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Chapter 135: Max
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2022-11-24 14:12:48Related chapters
Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 136: Lumen
Wednesday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.LUMEN RINSED THE LAST dish while the other two women continued to gossip. Tonight she and Max had their first family dinner with the others in their community tree. They all seemed like nice enough people on the surface, but a few had been Creedites for going on twenty years. That set off red flags for Lumen. Maybe someone could be around for a year or two, possibly five, without being aware of what else went on. But twenty?They knew things, and they said nothing. They'd done nothing.Aspen hadn't touched on the family tree structure, possibly because she existed outside of it. For Lumen it was easy to see that this system allowed the administration to keep tabs on everyone. She would be shocked if the very people hosting them for dinner tonight weren't also keeping notes on them.She glanced through the window out on the patio.Their hosts lived in a slightly larger cabin than the one where Lumen and Max were staying. There ap
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 137: Max
Wednesday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.MAX SCRUBBED AT HIS face while the cold water sluiced over his body. It was his second shower today and though it felt good given the warm day, he didn't exactly need it. Not in the physical sense.Being around Thomas had made Max feel dirty. It wasn't anything the guy had said or done specifically, just little things. Comments. Jokes. Things that would be ignored by most people, but given the reason Max was there, they stood out.He'd done his part tonight, but he didn't feel good about it. Yes, he'd made progress. Thomas had clearly taken to him. Max couldn't say exactly why, but it had felt as though Thomas had tried to compare their careers.Max shoved the doors shut on that conversation. Talking to Thomas was a mental spiral into all of Max's self-doubts about the path he'd chosen in life. He couldn't change what he'd done, but he could be a different person going forward and that was what mattered right now.He turned off
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 138: Aspen
Wednesday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.ASPEN HUDDLED UNDER THE window, knees drawn up to her chest and listened. Or tried to. Her heart was still pounding so hard it was difficult to hear anything besides the blood rushing past her ears.That was too close.She'd wasted almost half an hour watching the security office, ensuring it was empty before trying to make her move. If it hadn't been for that sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, Thomas would have walked up to her opening the front door.Earlier today she'd finally gotten to check the basement of the main house. She'd thought Buzz had to be there since no one had seen him come or go.The basement had been empty.So where?What other location could they be using to keep Buzz?The security office. It had to be there, didn't it?That was where they had three, secure holding rooms. Normally they were for people who'd taken the party a little too far. But it made sense they might hold Buzz.Damn it.As
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 139: Lumen
Saturday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.LUMEN SAT UP. SHE didn't know why she was awake, but something had startled her out of a deep sleep."What? What is it?" Max mumbled as he pushed up."I don't..."She turned her head.Something-or someone-was tapping on the window.Lumen turned and peered out.A face pressed to the glass. Wide, brown eyes full of fear stared back at her."Aspen," Lumen hissed and threw the covers back.Max moved faster than she did. He vaulted out of the bed and had the door open before she'd untangled her legs.Aspen crawled into the cabin and crouched on the floor.Lumen glanced around before lowering herself and whispering, "Aspen? What's going on?"The girl was trembling. She shook so hard Lumen began searching her for a wound. Instead, she felt something hard and slim against Aspen's stomach.Aspen pushed her hands away and pulled out a worn black book. She shoved it at Lumen."Here. Keep this," Aspen whispered."What...?
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 140: Max
Saturday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.MAX STUDIED THE MAP of the sanctuary grounds. They'd covered all of the public places, even strolling the annex classroom hallways.Still no sign of Aspen.Wherever she was hiding, she was doing a damn good job of it. He'd noticed teams of two and three out looking, too. But they hadn't paid Lumen and Max any mind.There were no doubt places the map didn't cover, but Max and Lumen couldn't exactly go search those out in broad daylight.He could only hope that Aspen was able to stay low until things calmed down."Do we want to take a walk to the other side of the river?" Lumen asked.Max's knee jerk answer was no.He shook his head and kept walking slowly.From the little they'd been told, the further away from the river a person went, the fewer rules there were. Something about the hill across the river was a sort of dividing line. A no turning back point. If he had to guess, they'd been awfully close the night they went
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 141: Lumen
Saturday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.LUMEN STARED AT HER PHONE.Max had been gone for two hours. What was going on? Where was he? What had Thomas dragged him into?She tapped into her pictures and studied some of the images she'd taken of the book. She'd spent an hour in the cabin photographing and sending them to Zain to analyze. He hadn't said anything yet other than that he'd received them.Lumen couldn't decipher anything. There were numbers and codes that made no sense.If the dates were right, this book contained five years' worth of transactions. According to Nabanita, that was about as long as Thomas had worked at the sanctuary.So what was the book?Aspen had described it like a ledger of illicit dealings.Was this an official book? One they used to keep record of what they bought and paid? Or was this Thomas' personal dirt on everyone else?Lumen fanned herself with a folded piece of paper.She'd returned to the parking shack. Her rule following
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 142: Max
Saturday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.MAX STOOD IN THE small cabin.Where was Lumen?Thomas had dismissed all of them promptly on their return. It had been as if he hadn't wanted them to see where the drugs and women were being held.It was one thing to suspect what was going on, but a completely different thing to see it and be part of it. Max had a lot of reasons to loathe himself over the years, but this was the worst. The very worst.He'd been counting on finding Lumen soon after he got back. He needed her to tell him to stay the course, they had a plan, because right now he wanted to burn the whole fucking thing down.His phone vibrated.Max pulled it out and looked at the screen, but all he saw was a generic message.Which meant it wasn't a text or some other application.It was the Aegis Group communication app.The world seemed to slow. He stopped breathing. His heart stilled. The only thing that moved was his thumbs. He tapped on the app, input his
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 143: Aspen
Saturday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.ASPEN HUDDLED UNDER THE aged boughs of the tree. Lighting had struck the trunk at one point making it lean and creating this natural shelter.How long had it been since she'd seen Max?Half an hour?Her legs ached from running. The gash on her thigh still stung though it had stopped bleeding.Where was he?Had those men caught him? Was he captured like Lumen? Was Aspen all alone again?Her heart beat furiously against her ribs as she hugged her knees to her chest and began to rock.It would have been better if she'd never have said anything. If she'd figured out how to be happy where she was. This was all her fault.The world was wrapped in a blanket of darkness. She kept waiting for the stars to come out and chase some of the night away, but it just seemed to get more and more bleak. Aspen wanted things to go back to how they were. She wanted her brother and to sneak him into her room for snacks.Could she take it all
Last Updated : 2022-11-24
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Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 154: Epilogue.
Three months later. Ibiza.THEY SHOULD HAVE ELOPED.Lumen was ready to throw the silly bouquets into the water, scream at the top of her lungs and jump off the cliff herself. Alone.Jennifer appeared almost instantly. "Have a drink, you look stressed."Lumen considered the beverage. She'd meant to abstain from anything that might make her the least bit emotional until after the wedding, but right now it was just what the doctor ordered. She took the glass and downed the contents in two gulps."Way to chug," Jennifer snickered.Lumen thrust the glass back at her. "You. Shut it."Prudence burst in through the curtain, one sheer panel sticking to her bun of braids.Lumen jumped, startled by the sudden appearance. "Shit, what?""It happened," Prudence blurted.Lumen pressed her hand to her chest. "What happened? What now? Fucking hell, people. This is a wedding not... I don't know. What?"Prudence cringed. "I should have thought about this. You might not want to hear before th
Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 153: Max
Sunday. Hotel, Boa Vista, Brazil.MAX WAS WAITING WITH a plate the moment Lumen appeared. Jennifer and Prudence both glared at him, but he managed to get Lumen's attention and steer her into the bedroom where their things had been left. He could tell that Lumen was exhausted and in more pain than she wanted to admit. Besides, she'd never been much for messy emotions and she'd already told him he loved her today. That alone would leave Lumen wanting to avoid groups."Oh, thank you." She settled on the edge of the bed and grimaced."You seemed to be kind of done."Lumen chuckled. "You still know me so well."Max offered her the sandwich. He wished he could give her more, but it was what was on hand for now.The desire to touch her was driving him crazy, but he didn't dare. Instead he retreated to the one arm chair in the room and sat at a safe distance. She might have forgiven him for today, but he kept replaying it and all the moments he should have acted differently.Maybe he
Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 152: Lumen
Sunday. Hospital, Boa Vista, Brazil.LUMEN WASN'T SURE WHAT she liked the least, the pain or the way all the drugs made it feel as though she were moving through quicksand. Or that gel stuff the kids liked playing with.She sighed, only to be reminded that her ribs were. Not broken, so that was a relief. The fractures were tiny, hairline cracks, so in the scope of things it was nearly a best case situation. Didn't change the fact that right now she hurt like hell.A nurse with kind eyes stepped behind the curtain. She'd been working double time considering her grasp of English was the best of those currently working. "The doctor says you're good to go.""Thanks. Thank you. For everything. You've been a great help.""I chose the right time to come home, didn't I?" The nurse chuckled. "Do you want me to let your husband come back?"Husband.Lumen swallowed.In the confusion of arriving at the hospital, it had been easy to just let people draw the conclusion. Now, after Lumen ha
Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 151: Lumen, Blair, Max
Sunday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.LUMEN FELT AS THOUGH she were being grilled alive lying in the bed of the pickup with the afternoon sun baking her. Her shoulder throbbed and if she breathed too deeply her ribs hurt. She didn't think they were broken. Fractured or bruised, but not broken. That was good.Thomas spat curses as he wrestled with the newly flat tire."Hurry up," Blair demanded.Lumen winced.That wasn't going to go over well."What did you say to me?" Thomas said in a dangerous tone.There was a heavy thud.Lumen imagined Thomas dropping the tire iron as he rose to direct his wrath at a new target."They're going to find us. We need to get clear of here," Blair said."What the fuck do you think I'm doing?""God, I never should have listened to you.""If it weren't for me, you'd be locked in your daddy's pleasure palace waiting on him to stick you with a needle and turn you into a good little daughter.""Shut up!" Blair roared. "Why don'
Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 150: Max
Sunday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.THE DRAMA AT THE front gate dragged on.Max ground his teeth.They couldn't take off down the road without raising questions. They were stuck here, with all eyes on them, until someone made a move.He prayed Lumen was safe, that she could last a little longer."Canteens are full," Prudence said from the back of the SUV."Did we find sunblock? These meat heads won't think about that until it's too late," Jennifer said."Yeah, there's some." Prudence shifted behind Max. "Everything's ready. How's it looking out there?""The same," Vito replied. It was pretty much the only thing he'd said since indicating he would be going with them on this adventure.That left Brett and three other Aegis Group guys to guard Nabanita and her family. Those weren't great numbers given the situation, but Max was willing to believe they could hold their own."Have we heard from Zain?" Max asked."Nothing yet," Prudence replied.Max pulled ou
Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 149: Lumen
Sunday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.LUMEN SAT ON THE bottom bunk watching the only door to the room, but it was still shut.Had Blair really not realized her phone was missing? Was something else going on?"Breakfast should have come by now," Buzz said for at least the fifth time, if not more. "Something's not right."That last bit was new.She turned her head and watched him pacing, eyes on the door like hers."Hey?" she said. "It's going to be okay.""You don't know that.""I do."She still hadn't told him what she'd done, though he'd seen. He had to have seen.He kept pacing, not listening to her at all.Poor kid, he'd been locked up for over a week from the sound of things. She doubted he'd had a lot of company."What's their reasoning keeping you locked up like this?" she asked to get him out of his own head."I don't know," Buzz said."Okay, well, what have they said? What do you know?""Nothing. I know nothing, okay?""I see."He sighed
Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 148: Max, Blair
Sunday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.MAX SAT IN THE backseat of another SUV and watched as Nabanita and William once more tried to reason with the idiots at the gate.This time, however, there hadn't been just an attendant at the gate. They'd been met with four armed men who appeared to be from Sonny's personal guard. Just how many of them were there? A truck was parked in front of the entrance. There was no way to easily drive in.This was all Zain's plan.Max didn't pretend to understand the maneuvers, only that they were testing the waters today. Dangling Nabanita and William as a decoy was their aim."Think they've brought up the book?" Jennifer asked."If I were them I'd be sweating bullets," Prudence muttered.Orion glanced back and caught Max's eye.He looked away quickly. The last thing he wanted to do right now was talk."Notice anything off that we might not?" Orion asked.Max sighed and looked back at the gate. "Thomas isn't out there this time. H
Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 147: Lumen
Sunday. Creed of Truth Sanctuary, Brazil.LUMEN LAY ON THE top bunk staring at the ceiling. Buzz had fallen asleep again finally.They'd spent most of the night doing that. Talking, drifting off into silence and sleeping a bit. Eventually one of them would wake up, then the other and it began again.He'd seemed to understand without her needing to say it that there were some things they just couldn't talk about.Buzz was a perceptive kid.Like his sister.It killed Lumen that they needed to be this grown up.Kids should get to be kids.She prayed Max and Aspen were safe, that they'd gotten to the others and were hatching some mad scheme. Lumen had no doubt that the girls wouldn't rest until she was sprung from this prison. Unlike Jennifer, Lumen knew the lengths her coworkers and friends would go to for one of their own. She'd never doubted the resolve of those she worked with. Aegis Group had become her family in a way.The real question was, how long would it tak
Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Chapter 146: Max
Sunday. Safe House, Boa Vista, Brazil.THE GRAY DAWN BROKE on the horizon as Max and the others rolled through the front gate of the safe house. He eyed the surveillance men. They were mostly the same ones he'd seen before he'd left. Still the battle hardened faces of men who knew what they were doing.Which meant it was Sonny keeping an eye on them and bypassing Thomas.Max hadn't seen it until the very end, but there was a dividing line between Thomas and Sonny. The two didn't always know what the other was doing.Fuck all of them.Vito pulled the SUV into the garage where they could safely unload. They needed to keep Max and Aspen's whereabouts under wraps for as long as possible.It had taken them hours to land and get back. More time than he'd have thought necessary. All of which meant that Lumen was still back there. Alone. Going through who knew what.Max stuffed all the frustration down inside of him as he opened the SUV door and helped Aspen out. She'd held he
