53. Max
The past several days have been overwhelming with the guys refusing to leave me alone. While the sexual attention is something I’ll never complain about, I miss the routine I’d made for myself. I miss the fact that I was finally feeling independent and then it was snatched away by someone who decided to break into my house.
Nothing’s happened since, and I feel like it was a fluke. Just someone random, looking to rob me and maybe they got what they wanted. Even if none of us were able to find anything missing. I want to get back to how things were, and that has to start with being able to live in my own house again.
It’s why I snuck out of bed this morning, making sure none of the guys woke up so they wouldn’t stop me as I went back home. I hate seeing it like this, and I immediately start cleaning up. I’m going to have to replace so much stuff, it sucks that so much of the money I’ve managed to save is going to go into replacing everything, but I don’t have a choice.
I’m sure the guys will want their spaces back, since it doesn’t matter whose house I stay at, they all end up there with me anyway. Of course no one has complained—except Caine. He grumbles about wanting me to himself still. But he’s getting over it for the most part, I think.
I manage to get the space cleaned up enough for now before I have to go to Uncaged for class. That’s been another thing the guys have made sure of. They’re all taking my training extremely seriously. All it took was Adam asking what would’ve happened if I was there when the person broke in, and then they were all on me about my training.
Not that I mind, the whole point of me starting at Uncaged was to learn to defend myself, and I’ve only gotten better. I just never want to use the skills I’m learning in any real-life situation if I don’t have to.
I realized at work that I’m out of clean clothes, and the annoyance at the fact that I can’t just live in my own home takes over again. After I close the bar, I’m supposed to go to Drew’s house, but I decide to stop at home first to get more clothes.
When I get inside, a chill runs down my spine. I know immediately that I should leave.
There’s something wrong.
I’m just going to grab my clothes and get out.
I work quickly, grabbing the first things I find, not even bothering with a bag. I leave my room, and intend to get out of here right away, but a voice stops me in my tracks. A voice I have to be imagining. A voice I never intended to hear again.
No.
I’m hallucinating. It’s just my fear playing tricks on me. There’s no way. It’s not possible.
But when he steps out into the light a bit more, I drop everything in my arms.
“Maxine,” Carson sneers, looking me up and down, probably disgusted by the way I’m looking now. No longer a stick intended for him to break. I have weight on me, muscle from training and actually eating. But seeing him here, hearing him speak brings me back.
“Wha—” I can’t even finish the question. I look toward the door, thinking about how fast I can leave. I’m faster, I have to be. I can fight him off, I’ve been training. I can do this; I can handle myself he won’t–
“Don’t even think about it.” It’s like he’s reading my mind, and I swallow roughly. “Your fun is over. It’s time to come home.”
I raise my chin, preparing for a fight. “Then you’re going to have to kill me, because the only way I’m going back is if I’m fucking dead.”
He laughs. Carson laughs, and I know that this isn’t going to be easy, but no matter what he thinks about me now, I’m not who I was when I left, and I’m not going down without a fight.
END OF BOOK ONE