“Max –”

“This guy now, the one you’re shakin’ off, he drink?”

“No.”

“Say shit to you?”

“Max –”

“Does he?”

“No!”

“Lift his hand to you, without your brother around to have your back?”

“Of course not.”

“Just doesn’t f**kin’ care.”

I couldn’t deny that.

“Max, please, get off.”

“Lonely path,” he said and I didn’t reply but he wasn’t looking for one, he kept talking. “You hate it.”

“I –”

“Searchin’.”

“Max, please –”

His hand at my face slid into my hair and his face got close before he said, “I know this, those ass**les are ass**les because they did what they did and because they did it to a good woman. Learned some things in my life, Duchess, one of the most important, you find a good woman, you take care of her.”

“Please.”

“This happens between us, Duchess, I’d take care of you.”

“Don’t.”

“Die doin’ it,” he vowed.

My breath stuck in my throat as his words wrapped tight around my heart and I made a noise, half gasp, half moan.

“That’s what I’ve learned,” he finished.

“Please stop talking.”

“You don’t believe me?” he asked.

“Can we stop talking now?”

“You’re so far down that path, you think you can’t find your way back.”

“Max –”

“Baby, wake up and look around, that path brought you straight to my f**kin’ house.”

I could take no more. I closed my eyes and turned my head away. If I couldn’t escape him physically, I had to escape him mentally.

His thumb slid along my cheekbone under my bruise and his next words penetrated my mental evasion.

“Shoulda f**ked him up worse.”

I gulped back tears and pressed my cheek into the bed.

“I knew a man laid his hands on you, I would have.”

I shook my head but kept it averted. Max fell quiet but his thumb slid back over my cheekbone then his fingers trailed through my hair then down my neck.

“See you’ve had enough,” he whispered and I nodded.

His weight left me but he wasn’t gone but a second when I was on my feet in front of him.

I opened my eyes and tilted my head back to look at him as both his hands settled at my neck.

“I gotta go into town,” he said. “It’ll give you time.”

I nodded again.

“I wanna know what’s happenin’ with Damon before Mindy gets near town. I need to leave her with you.”

“We’ll be all right,” I assured him and his forehead dropped to mine.

“Nina, I get Mindy sorted out, tonight, I want you to talk to me.”

“Max –”

“Think about it, honey.”

I bit my lip then said, “Okay.”

“All right.” His thumb swept my jaw then his hands brought me closer and his lips went to my forehead. “Be back as soon as I can,” he muttered there, kissed me sweet then let me go and walked away without looking back.

The minute I lost sight of Max, I ran to the bathroom, closed the door, put my back to it and lifted my hands in front of me. They were shaking.

I closed my eyes and tried to blank my mind.

I like him, Charlie said to me.

“Be quiet,” I whispered.

Nina? Charlie called.

“I said, be quiet.”

Sweetheart, see that light? he asked.

“Please,” I begged.

Neenee Bean, it isn’t a train, Charlie told me.

“Shut up.”

You’re almost there, he finished.

I closed my eyes, slid down the door, pulled my legs to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, putting my cheek to knee.

A knock came at the door and I jumped.

“Nina?” Mindy called.

“Be right out!” I called back.

“You okay?”

“Great, just going to take a shower.”

There was a hesitation then, “All right.”

I waited for Mindy to come back, say something more, knock again, for Charlie to invade my mind.

When nothing happened, I took a shower.

* * * * *

Feeling the need to be prepared for what came next, I not only took a shower, I did my hair and makeup too. Then I dressed in jeans and a thin, violet, boat neck sweater that had a wide dip at the top of the back and a tie across my shoulders holding the sides together.

Dressed and ready to face my next ordeal, I wound my way down Max’s stairs and saw Mindy sitting at his computer. All buoyant, skip-dancing Mindy gone, what happened the night before had worn her innate cheerfulness clean away.

Last night she’d cried all the way to Max’s house then she’d pulled herself together when we walked in then she starting crying again when Max got me some ice for my eye.

“Go upstairs, honey,” Max had whispered while he held the ice to my eye. “Get ready for bed, lie down, keep the ice on as much as you can. I’ve got Mindy and I’ll be up soon.”

Considering the situation, I hadn’t argued about him “having Mindy” or, more importantly, meeting me in bed. Firstly, since Mindy was sleeping on the couch, there was nowhere else for either Max or I to bed down. Secondly, I knew Mindy needed Max just then and me arguing about sleeping arrangements would delay her getting him. Therefore, I did as I was told, lying in bed and listening to their murmuring until I fell asleep.

Now I knew, even with all that crying last night, watching her despondently clicking on Max’s computer, she was having a very prolonged “bad moment” and I had to do what I could to make it go away.

She tipped her head back to give me a small smile but that too looked dead. Then she turned back to the computer screen.

I walked up to her, hesitated because it seemed we’d known each other an age with all that had gone on but we didn’t know each other all that well then I went for it and gently pulled her hair over her shoulder.

“I have to check my e-mail, darling, then make a couple of calls. If you want to get a shower, after I’m done, I’ll give you a facial,” I offered, drawing her long, curly, soft hair through my palm again and down her back.