I have been banned from Boston and from anything to do with Jackson and the Family, for my own safety. Max is leaving me alone, and Jackson is sending Mike home with me to watch over me. As I shower, thoughts start running through my head, and I realize what I really want is Max by my side. I want him to love and protect me in his own arms. I don't want to be scared all of the time. I don't want to be looking over my shoulder every second to see who is going to be following me or who might start ramming into my car. I just want this whole thing to end.
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