Page 23 of Maximus

“Not me,” Max said. “Arresting isn’t my end of the stick.”

“You just make it a possibility?”

“Yes. I do what is required to ensure the assignment is completed.” He wasn’t lying to her, but through omission, he wasn’t telling her the truth either. That bothered him, yet another testimonial for the connection he’d somehow found with the beautiful woman.

“I’ll email him and tell him about last night. Should I tell him it was Sokolov?” she asked as she stood up rather slowly.

“Would you tell him if I wasn’t here?”

She stared at him for a moment. “Probably not. I’d wait for Abrasha to show up and then tell him. But I think Sokolov knows that, too. I think he’ll threaten me again before Abrasha comes back.”

“Then don’t tell him yet. You don’t need to worry about Sokolov. You’ll never be unattended. I plan on being with you from now until the showing. If I have to leave you, as I do this morning, to shower and change, I’ll make sure one of my coworkers is watching you.”

She turned to look at him and winced, and he was next to her in an instant. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ve never been hit by an automobile, but I suspect if I ever were, it would be a close match to how I feel right now.” She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m being a bit dramatic.”

“You have every right.”

“I’ll go get ready for work.”

“You’re going to work?”

“I have to. There’s a delivery from Abrasha’s residence to the vault this afternoon. One of the paintings he wanted in the exhibit.” She rubbed her arms. “You’ll come with me, right?”

“Will that anger Sokolov?” God, he hoped it would. He hoped the man would show his face. He wanted three minutes with the bastard. Fuck that, he wanted three days.

“I told him what you’d told me, your name, your position, what we were working on. He will leave me alone if he can validate your identity as you said he could. He was never supposed to approach me. I heard Abrasha threaten him when I was first hired. I threw that in his face last night. He said if I told Abrasha what he’d done, I’d be dead. I told him he’d die first.”

Max smiled. She had fight inside her. “That was baiting the bear, wasn’t it?”

“It was stupid, actually.” She reached up to his cheek. “It’s why he kicked me.”

Max touched the mark on her cheek. “Do you think Abrasha would kill his chief of security?”

“No. But I thought you would. That’s why I said it. Was I wrong?”

“You weren’t wrong.” Hewouldkill the man.

“He was in the pictures with Abrasha when he shot the woman. Sokolov is evil, too, isn’t he?”

“He is, but I’m far more dangerous and skilled than he is. You’re safe with me.”

Elena stared at him for what seemed like years. Finally, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. The simple touch was the sincerest action he’d ever experienced. It was pure, and he could see the embers of what had been in her eyes. He needed those embers to catch fire again. He’d move earth out of its orbit to ensure those eyes burned with the heat of a supernova again.

She blinked and whispered, “You won’t let him hurt me again.”

“Never.” He helped her down the hall.

As she opened the door, she turned to him. “If I were to ask what you were going to do to arrest Sokolov or Abrasha, would you tell me the truth?”

“If you asked me, I would. Please don’t ask.” He needed her to know she could trust him, and being as truthful as he could be began that process.

“I won’t. I think knowing wouldn’t help.” As she shut the door, a smile ticked the side of his lips. She had no idea how right she was.

He fished his comm device out of his pocket and put it in his ear. “Reaper.”

“Oh, he’s blessing us with his presence.” Con sighed.

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