Against the Ropes
Page 84
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The constant stream of patients keeps me busy until an hour before closing time. I have just finished treating Jeff “Jackhammer” Jones for a twisted ankle when Max appears in the doorway. My heart sinks. What happened to my bodyguard? I had an escape route all planned.
Max leans against the door frame until Jackhammer limps away. He steps inside and closes the door behind him.
I jam my hands into my armpits and back up against the wall.
“I’m glad you’re safe,” he murmurs.
I tighten my lips and stare at the ceiling.
“We need to talk.”
“I have patients waiting outside. This isn’t the time.”
Max frowns. “You work for me, Makayla. If I say it’s time, then it’s time.”
“I have an ethical duty to help people in need. It overrides anything a dishonest, playboy boss wants.”
“She was lying,” he says, his voice strained. “That is how high society works. Everyone watches everyone else. Someone saw us come out of the storage room and gave the information to the person they thought was in a position to do them the biggest favor. In this case, Moira. These are people who will befriend you one minute and then turn around and stab you in the back the next. It’s why I want nothing to do with them and part of the reason why I left all that in my past.”
“I might have believed you if I hadn’t heard something similar from Sandy. Go away.”
Max takes a step toward me. “I understand you’re angry, baby. What she said was hurtful, cruel, and directed at me. She hasn’t forgiven me for splitting with her granddaughter.”
I frown. “Sandy is Tootles.”
“Yes.”
“You were engaged to her.”
“Not exactly.”
I tap my foot on the tiled floor. “What does that mean? You either asked her to marry you or you didn’t.”
Max sighs and leans against my examination table. “She only knew me as Torment. We pretended to be engaged so she could get a break from her family’s incessant match-making. I went along because she was my girl. Neither of us realized her family would check into my background and uncover a family history I had gone to great lengths to hide.”
His words are like a slap across my face. Sandy, the society darling, was his girl. Makayla, the poor admin clerk, is not even in his league. A bruise of sadness forms in my chest.
“Get out.”
“Baby—”
“Don’t call me that. I don’t belong in your world. Money was tight when I was a kid and it was tighter when I went to college. I never even rode a horse much less had four horses, and we never even had a house until Mom met Steve. I’m not telling you that so you feel sorry for me. I want you to understand we are different—too different. I had deluded myself into thinking you were a regular guy. You’re not. You need someone like Sandy. Not someone like me.”
The skin around Max’s eyes bunches and his face softens. “What’s really bothering you? It isn’t finding out about my society ties.”
“You lied to me.”
He shakes his head. “I never lied to you. I didn’t think it was important.”
“It’s important to me. Ex-society fiancées who hug and kiss you and party with your friends and tweet my bottom around the world are important to me. Your background, understanding who you are and where you’re from, is important to me.” I take a deep breath and continue. I am on a roll. “We have great sex and fun together, but you never talk about yourself. It hurts to find out from a stranger you were engaged to Sandy. It hurts to know you were keeping secrets from me. I thought we were close. I thought we shared something special. I was wrong.” I am righteous in my fury and drowning in hypocrisy.
A solemn expression crosses his face. “You mean more to me than you could possibly imagine. You want to know who I am, I’ll show you.” He holds out his hand. “Come with me.”
“No. It’s too late. It won’t change anything.”
He gives me an impatient look. “Come.”
“No.” My bottom lip trembles. “Just leave me alone.”
“I won’t take no for an answer.” His voice breaks. “I’m not losing you over this.” He picks me up and throws me over his shoulder.
“Put me down,” I screech.
“Not until you see what I want you to see.”
“You can’t leave the first aid office unattended. What if the regulators show up? They will shut you down for good.”
“I’ll ask Rampage to find someone to fill in.”
Tears spill from my eyes. “Stop, Max. I don’t want this. It’s not funny.”
He ignores me and strides toward the door.
“Please, Max.” I choke back a sob. This is worse than hearing about Tootles and the storage room, worse than knowing I don’t fit in. He is taking away my choice, my control.
He reaches for the doorknob.
“Agusta,” I whisper.
Max freezes. He takes a deep breath and then he drops me gently to the ground. I take a deep breath and lean against the bed. My panic subsides.
“Getting to know me, giving us a chance, is more than you can bear?” His voice is raw with emotion and my heart gives an empathetic thud. He listened to me. He said I mean something to him. He wants to share a piece of himself with me. How can I refuse?
“I want to walk.”
Max leans against the door frame until Jackhammer limps away. He steps inside and closes the door behind him.
I jam my hands into my armpits and back up against the wall.
“I’m glad you’re safe,” he murmurs.
I tighten my lips and stare at the ceiling.
“We need to talk.”
“I have patients waiting outside. This isn’t the time.”
Max frowns. “You work for me, Makayla. If I say it’s time, then it’s time.”
“I have an ethical duty to help people in need. It overrides anything a dishonest, playboy boss wants.”
“She was lying,” he says, his voice strained. “That is how high society works. Everyone watches everyone else. Someone saw us come out of the storage room and gave the information to the person they thought was in a position to do them the biggest favor. In this case, Moira. These are people who will befriend you one minute and then turn around and stab you in the back the next. It’s why I want nothing to do with them and part of the reason why I left all that in my past.”
“I might have believed you if I hadn’t heard something similar from Sandy. Go away.”
Max takes a step toward me. “I understand you’re angry, baby. What she said was hurtful, cruel, and directed at me. She hasn’t forgiven me for splitting with her granddaughter.”
I frown. “Sandy is Tootles.”
“Yes.”
“You were engaged to her.”
“Not exactly.”
I tap my foot on the tiled floor. “What does that mean? You either asked her to marry you or you didn’t.”
Max sighs and leans against my examination table. “She only knew me as Torment. We pretended to be engaged so she could get a break from her family’s incessant match-making. I went along because she was my girl. Neither of us realized her family would check into my background and uncover a family history I had gone to great lengths to hide.”
His words are like a slap across my face. Sandy, the society darling, was his girl. Makayla, the poor admin clerk, is not even in his league. A bruise of sadness forms in my chest.
“Get out.”
“Baby—”
“Don’t call me that. I don’t belong in your world. Money was tight when I was a kid and it was tighter when I went to college. I never even rode a horse much less had four horses, and we never even had a house until Mom met Steve. I’m not telling you that so you feel sorry for me. I want you to understand we are different—too different. I had deluded myself into thinking you were a regular guy. You’re not. You need someone like Sandy. Not someone like me.”
The skin around Max’s eyes bunches and his face softens. “What’s really bothering you? It isn’t finding out about my society ties.”
“You lied to me.”
He shakes his head. “I never lied to you. I didn’t think it was important.”
“It’s important to me. Ex-society fiancées who hug and kiss you and party with your friends and tweet my bottom around the world are important to me. Your background, understanding who you are and where you’re from, is important to me.” I take a deep breath and continue. I am on a roll. “We have great sex and fun together, but you never talk about yourself. It hurts to find out from a stranger you were engaged to Sandy. It hurts to know you were keeping secrets from me. I thought we were close. I thought we shared something special. I was wrong.” I am righteous in my fury and drowning in hypocrisy.
A solemn expression crosses his face. “You mean more to me than you could possibly imagine. You want to know who I am, I’ll show you.” He holds out his hand. “Come with me.”
“No. It’s too late. It won’t change anything.”
He gives me an impatient look. “Come.”
“No.” My bottom lip trembles. “Just leave me alone.”
“I won’t take no for an answer.” His voice breaks. “I’m not losing you over this.” He picks me up and throws me over his shoulder.
“Put me down,” I screech.
“Not until you see what I want you to see.”
“You can’t leave the first aid office unattended. What if the regulators show up? They will shut you down for good.”
“I’ll ask Rampage to find someone to fill in.”
Tears spill from my eyes. “Stop, Max. I don’t want this. It’s not funny.”
He ignores me and strides toward the door.
“Please, Max.” I choke back a sob. This is worse than hearing about Tootles and the storage room, worse than knowing I don’t fit in. He is taking away my choice, my control.
He reaches for the doorknob.
“Agusta,” I whisper.
Max freezes. He takes a deep breath and then he drops me gently to the ground. I take a deep breath and lean against the bed. My panic subsides.
“Getting to know me, giving us a chance, is more than you can bear?” His voice is raw with emotion and my heart gives an empathetic thud. He listened to me. He said I mean something to him. He wants to share a piece of himself with me. How can I refuse?
“I want to walk.”
