Page 40 of Maximus (Gold Team #4)

Time sure does go fast when you’re trying to sort your life—the previous week had gone by in a blink.

Max helped me to sort my house in Florida.

And after I consulted Tex, since he’d been the one to set me up and purchase my furniture, we decided to donate all of it to a battered women’s shelter.

His generosity knew no bounds and I got a little teary eyed when Tex told me he knew what it was like to need help.

I couldn’t imagine someone as capable as Tex needing anything from anyone—and I didn’t ask for him to elaborate.

Anaya came over and we found the perfect organization to give my belongings to.

She’d been wonderful. Not only to me but to the kids as well—they adored her and Kyle, too.

The couple had been over several times in the last week, and not just so Anaya could help me, but just to keep me company while Kyle and Max worked.

Tex had also given me a new identity and I prayed this would be the last time I’d have to change my name.

It was getting a little ridiculous at this point.

So now I was Mary Eva Deward. I would still go by Eva because, seriously, I’d never remember I was supposed to answer to Mary.

Tex had also transferred my meager savings and checking accounts into my new name.

Things were coming together.

Max and I still hadn’t had our talk, but I thought after the Alaska trip we both needed to breathe and decompress. Not to mention, we weren’t out of the woods yet, not when there was still a hitman out there somewhere trying to track me down.

A man called Garrett who worked with Max and his team and was supposed to be a computer genius guy much like Tex, had spread the information all over the dark web, whatever that was , that Kenneth Eklund had been arrested for conspiracy to commit murder, witness tampering, and witness intimidation.

I thought tampering and intimidation were pretty much the same thing, but apparently ADA Bernard wanted to throw the proverbial book at both Eklunds.

Tracy was screwed and her lawyer was now scrambling trying to make a deal.

Which meant Alaska was almost behind me.

I hadn’t told Max yet, but I had one more thing to do before I could move on and Tex had been more than happy to set it up.

Now I just had to find a way to actually go through with it.

But for now, I didn’t have time to freak out about the call I would be making later.

Max had invited his team over this afternoon for a barbeque so I had bigger things to freak the fuck out about.

I’d met the team, of course, and over the last few days I’d gotten used to them coming over to have a word with Max.

Sometimes they’d stay a while and work at the dining room table.

I heard words like: mission strategy, SITREP, tango, Omni .

I’d also heard things that scared the hell out of me like: take out, put to ground, and, kill the fucker .

My list of things I needed to do was long, but I moved talking to Max to the top of the list when Declan said they were close to closing in on Omni and the team would be deploying soon.

However, after Declan left, the boys needed my help, and now we were T-minus five minutes until everyone arrived and there’d been no time to ask Max if he was leaving.

Besides, my freak-out had commenced. Tatiana and Emerson were coming over with Brooks and Thad.

Max had declared that today was about relaxing and family, but I felt anything but relaxed.

This was a big deal. These were the people closest to him.

I’d been around the men dozens of times, I should have been comfortable, but for some reason, this just felt different. And I’d never met Emerson and Tatiana.

“Babe?”

“Huh?” I turned from the iced tea I was making and found Max watching me.

“What are you thinking about?”

“All the things I…” I started to lie but quickly changed my mind. This was Max I was talking to and we didn’t hide things from each other. “I’m nervous.”

“Why? You know everyone coming over.”

“I don’t know Tatiana and Emerson. And this feels different.”

“Different how?” he asked but made no move to come closer.

“I don’t know. Just different. These are your people, your family; I feel like I need to impress them or something. Or maybe I need their approval.”

Max’s expression softened, and just like every time he looked at me that way, my insides melted. He was the sexiest man I’d ever seen, but when he stared at me like that, I swear I saw love in his eyes. It was something he did a lot with the boys, too .

“First, you don’t need anyone’s approval, but just so you know, you already have it.

My team’s not stupid, Eva, they know who you are to me.

And even if they hadn’t seen it for themselves, they trust my judgement.

They know you’re a good person. Brooks and Thad both told me that Emmy and Tatiana can’t wait to meet you. ”

“Why?”

“Because Anaya loves spending time with you. She brags about the boys all the time. And they’re jealous she’s gotten to know you and they haven’t.

I’m gonna warn you now, when they get here, they’re gonna whisk you away and talk your ear off.

They’re gonna ask you all sorts of questions, and it’s not because they’re being nosy, it’s just who they are.

It’s what they do—they’ll want to pull you into their tribe and make sure you’re comfortable. ”

“I’ve never really had friends, Max. I don’t know how to do the whole sisterhood thing.”

His lips curved up into a smile that made him look deliciously sexy. He pushed off the cabinet he’d been leaning against and moved to me. Once he got close, he pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head.

“Sisterhood?” He chuckled.

“You know what I mean. Anaya tells me they’re all as close as sisters. Hell, they all live in the same house.”

“They are close,” Max confirmed. “Though Brooks and Tatiana found a house, so they’re moving into their own place soon so they can get everything ready for the baby.”

We stood in silence for a long moment. Now that his arms were wrapped around me and working their magic I was starting to relax.

“I want you to enjoy today,” he muttered. “I want the boys to have a good time. Since we’ve been home from Alaska, they seem to be settling in, especially Eli. But I’d like for them both to feel comfortable around my family. ”

“Okay,” I agreed.

How could I not? These people were the only family Max had, and if he wanted me and the boys to get to know them, then that’s what we’d do. I’d shove all my insecurities aside and gratefully take the boon Max gave us.

“Wow, Eva. I don’t know what to say. The boys are adjusting okay?” That was Tatiana’s response to me filling in all the details of my ordeal.

“They are. When we were in Florida, they saw a counselor. She was great with them and me. She taught me how to ask questions without the boys knowing I was asking—if that makes sense. It really helped me learn how to communicate with the boys and how to get them to open up to me. I think the move up here caused a setback with Elijah, but he’s certainly coming around.

It helps that Max is great with him. And Liam had an outburst, but Max handled that like a pro and since then, Liam is glued to Max. ”

All the women smiled and suddenly I felt like I was under a microscope.

“What’d I say?” I blurted out. “You all are looking at me strange.”

“We don’t mean to. It’s just that Max… We’re real happy for him. And you,” Emerson rushed out. “He can be…”

“Difficult,” I supplied.

“I was gonna say, withdrawn. But difficult works, too.” She giggled. “We’re so glad you decided to stay.”

“I am, too,” I confessed. But I wasn’t ready to explain all the reasons I was happy to be staying in Maryland.

Maybe when I got to know them better, I would admit I couldn’t imagine going back to Florida and leaving Max.

“But now there’s so much to do. School starts in a few weeks and I have to enroll Liam.

Find a new pediatrician. Figure out daycare for Eli so I can find a job. ”

“What’s this about a job?” Max’s voice startled me.

Anaya’s eyes rounded as her gaze slid to the other women.

We were out back watching the boys on the play set and I hadn’t heard Max come outside—not that I was trying to hide my plans from him, but his presence was unexpected.

“Huh?” I glanced over my shoulder.

“A job?”

“What about it?”

In a split second, Max’s guard slammed down, leaving the mask I hadn’t seen since the dinner where my car had exploded firmly in place.

What in the world ?

“What’s wrong?” I probed.

“Nothing.” The snappy answer told me he wasn’t telling the truth but I didn’t want to push him in front of company. “I was coming out to tell you that Tex called.”

“He did?” I stood and faced Max.

Tex had called a few hours ago to tell us that the team he had tracking down the hitman was moving in.

I wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, but Max told me it was a good thing and we should be getting good news by the end of the day that the threat was eliminated.

I didn’t think that was good news, I thought that was the best news.

“The team took him out.”

“The hitman?”

“Yes. It’s over.”

It’s over.

My legs buckled and suddenly Max was there and I was in his arms. The relief was so overwhelming I couldn’t stop my body from trembling.

It was over. We were safe. Finally.

A few hours after Max had delivered the news that my life was no longer in danger, everyone left. But not before we celebrated my new status. I was no longer marked for death. Now anything was possible.

That was why I snuck off to my bedroom with my phone.

Now I was pacing. I had to do this. I’d practiced what I wanted to say a hundred times in my head. But now that I had the phone number dialed and all I had to do was hit send, I wasn’t so sure I should make this call.

What if they didn’t want to hear from me? What if I should just let bygones be bygones?

I couldn’t stop pacing. I was wrought with indecision, my stomach twisted, and my hands shook as I stared at my phone.

Pull it together.

Before I could change my mind, I tapped the green button and slowly lifted my phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

My head spun as a sweet, soft voice answered the phone.

“Zoey?”

“Eva?”

“Yeah. Tex told me he cleared it with you and Mark. I mean, he asked you guys if it was okay to call you.”

Zoey’s giggle took me off-guard until she explained, “It’s strange hearing someone call Mark, Mark. I’m so used to everyone calling him Bubba. And, yes, I’m glad you called. How are your boys?”

Whoa . This was not how I expected this conversation to start. Zoey being pissed as hell at me and telling me what a horrible person I was, was more along the lines of what I’d thought was going to happen.

“They’re safe and doing well. Thank you for asking. Listen, I wanted to apologize for what I did. I… I… there’s not a single day I don’t think about it. I’ll never forget—”

“You need to forget, Eva. We’ve forgiven you and moved on.

It’s time to forgive yourself and do the same.

I can’t lie and say I wasn’t scared I was going to die, because there were a few times when I was sure I wasn’t going to make it.

But you know what? I did—we did—Mark and I.

And because of what happened, I learned a few things about myself—I’m stronger than I thought.

And, well, Mark and I have chosen to see the silver lining.

We found each other because of what happened.

I’m marrying the best man I’ve ever known and I can’t find it in me to be upset about that. ”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you. Mark told me you went to Alaska and talked to the ADA. Because of the recordings and your testimony, Mark doesn’t have to face a trial.

I can’t tell you how much that means to me—I hate that he’s had to continually talk about what happened with Malcom.

I know it’s hard for him to reconcile what his brother—his twin—did to their dad.

And the ending… well, that’s something that will stick with him for the rest of his life.

So, him not having to go back and testify is a huge relief. ”

“I did it because it was the right thing,” I told her. “I deserved to be punished and I wasn’t.”

“Eva,” Zoey sighed. “I think you’ve punished yourself enough. Live your life and be happy. Mark and I are.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“I don’t think there’s anything left to say, Eva. Seriously, be happy.”

“Thanks, Zoey. And again, I’m so, so—”

“No need. We know you are. Take care.”

“You, too.”

Zoey disconnected and I collapsed on the bed in a heap of mangled emotions and nerves. I was damn near hyperventilating.

She’d forgiven me.

She’d told me to be happy.

Strong arms wrapped around my body and turned me over. I burrowed my face in Max’s neck and breathed him in.

“What the fuck, honey?”

“I talked to Zoey,” I sobbed. Max went solid and I loved him even more for being concerned. “She said she and Mark forgive me.”

I could feel some of the tension wane as his hands roamed my back, petting me, soothing me, but nothing could calm my racing thoughts.

“I’ll be okay,” I told him. “I just need a few minutes to wrap my head around everything.”

“Tell me what you need.”

I sagged into him, not wanting to lose him, but needing to ask.

“Would you mind keeping an eye on the kids so I can get myself together?”

If Max’s arms flexing around me was any indication, he wasn’t thrilled with my request, but I was fast learning there wasn’t much Max would deny me.

“If you’re not out in twenty minutes, I’m coming back to check on you.”

“I…”

“You what, honey?”

“Thank you.”

Max sighed and kissed my head before he got up.

“Tonight, after the boys go down, we’re having our talk.”

“Okay,” I whispered and rolled to my side, bringing my knees to my chest.

Max took in my position on the bed and his face went tight .

“Not a fan of you curling into a protective ball, Eva. Nothing’s gonna hurt you. Not ever again.”

“I’m not trying to protect myself,” I denied.

Max looked like he had more to say but thankfully he left me to sort my head.

Could it really be this easy?

No more crazy contract killers.

The boys were safe.

I no longer had to live in fear my past transgressions would catch up with me.

Zoey and Mark had forgiven me.

Was it as easy—as simply being happy?