Max's Faith & Fury [COMPLETE]

Chapter 14

Max needed to get away from Asahel before her body went insane. Everything about him was getting her attention. The way he sighed, grunted, breathed, gripped the steering wheel, and even the way he drove. When he turned the music down, she watched his hand and imagined it coming back to touch her leg. She tensed and tried not to simply enjoy the faint fragrance of his cologne that tainted his clothes and car.

"I want to go to the funeral alone tomorrow."

"No." He grunted.

"Well, I don't want you to go with me."

"I wasn't going to." He glanced at her, "and why wouldn't you want me there?"

"I've had enough of you for one day." It was brutally true, but it didn't sound nice. "Sorry... I just need a break from... everything."

"Well," he watched the intersection before turning left. "Lucky for you, I have a lot to catch up on at work, so you shouldn't be seeing me for a few days. Maybe that will give you enough time to, I don't know, forgive me."

"Forgive you?" She scowled at him. "For what?"

"For killing those men today." He said casually. "They weren't my first and won't be my last." He glanced at her.

"Honestly, I don't care about that. I just," she sighed, remembering what Mia said about him being significant. She didn't need her to say it to know it was true. "I need to clear my head."

"Francis and Crow will go with you tomorrow." He changed the subject back to the funeral. "Wear a mask and stay hidden. You're a missing person, remember? People probably think you're dead."

"Remind me why that's a good thing." She stared dully out the window. The sun was barely starting to go down behind the Oquirrh mountains.

"Someone wants you dead."

"You mean my brother?"

Asahel's stomach dropped into a knot. An unexpected reaction, almost as unexpected as her comment. Rick was right, she knew way more than she was letting them believe. Something changed though, something that made her comfortable enough to say that.

"Why does he want you dead?" He prodded, hoping to get something useful out of her.

"Well, he's a criminal, and I was going to become a cop to help put dirtbags like him behind bars. Why wouldn't he want me dead?"

"What are his crimes?"

"Um..." Max thought about his files, "drugs, domestic violence, man-slaughter, so the file says..." She sighed before looking over at Asahel. "Of course, you're probably no better."

His blood curdled. Another unexpected reaction. "I'm nothing like your brother." He growled and she recoiled.

"I was talking about him killing people and the drugs."

"Don't assume the worst in people just because you don't understand." He growled. He was on edge now and couldn't wait to get Max out of his car.

"I'm not an idiot." She challenged, "I saw that mansion, and all these luxury cars. This Maserati isn't your typical sedan. The money comes from somewhere, and if it's not in arms and drug dealing, then what is it?"

Asahel was glad they were pulling in the driveway, and when he parked, he glared over at Max. "Get out."

She looked surprised, but not sorry for her false accusations. He may not have painted the perfect picture for her that day, but she couldn't be more wrong. She only frowned at him before letting herself out. He waited until she was away from his car before pulling out, not even waiting to make sure she could get in the house.