Page 26 of Oh My Secret Christmas Baby
I would never use my woman in a plan to take another person down, especially a pregnant one. But either way, I know she isn’t in on anything. Her reactions are too real. She is running scared.
“Fucking Maxwell Holmberg.” A small gasp has my head snapping up. Candy is standing there in white pajamas that have tiny candy canes on them.
“You know.” She wrings her hands together in front of her.
“Come here.” I motion with my finger, and she comes right to me.
No fucking way she belongs to Maxwell in any capacity. The man is part con, and I don’t care if Candy is having his children;I’ll do whatever I have to to protect her and the babies. Even if that means getting my hands dirty, or better yet, bloody.
Chapter Thirteen
CANDY
Ireally shouldn’t be surprised that he found out about Max. I had given him my full name, and if I’ve learned anything about Hollis, he’s a fixer.
“I’m sorry.” I feel the need to apologize. All this man has been is good to me, and I hate that I might be messing up his life. He’s gone through enough. He left the city along with its chaos behind, and I’ve brought it right to his door.
“Why would you be sorry?”
“That Max has pulled you into this.”
Hollis’s brows pull together. “I know Maxwell Holmberg.”
“What?” I ask, confused.
“Come and sit; you said your feet are hurting.” I turn to go over to the couch in his office but only make it a few steps before I am easily swept off my feet by Hollis. He walks over, sitting down with me in his lap. I wrap my arms around his neck, enjoying being close to him.
“How do you know him?” I ask. If they knew each other, then Max picked his, ah, semen for a reason. It’s so strange to think of it that way.
“The business world can be rather big and small at the same time. Maxwell isn’t a good business man or human, forthat matter. Why his family still tolerates his bullshit, I don’t understand but to each their own.”
I let his words sink in and realize he doesn’t know it all. Maxwell kept me tucked away from his family. I thought it was because I wasn’t good enough for them, but maybe it’s him that’s not good enough after all.
“Is there a reason he’s, uh, targeting you?” I don’t know what else to call it.
“I outed him on a few of his shady dealings to his family and other associates. It’s been a few years since I even heard his name. I all but forgot about him. I don’t work with anyone that is willing to work with him. Maxwell and most others know this.”
"I don’t think he’s forgotten about you. If he is mad at you, which I believe is likely since Max can hold a grudge forever, it doesn’t matter if the reason is big or small."
He’ll hold it over you. I am piecing together that many of his actions were intended to bring me down, making me believe he was the best I could have. I felt that I should be grateful he chose to be my friend.
I believed that the rest of the world only saw me as a poor girl with a stripper mother. He made me forget how fiercely I fought to get into college and earn a slew of scholarships.
I’d been shocked when I’d gotten into Mayford University since it’s an Ivy League school. Not only did I get accepted, but I received multiple scholarships. I honestly couldn’t comprehend how I got in when most of the other kids had gone to fancy prep schools and had a million and one extracurricular activities.
They’d told me it was my essay about my life and my background that were the reasons for my acceptance. That if I could beat a system meant to keep me down, it showed my dedication. I’d done it alone.
Max hadn’t, and you know what? I think that pissed him off. I just wish I’d seen that sooner. I was just so happy to beaccepted by people that came from a whole different world than me back then. Max exploited that. He didn’t want me to succeed too much because that meant I might leave him behind. It’s all so clear now.
"I don't give a shit if he's pissed at me."
"And he hasn't had anything to use against you. That's how he operates." I shake my head. "I'm starting to understand."
"What? His plan was to send you here and have me fall in love with you and then use you against me?" I almost want to laugh that anyone would think I could seduce a person.
"No." I search his face, not sure how to process what he said. The fall in love comment is like it's already happened, which is crazy, but does he think I'm in on it with Max? "You think I?—"
"I think you're my precious girl, and Maxwell can go fuck himself. This isn't a war he wants to have with me. His family might have money, and so does mine, but I also know people inveryhigh places.” He leans in, brushing his mouth against mine. “And I will go to war over you and those babies. I don’t care what those casualties will be.”
