by Liliana Hart
“Not according to my grandparents. They sent flowers when I was shot, and my grandfather tried to get power of attorney over all my holdings and my trust, using the argument that I’d never be of sound mind again. He’s still trying to get control last time I talked to my attorneys.”
Jade raised her brows. “On what grounds?”
“Of consorting with nefarious criminals, squandering Devlin money, and blackening the family name. In their eyes, there’s nothing in what I’ve become to be proud of. And I have to let them continue to think that way.”
She propped herself up on crossed arms and looked angry on his behalf. That was enough to wash away his own anger at the people who’d raised him. He’d come to realize they didn’t have the ability to love or nurture as they should have, and it wasn’t worth wasting the time or effort on them any longer, though that didn’t make the hurt go away.
His body was still joined with Jade’s, and he smoothed a hand down her back and rested his hand on her rear, loving the feel of her. She was so soft and smooth compared to his own body, though the strength beneath that softness was obvious.
“To show you what a good friend I am,” she said, grinning, “The next time you’re invited home for dinner, I’m going to let you take me as your date. We’ll see what the Senator has to say about that.”
“I’d take you anywhere and be proud of it,” he said seriously, watching as the laughter faded from her eyes. “The deficiency is in them, not either of us. Just like it was with your mother’s family. Two lost souls, babe.” His hand squeezed at her hip and he laid his other over her hand on his chest. “And we turned out just fine.”
A high-pitched alarm sounded on his phone and Jade rolled off of him and grabbed the pistol she’d put under the chair. He grabbed his own weapon and the phone and they ran back into the house.
“Someone’s on the main road to the house,” he said. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a white shirt and then shoved his feet into his boots. Jade did the same thing and then pulled the black bag she’d stashed from under the bed. Max flipped on the flat screen TV and watched as the surveillance cameras gave faces to their visitors. The road leading to the house made them have to slow down enough that the cameras could see inside the car.
“It’s not Vassin,” Jade remarked, loading a magazine in her weapon and then putting it at the small of her back. “But there are only two. How do you want to handle it?”
Max picked up his own weapon and then he picked up the familiar thumping sound in the distance.
“Shit,” he said.
“They’ve got a chopper. That could be bad.” Nothing much ever fazed Jade. That’s why he’d always liked working with her.
Max hit the security panic button and metal shutters closed over all the windows. Damned if he wanted to have to replace a bunch of broken windows if they came out of this alive.
“They’ll try to take me,” he said. “Vassin wants the information too bad. And these men aren’t likely to see you as a threat. Let’s let them keep believing that.”
He looked her over from head to toe and couldn’t help the rush of desire that thrummed just below the skin and had his dick spiking beneath his cargos. Her skin had darkened and glowed from the time in the sun, and her cheeks held a flush that any red-blooded male would recognize on a woman who’d just been satisfied. The green of her eyes was vibrant and sharp as she opened the front door to see which direction the chopper was coming in from.
“ETA two minutes,” she said.
He pulled her back and closed the door with a snap, pressing her against it with his body, his cock pressed between the juncture of her thighs as his mouth slanted over hers in a scorching kiss. It never seemed to matter that he’d just had her. He’d always want her. His tongue pushed into her mouth, tasting the dark pleasure and drinking in her moans as she rocked back against him. He broke free and they stood staring at each other, panting for breath.
“It’s good to know you’re locked and loaded,” she said.
He grinned and shoved away from the door, opening it so they could meet trouble head on. “Have I told you I’m crazy about that mouth of yours?”
“That’s not what you said the time we got stuck during that hurricane and went three days without electricity.”
“That’s because I wanted you so bad I could hardly breathe. The close quarters weren’t helping.”
“Then let’s finish this quick and we’ll do a replay. Only this time you can do whatever you want to me. We’ll make our own storm.” She winked at him and then chambered a bullet in her gun, taking her place just to the side of one of the thick cedar posts on the porch.
Max took a seat on the front steps and propped his arms on his knees in a casual pose so no one would get too jumpy, and he watched as a cloud of dust plumed from the bottom of his driveway. A sleek black sedan shot out of the tunnel and sped toward them even as the whoomp, whoomp, whoomp from the chopper became louder and the blades kicked up red dust and dead grass.
The helicopter was bullet-shaped and black, and it touched down in the wide expanse of his lawn just as the car pulled to a stop. Max slowly got to his feet and walked out to meet the new arrivals halfway. He kept his hands loose at his sides as two men got out of the car.
Dressed in worn jeans and T-shirts, they could have been any average Joe walking down the street. Except for the fact that they just looked like thugs. Slicked back hair and big, meaty hands that would do serious damage if they made contact. One of them had a ragged scar on the side of his eye and the other had a tattoo of a snake wrapped around his neck.
Both of them were armed. Max counted at least 3 weapons hidden under their clothes. These guys were the muscle—probably hired out locally and too dumb to do any research other than what Vassin spoon-fed them.
It was the two men coming from the helicopter that would have to be watched. They were dressed in black cargos and T-shirts, reflective black sunglasses covering their eyes and their guns visible in the shoulder holsters they wore. They moved with an easy balance that only someone who’d been trained could carry off. They looked ex-military or government, and that just pissed him off.
“You Max Devlin?” one of the thugs from the car asked.
Max ignored him and watched as the two from the helicopter moved in closer. They’d all positioned themselves neatly around him so he stood in the center of their little circle.
“Hey, I’m talking to you,” the same guy said.
He could have sworn he saw one of Vassin’s personal men grin when he continued not to respond to the overgrown bully. Max kept his gaze on the two in the sunglasses, knowing where the real threat was.
“Martin Vassin requests your presence, Mr. Devlin,” Sunglasses #1 said.
“I don’t know a Martin Vassin. And I don’t have time in my schedule at the moment. You can contact my personal secretary if he’s looking for a donation. As you can see, I’m on vacation.”
He moved slightly back and to the side, repositioning his body so Sunglasses #2 wasn’t at his back, and he nodded to Jade up on the porch. She looked sexy as hell leaning against the porch railing, and the two thugs couldn’t seem to take their eyes off her. The two in the sunglasses barely spared her a glance, dismissing her as non-threatening. Their first mistake.
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to insist,” Sunglasses said. “You’ve put out the word that you have something for sale. We’d like to buy.”
“Like I said, I don’t know Martin Vassin. I’m picky about my customers and I have a reputation, which you’d know if you bothered to look into my background. Now if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen. This is private property.”
The guy with the snake tattoo reached out and grabbed his arm and Max gave him a chilling look that had him dropping it in a hurry, though he tried to bluster his way through by taking another step closer.
“You don’t want to touch me again,” Max said. “It makes my bodyguard unhappy.”
“I
don’t see no bodyguard,” Tattoo said. “Just your cunt whore and you, pretty boy.”
“What Mr. Evans means,” Sunglasses #1 broke in smoothly, “is that Mr. Vassin has given you the option of coming with us the easy or the hard way.”
“No,” Max said.
No one moved as they waited for him to say something more. But there was nothing else to say. He’d made his position clear.
Tattoo snorted out a laugh. “You can’t just say no. He just told you you could come the easy or the hard way.”
“Yes, Mr. Evans, I can hear. My answer is still no.”
A red flush worked its way up Tattoo’s face, either in embarrassment or anger; Max didn’t know, but probably a little of both. He was the weak link, the one whose anger would get out of control and make him do something stupid.
They all spread out a little around him, widening the circle, and Max smiled, recognizing the brawler in each of them.
“You’ve fucked up, Devlin,” Tattoo said, cracking his knuckles. “Looks like you’re going to get the hard way. And maybe when we’re done with you, Jimmy and I will show your whore what a real man feels like. Maybe we’ll let you watch so you can pick up some pointers.”
“That’s the second time you’ve insulted my woman,” Max said. “You’re going to pay for that. And if you do it again, I’ll kill you.”
“How you plan on doin’ that?” the one called Jimmy asked. “It’s four against one, asshole.”
“Well, Jimmy—” Max paused and raised a brow. “You don’t mind if I call you Jimmy, do you?” The tension rose higher than the heat and they began to shift, waiting for the opportunity to strike. “The first thing I’m going to do is take out Mr. Evans. I’m going to kick in his knee and then deliver a second kick to the stomach, while using him as a shield so I can take out Sunglasses over here.” Max pointed at the man in question. “I’ll probably break his arm, but I haven’t quite decided yet. I like to keep my options open.”
No one moved a muscle as he continued on. “And then I’m going to get to you, Jimmy. You’ll want to put some ice on the headache you’re going to have. And then that’ll leave Sunglasses number two. If he’s smart he won’t try to throw a punch and I’ll let him deliver my message back to Martin Vassin without any damaged body parts.”
“You’re a crazy-assed motherfucker, is what I think,” Jimmy said.
“I’ve been called worse,” Max said. And then he put his words into action. His foot struck out and hit Tattoo’s knee, bones and cartilage crunching with a sickening sound, and his high-pitched scream was cut off by the second kick in the stomach.
Max caught him on the way down and used the momentum to push him into Sunglasses #1, throwing him off balance so Max could grab the other man’s arm and twist. He felt the shoulder slip out of socket and then he kneed him in the kidney and tossed Tattoo and Sunglasses in a heap on the ground together.
His blood pumped and his muscles sang as he dodged a blow from Jimmy’s meaty fist, and the sting in Max’s knuckles was sweet satisfaction as he gave Jimmy a quick jab in the stomach followed by an uppercut to the jaw.
The sound of a gunshot had everyone looking up to the porch in surprise. Jade stood much like she had been before, completely relaxed against the thick post, only this time her gun was pointed in their direction, obviously having just been fired.
“No one said knives were allowed in this fight,” she said.
Max gave Jimmy another shot to the jaw, taking him down for the count, before he turned his attention to the last man standing. The man’s hand was covered in blood and he held his wrist tight where the bullet had gone through. She’d made a hell of a shot—a small target that had been in motion—but he knew she’d hit exactly what she’d aimed for.
A Ka-Bar lay in the dirt at his feet, and Max looked down at his arm, where a long slash oozed blood down his tricep. He hadn’t felt the sting with his adrenaline pumping so high, but he was sure he’d feel it soon. At least it wouldn’t need stitches.
“I guess you don’t get to go back to Mr. Vassin unharmed after all,” Max said coolly. Groans came from the men who littered the ground as two of them tried to make their way back to standing positions. Jimmy still lay unconscious. He’d probably be that way for a while.
“Tell Mr. Vassin I expect him to get in touch soon. I won’t make deals unless I meet face to face. And you can tell him my price has doubled.” Max headed back up the porch stairs while Jade kept her weapon trained on the men. “Now get off my lawn.”
The two who’d arrived in the helicopter limped their way back and took off for destinations unknown. It took Tattoo a little longer to disappear because he had trouble getting Jimmy into the car with his knee not working properly, but he eventually managed it.
Max didn’t slump over and grab his head until they were both out of sight. It never paid for the enemy to see your weakness.
“Come on, tough guy,” Jade said, tugging his arm so it wrapped around her shoulder. “Let’s get you a couple of those magic pain pills.”
“I guess I should thank you for saving my ass.” His words slurred through the debilitating pain.
“It’s just another day at the office,” she said. “Besides, I’ve gotten pretty fond of your ass.”
CHAPTER NINE
It took less than twenty-four hours for Martin Vassin to make contact and apologize for the “miscommunication” between Max and his men, and then invite Max to Las Vegas to be a guest in his hotel so they could meet face to face without the added hostility of other parties. Max had told him he’d need twenty-four hours to decide and had hung up the phone on a very surprised Martin Vassin.
In reality, he’d needed an extra twenty-four hours so Declan could start putting his backup plans in motion—because Declan always had backup plans—and so they could gather the necessary equipment and supplies for their trip. Max’s plane had to be flown in to Austin and refueled, and he and Jade had taken off and were almost to Las Vegas before Max called Vassin back and told him they’d be landing in the next ten minutes. He wanted Vassin scrambling and as flustered as he could get him. And Jade was going to help him do that.
“This dress is ridiculous,” she said, smoothing down the short black linen dress she wore. “No bodyguard would wear something this stupid. And how am I supposed to run in these heels? I feel like a giant. We’re the same height.”
Max’s mouth quirked at the continued complaints, and he put his hand possessively on her lower back as they left the plane and made their way to the waiting limo.
“And I’ve got no place to put my gun.”
“I’m sure you’ll find some place—creative,” he suggested and then helped her into the limo as she struggled to keep her skirt from riding above her waist.
Damn, he thought, his cock hardening in an instant. The long expanse of her legs and the valley between them enticed him like nothing else ever could as she maneuvered across the seat. Already ideas were forming in his head on how they should spend their drive to the hotel, and she gave him an arched look as her gaze landed below his waist.
The driver closed the door behind them and they were silent while the luggage was loaded into the trunk. The vehicle finally started moving, and Max waited until they’d turned from the airport onto Wayne Newton Boulevard before he took a device out of his pocket to scan for bugs. He wasn’t surprised to find one under each of their seats.
Jade opened her handbag where he knew she’d stashed her weapon, and probably a few other goodies, and she came out with the small rectangular device that would emit the frequencies needed to make the bugs unusable.
“I guess ten minutes wasn’t enough time to take him off guard if he’s already got listening devices in his limo.”
“What do you want to bet they’re permanent?” Max said. “He’s the type of man who wouldn’t trust friends any more than enemies. But you’re probably right—I bet they’re scrambling to get our room outfitted as we speak.”
&
nbsp; “What did Declan have to say? I was putting on this ridiculous getup while you were talking.”
It never ceased to amaze Max that the only time he ever saw Jade really uncomfortable was when she had to play a traditional feminine role. She was naturally one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen—her skin flawless and the bone structure of a queen—but she tried to downplay her looks. She never wore makeup and it was rare he saw her in something other than jeans and T-shirts.
“You’re beautiful.”
“What?” she asked, flustered by the compliment, and then she tried to joke her way around it. “Declan called to say I’m beautiful? That doesn’t sound like him.”
“I just wanted you to know that,” he said, ignoring her discomfort. A flush tinged her cheeks and she looked out the window at the passing traffic. “But I think you’re beautiful whether you wear something like this or that old ratty robe with the hole in the pocket. Though neither of those are my favorite thing for you to wear.”
“Let me guess,” she said. “Garter belts and black lace?”
“Not even close.”
His voice lowered so it was a seductive caress, whispering across her skin. He watched as her nipples hardened beneath the thin fabric of her dress. She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs and he couldn’t help but smile. He took her hand and kissed the tip of her finger before nipping it slightly and moving on to the next, watching the green of her eyes darken as his tongue swirled around the tip.
“No, my favorite thing for you to wear—” he whispered —“is me.”
He smiled with satisfaction as a small whimper escaped her lips and wished he had time to lay her down on the leather seat and put words into action.
“And you need to learn to accept a compliment,” he said, settling back against the seat and adjusting his cock, though there was really no comfortable position other than balls deep inside of her. “Just because I tell you you’re beautiful doesn’t diminish how you do your job. There’s no one else I’d rather have at my back. Now say, thank you, Max.”
