Maximus (Guardian Security Shadow World #15)

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

“ W hy?” Max repeated the question. God, he wished he could put his finger on that exact answer, but he didn’t have an answer other than … “You intrigue me.”

“How?”

Max leaned back and lifted an eyebrow. “Such hard questions for a second date.”

Elena blinked and then laughed. “True. I’m sorry.”

He smiled and leaned forward, covering her hand with his. The feel of the woman was addictive or could be if he let it. And God knew he wanted to let the addiction flow through his blood. He wanted to experience the woman and decode what script made her smile, what sequences made her who she was, and how the asshole in the past had injured her. He wanted to find that hanging bit of code and sweep it away so she couldn’t remember the pain or the moments when she wasn’t held in the most precious way. Whoever the woman chose in the future would be extremely lucky. Beauty and intelligence, or smarts, as his pops would say, were rare, especially when there was a physical reaction like he had with her. “So, tell me, if you had a magic wand, what would your life look like in ten years?”

Elena’s eyes popped wide, and then she laughed. “I don’t know that I’ve thought that far in advance. Someday, as I said, I’d like to have a family. A husband, maybe children, and a dog.”

“A dog? Not a cat?” Max asked, surprised.

“No, why? Are you a cat person?” Elena asked.

“I’m not, but I thought all women loved cats.” He frowned. His sister and mom sure did.

“That’s lumping all women into a category. Would you do that with all paintings or all … computers?” She took a sip of tea as she watched him.

He frowned even harder and then made a face. “No, I wouldn’t, and I’m not sure what led me to do that now. I guess that kiss must have short-circuited my brain a bit.”

The blush on her cheeks grew deep, and she smiled. “It was very nice.”

Max clutched his chest. “Nice? Oh, that’s the death sentence of relationships.”

Elena laughed, and so did he. He took another sip of his tea and almost choked when he saw Malice and Reaper walk into the café.

“Would you excuse me? I’ll be right back,” Max asked and wiped his mouth.

Elena’s face fell. “Did I do something wrong?”

He settled back into his chair and put his hand on hers. “No. I want to obliterate the person who made you feel so insecure. I need to use the facilities.”

She ducked her head. “Oh, sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’ll be right back.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it before standing and making his way to the front of the café. Reaper looked up and saw him. He elbowed Malice, who frowned and glanced up from the menu he was reading.

Max went into the bathroom and washed his hands. When he came back out, the Shadows were gone. He didn’t need Elena to recognize either of the men. They enjoyed their dinner and talked of nothing of consequence, but the conversation never dulled. He enjoyed the way her brain worked. She wasn’t predictable, and he didn’t get bored talking to her. He was mentally present at all times like he was with his family. The connection he’d made with her was rare.

When they left the café, Max paused on the sidewalk. “May I call you a car tonight?”

She smiled and shook her head. “I walk home every night. Sochi is safe, the promenade is well-lit, and people here walk everywhere. Thank you for asking.”

“Some night, you’ll allow me to see you home safely.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, not the metal card he’d given her when they first met. “This is my cell phone number. Please call me when you get home.”

Taking the card, she put it in her pocket. “I will.”

“Dinner tomorrow?” As he put his hands on her hips, her soft form charged the electric bolt he knew would land in his gut and linger far past when she left.

“I’d like that, but let me call you with the time. The preparation for the show has started to turn, and I’m not sure when the workers consigned to re-foam the crates will be done.”

“Then I’ll say goodnight.” He lowered for a kiss, and yes, that bolt of electricity damn near jolted him to the moon. He teased her lips with his tongue, and she folded into his embrace, opening for him. The taste of her filled his senses, morphing that bolt of electricity into a nuclear power plant sucker punch to the gut. He wasn’t the one to move away first that time. She pressed her hands against his chest lightly, and he groaned, hating the thought of leaving the amazing deliciousness of her kiss. He relented and dropped his forehead against hers. “Dear God, tell me you feel what’s happening here.”

“Feel it? Oh, yes. I feel it. I do.” She moved and looked up at him. “Maybe tomorrow night you can walk me home?”

Max stared at her. “Please don’t play with me, Elena. I’m on foreign ground here.” Hell, he was in the wilds of an uncharted universe’s vast cosmic ocean. What was happening now wasn’t foreign; it was impossible, yet there he was—lost without an anchor to stop his star and hers from colliding.

She nodded. “So am I. Perhaps we can find a way forward together. Tomorrow night.”

He dropped for a light taste of her before stepping back, trying to break whatever magic she’d cast over him. “Call me when you get home.”

She nodded and bit her bottom lip, which did some crazy things to his already on-edge body. Then she smiled and turned, walking away from him. He watched until she turned and waved at a bend in the promenade that would take her from his view. He lifted his hand and turned around. He made it about thirty feet before laughing. “Can you be any more obvious?”

“I wasn’t trying to hide,” Mal said as he walked out of the shadows. “This is why we need you to wear your comm device.”

“What? A run-in at the café? I think we managed just fine without comm devices.” Max glanced at Malice.

“Avoidable if we’d known you were there, and Con could have told us.” Mal made his point again.

“I’m not going to have Con in my ear, but I’ve something for him to run to the ground.”

Mal chuckled. “I, like Reaper, refuse to repeat those things, Con.”

Maximus chuckled. “Abrasha shipped a painting from China. It’s a horrible knockoff of a painting in a private collection. Con, find out if there’s an influx or outpour of money.”

Mal frowned. “You think he’s laundering money?”

“Maybe, but then … no. No, that painting was heavy. I mean, too heavy. I tried to get into the back of the frame, but I couldn’t without damaging the exterior, and Elena would know I was looking for something. And there are twelve more paintings with the same type of heavy frame.” The thirteenth frame was in the vault on the floor.

“Smuggling,” Malice said.

“Yeah, but what , and why smuggle anything into Russia?” Malice stopped and looked around to make sure they were alone. “You know what we believe he was doing and the operations to take out his launch capability?”

“I’m aware, but no radiation was coming from the frame, so I’m not concerned he’s importing uranium.” Maximus stared at his coworker.

“How do you know that? Con, stop. I just asked that.” Malice rolled his eyes.

“Easy.” Max lifted his suit jacket, pushed the middle post of his watch, and the dial flashed to a meter. “It detects any radiation.”

“Wow, that’s some super-spy shit, right there.” Malice reached up and pulled his earpiece out of his ear. “Dude, I get what you mean. Con in your ear can get a bit hectic. Okay, so if you don’t think it’s nuclear, what do you think he’s smuggling into the country?”

“I don’t know, but I know how to find out.”

“Open one of the frames. How secure is that building?”

Maximus shook his head. “I think Merlin could get in and out without being detected if he’s careful, but it will be difficult.”

“That sounds like a challenge he’d look forward to.” Malice chuckled and then sighed. “So, how do we get in?”

“The night of the second showing. We send Merlin in. He goes in, finds out what’s in those frames, and trips an alarm on the way out. We wait two minutes, and then we start the party.”

“That sounds doable. Split the response forces. And if Abrasha shows up for the first show?”

“Then Merlin will have to plan the break-in after we kill Abrasha.”

“And the woman?” Mal asked as they started to walk again.

“What about her?” Max growled.

“Not judging, dude. I fell in love with my wife on a mission. I know it happens. Just be sure she’s on our side. Having people question that premise sucks, by the way.”

“I can imagine. I’m … I’m not a ladies’ man. But this woman, there’s something …” He shook his head and shut up. That kiss had rattled his brain more than he thought. He never shared his feelings with anyone.

“Yeah, I totally get that. Her voice or a special look turns you into goo on the floor. I so get that.”

Max didn’t say anything for a while as they walked. Then he remembered the three cameras he put into Elena’s workspaces. “I’ve got eyes on her workspace, so I can tell if there’s any movement on the questionable frames. Elena isn’t complicit. That, I know for a fact. She despises the fake art and hates that it’s locked up with true masterpieces. She invited me back after the show to view the paintings in the collection. I’ll see what I can find out then, too.”

Malice was quiet for a moment. “How are you going to bring her out of this mission?”

Max stopped and stared at the sidewalk. “I’m not sure she’d go if I had an out. I don’t know if what we have is enough.”

Mal rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t waste the opportunity. People like us don’t get much of a chance to find the one, you know?”

“Not really. No.” Maximus looked at his fellow Shadow. “If she could forgive me for lying to her, could she forgive me for killing?”

“Does she need to know about the killing? We can shield her. The lying, my man, that would be on you.” Mal slapped him on the back. “Think about it.” He put his earpiece back in and started laughing. “Con, would you please shut up?” Mal rolled his eyes again and walked away from him.

Maximus smiled and turned in the other direction, returning to his hotel. He hoped he wouldn’t return to the hotel tomorrow night, at least not until much later.