Wedding in T minus seven days . . .
Max sat in a holding cell at the local police station, running through various scenarios of what he’d do when he eventually got released. If charges were going to be pressed, he’d have to hope that any court appearances would fall well after the wedding, as to not cause Lincoln and Serena any additional problems. If Kevin could be convinced to let things drop, then Max had to decide if he should apologize to everyone for letting his anger get the better of him. Either way, he’d have to make things up to Lincoln and Serena for ruining their party.
He didn’t have a clue how he would apologize to Grady.
After a few hours, an officer finally arrived and released him. It wasn’t until he’d collected his things that he saw Justin there waiting for him. The man looked as smug as ever, only this time Max didn’t have any reason to fault him for it. Max had screwed up.
“You’ll be happy to know that I’ve convinced Kevin, his father, and Mr. Barnes that assault charges won’t be necessary in this instance.” Justin brushed the front of his dress pants. “I have a car ready to take us back to the house.”
As much as it pained him, there was only one thing he could say. “Thank you.”
Justin nodded his acceptance. “This way.”
Max had always been the straight shooter of their little group growing up. Zack had anger issues and was always looking for a way to control them. Eli was the fighter, had a talent for finding people’s weaknesses and going after them. Max was the peacekeeper, the one who smoothed things over, not amped them up.
If either of his friends knew what had happened here, they wouldn’t have believed it.
The limo was the same one that had picked them up from the airport. Justin took the seat opposite Max, the distance of a few feet feeling more like a few miles.
“How mad is Grady?” Knowing him the way that he did, he was probably more upset at his cousin than Max. Not that it made the situation any better.
“I’m not certain. I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to him. I’ve spent the last several hours cleaning up your mess.” Justin had this way of speaking that conveyed annoyance, disappointment, and disgust all with the same tone. “I’m sure he’ll survive. How’s your hand?”
They’d given him an ice pack at the station before putting him into his cell. Having been in the ring more than a few times, he’d long learned how to handle the pain of landing a bad punch. “Nothing broken. How’s Kevin’s face?”
“Last I saw, both of his eyes were turning black and his jaw was an amazing shade of purple. I never did hear what he said to provoke you.”
“Called us fucking fags.”
Justin cringed. “Then you landed an excellent shot. Ten points for you.”
The limo slowed as they got stuck in traffic. Max watched as Justin looked out the window. “You’re gay too. Right?”
“Yes.” It was said matter-of-factly, but Max suspected it wasn’t something Justin shared often.
“Does Mr. Barnes know?”
“My sexuality isn’t any of my employer’s concern.”
“I know.”
Justin shifted in his seat. “Yes, he knows. It was one of the reasons he hired me to watch over Grady after their mother passed away. He thought I’d be able to relate to him better than most.”
It was that simple sentence that turned the light bulb on in Max’s head. “You’re in love with him.”
Justin’s gaze flicked to him. “What makes you think that?”
“It explains a lot. The way you were disappointed the night you tried to buy me off and I wouldn’t take your bait. The surprise when I kissed him on the sidewalk. How annoyed you become every time we’re in the same room together.” What a mess. If Justin was in love with Grady, this entire fake-relationship thing was going to make matters even worse. “Why have you never told him how you feel?”
“He was a child when I started with the family. I hated the position I’d been forced to take. Mr. Barnes had changed things on me at the last minute. I was supposed to be a manager in charge of a team, not an overpaid babysitter.”
Max leaned forward. “It’s not like Grady makes it easy, either. But love has a tendency to sneak up on a person.”
The limo started moving again. Justin sucked in a breath. “There are conditions for your release, Mr. Tremblay.”
Ah. Max should have known that Justin would lash out if things got too personal. Eli was exactly the same way. “Those are?”
“I’m well aware that your engagement is fake. Of course I can’t prove it, but I know.”
Max was able to keep his poker face, despite his inner turmoil. “The conditions.”
“As I said, Mr. Barnes will ensure that Kevin won’t press charges. However, he wants you to break the engagement. He wants it to be done publicly, and he wants you to break Grady’s heart.”
Max’s breathing hitched. “No.”
“Then you will be facing assault charges. And with a room full of witnesses, family members of the defendant, you will lose. Just think of the damage this will do to your reputation. Not to mention that Mr. Barnes has more than a few contacts in Toronto. Your precious Frantic and your Ringside Gym will be the targets of some of the most aggressive business takeovers a person has ever seen. By the time Mr. Barnes is done, he’ll own them both, and you and your friends will be left with nothing.”
“Why would he do that? Be that cruel?”
Justin didn’t respond right away, his gaze drifting to the window. “He wasn’t always this harsh. When he was at the office in those early days after his wife passed, he was more sad than angry.”
“What changed?”
Justin turned back to face him. “People deal with grief differently. It’s my understanding from Lincoln that Mr. and Mrs. Barnes’s marriage had gone downhill quite badly toward the end. That can change a person.”
“So much so that he wants to destroy his son’s happiness?”
“That would imply that you make Grady happy.” Justin cocked an eyebrow before shaking his head. “As I said, a public breakup. He wants it as messy as possible.”
Max thought he was going to be sick. “I can’t hurt Grady. I’ll end things, but I won’t do that.”
“Mr. Barnes insists.”
“That’s cruel. Why would he want me to do that to Grady?”
“Grady has pushed his father for years. Apparently, he’s a lot like his mother in that regard. He needs to know, needs to learn that his father has his best interests in mind. If that means Grady has to marry a man he doesn’t love, then that’s what he will do, because Grady doesn’t know what he truly needs.”
Max hadn’t felt this stunned since the last time he’d been knocked out in the ring. “Do you believe that? That Grady isn’t man enough to know what will make him happy?”
“I never said that.” Justin picked something from his pants. “As much as I care for Grady, I’m still nothing more than an employee. My livelihood is as much at stake as yours.”
“God, this family.”
“Everyone’s family has their battles. You and your father don’t have the best relationship.”
Max jerked. “What the hell do you know about it?”
“An investigator paid your parents a visit. They were quite surprised to learn about your engagement, couldn’t believe that you never said anything to them. I’m sure you’ll be getting a call from your mother sooner or later. I believe she wanted to give you a little time to get up the courage to mention it. Lovely lady. Your father has a bit of a temper, I’m told.”
“You stay the hell away from my parents. I mean it, Justin. Back off.”
“There won’t be any need for me to ever speak with them. You’ll do what you need to do.” He pulled an envelope from his coat pocket. “Your ticket back home, paid in full. First class, even. It was the least I could do.”
“I’m not doing this.”
Justin held it out for a long time before finally setting it on the seat beside himself. “I’ll make sure you get it before you leave. Remember, your flight leaves tomorrow night at 10 p.m., and you’ll be in Toronto by the following morning.”
Max was trapped. There was no way he could do to Grady what Justin and his father wanted, but neither could he put Frantic and Ringside in harm’s way. The livelihood of too many people were at stake, not to mention how destroyed Zack and Nolan would be if anything happened to the gym. They’d put their hearts and souls into that place, and he would be damned if he’d let anyone intentionally put it at risk.
But Grady.
He couldn’t break his heart. He wouldn’t embarrass him, publicly or otherwise. He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Grady hurt, to see Grady hate him in any way. While they hadn’t been together long, Max knew that given enough time, he could develop feelings for Grady.
He had developed feelings.
Though he wasn’t brave enough to put a label on them quite yet.
For the first time in his life, Max didn’t know what to do.
Leaning against the seat, he closed his eyes and prayed he’d come up with a solution.