Max's Faith & Fury [COMPLETE]

Chapter 11

There was no denying the anxiety bubbling up inside Max as the jet flew through some turbulence. Rick was across the way and noticed her tense body and death grip she had on the arm rests of her seat. He nonchalantly mentioned that small jets get tossed around more than the big planes do. Luckily, it didn't last very long, and Max was opening her eyes, just realizing they'd been clenched shut.

Asahel was sitting across from her looking out the window. He seemed as though they hadn't just been shaking moments ago. His thoughtful brown eyes swept away from the window, glancing at her for only a second before he spoke in another language. Whatever noise was coming off his tongue left Max colored with confusion. Her eyes found Rick when he responded in the same language.

Of course, they were speaking in code in front of her. If they didn't want her to know anything they should've left her in Utah. Max swallowed as she looked out the window to find white clouds. She had noticed two other women before the jet was hit with turbulence, and she counted the seconds of their return.

She expected that men such as Rick and Asahel would need a drink and maybe a cigar now that they were flying smoothly. She waited for her expectations to play out and watched when the women came back. They were especially friendly with Rick, no surprise there. They paid little attention to Asahel, and he to them. Maybe the lack of interest was the age gap between Asahel and the older, pretty women. Max waited for the alcohol to be offered by one of them. Whiskey was her first thought, but it was never offered or served. Nothing was.

She was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't realize Rick was talking to her until Asahel tapped her shoe with his. She scowled up at his neutral face. When their eyes met then he looked over at Rick and she followed his gaze. Her stomach twisted when she saw Rick's dark eyes staring right through her.

"What?" Her throat was suddenly dry, making her voice a meek sorry sound. She cleared her throat, "did you say something?" She looked back at Asahel.

His fingers were curled in front of his chin with his knuckles grazing the dark stubbles. His body language showed that he was completely submissive with this Rick guy around. Max looked back at Rick.

"I did," his voice was cool and confident, giving her chills. "Have you ever been in a play?"

Max swallowed, "no."

"I need you to do a little acting." His eyes held her focus and she noticed flecks of gold in the dark stormy blue irises, swirling with hypnotizing mischief. They sparkled as he grinned at her for being so dumbfounded. "You're already playing pretend with Asahel, so this should be easy."

Playing pretend? "Wha-" she blinked out of her trance. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know." His grin fell into a flat line that was neither smiling nor frowning. "Asahel tells me you're a drifter."

She scowled at Asahel. How did he know that? Asahel didn't avoid eye contact when he felt her gaze burning a hole in his head. Instead, he looked her straight on, his brown eyes daring her to challenge him.

"I need a driver." Rick said, "so it's a good thing you're here."

"Can't Asahel drive?" She slowly looked back at Rick.

"He's doing something else for me." He pulled his phone from his pocket and set it down on the small ottoman in front of his seat. A push of a button turned on a projecting display of a map hovering over the phone's screen.

Asahel shifted in his seat to get a better look at the map and to listen closer. Max moved slightly forward, now on the edge of her own seat with the lap belt digging into her stomach.