Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

It always amazed her how easily she and Max fell into a rhythm outside of work. They knew each other better than most spouses did—quirks and likes and dislikes—because you had to know the person who was watching your six, and you had to trust that they could anticipate your every move.

Dinner was a relaxed affair, and Max delivered on the steak—medium rare and juicy for both of them. They talked about books, because that was one of the biggest things they had in common. It was a love she hadn't been able to share with Donovan because he'd pick a movie any day over a book.

They also talked about their childhoods and how similar Max's was to her own once she'd gone into the foster system—the disinterest and lack of love his parents had shown—even though he'd grown up in a house with everything at his fingertips. It just went to show that you could be neglected inside the home as much as outside, and from what she could tell, he had no desire to try and mend the rift between them. He'd told her some people just weren't capable of love, and then he'd changed the subject.

Jade could admit she was grateful he didn't try to talk about their future again, or bring up their fight from the day before. He hadn't questioned her again or tried to convince her that he loved her, and she wondered if maybe he regretted the words now, because he was acting like they'd never been said to begin with. She told herself that was a good thing. That the sooner he moved on, the better it would be for both of them, because it was getting harder and harder to convince herself they shouldn't be together—that she shouldn't come clean and take her chances.

Max wasn't a man who would go long without a woman. He was too—primal. Even now, sitting in a public restaurant and obviously with his current lover, he drew the attention of other women like moths to a flame. They gave him long looks and flirtatious smiles, but he acted as if there was no other woman in the room but her. She still didn't understand why he wanted her, but it was very easy for her to understand his appeal.

"Do you think he'll call?" she asked after the dessert dishes had been cleared. It was five minutes until the first delivery was supposed to be made.

"He'll call. He's trying to gain the upper hand again by manipulating my instructions."

They stood and left the restaurant, passing by the expensive shops and the tunnel where an aquarium of sea life swam overhead. The hotel was loud and boisterous, richly gaudy with bright colors and hanging crystal chandeliers. Everyone moved at a frantic pace, as if they'd never get to experience all the delights one hotel could offer them.

Max's hand was a warm comfort on her back as they headed into the casino. The carpets and walls were rich and red, trimmed with gold amplified by the flashing lights of the machines. The clanging of bells, the rush of voices, and the yells of the victorious made her head throb with the need for quiet.

She definitely wasn't a Vegas kind of girl. She liked the quiet, the solitude of her life. Her circle of friends wasn't large, mostly those who worked at the agency, because no one outside understood what it was like to take a life to save countless others. But she was okay with the path she'd chosen because she knew it was a job that had to be done for everyone's sake. And she was good at it.

She caught sight of Nate dressed in cargo shorts and a T-shirt sitting at one of the machines nearby, a bottle of beer at his side as he pushed buttons on the machine. Max led her over to one of the high-stakes blackjack tables and put down enough cash to cover several months of her bills. They were the only ones at the table besides the dealer, and she caught sight of Atticus at one of the poker tables on the opposite side of the room with a big stack of chips in front of him. He was dressed in a tuxedo with the top button unbuttoned and his tie draped around the collar like he'd been on an all-night bender.

She didn't see Eden but she knew she was around somewhere, and Cal and Evangeline were at the blackjack table to the left of theirs. Evangeline was wearing a white linen sundress and a wedding veil, and every time they were dealt a winning hand Cal pulled her close and kissed her.

At one minute until the deadline, Max's phone vibrated against the green felt of the table.

"You're late," he said into the phone. "You've got one minute to find me in the casino. Otherwise I'm on the next plane out of here to go meet Jarron Sikes."

He hung up the phone without waiting for a reply and finished his hand of cards. Jade watched the second hand click on Max's watch as the minute passed, and then another, and then twenty more. He handed her a stack of chips so she could play too, and he was relaxed beside her, making jokes as her pile grew smaller and his grew larger, but she could tell he was worried that Vassin hadn't taken the bait.

"I'm out of chips," she said almost an hour after Vassin had called.

"Don't worry, you can have more of mine." He gave her one of those slow, lazy smiles that made her heart flip in her chest, and he pushed his chips toward the dealer to cash in. "I guess we should go find something else to occupy our time."

She saw the smirk from the dealer out of the corner of her eye, and she took the hand Max offered her. Atticus and Nate had moved around over the last hour, and she finally caught sight of Jade at the bar, watching a baseball game with seemingly rapt attention. But Jade knew she was aware they were leaving, and she felt Atticus start to circle in closer.

"Stay close," Max whispered in her ear. "Something isn't right."

The problem was going to be when they reached the elevator. Because they were in the penthouse suite their entrance was restricted to regular guests, but Vassin and his men had access to the whole hotel. She caught Atticus's worried gaze and then took a step away and to the left of Max just in case he needed room to maneuver. She had her own instincts, and the only thing she knew was that she had to protect Max, no matter what the cost.

Max opened the door that led to the private elevator and saw the long hallway was clear. There wasn't any sound or any sign that someone waited for them, and he and Jade moved quickly to the elevator, their footsteps silenced by the plush carpet. He swiped the key card and the elevator doors whooshed open immediately. He looked inside and saw it was empty before they stepped inside.

Just before the doors closed a man slipped through and had a knife at Jade's throat before Max could move to intercept. He must have been waiting, lurking behind one of the closed doors that lined the hallway. That quickly, things were out of control, and he had no way to get to the man without harming Jade too.

Max's blood turned to ice as he saw the man's hands on her. Her pulse beat rapidly just above where the knife was held, but she was completely still, completely calm. The air felt as if it had been sucked out of the elevator, and Max and the man stared at each other, taking each other's measure.

"You've made a very dangerous enemy, Mr. Devlin," the man said. He was the same height as Jade and he used her body effectively to protect his own. His dark hair was shaved close to the scalp and his beard was the same length. Brown, soulless eyes stared at him, and Max knew he'd slice Jade's throat in a heartbeat and show no remorse if Max didn't tread very carefully.

"I can easily say it's mutual, Mr.—?"

"Smith."

"Yes, very clever. You can tell Mr. Vassin that if she dies then he won't find a corner of the world far enough away to hide in."

The man's eyes narrowed and he tightened his hold around her neck so the blade bit into the skin. A single drop of red welled and Max felt his whole body go still. Dead man walking.

"If he wanted to disappear, you would never find him, but that is not why I am here. We are all businessmen, and Mr. Vassin decided he didn't like the terms you set forth earlier. He felt it was a little one sided. After all, if he gives you half the money, what's to keep you from taking it and leaving him high and dry? Here you go, sweetheart." The man kept his eyes on Max as he put a black briefcase in Jade's hands. "Hand this over to your boyfriend very slowly. I wouldn't want my hand to slip and slice that pretty neck."

Max reached out and took the briefcase from Jade, keeping his eyes on her attacker. He couldn't look at her, afraid of what he'd see in her eyes. Or maybe more afraid of what she'd see in his.

"Be careful, Mr. Smith." He set the briefcase by his feet so his hands would be free. "Good bodyguards are hard to find."

"You seem to be rather careless when it comes to her wellbeing. Do you toss your lovers away so easily then?"

"Well, lovers are easier to find than bodyguards." His casual attitude flustered the man, and he hoped the lack of concentration would be enough for him to make a mistake so Max could strike out. But this man was a professional, and he knew exactly how to hold her, how to position the knife so she'd be dead before Max could ever make a move.

"Why don't you deliver your message so we can get things rolling?" he asked. "I'm a busy man. And I've got a plane to catch. I think I've decided I'd rather do business with Jarron Sikes after all."

"Unfortunately, that is no longer an option. Mr. Vassin doesn't want you to think that he's not an honorable businessman, so the first half of the payment you demanded is in that briefcase. But we're going to take your lover as our own insurance. Once you've given Mr. Vassin the information he wants, you can have her back. An easy transaction."

"And how am I supposed to give Mr. Vassin this information, and where do I reclaim my property?"

"He's extending an invitation to his home here in the valley. Come alone and unarmed. Now hit the button to take you to your room."

Max stared at him out of glacial eyes, and the man must have seen the promise of his death there because he tightened his grip around Jade and took a step back. Max hit the elevator button for the penthouse level and stood impotent while Mr. Smith maintained control.

The doors opened and they stood in silence, still facing each other. "Get out," Mr. Smith said.

Max stepped out of the elevator and into his suite, never turning his back on his enemy.

The doors started to close and Mr. Smith said, "Tonight, Mr. Devlin."

The last thing he saw before the doors closed in his face was Jade staring back at him, with complete trust in her eyes that he'd come for her. And by God, he wasn't going to let her down.