Chapter 6: Who are You?

Vic jumped up from the chair, dove behind Max and out the door, stopping just a few feet away and placing her hands on the hood of the car. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths as the sound of scuffling feet behind her almost caused her to turn and throw a right hook, but Max’s sweet soft voice rumbled behind her. “I'm supposed to tell you that if you run, the boss says I can stick a bullet in that ass, but it’s such a nice ass I would hate to damage it that badly.” he purred, and Vic let a breathless laugh loose as she shook her head. “Is that supposed to be a compliment or something?” she asked. Max appeared next to her shrugging, still in his undershirt. “That’s the best I can do, sweetheart. I’m gonna flirt hard because baby you make my blood boil. I would rock your world if you let me.” he said with a smile that stretched all the way across his face and Vic didn't even try to hide her blush as she spun around and hopped up on the hood of the car. Vic locked eyes with Max and the pair just sat, staring at one another for a long time until Vic exhaled and laid back across the car. “So, Rowan is supposed to rattle my cage and scare me. Rocco is supposed to appeal to the dainty feminine side of me. What’s your game Max? The girl’s best friend?” Max didn’t answer her, and she let a bitter laugh blast from her gullet. “Figures. Might as well talk to my fucking self.” she mumbled and sat up. 

“Listen Max. I know I don’t look like much more than a muscled-up beach bunny, but my particular talents have been used by all seven families for the past eight years at least. So, if that doesn't speak for itself than you, dumb and dumbest in there, and Volkov can all go suck each other’s dicks in a big circle jerk.” she yelled, taking large breaths as she watched Max fold his arms and tilt his head to the side with a lazy smile still playing at his lips. “I’m just here to be Max. Volkov hired me straight out of basic and that’s who I have been every day since. Who are you love?” he asked and the warmth in his voice tugged Vic in separate directions. Her heart wanted to wrap itself in the compassion he offered but her brain threw up every warning signal that this man was more dangerous than a coiled rattlesnake.

Vic smiled and shrugged. “That’s a tough question if we are being honest here Max. My father wanted me to be Victoria Bura, dainty flower of the Bura family. My mother wanted me to be a strong independent woman. My brother wants me to disappear and most of the guys I worked with don't care who I am after I’m The Ghost.”  Vic sat straight up as Max slowly made his way to her. With slow deliberate movements, he pushed her knees apart and stepped between them, pressing his body against the car until his belt began to scrape the side. “I know what The Ghost is, sweetheart, but who is The Ghost? Who is Vic?” He pressed and as his head began to dip moving closer to hers, Vic found herself hesitantly moving her head away but not actually withdrawing from the gentle advance. 

Just as Max’s breath began to fan over the exposed section of Vic’s throat, a high-pitched whistle stopped Max’s momentum. “Inside, now.” Rowan barked while Max let a devious chuckle rumble between them. “To be continued.” he whispered and tapped the underside of her chin with an index finger before stepping away from the still frozen woman. He sauntered back through the door, ducking under Rowan’s arm, and tapping the larger man in the solar plexus as he passed.

Vic slid down off the hood of the car as Rowan marched up to her, not stopping until she was crowded between the metal beast behind her and the human one in front of her. “Stay away from Max.” he barked, and Vic raised a single blonde eyebrow. “I think Max is a big boy,” she purred and tapped the center of his bulging chest, “but if your jealous Row bear-” she began and the moment her fingers began to rub his chiseled pectoral muscles he grabbed her wrist and tried to spin her around. Vic used the back of the car to tilt her hips and shoulders, placing the heel of her foot on top of Rowan’s knee and pushing herself up, wrapping her legs around the large man. Vic snagged the wrist of the hand Rowan held her with and straightened his arm before leaning back over the hood of the car and stretching the limb in an unnatural way. To further make the position of his arm excruciatingly uncomfortable, Vic pushed her legs against his hips and arched her back as much as possible. 

Rowan began to grunt in discomfort and finally cursed as the bone in his arm reached past a comfortable angle. “Let go you little bitch.” he grumbled, and Vic’s answer was a malicious laugh before she pulled the limb further. Rowan roared in pain before sliding his free, albeit injured limb beneath Vic and lifted the woman attached to his other arm off the hood of the car before he dropped her weight back down onto the hood of the car. Causing Vic, the car and Rowan to groan in discomfort and pain. Vic released Rowan’s arm as the large man pulled away and stumbled back against the door clutching his elbow, staring daggers into the woman slowly pulling herself up from the slightly dented car. Rocco flung the door open and snapped his fingers. “Will you stop fucking around and get in here before someone sees and calls management?” he hissed, and Rowan immediately ducked into the room without another word. Vic stepped away from the car and threw her thumb toward it. “Can I get my bags?” she asked with a croak in her voice. Instead of unlocking the trunk for her, Rocco walked to the car and retrieved her things before walking back into the room without a word and tossing them down on one of the beds. As Vic tried not to let her shoulder bother her, she rolled it a few times on her way into the room before closing the door behind her.

Rocco looked up from the laptop that Max now sat curled around on one of the beds. “You can shower. Take your clothes, you have caused enough distraction tonight.” he snapped, and Vic rolled her eyes as she snorted and grabbed her bags, throwing them down on the floor between the beds and wedging herself between them and the vacant bed. “Tell your boys to keep their hands to themselves and they won't get so distracted.” she grumbled before turning away from the eyes on her and all but tucking her face under the bed skirt. Max scowled at Rocco over the thin metal frame of his glasses and Rocco only responded by rolling his eyes and mumbling under his breath. Rowan pursed his lips at Max and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Max kept his eyes locked with Rocco and when a single eyebrow popped over the rim of his glasses, Rocco shook his head before he marched over to Vic and lifted her body from the ground before tossing it into the vacant bed. Vic turned to scowl at the pair, but Rocco only grabbed a black hoodie and stormed out of the motel, slamming the door.

Vic watched him go and turned to look at Max, who was once again hunched over the laptop. “He will be back later, get some sleep. We still have a long drive. Also, don't worry about Rowan. He may not understand personal boundaries, but he has morals and draws the line at consent, know what I mean?” Max declared, and although Vic got the feeling it was supposed to make her feel better, it only served as a reminder that if she slept, she would be at the mercy of Max’s unpredictable word. Vic turned over and lay down on the still made bed. She closed her eyes but sleep just didn't seem to be something she could force on herself no matter how hard she tried. Sometime between Rowan emerging from the steaming bathroom and the cold blast of air Rocco brought with his return, Vic's body finally found sleep.