CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Max strode straight from Crystal’s room to the creek that ran a quarter of a mile from their headquarters. The cold November air was a much-needed shock to his system. Anger had him burning so hot, he wouldn’t have been surprised if steam rose from his skin.
That woman had him so bent out of shape, he’d be permanently kinked. If he hadn’t left when he had, he would have done something foolish, like bind her to the bed forever. Yeah, as if that would woo her to his way of thinking. She was stubborn, determined, and had a Florence Nightingale complex as big as the Grand Canyon.
And she was absolutely right.
“Damn it,” he shouted and thrust out both of his hands, focusing his powers on lifting a boulder the size of a sedan. With a guttural cry, he hurled it into the forest. The ground shook and several trees toppled like bowling pins in its wake.
He stumbled to a nearby rock and sat down hard, burying his head in his hands as he struggled for breath and tried to still the wooziness of his mind. His stomach curdled with the realization of what he had to do.
He was going to have to send her in. Send her into the viper pit and hope to God she made it out okay.
It wasn’t Crystal’s abilities that he doubted. It was the role she would have to play that made the bile rise in his throat. The images wrought from the stories Max had heard about his father and the women he charmed into his bed, and what happened to them, flashed through his mind like an X-rated flipbook.
It might be an antiquated and chauvinistic thought, but in his mind, Crystal was pure with an open heart. She was a woman who made love with her mind, body, and soul. She wasn’t the type to use sex for any sort of gain or advantage. Good God. They were practically asking her to whore herself out.
Unfortunately, if they wanted to get inside that house, Crystal was their best and most immediate hope. Even if it made him sick to use her in that capacity.
The hopelessness of the situation surged through him until he tipped back his head and bellowed with rage. The wounded cry echoed through the forest until his vocal chords burned and pressure in his lungs forced him to breathe.
All his life, although he refused to acknowledge it, all he had wanted was to be loved. Loved for him and not the power and wealth his genius could provide. With Crystal he believed he had a chance at that kind of relationship. But to have her beautiful soul tainted by Madden was an injustice that had his hands burning with the need to destroy.
How in the hell did he make this right?
A tingle began at the back of his neck. He lifted eyelids that felt as if they were weighted down with coins and froze when he saw the large brown and white wolf standing in the clearing. His muscles tensed, ready to run, until he noticed the necklace around the animal’s neck.
Max relaxed with an embarrassed twitch in his lips. “Hey.”
Ripley padded over and looked up at him with his bushy eyebrows lowered in question.
“I’m a little upset.” Unwilling to say more, Max turned his gaze to the rushing river.
The wolf snorted and sat by his feet. The warmth of his big, furry body seeped through Max’s clothes as they sat in the quiet of the soggy forest for who knew how long.
It was an intuitive reaction for Max to reach out and slide his hand over to the wolf’s great head. Over and over he stroked the thick fur. The motion lulled them both as Ripley leaned against Max’s leg.
“I’m going to have to let her go,” Max murmured so quietly that only the fog from his breath gave any indication that he spoke. “She’s our only in. We could wait, but what if more people die because we don’t act? If we want to end this now, she’ll have to go. God, Rip, what are they going to do to her? Force her to do? Shit, what if she likes it?”
The wolf barked and jumped him, knocking him to the ground. He stood over Max with a snarl in his throat as his lips curled over his fangs.
“I’m sorry,” Max shouted and held up a hand. “You don’t know. When my father started bringing his women home, I could hear them. I know my mother must have been able to as well. Listening to that today brought that all back. Made me think about how she must have felt. The helplessness. Reminded me of the night she killed herself. Even if you go with Crystal, they’ll find a way to separate you. What if she snaps and falls into her role? How can I keep her safe?” He took a breath. “What would you do if it was Alisia going in?”
Ripley backed away with understanding in his blue eyes. The fur along his back rippled, followed by the cracking of bones as he straightened to his full height.
Max nodded at the semi-hard erection bobbing in his face. “Please tell me that’s not for me.”
“You wish.” Ripley snorted and took a seat next to Max on the wet grass, seemingly impervious to the cold. “She loves you. We all can see that. Today was hard on her, but she’ll endure whatever she has to if she thinks it will save others. And she’ll do it for you. She knows how badly you want Madden.”
“Not that badly. I can’t sacrifice her like that.”
The wide-eyed look Ripley shot him was a mixture of shock and respect. “You do love her.”
Max nodded, saddened that Ripley would think he would put any of them in harm’s way to get to Madden. Did they all think of him as so ruthless?
Ripley sighed. “All right. This is what you do. You tell her that you’ll be there for her, no matter what. If she knows that you’re behind her, that will be one less thing for her to worry about. Then we’ll make a plan for every possible situation. I’ll watch your woman for you.”
A plan. Max liked plans. Plans were good. Ripley was right. Crystal needed him now more than ever. With his full support, she’d be better prepared and have more confidence than if she was worried about what he would think of her. She said that she loved him. Now was his chance to prove that he deserved that love.
“Okay. Let’s do this.” Max got to his feet and brushed the dirt off his backside. “Thanks for listening, by the way.”
He’d never had a friend whom he trusted enough with his personal feelings. It was…nice.
Ripley shrugged. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk if that person can’t answer back.”
“Right.” Max chuckled. “Well, I’ve never been in love before. This is one area where I have no idea what to do.”
Commiseration rang in Ripley’s sigh. “I hear you.” He flicked a worried glance in Max’s direction. “You’re not going to hug me, are you?”
“No.” Max made a gagging noise. “Seriously, you need to think about packing clothes with you.”
“Yeah, because an animal with a backpack is so inconspicuous. Get real. You’re just worried that your girl will start liking what she sees.” He flexed the muscles of his chest.
“Excuse me?” He lifted Ripley in the air and dangled him over the icy river.
“Put me down. Dude, if you drop me in this water, I’ll tear your throat out.”
Max laughed and set him back on firm ground. “Wuss.”
“Ha! Can you do this? Race you back to the cave.” He leapt and shifted into a cheetah, taking off in a blur of yellow and black.
Ooh. A pocket-sized tranquilizer gun. Now that would be a great addition to their uniform. He’d get on that project ASAP as soon as Crystal was safely back at home.