Chapter Four
A sliver of light peeking through the blackout curtains woke Scarlett. She yawned and rolled over. When she didn't bump into a big, strong man, she patted the bed, looking for Max. Nothing. Cracking an eye open revealed she was in the bed alone.
Odd. In the three months that she and Max had been together, he had never gotten up before her. The man liked his sleep.
Yawning, Scarlett climbed out of bed and hunted for the clothes she'd shed the previous night. It still amazed her that, even after three months, Max was just as wild in bed as he had been the first time they were together.
Together in bed, she corrected herself. He's great to have some fun with but it would never work long-term between us.
She tried to ignore the pang of regret that hit her when she considered that they'd only keep up this charade for another seven months. Though Max clearly enjoyed having her company (especially at night, a voice in the back of her head whispered) he hadn't made any indication that he was looking to legitimize their relationship. Not that she wanted it legitimized. She still held the belief that nobody had a right to be as rich as Maximillian Barnes when there were children going hungry or drinking dirty water, and that was a deal breaker for any relationship they could have.
But maybe if I was part of this world, I could encourage more change to happen…
With a groan, Scarlett shook her head. Above all else, a gentlewoman was logical and precise. She did not throw out her hard-earned reputation and skills for flights of fancy. A man like Barnes could have any woman he wanted. He was probably only sleeping with her because she’d told him that she wasn't going to.
Men who had everything were like that. As soon as they were told no they wanted the shiny new toy, even if they hadn't so much as glanced at it before. Scarlett was just that, a shiny new toy, and she was fine with that because that was all Max was to her as well. At least, that was what she kept trying to tell herself. Even if that wasn't the case, how much change could she encourage?
She yanked on her clothes–designer jeans and a tailored top Max had bought for her; he insisted that if people were going to believe she was his fiancée, she had to look the part, and that meant wearing socks that cost fifty dollars each–and left the bedroom. Maybe Max was in the kitchen helping Vanessa make breakfast. It surprised her that a man with as much muscle on his body as Max had a mostly vegetarian diet, but she hadn't seen him eat meat since she arrived. Eggs and dairy products were all staples, but no meat.
Her musings were cut short by the sound of footsteps behind her. She turned, smiling–and found herself staring down the barrel of a semiautomatic gun. Adrenaline flooded her system and she had to force herself not to run. The man holding the gun was wearing a black ski mask, and as Scarlett raised her hands to show she wasn't armed, he shoved the gun into her stomach. Her heart clenched and she swallowed back a curse word.
Has Madoc finally found out who I am? This wasn't necessarily him–she'd already be dead if it was, wouldn't she? Stay calm.
"You're not going to give me any trouble, are you?" the masked man asked.
She shook her head.
"Good."
He spun her around, clapping a hand on her shoulder while keeping the gun buried in her ribs. They marched down the hallway silently. Scarlett let the man set the pace, not wanting to set him off. There was no hesitation in his hold on the gun. He was clearly a professional. Even if she could disarm him, he'd have friends around. She wouldn't make it to the front door before getting gunned down. Especially if they had been sent by Madoc.
Soon they were in the kitchen. Vanessa and Max were both kneeling on the floor, their hand behind their heads. A look of relief crossed Max's face when she was put beside them. There were two other men holding guns on them, and one of them slipped out of the room after nodding to the others.
"Are you all right?" Max asked under his breath.
Scarlett nodded, then glared at the two masked men. "So why are you here? Robbing the place?"
The one who had brought her in laughed. "Nothing gets past you, does it, sugar?"
His companion chuckled as though the man had made a hilarious joke. Scarlett straightened her spine, looking the two men up and down. These men, at least, thought that this was a robbery. Perhaps it had nothing to do with Madoc after all. Scarlet thought of the beautiful tiara in Max's safe. Her hands clenched as she realized that these brutes would not respect the workmanship or sentimental attachment it held.
"You are barbarians," she said narrowing her eyes. "You come in here with guns, terrorizing us. Is that part of the thrill? Do you also like kicking puppies and making babies cry?"
"Listen, sugar, you keep that pretty mouth closed or I'll find a proper use for it," her captor said, toying with the zipper on his pants in a suggestive manner.
Scarlett's stomach churned, but she clenched her jaw, refusing to give in to her fear. Max growled deep in his chest, the sound shockingly animalistic. Both guards turned to him, pointing their weapons at him.
"Got something to say?"
"Men like you are the reason society will fall," Scarlett interrupted, as Max opened his mouth. She had the uncomfortable feeling that he would say or do something that would only end in violence. "Men conflating violence and sex, contributing to the sexual objectification of women—"
She bit back the rest of what she was going to say when a gun was pressed to her chest. Her heart dropped, feeling like it had stopped beating for a moment. The eyes staring at her through the ski mask narrowed and the man grabbed a handful of her hair.
"Shut your mouth. You sound just like that Kitty Cat burglar. I tell you," he continued, releasing her and stepping back, "I'd like to find her in a house. I'd turn her over a table and show her what sexual objectification is! Maybe I'll practice on you, sugar."
He reached for her breast but, even as Scarlett shied away from his hand, a deafening roar rang through the kitchen. Max surged to his feet, his mouth wide open. Scarlet stared in fascination and horror as fangs sprouted in his mouth, one pair from the top, the other from the bottom. The roar continued as brown fur sprouted over his body and his already muscular arms swelled to three times their size.
In seconds a gorilla was on the two men. Giant hands grabbed their throats. One was thrown across the room, while the gorilla–Max–bit into the other man's neck. There was a crunching noise. The man screamed. Max threw him into the cupboards, splintering the wood. The second gunman scrambled to his feet, pointing his weapon wildly. Max launched himself across the room, a clenched fist colliding with the man's face.
He crumpled and Max pounded the man's chest, swinging his arms above his head, bringing the backs of his hands down. Scarlett couldn't look away as the man’s ribs cracked. The man's chest collapsed like a sinkhole. The gorilla still pounded the body.
At the sound of a gun, Scarlett's mind reeled. She couldn't breathe. Max vaulted across the room. Grabbed the other gunman. Snapped his neck. Dropped the body. Turned to her.
Blood dripped down his abdomen. He'd been shot. As the gorilla–massive, covered in dark brown fur, with a patch of silver on his back–came towards her, she scrambled away. The gorilla stopped. His form blurred, changing back into the Max she had come to know.
It was all too much for Scarlett. Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, and she gladly collapsed into unconsciousness.