Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Jade kept her head held high and her expression serene as she and Max were shown to the seats in the VIP section. They hadn't spoken since what had happened between them on the balcony, and Max was doing his best to ignore her, despite his eyes going dark with desire once he saw her in the excuse for a dress he'd asked her to wear.

Gold and sequined, the dress was strapless and fit like a bandage, complementing her skin tone so she looked like a bronzed statue. The dress stopped just above the middle of her thigh and gave the illusion of curves where she knew there were none. Matching stilettos made her legs look a mile long, and she'd actually bothered to put on makeup, so the green of her eyes was vibrant against the smoky shadow and thick eyeliner.

They were close enough to the ring to be spattered with sweat or blood, and she affected a slightly bored expression while she tried to catch sight of Martin Vassin. The arena was packed and the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up.

"I don't have a good feeling," she said, leaning into Max so she could be heard over the noise of the crowd.

"Because you're not an idiot," he said. "We're being watched. I feel like I have a target on the back of my head."

The announcer came on, his deep voice accelerating and growing louder and louder as he introduced the first boxer. The crowd went wild, jumping and screaming, and the whole arena vibrated from the stomps and shouts.

Max stiffened beside her and she looked over to see what was wrong.

"Hey, sugar." Jade arched a brow as a scantily clad ring girl latched on to Max. She read the woman's lips more than hearing the actual words, but the intent was plain as day.

"What do you say you and I get to know each other a little better?" She practically had to yell the words to be heard over the crowd, but Jade saw red as her hand trailed down Max's chest toward his belt. He caught her hand before it could go too low and then quickly let go.

The woman's skirt was white and short and her bikini top barely contained her generous breasts. Her body was tanned and slicked with oil and her dark hair hung in loose curls down her back. Red lips pouted seductively as she moved in closer to Max and slid something into his hand. It was the only thing that kept Jade from knocking her back on her well-padded ass.

There was no doubt she was a beautiful woman, and jealousy reared its ugly head as she wondered again what Max was doing with her. She'd seen some of the women he'd dated over the last few years and she didn't come anywhere close. Jade grabbed the woman's hand before she could rub Max's chest again.

"Don't touch—sugar," Jade said, her smile sharp.

The woman's dark brown eyes flashed once and then she ignored Jade, turning back to Max while he read the note she'd delivered to him.

"What do you say?" the woman asked, rubbing her breast against his arm. "I've been watching the two of you since you came in. You can't tell me you're together." Her eyes cut to Jade and she smiled cruelly. "Why would you want her when you could have someone like me?"

The question so mirrored Jade's own thoughts she could only stop and wait to see what happened. The woman's fingers walked up Max's chest, and it was Max who grabbed her wandering hand this time.

"She asked you not to touch," he said, his voice dark and dangerous.

"But I promise it'll be worth it," she purred. "Lose the baggage and I'll show you just how much."

Max folded the note and put it in his jacket pocket, and then pulled Jade close so she was snuggled against him. His arm was warm and tight around her, and she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. She'd missed his touch, and it was only then she realized how distant he'd been.

"Tell Mr. Vassin I'll agree to meet him tomorrow, but if he tries to screw me over again things aren't going to end well." His scowl darkened and the girl took a step back. "Now if you'll excuse us, my companion and I have better things to do. It looks like we were given the cheap seats from where I'm standing."

The girl gasped in outrage at the insult, and Jade couldn't help the twitch of her lips and the small laugh that escaped. Max led her back down the aisle and out of the arena and the crowd. The feeling that someone was still watching them didn't dissipate, and she found herself looking at every face in the crowd as they made their way to the private entrance that led to the penthouse.

As soon as they were in the elevator, Max had her in his arms, his mouth ravaging hers as her stomach flipped from the speedy rise to the top.

"I can't stay away from you," he confessed. "You're like a drug. No matter how much I know I need to keep my distance just to preserve my own sanity, you tempt me back."

Jade tore away from him with a cry, shocked at the pain she heard in his voice.

"What?" he asked. "Isn't this what you wanted? You've gotten your way. I don't seem to be able to go longer than hours without touching you."

"You're angry with me." Her chest was tight, her breathing labored as she tried not to flinch at the coldness in his eyes. "That's not what I wanted. Not how I want things to be between us. You're not thinking about this clearly. Once the haze of sex clears you'll see things differently."

"Do you really think so little of me? That I don't know my own mind and heart well enough to understand what I feel for you?"

"If you do," she said quietly, "Then it's the biggest mistake you'll ever make."

"Only because you're hiding something from me." His anger washed over her and she looked away, willing the elevator to get to the top. "Once you trust me enough to tell me what is going on in your mind, we'll be able to move forward instead of dancing around the real issue. Whatever it is."

The elevator doors opened silently and Max put his hand on her lower back, leading them to the room. He was clouding her mind, making her question her judgment at keeping such a secret from him, and she knew once she told him, the love he spoke of now would cease to exist.

Max held the key card to the door and waited for the green light to come on before they went inside and did another scan. They found two more bugs, neither of which were hidden very well, and Max destroyed them just like he had the first ones. She pulled out the white-noise device and set it on the bar while Max pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Vassin wants to meet at noon tomorrow," he said as soon as Atticus answered the phone. "I need maps for the coordinates he gave me and any possibilities for traps in the surrounding area. Just send them through email." He listed off the coordinates and waited as silence filled the line.

"That's the middle of the desert," Atticus said. "There's nothing around for miles."

"Perfect," Max said, his smile grim. "I've got a plan. Send over whatever you've got on the location. How's the search for the girl?"

"It's like she doesn't exist." The frustration in Atticus's voice was obvious. "Cal was able to trace back the locations of the last emails sent to the senator. We have it narrowed down to a tri-state area, though my gut is going with Vassin's property in northern California. It's a remote area on the cliffs overlooking the water and it's heavily guarded. The SEAL team should be en route tomorrow."

"And where are you?" Max asked.

"In the room directly below yours," he said, making Max smile. "We'll have your back tomorrow."

"Vassin's instructions are for me to go in alone." He caught Jade's eye as he relayed the information to Atticus, and he saw the worry there. "Vassin will be there, but he won't be alone. He'll try to double-cross me."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Let's meet at 08:00. We'll slip down to your room since ours is being monitored so closely. And if things go right no one will die tomorrow."

"Always a good plan," Atticus said and hung up.

Silence and tension filled the room as soon as he put the phone away, and he sighed as exhaustion seeped into his bones.

"Let's go to bed." He held out his hand and waited as she stared at it like it was a trick of some sort. "Just to sleep, Jade. We can table our discussion for another time."

She licked her lips once, the indecision clear on her face, and he dropped his hand.

"I actually thought I'd go ahead and look at the maps Atticus is sending through email," she said. "I think I know what you have in mind, and it'll help to get as much information as possible. The good thing about this place is that the weather is consistent. But I don't want to be taken off guard if I need to make a long shot."

"Good night then," he said, turning toward the bedroom. He stopped when he reached the door and looked back at her. "You know, Jade, I never figured you for a coward."

He didn't wait to see how his words sliced at her. He just stripped out of his tuxedo and hung it in the closet before crawling between the cool sheets of the bed and willing himself to go to sleep. For the first time since his accident he wondered why God had allowed him to survive. He'd thought when he'd first woken in the hospital it was because Jade had given him a reason to live. Now he wasn't so sure.