Page 39 of Enemy Boss

I rang each bell in turn and if a voice I didn’t recognize answered, I said sorry wrong apartment, but when Max answered, I just hung up, and then I had her apartment number. By then, I had staked the place out enough to see that the main door of the apartment complex didn’t lock. Residents and regular visitors alike just walked in without a key or pausing to ring a bell. That convinced me this was the right thing to do. It was like a sign from the universe confirming to me that I was on the right path.

Once I had Max’s full address, the rest just fell into place. With little more than Google, I was able to find Max’s cellphone provider and from there, her new number. But I didn’t call her. Instead, I called a friend of mine, a hacker I had met years before, and became good friends with. I convinced him to hack into Max’s cellphone for me so that I could learn what I needed to know before I made my move.

Once the hack was completed, I wasn’t able to listen in on Max’s calls, but I got a copy of every text message, DM and email she sent, plus a recording of any voicemails she left or received. That was how I found out about her starting to see Cullen.

I must admit that hurt me badly. There is a difference between playing hard to get and wanting me to prove my love, and outright cheating on me. That’s a lesson I’m going to have to teach Max.

I mean what did this dude have that I didn’t? Ok, from following him and researching him and his company, I soon found out the answers to that. A billion dollar company, a better car than I could ever hope to drive, everything a woman seemed to want basically. But come on, the guy’s name is Cullen for fuck’s sake. Who calls a baby that?

Anyway, I pushed my jealousy aside and learned about Max’s new job, and her new life without me. I knew that I couldn’t wait forever to make my move, but as time went on, I will admit that I held myself back from making a move because I got scared that she might actually choose Cullen over me. Obviously, I wouldn’t allow that to actually happen – she is mine, not his - but it would hurt none the less knowing that would have been her choice if I was willing to give her one. I started obsessing over what to do, what to say, and I just kept watching, waiting for the right moment.

Just when I was about convinced the right moment would never come and I either needed to make a move or give up and stop wasting my time on Max, the universe came through for me again and showed me another sign.

I knew my first move had to be to get Cullen out of the picture, and when I saw the email Max sent to herself from her cellphone with an audio recording of some sort of pitch to a new client on it, I knew exactly what to do. And it worked.

It didn’t work in the way I thought it would. I figured the guy I sent the information to would use it to under cut Cullen’s firm and then once that was done, I would have to find a way to let him know Max was the one who sabotaged him – or at least that’s how it would look. But it worked out so much better than that. Within hours of me sending the email, Max was texting Harriet saying her and Cullen were over, and that she had been fired too. The next part of her message didn’t make much sense, but it sounded like the man I emailed pretending to be Max had enough morals to contact Cullen instead of using the information and Max lost everything in one fell swoop. I knew then that it was time to make my move and show Max that she didn’t need Cullen or his stupid job. All she needed was me.

When her life was falling apart, I would swoop in like her knight in shining armor and make everything ok again.

As soon as I read and deciphered that text message, I instantly made my way over to her apartment building. I’m here now, inside of her apartment and I’m going to make her see that I am the only man for her. I won’t fuck this up. I have to get my Max back. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure that happens.

Chapter 29

Max

Ross sits at one end of the couch, and I take the other end, doing my best to keep as much distance as possible between us without making it obvious I’m doing so. I must succeed in doing it subtly because if Ross thought I was doing it on purpose, he would have something to say about it no doubt. That’s why I took the other end of the couch instead of one of the arm chairs. It’s just easier to do things his way when it’s something as small as where I should sit.

I can see my cellphone on the coffee table out of the corner of my eye and part of me wants to make a grab for it, but Ross will just take it away from me. And even if I manage to get it without him seeing, what then? Who am I going to call?

I could call my mom, but there’s no way I would risk bringing her into this. I could call Harriet, but she’ll still be at work and probably wouldn’t even be able to pick up, let alone come to my rescue. I could call the police and tell them I willingly let this man into my apartment, and now he is sitting here not touching or harming me, but I need their help. Yes, I know how that one would go down. None of my friends know how bad things were with Ross and me except for Harriet, so calling any of them wouldn’t work; they would think I was just being dramatic. Which leaves Cullen. It always comes back to Cullen.

I’m not sure he would even care that Ross is here and that I am terrified of him, but even if he had enough affection left for me to care enough to get Ross out of here for me, the stubborn streak in me doesn’t want to go to him for help. Not after everything that has happened between us. I don’t want him to know that I still need him, and I certainly don’t want him to know how few options I have if I need someone’s help.

“Aren’t you going to offer me a drink?” Ross says, smirking at me.

“Would … would you like a cup of coffee or something?” I say.

I know when to pick my battles and this one isn’t it. If he wants a drink, he can have a drink.

“No thank you, but it’s good to be asked. It’s always nice to be nice Max,” he says.

“I agree,” I say, forcing myself to smile at him. “I wasn’t trying to be rude. I thought you wanted to talk to me, and I figured that was more important than serving refreshments.”

It seems I have said the wrong thing, because Ross slams a fist down into the arm of my couch. I try not to let him see me flinch, but he probably does. He doesn’t comment on it, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t noticed and is storing it up to use against me somehow later. That’s his style.

“See that’s what happens when you try to second guess me Max. Stop doing that ok. Just do what I tell you to do and then I won’t have to keep hurting you. Why don’t you understand that?” Ross says.

How didn’t I see this layer of crazy in him before? He’s speaking as though he is genuinely the long suffering victim here, and I’m some sort of project to be worked on and molded, a task forced on him whether he wants it or not, but because he is so heroic and good, he will strive to take it all on and complete the task and help me to become a model citizen or whatever shit it is he thinks he’s doing.

“Has it ever occurred to you that I might not want to do whatever it is you are telling me I have to do?” I say.

I cringe inside at my mouth for running away with my thoughts before I could sensor them. I wait for Ross to blow up, but instead, he just smiles and shakes his head.

“I know I lose my temper sometimes, but I don’t mean to honey. I know it’s not your fault. If that mother of yours had taught you better, you would be better,” he says.

“Don’t you dare bring my mom into this,” I snap, my anger at him implying my mom somehow failed me momentarily overcoming my fear of making Ross angry.

“Oh, I’ve touched a nerve there, have I?” Ross says and laughs. His laughter fades and he shakes his head. “No actually you’re right. I like Hayley. And I do believe she did her best. If anyone is to blame, it’s your so called father. He should have been around disciplining you, showing you what it takes to please a man.”

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