Page 13 of Wickedly Played (Checkmate #1)

Chapter Eleven

MAX

Serena’s eyes glaze over once I tell her she’s a job for me. I can’t be thinking about Melinda right now, or wherever she is, when my primary responsibility is this sexy woman in front of me. The words are on the tip of my tongue to take it back.

For the past month, I have fought temptation and kept my dick in my pants. Serena doesn’t make it easy for me with how gorgeous she is. There is not one thing that she does that doesn’t scream sex. Just watching her workout is enough for me to fight my fist from forming for me to fuck it.

“I’m just a job for you. Thank you for clarifying that, Max,” she tells me in an authoritative voice.

“Sweetness,” I begin.

“No, it is fine. Uh, Stella is coming over to film some content with me. We won’t need you around. Please find somewhere else to be than outside of my room.”

My hand grabs her elbow to stop her from leaving the gym. “You know that’s not the case, right?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know anything. Again, it is fine.”

“Don’t ice me out,” I growl.

Serena spins on her heels, yanks her arm out of my grasp, and then hisses. “Ice you out? Are you serious right now?” Her teeth are bared as she clenches her jaw. “I’m not doing anything, Max. You made it clear what I am to you, and that’s fine.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity fuck, fuck.

“What do you want from me?” I demand. “What good would I be in protecting you if I just fucked you into the mattress? You do realize this relationship would be fucking insane, right?”

“I’m just curious if you woke up this morning and chose to be a dick or if this became a new development for the day!” Serena screams. “Now I’m an obsessive woman? Is that what you are trying to say to me? Get over yourself.”

She turns to walk away from me, but I’m in front of her in a flash. I use my body to push her against the wall, and I can see an inferno brewing in her eyes. She’s pissed. Maybe she’s also pissed because she’s turned on.

Moving my head so I’m right in front of her eyes, I fight the urge to grab her by the throat to show her who is in charge. She needs to understand that her little tantrum won’t work.

“Let me make something very clear. I never said I didn’t want you.

I never said I didn’t want to bend you over that exercise bench, pull down these pathetic shorts, and fuck you harder than you’ve been fucked.

In my professional opinion, I think you need that attitude fucked out of you.

Maybe with a good orgasm, you would stop being such an uptight bitch. ”

Her hand flies through the air as she slaps me across the face.

“Fuck off, Max.”

This time, I let her walk away from me.

Reaching into my pocket to grab my phone, I dial Adam’s number. He sends me to voicemail… Fuck. I bet Serena is on the phone with him right now.

ADAM: Just curious- what the actual fuck is wrong with you

ADAM: Never mind. I’m on my way over there with her agent.

ADAM: You know this deal was going to help in the long run

ME: She’s a pain in the ass

ADAM: So are you, fucker

ME: If you’re going just to take her side, then I’m fucking leaving

ADAM: You walk out that door, you’re done

ADAM: There is a new threat

ME: What?

ADAM: See you in about an hour. We’re having a meeting

ME: Let me check my schedule before committing to a meeting

ADAM: Mom should have swallowed you

ME: Dad should have shot you on Mom’s back, asshole

My phone chimes a couple of more times when the doorbell rings. Jesus. I can’t deal with her having kinky sex with Stella tonight. That is the last thing I want to hear all night is them fucking each other.

ME: Boss, got any jobs tonight?

FRANKY: What are you looking for?

ME: Something I can use some force

FRANKY: I’ll send you some addresses and let you know

In a different text thread, I open one up for Joey.

ME: I need you to sit with Serena tonight. I have some jobs

JOEY: Sounds good. You are my favorite

ME: You know this is just a babysitting gig, right?

JOEY: Sure, sure

ME: No touching

Joey: I don’t need to touch

ME: Are you trying to fucking piss me off

JOEY: Nope. That’s just an added bonus

ME: Jesus. I’ll text you the time later

Maybe I’m the one who needs to get laid.

My phone chimes again. With a groan, I check it.

UNKNOWN: Max? Please tell me this is still your number

ME: Who is this?

UNKNOWN: Melinda Adams

My phone almost slips out of my hand. I can’t believe it.

There is no way Melinda would be reaching out to me, as she is presumed dead.

We searched for weeks for her body all over the country.

We met when we were on active duty, and we continued to date after we returned.

I wish our situation had been different.

I wish we had had a chance. Melinda disappeared after being taken from me.

We were back in the States for a couple of weeks before everything went south.

Melinda didn’t know what kind of monster I was.

She also didn’t know I was in the mafia and had enlisted to hone my skills.

I had gotten home at four in the morning after torturing some fucker who stole money from us, when I saw she was gone. She just vanished.

No matter how much we searched for her, she wouldn’t turn up, and it killed me. Did I get her killed because of the jobs I do? Did she finally realize that I’m not worth it? Did she finally have enough?

I’ve paid millions of dollars and have killed a lot of people in hopes of finding her. It didn’t matter how much I tore up the country to find her… she was nowhere to be found. Melinda’s just gone.

Serena is everything Melinda isn’t. My protectee has a passion that I have never seen in another woman. I hate that no matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking about Serena. I should realize what kind of monster I am and just stop with this whole shit.

ME: Is this a sick joke?

ME: This isn’t funny to me.

UNKNOWN: I’m not laughing, Maximus

My nickname was given to me.

ME: Prove that this is Melinda

UNKNOWN: How would you like me to do that?

ME: If this were Melinda, she would know what to say

UNKNOWN: I know that you guys have ruled me dead

ME: That’s public record

UNKNOWN: I know you have a birthmark on the inside of your left thigh. You wouldn’t admit it, but you loved it when I bit it

ME: Where have you been?

UNKNOWN: I can’t go into detail about it on here.

ME: Where are you?

UNKNOWN: I’m closer than you think

ME: I’m not fucking around

Melinda? She’s back? What the fuck? She’s not dead? Throughout this time, I have been searching for her. I’ve searched the entire country and contacted the Families in the other territories to make sure she wasn’t hiding there. The only thing I could think of was that she was stolen from me.

This isn’t real. It can’t be.

I can hear Serena and Stella giggling in the living room while I’m spiraling out of control. This isn’t fucking good. I couldn’t save Melinda… Is history going to repeat itself with Serena?

Fuck!

My body is coiled tight while I pace, trying to calm my nerves. Nothing is working. Only one thing that would work right now, and I can’t have it—my need to dominate a woman.

Not just any woman. I need Serena.

The night I called her precious was a mistake. My feelings for Melinda have long been buried. When her family buried the empty casket I paid for, I also put all my emotions and feelings in there, too. However, the guilt of letting her down is what I still carry with me.

ADAM: I’m outside. Jim’s here, too.

ME: I’ll be out in a second

God damn it. I have to get my shit together before Adam finds out how much I’m winding out of control.

This is the reason why I didn’t want to protect women.

Especially not women like Serena. Serena’s under my skin.

I want to throttle her, wrap my hand around her throat, bend her over the table, and fuck that attitude out of her.

After, I’m going to fuck her ass for good measure.

Maybe she wouldn’t be such a brat if I shoved my dick down her throat.

“I’m going to go check on Serena,” Jim utters as he lets himself into the house.

“What the fuck, man? You couldn’t have knocked? I have security all over the house,” I snap.

Jim doesn’t respond, but I hear him walking through the house before he gets to Serena. Serena’s voice is loud and irritated as she listens to what Jim has to say.

“What has you in such a pissy mood?” Adam asks with his arms across his chest.

Pulling out my phone, I open the text thread with Melinda so he could see it.

He stutters before answering. “Wait, I thought she was dead.”

I yank my phone back. “According to this woman on here, she says she’s Melinda. How bad did I fuck up? Did I miss her? I swear I searched everywhere for her over there. She’s been missing for… Where the fuck has she been?”

“Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. I want to make sure this is her before you kick your ass all over the room.”

“This has to be fucking joke,” I utter. “A sick, twisted joke. Someone is playing games with me.”

I pull back my phone to dial Franky. “Fitzpatrick. How’s it going with the babysitting job?”

“Eh. You know? She’s alive.”

He chuckles. “I’ve seen her before. She’s pretty fucking hot.”

Wow. “Yeah, she’s not bad looking.” I’ve just been obsessing over her for the past month.

I’ve been wondering what she would look like with my dick wedged between her pretty thighs.

I’ve been fantasizing about wrapping my hand around her throat, restricting her airflow, and then fucking her little heart-shaped ass until she couldn’t walk.

Franky clears his throat. “I can’t spare you for any longer than another month, Fitz,” he reminds me. “We still have a job to do.”

Clicking my tongue, I hang my head. “I’m aware.”

“Why did you call?”

“Melinda. She’s back,” I respond. I’m kicking the door open because there’s no other way to do it.

He scoffs, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I’ve been receiving messages from her. She’s alive. Franky, where the fuck has she been? All of our sources say she disappeared.”

“This is a fucking shit show,” he growls. “I bet it was the McGuires. They love pretty little things.”

I look over at my brother before walking out of the room to finish this conversation. “Speaking of the McGuires.”

“We’ve managed to cut off their suppliers,” my boss informs me. “Once we cut off the money, they will rebel from the inside.”

“Boss, I want to be the one who takes him out. He killed my fucking dad.” My hand transforms into a fist as I throw it at the door next to me. I don’t hit it hard enough to splinter the wood.

Franky is barking at someone in the background until he redirects himself to me. “Focus on the girl. I’ll get this shit figured out.”

I don’t get a chance to respond because the click of the line tells me he has hung up.

Adam places his hand on my shoulder to get me to look at him. I’m not big on touch, and my brother knows it. I tense under his hand. “We’ll talk about it later. We need to figure out what the hell is going on with you and Serena.”

“I’ll tell you what’s going on with us. She’s a brat.”

“I prefer Mistress Serena, truthfully. I do like to train brats, such as Stella, here,” Serena’s voice cuts in.

“I’m not a brat!” Stella exclaims.

Serena wraps her under her arm and kisses her head. “You’re my good girl today. Aren’t you?”

Jim clears his throat. “We've got to talk about some shit. I know you have filming to do, Ser, but this is important.”

Serena starts to walk over to the couches in the front of the living room.

She and Stella are seated next to each other on the sofa in front of the bigger one.

I take a seat in the armchair off to the side to have a better view of the room and the front door.

Plus, behind Serena’s back is a shit ton of windows, which I can’t stand to have my back toward.

“I got a phone call today from Serena to let me know she’s having problems with her bodyguard,” Jim begins.

“She wouldn’t have a problem with me if she would do as I told her to do,” I snip back.

“I’ve done what you wanted. You are just an arrogant asshole,” she retorts.

“Enough!” Adam demands with his hand raised in the air. “Regardless of my brother’s stellar personality, there has been a new threat that came in. I intercepted it from the website where Serena’s videos are posted.”

Leaning forward in the armchair, I feel the jeans tighten around my thighs. “What’s the threat?”

Jim looks uneasy. “Well, there is a detailed list on how someone is going to kill Serena and then kill anyone who gets in their way.”

Holding out my hand for the letter, I wait for Jim to hand it over to me reluctantly. “Let me read it.”

Serena,

My dearest love. I’ve been waiting for you to come to me.

I’ve been waiting for you to finally admit you’re in love with me, like I know you are.

Those other people don’t love you like I do.

They only want to keep you from me. I know how much you want me.

I love seeing you in the club. I love feeling your skin against mine.

I also love it when you come on my tongue.

You taste so sweet, and you taste like mine.

Every time with you is better than the last. However, I’m getting impatient.

I have told you before, I want you, and we’re meant to be together.

I have told you that I’m your true love.

When will you see how much I love you? When are you going to come to me?

Your true love

And then there is another one with pictures.

Serena,

It has been two weeks since I have seen your face in real life.

I have missed you every minute of every day.

Since you won’t come to me, I will come to you.

You haven’t been to the Checkmate Club in a long time.

I go there every night to see you. I’ve spent all of my life’s savings on being with you, and you haven’t bothered coming in.

I know what it is. It is that bodyguard of yours.

I have seen the way you look at him. I have seen the way he looks at you.

It isn’t real. You know that. You know you only love me.

You guys have fucked, haven’t you? I know you have.

You guys look at each other like you’re in love.

I’m going to kill him, and then I’m going to kill you.

I would rather you be dead in real life instead of knowing you’re with a different man.

Your bodyguard won’t love you like I do.

You can keep Stella. We could use her for content.

However, she needs to make sure she’s not getting too close to you.

I will kill anyone who gets in my way. Remember that the next time you’re out with your bodyguard.

Or your agent. Or Stella. You will either end up with me, or I will make sure you end altogether.

Your truest love