TAMING MAX (Completed)

CHAPTER 43 - MAKING OUR ESCAPE

Lillie's POV

My body rocked as the blast rang out and I thought it hit me. Scared to move, I looked around and that is when I saw my captor laying on the ground lifeless. Touching my head, I had to make sure I was okay. I let out the breath I was holding when I realized that it was him and not me.

Max was staring right at me and began running toward me, with his shirt drenched in blood. Someone had shot him, and he was losing a lot of blood. Standing up, I tried to get to him, but as soon as I did, my knees buckled. My body didn't have the strength to stand after those men had finished with me. Max caught me before I hit the floor and I fell onto him, desperate for support.

"Help me," he shouted at his security lead.

I leaned helplessly against him as the man walked toward us. When he reached us, he pulled me up and put my arm around his shoulder. The other one was around Max.

Once I could stand with their help, our attention turned to Piper. Chase was shaking her, trying to get her attention, but she was too out of it. She had taken all that she could and her body had finally shut down. She didn't even have the strength to speak. When Chase was certain she was breathing, he placed her in his arms and fell in line behind us as we attempted to leave the room.

With his free arm, the security lead radioed inquiring whether to coast was clear. We listened as they reported that they had secured the area but couldn't be sure someone wasn't concealing themselves. He asked if they had found the head of the operation. They informed him he had escaped, and all of our hearts dropped.

"We have to get them out of here, now," Max demanded.

"Stay alert, we don't know who else might be out there," the lead instructed.

We started making our way through the compound. It was so strange to see what it looked like outside of the jail cell of a room they had confined us to. If they had not been supporting me, I would have never made it out of there.

Before each turn, the lead would stop and clear it for us, and then we would move ahead. This continued until we reached the front door. The lead instructed everyone to form a protective barrier so we could get to the vehicle safely. As soon as everyone was in place, we could finally make our way out.

Two guards took their positions in the front seats, and the rest of us crammed our way into the back. The caravan of SUV's took their place in front and in back of us escorting us to the mansion.

As soon as the compound was out of sight, I turned my attention to Max. Unbuttoning his shirt I slipped it off of his shoulder so I could get a better look at his gun-shot wound. The bullet went through his shoulder, but it was still bleeding. I quickly took my shirt off and pressed it into the wound, praying it would slow it.

I could hear Chase working with Piper. He had pulled her in his lap and he was tapping her on the cheek.

"Piper, wake up, are you okay?" He kept saying but her only response was a low groan.

"We have to get her to a hospital," Chase shouted at the lead who was driving.

"No, no hospitals. We just took out a small army back there and nothing needs to link us to it. We train our team on first response, we will take care of her."

Chase's blood was boiling. He had little faith in their abilities to treat her, but he couldn't deny that what he said was right. We were all banged up, but we had to stay out of the hospitals.

I was still holding my shirt to Max when I saw a light bulb go off in him and worry fill his face.

"We are not safe at the mansion, take us to the airfield," he said as he pulled his phone out and texted someone.

"Sir, we aren't prepared for that," the lead said.

"Well get prepared, because we are not going back there tonight."

The SUV slowed down and then turned in a different direction, heading for the airfield. We could hear them talking back and forth to their team, creating a plan on the fly. Panic would have been the best way to describe what was going on inside of that vehicle. There was nothing normal about what had just happened or what we would have to do to keep it from happening again.

When we pulled up at the airfield, one of Max's private planes was waiting. Max and one guard helped me board, although I am uncertain how he was even walking.

Chase carried Piper and with us all in place and a contingent of security, Max instructed the pilot to take off. Once we were in the air, everyone could breathe a little easier. We were finally safe.

Piper was in a seat that Chase had reclined into a position so she was laying down and he wasn't leaving her side. The security team was in the back of the plane strategizing and Max was sitting in the seat right next to me holding my hand.

"Are you okay?" I turned to him and asked. He looked so deeply into my eyes and then got up and kneeled in front of me, taking my hands in his.

"What did they do to you?" He asked with tears in his eyes.

I looked away from him, knowing there was no way I could ever put that experience into words.

"It doesn't matter, it's over now," I insisted.

"It matters to me," he said as he touched my bruised and swollen cheek. "The thought of their hands on you has been haunting me since you disappeared and I have to know, please."

Still looking away from him because I couldn't bear to look him in the eyes, I tried to explain. The words did not come easy because each one brought back a memory that shattered me all over again. By the time I finished recounting every detail, he was sobbing in my lap. My heart was breaking seeing him like that, and I couldn't understand why he wanted to put himself through it.

"I'm sorry Lillie, I failed you," he said choking back tears.

"No Max, you saved me." 

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A/N

Well, it looks like our gang is in pretty bad shape but at least they are safe. What did you think of this chapter? I would love to hear your thoughts.