Page 16 of Soul Mates: Hercules Valentine and I

I’ve been skittish the whole time, running my plan through my head, playing it on a loop. I know it’s going to work. Paisley’s stomach contents will be sent to the lab. Donovan and even Greenly will be witnesses to O’Brien carrying Paisley away. More people probably saw him too. Then… I run a finger across my knuckles. Minutes ago, I noticed they were bruised from punching that guy. Did I break his nose? Maybe. I don’t mind telling the cops why. This should be a slam dunk.

So why in the hell am I seeing the two cops with… Max Grove?

I intend on sticking with the plan, even though I’m thrown off by Grove being here. The door opens, one of the officers asks if I’m Hercules Valentine, and that’s when it strikes me. Paisley didn’t go to bed and sleep away her bad night. She said something. She told her brother.

“Yeah,” I say after a stunned hesitation. “I’m Hercules Valentine.”

Max points to the trash can. “Whatever’s in it stays.” He looks at me as if he’s forcing himself to acknowledge my presence. He thinks I’m his enemy—I can see it in his eyes. “Which elevator did you ride down in?” His tone is colder than an iceberg.

The guy’s a force of nature, holding up to his reputation. I don’t appreciate him speaking to me as if I’m his whipping boy, though. I don’t let my brothers get away with talking to me that way, and I’m not allowing Max Grove to do it, either.

I throw my hands up. We need to slow it down a bit. “Wait a minute.” I sternly set my focus on the officers in an attempt to regain the upper hand. “Didn’t Orion tell you what I needed?”

“What you need involves my sister,” Max says. I have to look at him since both officers are acting as if he’s the only other person who matters. “Paisley’s the last resort.” Max darts across the floor, flings the door open, and tells the first valet he sees to not let anyone touch that trash can, saying it’s part of a crime scene.

“Yes, sir,” the valet dutifully replies. He must think Max is a detective. I would if I were him. The guy has a way of throwing his weight around. He’s not a jerk about it at all—he’s just insistent.

“You know we’ve got to do this by the book, Max,” the beefy officer who’s the older of the two says.

“I know, Phil.” Max jabs a finger in my direction. “You do what you have to do to make this legal.” He points his chin at me. “While Valentine takes me to the scene of the crime.”

They’re looking at me now. “I’m okay with that. But there’s only one way in, and that’s through the party entrance.” I frown at the elevators. “I can’t go back up.”

Max nods sharply at the officers, and they silently walk out. I know when powerful people plot without speaking, and that just happened. Max waits for the officers to walk out of sight and then takes a key out of his coat and sticks it into the elevator. It dings. He hits the up button. The doors slide open.

He casually puts his hands in his coat pockets, concealing the key. “After you.”

I try notto appear nervous as we ride up. Every Valentine knows that showing nerves is a weakness and showing confidence is a strength. Since we got in, Max has been eyeing me through the metal panel like a tiger before making the kill.

“How well do you know my sister?” he asks.

I’m hot under the collar, but I refuse to stretch my neck from side to side to catch some cool air. It’s imperative that I remain steady and unshakeable in the eyes of Paisley’s brother. “Not well.”

He grunts thoughtfully. “Then how in the hell did you end up saving her?”

“I was watching him,” I say instead of admitting that I was looking for her. “I know these guys. They did it to a friend of mine and got away with it.”

His eyes narrow. “How did you let them get away with it?”

I’m looking at him, trying to figure out if he’s trying to insult me on purpose. “What do you mean how did I let them get away with it?”

“Just that. You called Phil and Mick tonight. Why didn’t you call them when your friend needed them?”

That’s a good question. And here’s another instance where I can’t tell the truth. Orion and Achilles wouldn’t do anything for my friends. They wouldn’t want me or themselves involved. With them, everything is transactional. With me, it isn’t. If Orion wasn't still in love with Paisley's cousin, then I wouldn't have gotten any help from him. I can’t tell Max that.

“My brother called Phil and Mick. I don’t know them.”

He’s observing me with narrowed eyes again. The elevator stops, and as the doors slide open, he says, “I don’t want my sister dealing with this crap. Got it?”

I’m speechless as a long explanation about why we need Paisley involved sounds off in my head. “We need her. We have witnesses that…”

He puts a finger over his lips, and I go quiet. “Hear that?” he whispers.

I incline my ear toward the hallway, but before I can pick up any sound, Max is on the move. I follow him, still trying to hear something. He stops and points toward my feet. I get it. He wants my steps to be quieter. I nod, figuring I’ll go with the flow. I don’t hear anything, though. I’m still not happy about him wanting to leave Paisley out of it. She’s my slam dunk.

We move slower. I listen hard until… I hear it.The sound is like the foot of a bed knocking against the floor. I don’t think it’s anything, though, until we get closer and I see that the noise is coming from the room where O’Brien was trying to violate Paisley.

Max raises his eyebrows, and I nod, letting him know I understand. I’m on his heels as we rush into the room.