Chapter 24 This is my town too, Butcher!
This is my town too, Butcher!
I don't take a commercial flight home from Bali.
This time, I fly in Jimmy's private jet with the boys and Flick and Stacey.
I feel like a celebrity. Not only because of the James Bond style private jet—double O so cool—but also because my phone has been buzzing non-stop with texts from everyone I know.
They're asking about the photos of Max and me at the wedding, which are circulating Twitter like a plague.
There is a particularly badly angled photo of me sticking my tongue out and Max sucking on it. I cringe and half cover my face, hoping my parents don't see it. Braving the Twitface platform, I read some of the comments and conclude that people suck.
As always, there are a lot of comments about Max and his never-ending string of conquests, which surprisingly includes me listed as a side piece. At least I'm listed.
There are personal attacks on my character from people I've never met.
Apparently, I'm pregnant. A slut. A tart.
Too young for him. I have small tits—that one hurts.
I'm not very good at ballet, but I've managed to sleep my way to the top, which is funny because all of my ballet mistresses are just that.
.. mistresses. I'm apparently really dumb and ditzy and Jessica has no idea what Max sees in me.
I have also been really busy because there are, like, tons of guys commenting that they'd had me first. And they are detailed.
I'm also the sister of Konnor, so he was mentioned a few times and that makes my blood boil.
Toni has replied to some of the nastier comments and he is so witty and cutting, supporting me and deflecting when he can. He's my rock in every way.
I try so hard not to care. I try to remember these comments are coming from bored people who have nothing better to do than live vicariously through me.
I have several missed calls from Konnor and a few voicemails I'm yet to open. That is a can of worms I'm keeping shut until I'm alone. I doubt Max will take kindly to whatever Konnor has to say about us.
Studying my phone, I sigh. "Max?" When I touch his thigh, he pulls out his right headphone and trains his relaxed eyes on mine.
"Hmm?" He's slumped back in the luxurious plane seat, his thighs spread wide. He's wearing light-grey cotton track pants and a white V-neck. I've never seen him look so normal. Gorgeous and undeniably, uncomfortably hot, but looking like a normal twenty-four-year-old nonetheless.
"Do you use Facebook or Twitter?" I ask.
He smirks. "I don't even have a phone."
My brows shoot up. "Oh my God. What? How do people get hold of you?"
He laughs. "If I can help it, they don't."
"But what about work?"
He shrugs. "I have a pager."
I nod, grinning at him. "Old school."
He chuckles. "Want my pager number?"
"Yes. But that's not why I'm asking." I pause for a moment. "People are kinda... talking about you."
He yawns and starts flicking through music on his iPod. "They're always talking about me."
I cringe a little. "About... us."
He stiffens and slowly turns to face me. "What about us?"
"About me, actually, more than anything." I immediately regret this conversation when his relaxed face is replaced with the irrefutable, tight, and intimidating expression of the Max I know and... well, am obsessed with.
His brows draw in tight. "What about you?"
"Umm... actually, don’t worry."
"Cassidy, goddamn it, what are they saying?"
I hesitantly pass him my phone. "Here. Have a read."
He inhales loudly, his eyes darting around the display, getting narrower and narrower until a vein in his neck bulges. "Fuck's sake," he spits out.
My throat constricts. "I haven't been with any of those guys!"
He turns towards me, his scowl still in place. "Are you serious? You think I don’t know that?"
I recoil in my seat. "Sorry."
"I know everything about your body, what it's done, what it hasn't."
"I know."
"Fuck's sake!" He breathes fast and heavy for a moment and then cracks his neck before turning to seek out my gaze again. His hand lifts to stroke my cheek. "Forget about them." He laughs once. "Your mate Toni has made a comeback in my good books."
I relax on a sigh and smile at him, batting my lashes because flirty and sweet is my default Max Butcher mode. "He'd be happy to hear he's in your good books. Although, when you told him off at the gym, he kinda liked it."
Max hides his laugh behind a wall of feigned disgust. "Not what I want to hear."
Max drives me home in his 4WD that I now know is a Range Rover.
It's big and sleek and sexy and so him. He rolls onto the lawn next to my studio.
Switching off the headlights, he doesn't move for a moment.
Instead he stares straight ahead into the darkness.
He grips the steering wheel while his face is tight with contemplation.
"I don’t like this," he mutters without turning his head.
I know how he feels, but I pretend I don't. "What?"
His jaw clenches. "I don't know... leaving you, I think."
"Max."
"It's been me and you. But now... Forget about it. I'll see you on Friday."
Everything he isn't saying resonates with me. I've become so accustomed to his warmth at night, the Max and Cassidy world, and... if I'm completely honest, the daily orgasms. "Why Friday? That's like five days away. What happened to 'most nights'?"
"It's just for this week. I've got some things I have to take care of. Toni's at my gym every Friday. Go with him."
"Okay... So I won't see you at all until then? And I can’t call you?"
He hands me a piece of paper. "My pager number."
My stomach knots up. "Okay."
Max and I stare at each other, longing in both our eyes and maybe something a little extra.
I reach for the drawstring on his track pants, wanting to show him with my mouth how I feel about him, but a thud at the passenger window makes me jump.
I swivel to see Konnor waiting impatiently on the other side of the glass.
Frick.
I exhale fast, my hands still trembling a little from what I'd been about to do for Max. And in my own backyard!
Timing...
"Get out of the car, Cassidy!" Konnor grumbles.
Before I can make a move, Max has already leapt from his side and circled around to mine. Unlatching my car door, he stands staunchly between Konnor and me.
Max is only a few inches taller than Konnor, but they are both at least a foot taller than me.
I bounce from the car and move towards my brother.
Standing on my toes, I sling my arms around him, cuddling his neck so tight because I love him so much, even when he looks like he wants to break something.
When he doesn’t return my affection, I release him and step back.
He's eyeballing Max behind me, his entire body tight with rage.
I swallow and feign ignorance, knowing quite well why his face means business. "Big brother, what—"
"I tried to call you," he says through a tight jaw, his eyes never leaving Max. I wonder what Max's face looks like right now. He's probably smirking. Menace.
My pulse quickens. "I know. I was in Ba—"
"I know. I saw the photo."
I squirm a little, imagining Konnor flicking through Facebook and coming across a picture of his little sister with her tongue in Max Butcher's mouth.
My hand meets Konnor's arm. "Are you back for the weekend again?"
Konnor glances at me for a split second. "Go inside. I wanna talk to Max."
I sigh and drop my hand. "No."
He stares at me. "What?"
Max's hand touches my hip. "You don’t get to do that," I say while covering Max's hand with mine.
"Get to do what?" Konnor asks, suddenly trained on our hands. Locked onto them.
"Come home and tell me to go inside," I say softly. "You don’t get to do that."
Max's hand twitches. "I'm heading off now anyway," he says and twists me to face him. I roll my eyes at Max's cocky smirk, but can’t help but smile nonetheless.
"Give me a kiss first, Little One."
Trying not to smile too hard, I rise onto my tippy toes and kiss his cheek.
In an instant, I'm lifted to straddle him and he leans back into his car, touching me everywhere he can.
His fingers move around my body, exploring and groping.
I try to push him away subtly, but he's hell-bent on proving a point.
"Max," I plea between kisses. "Don't."
Konnor growls. "Do you mind not dry humping my sister in front of me?"
Max gradually lowers me to the ground.
Tucking me behind him, he heads straight for Konnor. "You're fucking lucky, Slater. You should stay out of the District. It doesn’t agree with you."
Konnor steps toward him and they get within an inch of each other. I hold my breath.
"This is my town too, Butcher!"
Max laughs, but it's not kind. "This is definitely not your town."
"You know nothing about me."
"I bet you wish that were true."
"What the hell does that mean?" Konnor shuffles his feet. "You think you know something about me?"
"What's your problem with me, Slater?" Max levels him with a smirk. "Is it because I've made out with your girlfriend or because I know what your sister feels like from the inside?"
Oh my God!
Before I have a chance to react, Konnor throws his fist into Max's face. Grunts of pain spit from them both. Max shoves Konnor in the chest. Konnor hits the grass hard, a winded sound expelling from him. Scowling, Max hovers over him. He presses his shoe to Konnor's chest and pins him to the grass.
"I'm not gonna hit you!" Max barks.
"Oh my God," I yell as I grab my enraged lover's arm, trying to pull him away from Konnor. But he's a solid wall of tense muscles. On the ground, Konnor looks pale and shaky, as though he might throw up. Tugging on Max's arm, I plead with him. "Please, let him stand up."
Max takes his foot off Konnor's chest and turns to face me. The lower part of his lip has a small gash in it. He searches my pained mien and winces, his eyes flashing a silent apology.