Sloane grumbles while she climbs on top of me, grabbing my phone off the nightstand. It rings with an obnoxious tone. It’s the only one that ever wakes me up, but it didn’t this time. Sloane—a very heavy sleeper—heard it before me.
“What do you want?” she demands of the other person on the line.
Her legs straddle my hips, and it takes everything in me not to act on my impulsive thoughts. She’s so sexy when she’s angry.
“She’s alive.” I hear Max’s voice through the phone. It sounds broken and hopeful at the same time. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
Probably not.
Sloane brings her attention to me with a look of curiosity. “Who?” she asks hesitantly.
“Rosalie . . . the woman you saw. I saw her too, and she’s not where I thought she was.”
My eyes slam shut when I think about what he’s doing. He wouldn’t do that . . . would he?
Sloane mumbles something to me that I can’t understand, but she shares my shock. “Where did you think she was?” she asks.
Max pauses. When it takes him some time to answer, my suspicions are confirmed. “Uh, in the . . .” He stutters. “I thought she was in her grave.”
I snatch the phone from Sloane and bring it to my ear. “What the fuck are you doing?” I ask with anger.
“Doing what I should have done years ago.”
I take in a deep breath. “Where are you?”
“Glenwood Cemetery.”
Sloane watches me intently, wondering what’s going on, and I explain to her that Max is in the Clarkes’ territory. I thought Max and Marco hashed it out, but I guess not.
“I’ll be there in half an hour. Stay put.”
As I get ready I can feel the steam blowing from my ears. I fucking try, I really do. I wanted to take Sloane out to see the world and explore places she’s always dreamed of seeing, but that’ll have to wait since Max is starting something instead of ending it.
She looks at me and pulls the sheets back over her body, falling back onto the mattress. “I take it you don’t want to tag along?” I say with a smile while I get ready.
“No. It’s like four in the morning.”
Once my jacket is on, I climb back into the bed with her and hover my head over hers. “I want a kiss,” I tell her.
She smiles, wrapping her arms around my shoulders, and I place my lips on hers. Being in her arms makes me want to forget about everything I need to do and just stay here with her.
“I want more when I get back.”
I lean off her and walk out the door, hearing her mumble, “Your wish is my command.”
Getting to the car, I drive to the part of the city where Max is at. When I pull the car up to the curb, I shut it off and get out. Rain pelts my forehead, and I brush it away. Stepping onto the sidewalk, I see Max sitting on a bench with dirt covering his suit—the same suit he wore to the dinner.
What happened when we left? I’m sure Marco said something offensive to Max, otherwise he wouldn’t have dug up a fucking grave to prove himself.
My hands fly in the air.
“I had to,” he tells me as if he needs to defend himself.
Honestly, I don’t care much about the reason behind his pain. Whoever hurt Max hurt me as well.
“You could’ve called me, you fucking idiot,” I tell him.
He walks past me. “I did call you.”
My head falls back. “I meant before you dug up a grave.”
He smiles. “Well, you’re here now.”
I follow him up the hill. We pass hundreds of graves that appear black from years of being left alone. He stops at her grave. Mounds of dirt surround the hole, and I stare at him.
“You can’t just leave this open.”
Taking a closer look, I see the open casket with white padding surrounding the walls. I make a face of approval.
I guess he was right.
Jumping down, I close the casket and shake my head again. I can’t believe I’m doing this right now.
My hands reach the top, and I lift myself out.
“There’s nothing in it. There’s no point,” he says.
I shake my head and scowl at him, taking the shovel leaning against a tree. “People would notice wet dirt, let alone an open fucking grave.”
I start digging the dirt back into the grave when Max clears his throat.
“Say ‘fuck’ one more time,” he muses.
I pause and give him a look. He watches me for a while until I throw the shovel at him. The rain worsens, and Max starts to grunt while he gets exhausted.
My phone rings in my pocket, and I can’t help but look at my hands—they’re covered in dirt, and so is my suit. “You’re buying me a new one,” I tell him before I wipe my hands on my chest.
Taking my phone out of my pocket, I answer. “Stepanov.”
“You think you can come to my land in the night and I won’t see you?”
Liam.
My mouth lifts as a wicked grin takes over my lips. I shouldn’t be excited to hear from him, but I am. In a strange way, I kind of understand why Max is so obsessed with this family. It’s a constant game of tag, and I love it.
I step toward Max and put the call on speaker. Max doesn’t look as thrilled as I am, but he brought me into this shit, so I may as well have my fun.
“What are you doing?” Liam asks, demanding an answer.
“Digging a grave on this fine morning,” I answer.
“That’s my daughter’s grave you’re destroying.”
I’m aware.
Max digs the shovel into the ground and grabs the phone from me. “It’s not like her grave serves a fucking purpose.”
“You had no right, Romano.”
Max smiles. There it is. He’s just as sick as I am. “I have all the right.”
He turns and searches around us, and I do too. A couple of men are hiding behind the trees on the top of the hill. Their dark clothing doesn’t hide them very well since the sun is starting to illuminate the sky slowly.
“You move a fucking inch, and I will put a bullet in the back of your head.”
My brows rise, and I laugh. “Look at this badass,” I say sarcastically.
“You plan to marry Sloane, right?” he asks.
“Of course.”
“Good. We’ll need that alliance.”
My eyes lift to Max’s, and we both grin.
We’re only just getting started.
