Chapter 40
Max
“Fix your face,” I scolded Jayden as he climbed into my car, scowling like I’d just dragged him out of bed.
He’s been agitated since the other night when my men came by to relocate him and his mother.
While his mother appreciated the gesture, Jayden wouldn’t leave without a fight.
Tysir and Wesley had to call me to drag his ass out by his hair.
I really didn’t care that he was mad. I’d rather him be angry with me than dead.
Ignoring me, he grabbed the door handle and slammed it shut.
“Don’t make me fuck you up,” I warned him. “Just because I’m taking you out tonight doesn’t mean I won’t pop you.”
“Stop treating me like I’m a damn child,” he muttered, crossing his arms. “I’m eighteen! I can take care of my own shit!”
“No, you’re not. If Elias and his crew roll up on you again-”
“I can take a beating.”
“And if they’re looking to do more than beat the shit out of you - what are you going to do then?”
“I can get my hands on a gun.”
My hands tightened around the steering wheel at the thought. “And you’ll be able to pull the trigger if you need to?”
“Yes,” Jayden replied, his voice full of conviction. “I’m not an innocent little kid. I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself. And if you were so worried about that, then you should be taking me to a gun range. You could be teaching me-”
“No.”
“Why not? Our last name alone already puts my foot halfway through the door. It’d be good if-”
“I said no,” I said, my voice firm. “You don’t need to be any more involved than you already are.”
Jayden turned away, trying to hide the frown forming on his lips.
Not that I gave a fuck. He may not like it, but I was only doing what was best for him.
We let the radio take over for the rest of the car ride to the stadium.
Jayden stuck close by my side as we weaved through the crowds in the parking lot and headed inside. His brow noticeably rose when we stopped at the box office and the clerk handed us our VIP badges and tickets. “You really weren’t kidding, huh?” He asked as he put the lanyard over his head.
I smirked. “Did you forget I do this shit for a living?”
“No. But, you’re my big brother - you’re not supposed to be cool.”
I shoved him, and he laughed.
We made a stop at the concession stand before heading down to our seats. Jayden’s eyes curiously darted around the abundance of lights, teeming crowds in the stands, and the large octagon a few rows in front of us.
A few of my professional acquaintances, also clad with VIP badges, who were walking by to get to their own seats stopped to chat with me.
The smile on Jayden’s face grew larger and larger with every manager, agent, and fellow contenders who spoke to us.
He beamed with every introduction, happy to be acknowledged and bragged about.
He probably thought I was bullshitting when I told people he had the potential to be one of the next contenders on the rise, but I meant it.
If we kept training the way we were, he might have a shot at making it in the MMA world.
If that’s what he wanted after he finished trade school.
I wanted him to have as many options for his future as possible. It was too bright for him not to.
During the matches, I noticed Jayden wasn’t just watching the matches for entertainment - he was studying them.
His eyes attentively tracked every strike, hold, and submission.
Occasionally, he’d lean over to ask me questions about a move a contender pulled or a strategy to counter a hold.
Hearing the language I’ve been trying to teach him sparked pride in my chest. Made me think that maybe he has been listening to me after all.
Once the event was over, I asked Jayden if he wanted to go backstage and meet some of the contenders, but he declined. “I don’t want to leave my mom too long by herself,” he explained. “Especially at night.”
I nodded, understanding where he was coming from.
The new apartment was still foreign to him.
I remember being on watch too when my mom and I moved to our house.
It’s a weird feeling - being somewhere that’s supposed to be home, but doesn’t feel like it.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to deal with it for much longer.
Adrian and I already brainstormed a few ideas of how to squash Elias like the bug he was.
We just wanted to wait until his convention was over to bring them into fruition.
I already knew my dad wasn’t going to like us bypassing him, but at this point I didn’t really care.
It’s not like he was going to be of any help anyway.
There was a long line of cars following after us as we exited the stadium, but I noticed a few continuing our exact route a few feet behind us. In the darkness, I couldn’t make much of the make and model, but from the size of the lights I could tell they were either SUVs or trucks.
“What’s wrong?” Jayden asked as I made a random turn.
“Nothing,” I replied, keeping my eyes on the road. I didn’t want to worry him unless I had to.
As expected, the cars turned down the same road, still maintaining their distance.
Clenching my jaw, I held in the curse threatening to slip out, and continued down the quiet road. “I need you to listen to me,” I told Jayden. “Okay?”
His brows pinched together. “Okay…”
“Put your seat all the way back and lean down as low as you can.”
“What? Why?”
“Just do it,” I snapped. “Now.”
He knew from my tone now was not the time for disobedience or smart remarks. He adjusted his seat and lay back.
As he got settled, I reached into the hidden compartment in the center dash and pulled out my gun. “Now, pull your hood over your head and put your arms over your face.”
“But, Max-“
I glanced over at him. “And don’t put your head up. No matter what.”
The opening at the end of the street led to a larger road. I made a left turn onto it, and sped down the new lane.
The cars behind us accelerated, matching my speed. One engine roared louder than the rest as a black SUV peeled into the next lane shot forward, then cut in front of me, trying to trap me between them.
I swerved left, but every time I moved, so did they.
Shit was starting to piss me off. I wished they’d just make their move already, so we could get this over with.
Another set of headlights flashed in my sideview mirror. Glancing at it, I noticed yet another SUV zooming up beside us.
I rolled the driver’s side window down and undid the security latch on the gun.
As soon as it pulled up beside me, I leaned my arm out the window and shot at the tires. The rubber gave out with a large pop. Inside, I heard the curses of the men inside.
The car began to swerve from the broken tire, struggling to maintain its velocity. Still, one of the windows came down and the mouth of a rifle peeked out of it.
“Shit,” I muttered. I ducked my head as gunshots boomed through the air. The bullets collided with the metal of the car with tiny bangs.
“Max,” Jayden called.
“Stay down!”
Jerking the steering wheel, I merged out of the lane and pressed the pedal down to the floor.
The car in front of me swerved with me, and I accidentally rammed straight into it. My body jutted forward, but my seatbelt caught me before my head could slam into the steering wheel.
Mouths of more guns popped out from the windows of the car in front of us. Bullets came down like rain across my windshield, splattering cracks across the glass.
I swung the car to the side again, accidentally colliding with the other car. Though wobbly on its flattening tires, it pushed against the side of my car, trying to shove us back into the direct line of gun fire.
The man in the passenger side noticed our close proximity and aimed his gun at my head.
Again, I ducked as he pulled the trigger. The wind from the bullet whizzed against the back of my neck as they flew over me and into the window on the opposite side.
Something rammed against the back of my car and shot us forward. Another curse left my lips as my head slammed against the steering wheel.
Clenching my teeth, I blindly jerked the car again, trying to break away from the other cars. I expected to slam straight into the other car. I let out a sigh of relief when we didn’t.
Picking my head up, I looked between all three mirrors, assessing the three car’s location.
I counted the one in front, the one in the back moving behind us, and-
Bam!
As I spotted the one on the side, it collided into us, pushing my car over the side of the road. The right tires lost traction on the concrete and slid onto the slippery grass and mud from the land beside the road.
My fingers clutched the steering wheel, trying to keep control of the car.
The car beside us shoved us again, this time with more force, pushing my car completely off the edge and onto the grass.
The brakes squealed as I pressed my foot on them, trying to slow down.
In front of us, the SUV swerved onto the concrete, blocking our immediate path. It stopped dead in its tracks.
I slammed harder on the break, trying to avoid a collision. But, the car behind us rammed into the rear again. I grunted as we whipped forward and went straight into the back of the other car.
Beside us, the car whipped around - fast and precise - to face the side of our car. Its headlights flared like floodlights, swallowing the inside of my car in a pool of white lights.
“Jayden!” I yelled. As I fumbled with my seatbelt, I thought of every option to get him out of here unscathed. “Jayden, jump out the car! Run! Now!”
“What?” He asked, popping his head up. “But you said-”
“Go!” I demanded, hitting the unlock button on the door. “Now!”
The engine roared as the SUV barreled forward.
“No,” Jayden said, clasping his hand on my shoulder. “Not without-”
His voice was cut off by the loud crash of metal pounding against metal.