Chapter 8
“What did you do?” Nicolette grabs my arm, yanking it downward as I pick up my drink. Ice water spills over the top and down my hand.
“Nicolette!” I free myself from her grip and put the glass back down on the top of bar, taking the napkin the bartender offers.
“What did you do? I told you to be nice to my friends. I told you not to be such an asshole.” Fire burns in my little sister’s eyes.
She doesn’t need to tell me who she’s talking about. There’s only one person I’ve spoken to this evening that would set off Nicolette. There’s only one of her friends who sets fire to my temper whenever she’s nearby.
“I didn’t do anything.” I drop the wet napkin on the bar top and pull my little sister away from the small crowd gathering.
“Well, she left.” The accusation is clear. Almost as clear as the shimmering overlay of my little sister’s dress. I really let this girl get away with too much.
I quickly glance around the room. The last time I checked on Maxine’s whereabouts, she’d been standing with the Volkov women. They’ve all dispersed now, and Maxine is nowhere to be seen.
“Why did she leave?” Dinner hasn’t been served yet, and she’d come all the way across town. Why would she only stay for half an hour, then leave?
“Because you have your fucking men glaring at her.” Nicolette hisses. “What is going on?”
“No one was glaring at her. And watch your mouth.” It’s a lie, I’m sure.
I gave the order for her to be watched. Not that she herself was a danger to anyone here, but I wanted to know the moment she seemed to get a call from her brothers.
The little fuckers have slipped through the detail I put on them. They haven’t been seen in over twelve hours.
“You made her feel unwelcome. I don’t understand why you don’t like her.”
“I don’t even know the damn woman.” I grit out. “My job, little sister, is to keep you safe—”
“What sort of danger could Max possibly be?”
“She’s not, but I don’t trust her brothers. You said yourself they cause her trouble.”
“I said they put a lot of demands on her, always wanting things from her, and getting the landlord on her case because of noise complaints. I didn’t say she was dangerous. There was no reason to run her off.”
“No one ran her off.” As my gaze roams the room again, I realize Jaxon is also gone. “You have other guests to be concerned about.”
“Lev.”
“Don’t.” I put a hand up when she gets that look of reproach in her eyes. “Will it make you feel better if I check to be sure she gets to her car all right?”
“Yes.” She nods. “But don’t say anything stupid. Maybe apologize?”
“I’m not apologizing, but I won’t offend her. She won’t even know I’m there.” I’m good at that, hiding in the shadows when it’s called for.
“Fine. But hurry, because they’re starting dinner.” She smiles.
I shake my head. “I’ve spoiled you rotten.”
She nods. “You have, and I love you for it.”
“See to your guests,” I instruct as I leave her and head toward the elevators.
I gave orders for no one to approach or speak with Maxine. She was to be observed only, but obviously, she was aware of being watched. As I leave the party room, Stefan approaches me.
“She’s on her way toward her car.”
“Did you speak with her?” I demand punching the elevator call button with the side of my fist.
“No, sir.” He looks taken aback by my question. “No one spoke with her.”
“No one made her uncomfortable?”
Confusion crosses his expression.
“Keeping her under surveillance was done without her knowledge, yes?”
He swallows. “Well, I mean, she noticed me once or twice. But I never spoke to her, and I didn’t approach. I stayed on the wall, and when she met my stare, I made sure to turn.”
“So she noticed you.” I grit my teeth. “I was clear, wasn’t I? I didn’t want her to feel she was being watched.”
As much as I need to be sure she wasn’t bringing danger into my sister’s party. I also needed to be certain she wasn’t made to feel unwanted. There’s no explanation for that desire other than wanting my sister to have no issues at her going away party.
Nicolette had been left in my care at a young age, and I made it my duty to be certain she never wanted for anything.
“I–”
The doors to the elevator open and I step inside, cutting Stefan off with a swish of my hand.
“Go back inside. Stay out of the way and keep the area secure.”
“Of course.” He gives a dutiful nod and turns on his heel.
On the short ride down to the first floor, I’m able to locate Jaxon on the restaurant’s security feed. He left the restaurant only a moment after Maxine, and from the last frame I can find, he’s walking with her down the stairs.
“This woman, did she valet?” I have her photo freeze framed on my phone and shove it in the valet’s face.
He blinks a few times and moves back enough to focus on my phone.
“No. She walked out and then down that way.” He gestured to the street.
Fuck. If she didn’t valet, she could have parked in any of the three parking garages nearby. Or on the street. Heading out on foot, I hurry down the street to the corner, catching a glimpse of her as she turns left at the next corner. Jaxon right beside her.
There’s a garage on the next block. Cutting through the alley way, I get to the back entrance of the garage. There’re four floors to this damn thing, she could be on any of them.
The telltale sound of a car being unlocked by a fob catches my ear. It’s the only sign I have of her whereabouts, so I hurry up the stairs to the second floor where it sounded like it came from.
I open the door to the floor and find her standing beside her car, Jaxon leaning over her.
Blood boils beneath my skin. My vision blurs. It’s only on intuition that I’m able to find my way to her car.
“Get off her!” I grab Jaxon by the back of his neck and rip him back, throwing him away.
He stumbles, then falls flat onto his ass.
“Lev!” Maxine grabs my arm as I reach back to my holster, intent on grabbing my gun and putting a few holes in the bastard.
“Whoa! Whoa!” Jaxon scrambles in a backward spider crawl. He knows what’s coming.
“Lev, listen to me!” Maxine smacks my shoulder as I pull my arm back, Glock in hand. When I still don’t react to her, she kicks my shin.
I freeze. Slowly, turn my glare down at her. She’s staring up at me with her lips pinched together and her nostrils flaring. She’s angry with me.
She kicked me and she’s pissed?
“Stop it.” She gives a pointed look to my hand. “He wasn’t hurting me. He was helping me.”
The words penetrate the dome of anger that’s encapsulated me, but it’s not enough to calm the storm brewing.
“Yeah, man. I was just helping.” Jaxon shoves up to his feet, keeping his hands up.
“Helping what?” I demand.
“My keys. I locked them in the car.” She slaps her hand flat on the driver’s side window. “He was just looking at the locks to see if he could jimmy them open.”
“Yeah. Just the locks.” He gestures toward Maxine, but I know the look of a fucking liar. And this prick is lying through his teeth.
“How did you know she locked the keys in the car?”
“What?” He huffs a laugh. “What do you mean, they’re right there on the seat.”
“No. I mean why are you in the garage in the first place. Why did you follow her here?”
Maxine’s brow furrows, like she hadn’t thought about that.
“I went out for a smoke, saw she was walking alone, and figured I’d make sure she got to her car all right.” He lifts his shoulders.
“Put the gun away.” Maxine orders me in a sharp tone, like she’s talking to one of her brothers. Like she’s handling me.
“I’m here now; she doesn’t need your assistance. You should go.” I keep my focus on Jaxon. I’ll deal with the little hellion in a minute.
“Maybe I don’t want him to go.” She continues to stoke the fire. If she only knew what’s in store for her if the flames get out of control.
It won’t only be my temper that runs hot. Her cute, curvy ass will be aflame, as well.
“Lev has this under control. I’ll head back to the party.” Jaxon, smartly, takes a few steps back, dropping his hands.
“Thanks, anyway,” Maxine mutters. “I’m sorry he’s…I’m just sorry.”
The way she speaks, the softness to it, grates on me. After I watch him head down the stairs, I holster my weapon and turn to her.
Her eyelids are red, like she’s been fighting back tears. And she looks exhausted. How long of a shift did she work before coming all the way down here for Nicolette’s party?
“You didn’t need to do that; he wasn’t hurting me.” She blows out a breath and faces the car window. “My keys are still locked in there.”
Her shoulders round out, like she’s had enough weight to bear today and seriously needs a rest.
The woman needs a nap. A solid meal and a long nap. And instead of letting her have a relaxing night with her friends, I barreled right over her, making her feel every ounce of my annoyance.
I added more weight to whatever she was already carrying by pushing more about her brothers. And I don’t even need her help in the matter. I have the information I needed, but my push to make her give it to me has shoved her to the edge.
And then, to make it worse, I made her feel unwelcome. Unwanted. Exactly like Nicolette accused me.
And for what? Because the woman hasn’t left my thoughts since the moment I met her. Because no matter how annoyed she makes me, how frustrated I get with her attitude and pushing back at me, I still can’t stop thinking about her.
About what I would do if I got her.
Fuck.
“Stay away from Jaxon.” I gently nudge her away from the car, so I take a look inside.
This thing has to be twenty-five years old. There’s a tear in the seat of the driver’s chair and the gear shifting letters have worn off. It shouldn’t be hard to pick the lock on this thing. I’m half amazed it hasn’t been broken into before.
Not that anyone would steal the thing. There’s a rust ring around the back tire well as thick as my hand, and a crack in the rear bumper.