Page 11 of Take

But the longer I watched her the more I wanted to see what was beneath the hard outer shell she hid behind. I wanted to set her free, crack the seal and hear it hiss and bubble and scream.

Everything about this was fucked. I knew it, but there was a chance I could get what I needed and walk away from this—from her.

I ran back to the shed where I left Max one minute ago, expecting to find her moaning in pain, but I should’ve known better—she was fuckin’ gone.

“Jesus.” I ran for my bike, well, limped because my fuckin’ leg hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. I stopped when I saw her and nearly blew my load. She was sitting astride my bike looking for the keys. I did wonder if I’d left them in the ignition if she would’ve taken off without me.

She looked up and I pulled them out of my pocket and dangled them. I imagined her smiling at me—she wasn’t and I realized this chick never smiled. I’d watched her sporadically for months and never heard her laugh or seen her smile. And that bothered the fuck out of me.

I noticed her blades were tucked in my leather satchel on the side of the bike and couldn’t help but be a little impressed. And damn her sitting astride my bike—a fuckin’ angel.

Thing was I bet she didn’t have much of an angel in her anymore. According to Adrian, who was responsible for finding me most of my jobs and just as corrupt as me, maybe worse, had said Xamien found her chained in a bedroom on the floor when she was sixteen. It took a year before she spoke and told Xamien her name was Max. Whoever had taken this chick as a child had sucked out any happiness and encased her in stone. Well, I was capable of chiseling through stone. You just needed to know how to handle the fuckin’ chisel.

“I’m thinking I should’ve ripped that towel off six months ago.” No, I knew I should’ve. I moved in and noticed her stiffen. “Too bad you put a bullet in my leg that is starting to fuckin’ hurt like hell; otherwise, I’d go kill the rest of those fuckers then sink my cock inside you, right here on top of my bike.”

I expected some kind of reaction; that was what I pushed for in her. But Max merely looked at me with those blank eyes, her hand pressed to her side. Looked like I’d have to work a little to sink between her legs. Because that was what this was. A lusty obsession with a girl I shouldn’t take, but I was good at doing the wrong thing. Had done the wrong thing my entire life, now I just accepted it and didn’t make excuses for who I was.

“Slide back, sunshine.” I focused my hearing ability and heard men running through the kitchen toward the back door.

She didn’t hesitate. I liked that. It was me who had trouble when I got on then had to tug her forward on the leather seat so her pelvis was snug against my ass. I grit my teeth as my cock strained against my pants. “Arms.”

When she didn’t put her arms around my waist, I was going to make her when two guys came barreling around the side of the shed. I kicked the bike into gear and skidded down the driveway.

They didn’t shoot and I knew why—I wasn’t the only one who wanted Max to live.

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