Chapter 27

Maybe this is what I need.

This intimacy with Max to forget Ryder. I did lose my virginity in college, so I'm not scared to have sex. I want and need something to get me closer to Max.

I nod, and Max smiles.

He gets in and closes the shower door behind him. I take that moment to look at him. He has so many scars all over his body that are permanent. A lot of them are keloids.

The one injury, however, that stands out the most is his missing finger. I will live with that guilt until I die.

Max steps closer to me and puts his hands around my hips. I swallow hard. My heart races as I try not to look at his man bits.

He kisses me gently on the lips.

"Stop blaming yourself," he says while our lips are still touching.

I move my face away and look up at him. "What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"You look at my hand, and I can see you blame yourself every time. It's not your fault." Max walks around me and stands underneath the shower, letting the water soak his entire body. He rakes his hands through his hair.

I turn to him. Tears were pooling in my eyes again. Thankfully he doesn't notice due to the water already on my face. I wrap my arms around his backside and shut my eyes.

I am willing myself to only think of Max. Not Ryder! Ryder is a liar! Max is good and amazing! Only Max! Just Max!

Max touches my hand and turns around. He rakes his hair as more water runs down his entire body.

He gives me an empathetic smile and picks me up. I look into his beautiful blue eyes and forcefully kiss him!

Max moans underneath me as the water rains down on us. He opens the shower door and walks out, his kisses never wavering. I run my hands through his hair, knowing full well where he is headed.

I don't care anymore! Ryder has women on standby in every continent. There is nothing wrong with being intimate with my fiancé.

Max walks into my bedroom and lays me on the bed. He stands back up and examines me from head to toe. I look up at him and bite my lip. The nervousness leaves, and now I'm lusting. Max is a gorgeous man. He really is! Even though he's covered in scars, he's amazingly built. His sexy smile, his bulging biceps, and triceps.

I begin to count every ab on his chiseled stomach. Perfection!

"I love you," Max says as he climbs on top of me.

I don't want to say it back, so I grab him and kiss him passionately! He takes his hand and runs it down my neck, chest, hip, and down my leg. I wrap my legs around him.

As he continues to trails kisses all over my body, my thoughts start to drift to Ryder.

How I wish he were the one between my legs right now.

"Baby," Max says, looking down at me again. "Tell me you love me."

I look up at him, trying to force myself to say it.

Does it really hurt to tell my fiance that I love him? They are only words.

"I..."

Just then, a crash comes from the other side of my bedroom!

I scream and look up! The sliding door glass is shattered. Max jumps up and runs to the door. He carefully walks around the glass and jumps onto the balcony, looking around.

"What the hell was that?!" He yells.

Ryder's Point-Of-View

*An hour earlier

Did she really leave me standing there in the bathroom? I have so many thoughts, but I am more confused and hurt.

Her wedding?! In a week?!

Had I known this, I would've come sooner!

There is no way I can let her marry him! Max is the one that put the hit out on her.

My sources are never wrong! They said he wants her dead. It's news to me that she gave him everything in the event of her death, and he retracted it.

It makes no sense whatsoever! I hate him, and the fact that all signs point away from him angers me further! The fact that she will marry him makes me want to kill him slowly!

I have no idea who or why he was kidnapped. It actually brought me great satisfaction seeing his face plastered all over the screen when he first went missing. I didn't understand why.

Pulling out my phone, I call Freddie. I tell him to look into Max's disappearance. I want every piece of evidence, and surveillance footage the police have on him.

Maybe, just maybe, my sources are wrong.

Of course, I'm not doing this for Max.

I'm sure whoever had him kidnapped had a hand in arranging Sam's kidnapping. If he is actually innocent! I need to make sure she is safe.

I wasn't able to admit it before, but I love her. I am willing to walk away from everything to live a normal life with her. From the moment I first saw her, I knew this.

This is all my fault!

Then again, if I weren't the one to kidnap her, someone else would've, and she would've been buried six feet under a long time ago.

I cringe at the thought.

I did keep track of her these past months. Well, Freddie did, actually.

She needs to live her life. Wouldn't she be unhappy by my side?

However, Freddie didn't tell me anything about her getting married. I suppose he was saving me from the agony. He's always had a knack for knowing how I feel before I even realize it.

I have to get to Sam's house and talk some sense into her! She can't marry Max! There is no way she loves him.

Not the way I know she loves me!

I get into my rented black charger and head to her house.

The security at her front gate gives me no problems. All I do is hand him an envelope containing ten thousand dollars and tell him I'm a reporter trying to speak with Miss Hallowell.

I am two houses down when I see that asshole pull into her driveway. My knuckles go white as I grip the steering wheel tightly. I stop and pull over.

Why is Max here?!

I need her to understand everything, and with him there, it will be impossible. I see Max bend over and grab something under her doormat. Seconds later, he enters her home.

My phone rings.

"Ryder, you have another job. It's a big one, actually. It's a Royal-"

"Not right now, Freddie!" I snap at him.

"Ugh, fine! Anyways, has she forgiven you yet?" Freddie asks in annoyance.

"No, I only told her about bringing her back. She hates me right now."

He hesitates. "Wait, you only told her about bringing her home, and you didn't tell the second part to it? Yikes! And she's reacting like that?" He sighs heavily. "It would help if you listened to me when I told you not to follow through with that ridiculous plan of yours. Once she finds out the rest of your little plan, it'll crush her. You do know that, right?"

I hang up on him. Yes, I know that once I tell her the rest of what happened the day of the amusement park, she will probably never want to speak to me again. I don't need Freddie in my ear, annoying me.

I wait a couple of minutes and decide I can't wait any longer. I have to see her!

The lights on the first floor of her house go out. I get out of my car and run across the street, ducking behind some bushes.

I walk to the side of her house. Looking up, I see lights emanating from her bedroom. This, I knew because I was here before.

Right before her kidnapping, I was watching her every move. It's a good thing she didn't believe in blinds or curtains. I was able to watch her movements on the first floor easily.

I climb the trash can and then onto a ledge. I jump and grab onto the balcony, slowly climbing up. I swing my legs around and walk slowly to her door. I grab the sliding door and pull it open a little.

My breathing hitches and I quickly throw my body against the wall outside. Max is carrying Sam out of the bathroom. They are both naked, and she's kissing him.

I do everything I can not to break in and shoot him dead, right on the spot. But that will only further her thinking of me.

That I am an animal.

I turn slowly and watch as he lays her on the bed, taking a moment to breathe in her perfection. Max then begins kissing and touching her all over. His hands are in places; not even I had been.

I start to shake uncontrollably. A fire starts slowly rising in me that I have always suppressed. I begin to feel a little faint when I see where he is putting his mouth.

I look down. I have taken out my gun and didn't notice it's in my hand.

"Baby, tell me that you love me," I hear Max say to her.

No!

I immediately put my hand over my heart. It feels like it's breaking. The same sensation I have only ever felt once before.

The night I saw my parents killed.

I will not let her tell him a lie! She doesn't love him!

She loves me!

I take the gun and hit the glass door hard, causing it to shatter. Sam screams! I turn and jump down onto the ledge and then the ground.

I take off running to the car.