TAMING MAX (Completed)

CHAPTER 34 - THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT

When we went back to the room I was so mentally exhausted. I turned the television on to distract myself but couldn't help but notice that Max was lost in his own thoughts.

I must have drifted off to sleep at some point because I woke just before dawn and the bed felt far to empty. I reached for Max but he wasn't there.

The panic began to set in immediately, it was insane I know. There was nothing rational about it but that didn't change the fact that being alone in that room scared me to my core. Perhaps it was because I was surrounded by trained security that had actually killed a man. Or, maybe because I had just witnessed the details of a woman's murder long ago. Regardless of the reason, I wasn't staying in that room alone for another second.

I jumped out of bed and hurried out of the room in search of Max. My first stop was the living room. I thought I would find him in front of the fireplace with a drink in hand but the room was empty. I checked the dining room and every other room I could think of but still no Max.

As the minutes passed I was beginning to go into a full-blown panic mode. I passed one of the "hired hands" perched next to the front door and it sent chills down my spine. Being alone with those people wasn't anything I was interested in.

It hadn't occurred to me to look in his father's office. That was one place that always seemed off-limits unless I was with Max. I half expected his father's ghost to still be sitting at his desk as I slowly opened the door.

What I actually found was Max. He looked a little too at home there for my liking. It was the first time I remember thinking that he belonged in the insane world his father had created. Maybe he didn't create it, maybe he was a victim of it himself.

When Max heard the door creek, he looked up from the papers strewn in front of him. Stress was etched in his face. It was the same face that not long before seemed as if it had never known a single day of worry. Now, he wore every moment of our chaotic lives like a painting that hung on the wall for the whole world to see.

I walked over to him and sat on the edge of the desk.

"Come to bed."

He just picked up the glass of liquor he had been nursing and took a sip.

"I tried to sleep, I can't so I thought I would come in here and try and make sense of some of this," he said as he rubbed his eyes.

"I can't sleep without you," I insisted with my best pouty face.

To my surprise, my efforts worked. He stood up and placed the papers neatly in the desk drawer and then pushed to. It took me by surprise when he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him.

"You okay?" I questioned.

"I am now," he said as he buried his face in the crook of my neck.

And so I held him a little tighter. His words were few but his body was telling me everything. He needed someone to hold him, to pull him in, to steady him.

After he had rested there a moment, I kissed him on the cheek and grabbed his hand leading him back upstairs. When we reached the bed he climbed in and I climbed in next to him. I heard him smirk as I laid my head on his chest.

"What's wrong?" I questioned.

"Nothing, it's just that when I first met you, you annoyed the shit out of me. Now, there's nothing I want more than you next to me."

I didn't respond but I also couldn't keep the smile off of my face. I just squeezed him a little tighter. He was impossible to figure out but the words he had just said to me were everything. He was starting to need me and maybe I needed him a little too.

The next morning Max and Chase decided to meet with Mr. West to continue discussing the details of the business. I decided that I wanted to go see Piper. Max wasn't too happy about it but I insisted. He made sure Paul drove me and instructed him to keep his eye on me at all times.

Piper looked so much better. It was like a thousand pounds had been lifted off of her. She no longer had to worry about whether she would have money for next month's rent. More importantly, she didn't have to worry about that piece of garbage laying his hands on her anymore.

She asked me what happened to him, I told her that the guys convinced him to leave town and not come back. I was relieved that she actually believed me, I never was a good liar.

We must have drunk three cups of coffee while we talked and discussed all of her plans for the future. I was so happy for her I could burst. The bruises were starting to heal and when I asked about them she said they didn't hurt much. I knew they did but went along with it anyway.

She, of course, asked about Chase. I could tell she was falling for him. I tried to remind her that he was a man whore and that she shouldn't get involved. Was it really her that I was looking out for or was it my own selfish motives warning her away? The lines had gotten so blurry that it was hard to tell.

We decided to go out for breakfast after coffee. We wound up at a little outdoor cafe in town. I was still getting used to the snooty people that lived and worked in Max's world. I knew I would never really fit in but I wasn't going to let that stop me.

We had a great conversation while we waited on our meals and just people watched. That had always been one of my favorite pass-times. You learn so much about human nature just watching people and how they react to each other.

While Piper was talking I glanced across the street. There was a cafe opposite us and the outdoor tables were full. One table, in particular, stood out to me. A man was sitting all alone with a newspaper and a cup of coffee. He was wearing a completely black suit and sunglasses. Even though couldn't see his eyes, I could not shake the feeling he was staring right at me.

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A/N

I wonder why the man is watching her? I would love to hear your thoughts.