Dirty Maverick (The Maxwell Family)

by Alycia Taylor

  “Madison!” I woke up with a start. I had fallen straight into another nightmare. This time I had seen more than the last time. I felt sweat pouring down my back, and when Madison opened the door, she came rushing towards me.

  “Max! What happened? Are you okay?”

  I nodded. “I’m fine. I fell asleep and I had another nightmare. They always feel so real. I’m sorry. I must look ridiculous.”

  “You don’t look ridiculous. But you’re sweating. That must’ve been a horrible dream. What happened? Do you remember?”

  “I remember more this time than the last time, but it’s still not much. I remember that we were in an abandoned warehouse. Shell! Oh my god.”

  “What?”

  “Shell was shot. I’m sure it was him. He was on the floor bleeding out. I could be wrong, though. But . . .”

  “Yeah, I think he was shot too,” Madison replied.

  “I . . .”

  “What?” she urged.

  “I saw them holding you hostage. I saw them holding you. I . . . I feel so angry just thinking about it.”

  She gulped. I could see she felt uncomfortable.

  “Is that what happened? Did someone hurt you?” I asked.

  “Do you remember anything else?” she asked, not answering my question.

  I sighed. “There were other people there, but their faces are still blurry.” I shut my eyes and tried to recall the people in the dream, but the faces refused to clear up. I shook my head and sighed again. “No, they’re still blurry. The only face that’s clear was yours. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry.”

  “Madi, tell me what happened. Please. It’s time for me to know it all.”

  Madison looked at me as if she were trying to figure out what to do. Then, just as she was about to say something, her phone rang, and she walked off to answer it. I could hear that she was talking to the chief. She looked at me quickly and smiled as if to say that everything was fine, but I could see that it wasn’t. She walked over to the kitchen in order to get a bit of distance from me, and I could just about make out a few words here and there of the conversation. I couldn’t make it all out exactly, but I was sure that the conversation wasn’t a good one. When she put the phone down, I heard her sigh.

  “Madi, what’s going on? Was that the chief?”

  She nodded. “Max, the chief says that the men are still after you. They figured out that you were a rat, which is obviously why they shot you. But they got away. The main boss, he got away, and he was the one we were after.”

  “They’re still after me. But they shot me.”

  “They know you didn’t die and they are not going to rest until they get their revenge. I feel like I shouldn’t be telling you all of this, but I know that it’s better to just be upfront with you. They’re not good people, Max. It’s not just drugs that they’re dealing with; it’s people’s lives. If anyone gets in their way, they will go after them. You know that.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I know. It’s a scary business to be involved in. So, what are we going to do? What did the chief say? So much for listening to the doctor’s orders and not stressing. I’m doing the opposite of that at the moment.”

  “I know. Trust me; it’s killing me that you have all this hanging on you when all you really should be doing is resting. I guess we knew what we were in for when we signed up for the job, but it still doesn’t make it any easier. It never does. Anyway, the chief wants us to come immediately to the station.”

  “Why? We can’t stay there surely?”

  “He’s got some plans for protective custody. I have no idea what he has in store for us, but he said he will explain when we get there. And he said the sooner we are there the better.”

  “Well, I guess that means no amazing microwave meal tonight,” I said. I was surprised that I was still able to joke around at such a serious time.

  She chuckled and seemed surprised by the sound. “Who knows. Maybe the chief will treat us to a meal instead.”

  “Ha! I doubt that. Come on, let’s go,” I said.

  We grabbed our coats and headed out. The two of us didn’t say a word to each other the entire way to the station, revealing that we were both more nervous than we were letting on. As we parked the car, she turned to look at me.

  “Don’t get shot,” she said.

  “I never do,” I replied automatically, and we both laughed.

  Just then, Madison’s phone rang, and she quickly answered it before we got out the car.

  “Sure thing. Okay, we’ll be right there,” she said and put the phone down.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “Change of plan. We’re going to the chief’s house.”

  “To his house?”

  She shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe he really is going to cook us a nice meal.”

  Madison had never been to the chief’s house before, so she typed his address into her phone’s GPS and made her way there. The moment we pulled up to his driveway, I saw him come out the door. He had a slight look of panic on his face that betrayed his smile, and it made me feel a bit nervous.

  “Thanks for coming here. I completely forgot to tell you that on the phone earlier. I figured it would be safer than the station.”

  “Do you think people are following us?” I asked.

  “I don’t think so. I hope not, but I don’t think so. Not yet anyway. But I’m still not sure that we can trust everyone at work. The last thing we need is for everyone to find out about our plan. As far as I’m concerned, nobody needs to know about what’s happening. Come on in.”

  We followed him inside his house, and my mind was reeling with the possibility that someone at the office was turning against us, as well as the idea that someone was trying to follow us. Someone wanted me dead, and the thought made me scared. There was a reason why Maverick was just a nickname for me. I wasn’t that kind of guy. I liked to know exactly what was happening at all times. I liked things to feel safe and for order to be restored. The very idea of some madman out there trying to hunt me made me feel sick inside. I wanted him behind bars

  “So, I have a plan,” the chief said as we all gathered around his living room. He didn’t bother giving us a tour of the house or making small talk with us. We all knew why we were there and we got straight to the point. That was one of the reasons why Madison and I had always liked the chief. He was a straight talker just like we were. What you saw was what you got.

  “Tell us,” Madison said.

  “I’m going to be sending you both to a safe house. I was only going to send Max, but I think it’s better that we send both of you. After what happened with Madison, we don’t want to risk them using her as bait again. The last thing we want is to have to worry about something else. The two of you are simply safer together. Also, after being in the hospital, I think I’d prefer to have someone there with you, Max. I’m sure you’re fine, you certainly look fine, but it’s always better to have someone with you.”

  “A safe house?” Madison asked. I could tell that it was the last thing she had expected him to say.

  “Yeah. But don’t worry. It’s a very obscure place that cannot be found very easily. You won’t be completely locked away as it’s still accessible from main roads and shops. But you’ll have guards watching you at all time, and the place is almost untraceable.”

  “How did you . . .” I started.

  “Oh, I’ve had this place for a long time in case we ever needed it. So far, we’ve only used it once, and that was a very long time ago. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to use it again, but sadly, the time has come. It’s a great place. And hey, the two of you wanted a vacation, didn’t you? So now you’ve got one,” he said as he tried to make light of the situation.

  Madison chuckled nervously next to me. “A vacation? Who said we wanted that?”

  The chief narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you going to tell me that you were going to come straight back to work after the bust? Anyway, I overheard
the two of you talking about how you were going to lie on some beach drinking cocktails once it was all over,” he said and laughed. “Don’t worry. You deserve the break. Sadly, this is not quite what you were looking for, but it’s fully stocked for cocktails if you like. You’ll just have to pretend like you are on some remote island. Look, I know this is not ideal. And I’m so sorry that you both have to go through this. Especially after everything else you’ve been through. But . . . I think it’s the best thing to do under the circumstances. We’ll work on finding the boss while you keep safe.”

  The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. It wasn’t just the thought of me being safe, but also the thought of spending some alone time with Madison. I was desperate to get to know her better and to find out what had made her so closed up. Also, I was sure that with just a bit more flirting I’d finally be able to crack that guard.

  I smiled. “I think it’s a wonderful idea.”

  “Great. You’ll be there first thing tomorrow. I’ll take you all there. Now, I think it’s best that you both stay here tonight. It’s a big house, and I have two spare rooms all set up for you. I didn’t think to ask you to bring your clothes though, but tomorrow we’ll all go back to both your houses together to back your bags. Right now, let’s just stay together.”

  “Thank you, chief. That’s perfect.”

  “Now, how do you feel about beef and potatoes tonight?”

  I tried not to catch Madison’s eyes because I knew if I did, we would both burst out laughing.

  “Sounds great,” I said.

  “Perfect,” Madison replied.

  “Good. I’ll go and get started. You two just put your feet up and relax.”

  The moment he was out of earshot, I looked at Madison and grinned.

  “Looks like we got that home-cooked meal after all.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Madison

  I never thought I’d sleep at the chief’s house, but after a good meal and a movie, we all fell asleep early, and I had one of the best sleeps I’d had in a long time. There was something nice about knowing Max and the chief were close by. I felt safe. All this time I thought I couldn’t sleep because I was worried about Max, but I hadn’t realized how unsafe I had felt either. I wouldn’t be surprised if we all had to go and talk to a shrink once this was all over, but for now, we still had a lot more to get through. It wasn’t officially over yet. The boss would still want to come after Max. And he’d more than likely come after me to do it. That morning, we all woke up late because the chief had told us not to come down before ten. I surprised myself by waking up at nine-thirty even though we’d gone to bed so early. I took a shower and made my way downstairs where the chief had made us all scrambled eggs and bacon. I hadn’t known the chief was so good in the kitchen. I sat down and told him so.

  “Thank you,” he said and smiled. “I never used to be. Before my wife died, she was the only one really allowed in the kitchen. She was amazing. There was no reason for me to cook with someone like her around. When she died, I spent about year on microwave meals,” he said, and I saw Max flash me a look. “Then, when I finally got around to clearing the house, I found her recipe books. She’d written out everything in such an easy-to-understand way, I decided to give it a try. And, as it turned out, I wasn’t so bad in the kitchen either. Maybe it just reminded me of her or something.”

  “I think she’d be very impressed. Everything is amazing,” I said and smiled at him. I wasn’t used to hearing about the chief’s personal life. For people that worked so close together, we didn’t know all that much about him.

  “Thank you, Madison. So, are you all ready for today? We’re going to go for a cruise later. It’s kind of a far drive. Also, we’re going to make it longer by making sure we confuse the hell out of anyone that might be following us. Although, I don’t think anyone is just yet. I think they’re still planning their next move. We’ll pop around to both your houses first, though.”

  After breakfast, we made our way to my house, and I threw whatever I could think of bringing into a suitcase. It was hard to know what to bring and what to leave behind, but in the end, I figured as long as I had clothes to wear, I’d be fine. The chief assured me that I would have a washing machine so that it wouldn’t be such a big deal if I ran out of clothes. Next, we went to Max’s house and did the same. We threw everything in the car and went on our way.

  The chief was right. We did so many twists and turns that by the time we arrived, I had no idea where we were. There also seemed to be no house at all where we were. It was so hidden from the outside road that if you didn’t know it was there, you would never even suspect it. The safe house was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I was half expecting it just to be a room. But it was a full house, with more amenities than I even had in my own house. The chief had made sure that everything was fully stocked and that we wouldn’t go without anything.

  “You have enough food here to last you for a few months, but I honestly don’t think it’s going to take that long. We’ve got all our best guys on this case, and we have eyes and ears everywhere. The work you did in this past year was not in vain. You got some valuable information for us, so at least we have some ideas of where they might be. The sooner we get them, the better, but for now, just try and act like this is a vacation. Don’t worry and leave the rest up to us. Max, I don’t want you stressing at all. Okay?”

  Max smiled. “I don’t think it’s possible to stress here. It’s very peaceful.”

  I looked around. He was right. There was a sense of calm about the place that was impossible to ignore.

  “I can’t thank you enough for everything you have done,” I said to the chief.

  “Nonsense. You would do the same. Anyway, the two of you are the best on my team. I can’t have anything happening to either one of you. We’ll have a big celebration once this is all over. For now, lay low. As I said, you can access the town from here, so when you start going a little stir crazy, you can go. There are people watching the safe house, and there will be people watching you. I’m sure going out won’t be a problem. But try to at least spend a few days not going out. Now, I better get going. It’s a long drive back. I’ll be in touch. We’ve made sure that your phones have not been bugged. The line here is safe and secure.”

  Once the chief was gone, I turned to look at Max, and the two of us started laughing. I wasn’t sure if it was from nerves, but the sudden realization that we were in a safe house all alone was a strange and daunting one.

  “Is this really happening?” I said.

  Max chuckled. “Looks like it. Hey, maybe there will some big natural disaster while we’re in here and you and I will be the only people left on earth.”

  “Max! Don’t say that.”

  “Why not? I’m just kidding. But imagine. We’d have to make kids and make sure that the earth becomes populated again.”

  I groaned. “How will we populate the earth with just our kids? They can’t sleep with each other. The population will just end there.” I tried not to look at him when I was talking. Making kids entailed sleeping with one another. I was sure he was only trying to embarrass me again with his flirting.

  I walked around the house again and wondered for the first time what we were really going to do with our time.

  “You know, the two of us are terrible at doing nothing. In a way, this might be torture for us.”

  Max laughed. “I’ve gotten used to relaxing now. Ever since the coma, I’ve started to love sleep.”

  “Really? Well, maybe I’ll learn to love it too. Oh, look here, the chief left us a recipe book. I wonder if it was his wife’s? That’s sweet. Okay, I’m going to make dinner.”

  “What? No microwave meal?”

  “Doesn’t look like there are many of those here. I’m going to attempt. Okay, choose a page number. I’m going to leave it up to fate.”

  “Page five.”

  I flipped open the book to page five and laug
hed when I saw what it was. “No way,” I whispered.

  “What?”

  “Page five is spaghetti bolognese.”

  He laughed. “Serendipity strikes again. Can I help you?”

  I shook my head. “Nah, I’m going to attempt to make this one myself. If you smell smoke though, come running.”

  Max went to watch some TV while I cooked the food. It was nice to have something to do, and the instructions were fairly simple. I surprised myself by not only making something that smelled amazing, but also enjoying myself while making it. I put everything in a bowl and walked over to the living room to hand one to Max. We decided to eat on the sofas instead of at the table.

  “Wow, are you sure you made this? Madi, this is delicious.”

  I grinned. I had just taken a bite myself. “I’m shocked. This is really good, if I say so myself. I’m not as bad in the kitchen as I thought. I just needed some instructions to follow and nothing else to do.”

  “So, does that mean you’re the resident cook?”

  I shook my head. “No way. I think we play the choose a page number game every night and take turns cooking.”

  “I like that idea. Madi, tell me more about what happened at the drug bust,” Max asked suddenly. It was obvious that it had been playing on his mind, and while I would prefer to avoid the conversation, I knew it was important to him to know.

  I took him through the events of the night and ended by telling him that his flashback hadn’t been wrong.

  “You took a shot in order to save me instead of protecting your own life. You knew that by shooting that guy, the boss would shoot you too. You did it for me.”

  “And that’s why I’m getting a medal?”

  “That’s why. You saved my life, Max. I can never really forget something like that. I’m just so glad your life wasn’t taken too. The boss obviously shot you in a panic because he missed your vital organs completely. You, on the other hand, shot the guy dead within seconds.”