Page 56 of Invisible String (The Underground #1)
MAX
“ W hat the fuck, Max?” Carlos yells, pacing in his office.
“I told you from the get-go that the Underground is dangerous, and crime organizations are dangerous. You are a skilled fighter. I understand why you did it. Believe me, I know. This is why I have supported you. But, son, he has you by the balls, making you his bitch.”
I snort, leaning back in the chair, my legs spread.
“Don’t fucking give me that. Look at your face—you’re lucky it wasn’t worse. He tried to set you up to fail, putting you in a two-against-one situation.” He pounds the desk with his fist.
Thank God for Rainey cleaning me up. She helped with the swelling. Carlos called his ring-doctor friend to check on me. Nothing is broken, and Rainey sealed the cuts. He just left mere minutes ago.
“Everything is fine. I won. Kicked ass. The end,” I say nonchalantly.
He narrows his eyes, and a network of veins becomes prominent. He knows I realize it’s not the end.
Carlos shakes his head. “To them, it’s not an end if you supply money for them.
You can get kicked out of the pros before your first fight.
” His knuckles whiten as he presses down on the desk with the palms of his hands.
The desk creaks slightly under the pressure.
“You went alone. You should have taken me with you.”
I didn’t want to endanger him and Nessa.
“And you risked harming your girl. You didn’t keep a low profile, knowing Daniel was there.”
I exhale and run my fingers through my hair.
My anxiety wants me to protect her. I fucked up.
Jealousy ruled that night. “I know,” I say, standing.
I introduced Rainey to the bodyguard, and she said she felt safe around them.
She went to have lunch with her brother, and they planned to go shopping with his girlfriend.
Johnny texted, showing me a picture of her, letting me know she was okay.
“Daniel put a gun to my face and threatened Rainey. I did what I had to do, and I hired a couple of bodyguards in the meantime. I’ll fix it. ”
Johnny said he hadn’t seen anyone suspicious.
Carlos eases into his rolling leather chair, the material creaking softly under his weight.
From the direction of the gym, the sharp thuds of gloved fists meeting flesh mixes with the rhythmic grunts and groans of boxers sparring in the ring.
“There’s a way to take eyes off of her. They need to see you’re not interested. ”
The backs of my palms press firmly against the smooth, polished surface of the wooden desk. I raise my brows. “What do you have in mind?”
Carlos leans in the chair, hands on the back of his head. “Take a different woman out. Start with Annette. You don’t need to be touchy with them so they can see Rainey is unimportant,” he says nonchalantly.
Sure, maybe it would work. It only makes my anger rise.
“Fuck, no. I won’t take any woman out, even if it’s to draw attention away from Rainey.”
He sighs. “Okay, well, how about she goes on dates?”
Hot jealousy erupts like lava, my hand swings to a pile of papers on the desk, causing them to fly to the other side of the room.
Carlos stares at me, then at the papers on the floor.
My insides rage with possessiveness to think someone would so casually be having dinner with my sunshine, who is not me, and it has steam shooting out of my pores.
If Carlos weren’t so important in my life, I would strangle him for implying it.
“No one takes my woman out. No other fucker will stare at my woman’s beautiful eyes but me.”
Carlo’s lips curve.
“I spent years looking for her, getting my shit together, and I won’t allow some dickhead to pretend to flirt and be with her.” I bend at the knees to grab the papers. “Absolutely fucking not.”
His head jerks back into a hilarious crackle.
I stare at him questionably. “Never seen you like this. Territorial, jealous, possessive, and in love. I can’t wait to meet her.
” He wears a proud grin. For a long time, he was worried about me because I rarely smiled.
Although I had smiled for Rain, I was unhappy with myself.
To cherish and care for her, I needed to love myself.
“You know where I’m coming from. Women.” I laugh. “You’ll meet her soon. First, I need to work on her forgiving me and loving me.” In unison, we walk into the gym.
“Have you spoken to her father?”
I shake my head and high-five the kids walking in. They give me a wide grin. “No, she’s had dinner with him, but it didn’t go far. He asked her to have Andrew live with her and talked shit about me.”
“Max, can you help?” a small boy with the biggest dimples asks. He hands me his gloves. I nod and kneel.
“Rowan is going to string it on for life. If you tell her, you need to be ready,” Carlos suggests, his knees cracking as he sits on the bench.
“I’ve been giving him time to tell her while I spend time with Rainey.” Ben, I think that’s his name, lifts his other hand to snug his glove in. “It seems he’s too much of a puss—I mean, chicken—to tell her. I need her not to run from me when it happens. I need her to love me enough.”
Carlos ruffles Ben’s hair before running off with Leo to coach him.
“I might not know her, but I think she loves you, Max. She’s hurt, and I don’t blame her. She needs to see you aren’t fleeing anymore. But we also need to figure out this shit with Daniel. I don’t trust him.”
Neither do I, not with Rainey. He knows my weakness is her. I would do anything for Rainey if I had to fight an army to save her, so fucking be it.
Once I’m all wrapped up and have my gear on, I loop one leg over the rope and then the other.
I dance in place, waiting for Xander. “Fuck man, I didn’t know you fought last night.
No wonder Daniel’s cock suckers informed me not to fight last night.
They knew I would have jumped in. What a damn shithead.
” Xander fastens his headgear. “It shows them how much of a badass you are to fight two huge men, and they have nothing against you.”
My ego flares; I’m not used to compliments. I always brush them off. When I fought last night, it was in a rage to protect Rainey and get to her.
“This is your sign to get out of this mess with them,” I tell him.
“I know I’m going to. I have too much to lose. I need to protect my sisters when I get her. I need them off my tail.”
Sparring begins, and I can’t wait to see Rainey tonight. She’s my obsession. My damn world.
When I get to Rainey’s house, it’s late.
She texted to ask if I was staying over.
I told her I would. I’m unsure if she was asking because she’s scared, which I’m sure she is, or if she really wants me over.
But first, I needed to pick up Daisy and shower.
Daisy hops out of the car, wagging her tail.
The German Shepherd puppy is only four months old.
The warm glow from the porch light spills over the carefully arranged bed of flowers and rose bushes that Rainey had meticulously planted.
The light cast soft shadows on the delicate petals and highlighted the vibrant colors.
Daisy kicks dirt with her back paws at me and marches to the front door like she owns the place.
What a sassy dog, just like her new owner.
Shoving the bag of dog food, bowls, chocolates, and Twizzlers in one arm, I shut the car door. Now, I want to convince her to get surveillance cameras outside. And you know, in the bedroom and the shower. See, I get turned on just thinking of her.
Rainey peeks through the window when I ring the doorbell.
“Max.” She cast a glance over at me in appreciation.
I’m only wearing a baseball cap, blue denim jeans, and a black T-shirt. I strive for it. She’s what I breathe for.
“Hi, my sunshine. How was?—”
Daisy’s sharp, demanding barks echo through the room and cuts me off. She burst into the room, her tail wagging with excitement.
Rainey clasps her hands in pure excitement, matching Daisy’s.
“Oh my gosh, and who are you?” Rainey kneels.
“Oh, you must be Daisy. Aren’t you a pretty girl?
” Daisy lies on the floor, legs spread so that Rainey can rub her belly.
“Oh, you like that, huh? You are the sweetest.” Daisy jumps to her feet and licks Rainey.
“Okay, Daisy, my turn.” My voice comes out harsher than I intended.
“Max,” Rainey scolds me, and Daisy runs off to snoop around. I set the dog food and snacks on the floor.
The moment I lift Rainey off the floor to her feet, my body hums with a wild urgency.
Rainey observes me intently, like a prey aware of its predator.
I smirk and press her against the wall. I’ve been thinking about her all day.
“I missed you,” I say, flipping my hat around.
She bites that sexy lip, and that does it.
With as much gentleness as I can muster, my heart pounding fiercely, I gently encircle her neck with my hand.
My thumb softly traces the rhythm of her pulse.
The knowledge that she desires me just as intensely drives me into overdrive.
“Those lips, I thought about how you taste, how badly I wanted to get back to taste you.”
Her eyes fill with desire as our mouths slant.
A sweetness envelops our kiss, and she lets out a soft whimper.
We move together in a passionate rhythm, and I gently suck on her tongue.
She completely melts in my embrace. She gives me a breathless smile when I step back, releasing her. I shut the door behind me and lock it.
“Daisy is so cute. I remember asking my mom and dad for a German Shepherd when I was young.” She shrugs. “They said those dogs could be vicious.”
Daisy runs back from the long hallway with Rainey’s bra.
“Daisy, seriously? You have to embarrass me like that?” She pinches the bridge of her nose.
Daisy drops it at my feet, and I take it, examining the sexy blue lace bra.