Page 155 of South Beach Bodyguards

I had to admit I was touched. Maybe she did care about me. Maybe it hadn’t all been an act. “Thanks, Miranda, but I can handle myself,” I said. “I don’t need you to make deals on my behalf.”

“You should be grateful,” Max said. “Because if she wasn’t here you’d already be dead.”

“Why do you want to kill me?” I had to admit, I was curious.

“Because you’re having sex with her, you idiot.”

Interesting. I eyed him. “But wasn’t that the plan? The con? Because there has to be a con. There always is with you. I just don’t get the end game.”

Miranda gasped and whirled around. Her jaw had dropped. “A con? You think this was all some scheme on my part? You’re an asshole.” Her voice trembled in fury. “You’re both assholes. For five years I thought Max was dead. I told you that. His being here is a total shock to me and now I have you believing that I’m some con artist who seduced you? Screw you.”

Either that was feigned outrage or it was the truth. I wasn’t sure which. I wanted to believe her, but I wasn’t sure it would be wise to at this point. Not with Max holding a weapon. “What’s your side of the story, Max? Did Miranda know where you were?”

Her nostrils flared. She was angry with me, clearly. But that was the least of my concerns.

“It’s not really any of your business but I’m feeling nostalgic. It’s almost good to see you, brother.”

As usual, we differed in opinion.

“No, Miranda didn’t know where I was,” he added. “I needed to protect her. If she knew anything she would have some people pressing her for information.”

“But she knew you were alive.”

Max shook his head.

“I already told you that,” Miranda snapped. “And I’m leaving. I don’t want to see either of you right now. Alejandro, you can come and get your clothes tomorrow.”

Hey, now. That was taking a giant leap. I thought it was fair that I would have doubts about what the hell was going on. “Let’s talk about this.”

“I’m done talking.” Miranda started toward the door.

But Max wasn’t about to let her leave. I realized that immediately and started toward her at the same time he did. He was closer and even though I moved fast, he yanked her back by the arm. She squawked and then cried out when he slammed her back onto the counter.

Fury rose up inside, red and hot. “Get your fucking hands off of her.”

“What are you doing?” Miranda asked Max. There were tears in her eyes. I didn’t know if they were from pain or the hurt of betrayal that Max was man-handling her. Or that he had lied to her.

It didn’t seem like they had a mutual plan worked out.

Though they had been kissing when I had walked in the house.

Max’s grip on Miranda tightened as he leaned forward and got in her face. She tried to ease back away from him. I eyed Max’s gun, trying to figure out my next move.

Max was not going to have the last word for once.

I was.

I recoiled from the expression on Max’s face. It reminded me of when people are high on drugs. His eyes were glassy and wild, a little crazed. Maybe he was on drugs. I didn’t know. All I knew was that this man was a total stranger to me.

I had never been afraid of Max, ever. Now I was.

“What are you doing?” I asked, feeling a fluttering of panic, yet at the same time feeling very pissed off. He had a lot of freaking nerve strolling back into my life and throwing me around. “Back off, Max.”

“I can’t have you leave, Mandy. You need to help me.” His breath was hot on my face. “You know I left because there were guys after me, but what you don’t know is that I stole half a million bucks from them three years ago after I got to Mexico.”

My back was against the countertop and I gripped it tightly, trying to lean as far away from him as possible. I couldn’t even see Alejandro any more but I knew that he would be well aware of the gun in Max’s hand.

“What does that mean?” I asked in a low voice. I felt I had to placate him, keep him calm. The gun kept brushing against my leg, and I knew it was loaded, which was terrifying. “Is someone after you?”

---