“Noon.”
“Gather the men and meet me at the wharfs.”
“Oui.”
He hung up.Rising, he headed over to the hidden panel and punched in the code to open it.He grabbed his nine mil, loaded it and then stuck another magazine in his pocket before closing and locking the safe.
Heading out, he addressed his man at the door.“Your number one priority is her.Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Anything happens to her, you better have died protecting her.”
“Yes, sir.”
Max rode the elevator down to the parking garage, and moments later he was on his way to Long Beach.The only thought in his head was to destroy the Voclain property, and if Savage happened to be there, even better.
He arrived at the wharf and his men joined him as they headed to the dockmaster, who had given the tip.Payment was made, ensuring that the shipping wharfs remained under his control.The Voclain family could go to hell.He hated them with every cell in his body, and if he could burn them out of existence, he would happily set the pyre aflame.
Watching the gantry cranes move the large cargo containers, he patiently waited until he spotted the container number.The box was lowered on the ground and Max nodded for his men to break the lock.As soon as the metal doors opened, crates were pulled out and crowbars pried open the lids.Max inspected one and pulled out an orange porcelain horse, a replica of a Tang Dynasty antique.He dropped it and it shattered on the ground, revealing a light grey powder on the inside.
“Assholes,” he muttered.He snapped his fingers.“Destroy these fucking horses and take the blow to Hades.He might want to know Voclain is trying to muscle into his territory as well.”
His men knew what to do.Maybe this was the very thing he needed to flush Savage out so he could finally carve his heart from his chest and feed it to him.
****
Time rolled by andthe doughnut she’d eaten had disappeared long ago.Rising, she decided to find the kitchen to see if there was something to eat.
“Max?”Quinn called out, but the penthouse was so huge she doubted he could hear her.Besides, she didn’t want to disturb his work.Heading into the kitchen, her jaw dropped when she took in the opulence.
Running her hand over the solid wood custom cabinets, the craftsmanship was exquisite.High-end appliances, quartz countertop, a huge island, everything was white and bright.When she opened the refrigerator, it was stocked with food.Her stomach growled so she hoped Max was okay with her cooking.
She hunted until she found everything she needed, like a skillet and spices.It didn’t take long for her to whip up some pancakes, eggs, and bacon.The dining room table had an excellent view over the marina, and as she ate, she heard commotion from the other part of the penthouse and a moment later, Max came to a stop as he saw her.
“Hi,” she greeted.
“You cook?”he asked.
“I do.I assume you cook as well.That kitchen is amazing.”
“Thank you.”He sat down next to her.“And, yes, I do cook.I don’t trust a lot of prepared meals.Too much salt.Too many ingredients I can’t pronounce.”
She grinned.“Would you like me to fix you breakfast food for dinner?I have more batter I can use.”
“No, I’m good,” he replied.“But thank you.The swelling around your eye has gone down a lot.”
She gently touched the tender area.“Yeah.It’s a lovely green color.”
“At least it seems to be healing.”
“Do you think it’s safe for me to return to my apartment?”
His eyes narrowed.“Why?You’re here now.”
“I can’t impose on you—”
“Not up for debate.”
