Page 53 of Ruthless Keeper
He exits the room, gently closing the door behind him. I fix my attention on Luci, scratching behind his ears and stroking over his sleek fur, murmuring soothing words to him. I only get a few moments to revel in the attention and delightful purrs of my cat before the door opens back up.
But instead ofGreysonstanding in the doorway, it’sMax.My next breath is a little sharper, and something awkward blooms over my skin. Max stares at me unblinkingly, and his gaze isn’t exactly covetous… but it’s something. His attention is focused on me in a discomfiting way.
“Hey,” I say quietly. “What are you doing here?”
Max cracks a half-smile. “I came to check on Luci, obviously. Does my furry little dude miss me?”
My lips curve a little. “He’s absolutely heartbroken and stuck in a spiral of despair without you. You’re exacerbating his abandonment issues.”
Max chuckles. Luci lifts his head from my chest and meows at him in greeting. “Hey there, hairball.” He glances at me. “Guess he can’t be missing methatmuch if he’s not coming over to say hello.”
I shrug. “He’s firmly in protector mode right now, listening to my heartbeat and making sure I’m alright.”
Max’s eyebrows inch upward. “Is he a trained service cat?”
“Not trained; innate,” I reply. “I rescued him when he was in a bad way, and he’s stuck with me through some pretty tough times andharsh meltdowns. He tends to just… set up camp on my lap and rest his head on my chest when he senses I’m struggling.” I glance at my arm. “The pain got pretty bad earlier.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you from getting hurt,” Max says, frowning. “You’ve already been through so fucking much… if it’s in my power, I won’t let anything else happen to you.”
I swallow thickly, fixing my gaze on Luci. Max isn’t talking like a friend or ally right now, I don’t think. Something else is going on here, and I don’t know what to call it or how to feel about it. I have no idea how to navigate this.
“It’s not your job to protect me,” I whisper. “I appreciate the sentiment, but—”
“We’re friends, aren’t we?” Max cuts me off, still staring. “Friends help each other out.”
We don’tfeellike friends. This interaction doesn’t feel friendly. There’s a tension in the air, something between us that I don’t know how to name. It’s not attraction, but it’s…something.
“Yeah, I suppose we’re friends,” I agree quietly.
“Scarlett?”
I meet Max’s eyes. Something alarming burns in his orbs, a conviction, maybe even a…longing?
“If you didn’t belong to Greyson… we’d be a lot more than justfriends.” My heart sinks as I watch Max turn and walk out, leaving my mind restless and my thoughts muddled.
Chapter Twenty
Greyson
Ross is quick to give me all the information I’m seeking, once I have him pinned to a wall with my hand squeezing the life from his neck. The fact that I wasn’t thoroughly briefed on Scarlett and given a plan of care constitutes a spectacular failure in our medical wing. I understand that today was a complicated day, but that doesnotexcuse the lack of communication.
After I’ve made itabundantlyclear that Scarlett is my priority, therefore she should beeveryone’spriority, I release the sputtering doctor and leave him to ruminate on his mistakes with a black eye and split lip.
I stop short on my way back to Scarlett’s room when I seeMaxhovering outside of it. He’s leaned against the wall, out of view of the doorway… almost like he’sprotectingher. Like he’s her new fucking guard dog or something—like he wants to takemyplace as her defender.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I demand.
“I’m here to see you,” Max responds. His features are drawn tight, and his posture is stiff, with his arms folded across his chest. “Eric is Scarlett’s brother.”
I feel my jaw clench. If I open my mouth, I’ll start shouting obscenities, so I settle for giving Max a terse nod.
“And Cain knew from the beginning.”
“Close to the beginning,” I say through gritted teeth. “He probably suspected from the start.”
“And his actions have led that innocent,beautifulgirl to a world of pain,” Max goes on angrily, pointing a finger at the door of Scarlett’s room.
Beautiful?I glare at Max, breathing deeply through my nose. It’s looking more and more like we’re going to have a problem… because he likes Scarlett far too fucking much for my comfort. As of this moment, Max is my closest ally and friend in the Nighthawks—which is the only reason I don’t outright attack him. If I’m going to survive Cain’s psycho bullshit, I’ll need Max.
