TAMING MAX (Completed)

CHAPTER 55 - A NEW ERA

Lille's POV

It was a twenty-hour plane ride to reach Australia. We spent that time taking stock of everything that happened. There was plenty of sleeping too. It always brought a smile to my face when I would wake up on Max's shoulder.

I had no memory of the days leading up to the flight, but I always knew he was near. That sounds absurd, but when I woke, he didn't have to say a word. I knew he had been by my side the entire time.

It took a while to get my bearings. My last memory before I woke up was being in that SUV on the side of the road. I was so worried about the gunshot wound to Max's hand that I didn't even realize a bullet had pierced my neck.

My body was still not at a hundred percent, but having Max by my side gave me so much strength. None of knew what lay ahead but felt so much gratitude to be together and alive.

When the plane landed, they took us to a safe house in a secluded area. They gave us new identities and taught us about the country we would call home.

It surprised me how much there was to learn about their culture. Who knew there were so many creatures there who could kill you with one bite? The cuisine was another source of shock. I cringed at the things the locals ate. You haven't lived until you have tried meat pie with Kangaroo. The entire time I pictured one of the little guys hopping around. Before our adventure, I assumed they were a national treasure or something. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine they ate them. Once I got over it, they were tasty.

The slang was another thing hard to adjust to. I knew it would take us years to absorb it, but they did their best to give us a crash course.

What I will remember most of our time at the safe house were the evenings. After our submersion therapy was complete, we would all settle in for a few card games and drinks. It was just the four of us, and we would laugh until the wee hours of the night.

When the time came to move to our permanent home, I didn't know what to expect. What none of us knew was that Max had worked with James on the selection. He still had more money than any of us would ever need because of liquidating his assets.

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I expected a small shack in the woods where we would hold up for the rest of our lives. What we got was so much more.

We traveled to our new home with our security team in tow. We drove for hours and wound up on a narrow stretch of dirt road. Wooden planks ran the length of it, making it appear even more rustic. As we continued driving, we passed waterfalls and small wooden bridges.

One large building we passed looked like an old carriage house with four stalls. When we finally pulled up in front of the house, it was unassuming. That didn't matter because the land alone was enough to make you feel you had ventured into paradise. I looked at Max, wondering what we were getting ourselves into.

"Come on, beautiful. Let's explore our home," he said as he took my hand and helped me out of the vehicle. Piper and Chase were right behind us. We were all at a loss for words. There was so much to take in and I didn't know how to act or feel.

What looked like a simple home from the exterior proved to be deceiving. Max was like a little kid who could not contain his excitement as he showed us around. It took me a minute, but I finally realized what was going on.

"Max, did you have something to do with selecting this house?" I asked. He walked up and put his arms around my waist.

"I had everything to do with selecting this house," he replied as he kissed the tip of my nose. "You didn't think I would let my baby live just anywhere did you?"

I had to laugh. He was so happy and full of life. It seemed like for the first time since I met him. He didn't have a care in the world. He continued touring us around the house that boasted an underground wine cellar. "That will come in handy," I thought to myself. It also had a brick oven in it you would find in the finest Italian restaurants.

The nice thing was that it was large enough we could each have our own part of the house. At least we wouldn't drive each other crazy. It boasted ten bedrooms and seven bathrooms in all.

"You outdid yourself, Max."

"1500 acres with the Collie river running through it. We back up to a national forest so we will be safe here," he said.

All our mouths fell open. It was Piper who asked what we were all thinking.

"So, all that property we saw on the way in is ours?"

"Yes," Max confirmed.

"The waterfalls, and bridges, everything?"

"Every bit."

We were all blown away. Our new home was more than any of us could have dreamed. It was far removed from the bright lights of New York. After everything we had been through, a little seclusion was all any of us wanted.

I walked up to Max and planted a kiss on him. That kiss made him weak in the knees. When I finally came up for air, he tried to pull me in. He wanted more.

"It's breathtaking, thank you," I told him.

"Anything for you, baby."

Next, he showed me to the master bedroom. He took my hand and led me in and the moment I laid eyes on it, my mouth fell open. It was the most serene, relaxing, and inviting room I had ever seen. They lined the vaulted ceilings with white-washed grey boards. A large stone fireplace took up an entire wall and a white shag rug adorned the floor. A large picture window looked out onto the property and by the time I took it all in, I was in love.

I walked over to the bed that had stark white bedding and a grey cashmere blanket and plopped down. I let my body fall backward and the soft bed envelop me. Max stood at the door laughing while I acted like a child. It only took a few seconds for him to join me there and wrap himself around me.

"Can I just hold you like this forever?" He whispered. 

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Thanks for continuing to follow their journey. Now we know what their new life looks like. What do you guys think? Was it what you were expecting?