“There, there, it’s over now.”Max stroked his face, the way a loving parent might comfort a child.“Sleep now.”He cradled his head as Eric passed out, placing him on the floor, blood running from his mouth like the bloody maw of a predator.But he was the prey.
An icy calm settled over him, and he put the mask back on as Max joined him at the table.
He held his beer up to him.Max’s head jolted, just for a second, and he almost smiled before he clinked his beer with his own.“To working together again.”
Max’s lip curled.Happy that his pet had returned, had come home.
He made a show of looking at his watch.“I need to get to work.”
Max nodded.“Good.Got to keep up appearances, Drewy.We’re going to need that respectable cover of yours.Carry on as normal until we call on you.”
He downed the last of his beer.“Will do.”
Max smiled.Drew could read Max as well as Max could read him.He saw how pleased Max was that he’d come back with no fight, automatically fallen back into the fold, not blinking an eye at his violence.
But he knew what he had to do now.He had no choice.Because Max had demonstrated today that no one was safe.The world was a spiderweb, and everyone was connected.He had too many people he cared about now, and everyone he loved had someone they loved ...the cycle would never end.But it would.It would end with him, because he would cut the head off the serpent.He would kill Max.
Chapter Eight
Alana
As the day slipped into night, her mind fled elsewhere, to Drew.Thoughts of him flooded her.After their kiss the previous evening, they’d stopped things from going any further.But she wished they had.If the past few days had taught her anything it was that life could change in the blink of an eye, the snap of a finger, and she needed to start taking it in both hands.He felt the same.She could see it; she could feel it.He was watching her this morning.It wasn’t coincidence she’d left her door open.She never slept with it open.She wanted him to be the brave one.She wanted him to be the one to knock on her door ...but he hadn’t.And so, she would have to be the brave one.She wanted him and she wouldn’t wait any longer.She couldn’t.These thoughts were a distraction, she couldn’t get on with her day, and if he was the cure, she was going to take it, again and again and again.
Her phone buzzed, taking her out of her thoughts.Good.She needed a distraction from them.She smiled, clicking the accept button.
“Lily, how are you?”
She was checking up on her.Figures.
“No, how are you?Keeping the wolves at bay?”
She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing fell from her tongue.What to say?Best not to get her involved in any of this.
“Yes,” she lied.“Everything is fine.He’s given up on trying to gain membership.You know what it’s like with these types, when the next new, shiny thing comes along, that’s what they are going to focus on.”
The truth was, she had no idea if this was true.In her experience, it wasn’t.The type of people she worked with, they wanted what they wanted, no exceptions, and it was her job to get it for them.She didn’t doubt Max was like that.And he wanted Drew.But he wouldn’t get him.She’d do whatever it took to keep him safe.She just didn’t know what that was yet.But she would.She’d figure it out.She always did.
