Max's Faith & Fury [COMPLETE]

Chapter 16

Max endured another morning of training with Elliot. Surprisingly, he was just as quiet as she was throughout the whole thing. She told herself that the only reason she cooperated was because it reminded her of training with Darla. Her older sister would push her, almost to her limits. Of course, Darla cared about Max, so she was a lot more understanding about her aches and pains. Elliot didn't care and he would never understand, but Max didn't need him to.

It was a Sunday morning and as expected, everyone was up and getting ready for their day. What Max didn't expect was that everyone in the house was going to church, and they asked if she wanted to go with them. She of course politely declined, didn't want to intrude on their services. She was glad when they didn't push her and informed her that they'd be back in a few hours, and then they left her alone with Efrooz.

Bad idea. Max could disable the woman, even if she fought back. She had her energy back and her leg wasn't hurting as badly as before. The Iranian woman watched her close though, as she should. Max went about her morning looking for something more to eat, especially now that no one was there to stop her. She spotted a set of keys to a jeep on the counter, and she started to devise a plan.

Crow had taken France to church that morning, so she guessed the keys were his. Carefully, she swiped them and slipped them in her pocket. She turned around to drink her glass of water when the front door opened, and she almost choked as Asahel walked in.

This was Efrooz's que to leave.

Asahel was dressed in what she imagined was his Sunday best, wearing a dark navy-blue button-down shirt with black slacks. His black hair was combed a little more modestly, with less strands spiking up than usual. His beard was trimmed and neat, and everything about him was softer in appearance. And then he spoke.

"Not surprised to see you here." His voice was low.

"Church isn't really my thing." She didn't want to sound snide, but it came out that way.

"Have you ever prayed?" he asked, keeping his distance at the table as she leaned against the counter.

"For what?"

He shrugged, "anything."

"I've never needed to pray about anything."

He scoffed at her remark, lifting a brow. "Really? Not even to thank the Lord for another day, or your life?"

Now she scoffed, "What life?"

"The one you're living, or have you forgotten you were almost killed? You could at least thank Him for it."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, we both know I should be dead right now." She placed her fingers on her temples. "Why are you here? Please don't tell me it's so you can take me to church."

"I wasn't going to make you do anything you didn't want to."

"Really?" She glared at him now. "Then how come I'm training with Elliot every morning? That's your doing, isn't it?"

"Are you mad at me for that?" He tipped his head, watching her with careful brown eyes.

She was at first, but she hated to admit that it'd helped her keep some kind of sanity in this strange time of her life. Everything was messed up whether she was sleeping or awake, nothing was how it should be.

"How closely did you work with your dad?" he suddenly asked.

Her mind was a lot clearer now than the first time he tried asking her that question. She couldn't even remember being asked but it sounded familiar. She still never let herself accept their death, and a part of her wanted to go home to see that they would still be there.