We both sat in silence for a while. Coming up with what the hell happened earlier on wasn't cool but it was a bold move. We should be able to talk about it sooner or later.
"Max about earlier on." I started.
"Leave it." He answered in a low tone.
"Seriously we have to talk about it." I watched him avoid eye contact with me.
"Anny, stop ruining the moment. What do you want me to say? That I can't handle you being treated without respect, that I can't bare to see you sad, that I can..."he reacted angrily to the matter his face showing how much annoyed he was about the matter.
"Well that is a lot to take in." I spoke.
He slouched in the seat hiding his face away from me. Bet this is the time he's digesting what he just spoke. Trying to uncover his hidden face from his palms, he totally was glued in them.
"Mr. Maximilian Jones, are you by any chance blushing." I laughed at the end of my statement.
Immediately he shot up from where he was seated. "Get up, we are going back to my suite." He announced.
"So soon." I tried to interject.
"Yes, so soon. Maybe if you could have kept your mouth shut, you'd stick around more." He walked away leaving echoes of his shoes following close behind him.
"This won't be the first time someone orders me around. My dad used to do most of that too."I shouted back at him.
He stood on his tracks immediately after I was done talking. Seems this hit him harder than it did to me. I was already used to that. He turned slowly to face my direction. I don't know why but I saw something dangerous in him. It's not I've never seen him angry but this was something way past anger.
"Say that again." He spoke loud enough for me to hear.
"Never mind."
I walked past him only to be stopped by him gashing me back to him, so that I could face him directly. His grip on me tightened by the second.
"Seriously Max that hurts." I spoke trying to free my hand.
"You never talked about them to me." His voice was low now.
It's like he was so ready to listen to me at the moment. Kinda felt a sense of worrieness in him. His eyes dug in mine.
"Let's go, it's getting kinda late."
I pulled slightly his hand away from mine and walked away leaving him looking at me. Soon I felt him walking to my direction. That was a relief. I assumed he would decide to stay back.
Later we were bid bye by Naomi and the rest of her crew. They were super nice but still I sensed tension in them since Max had this unbearable frown on his face.
Couple of times I tried talking to him. Yet he still remained silent. At the car we remained silent the whole drive. I put on some music but he turned it off. Understanding him was all I could do. Clearly I knew that I had sow a seed in him that I can't escape harvesting.
His eyes were glued on the road. The drive was smooth and steady. Couple of hours and were at our destination. I watched him alight the car without a word. Noticing I was still in the car, he went ahead and opened for me the door.
Slowly I got out, holding my shoes against my breast. It was hard for me to wear them the entire time. We both made way to the entrance of the hotel.
"Go ahead I'll catch up." Max spoke while he walked the other way.
"Okay..." I dragged seeing him not gazing at my direction when he spoke.
He was in a bit of hurry. I was dead tired hence I quickly made my way to the elevator. On the way I could have sworn I felt someone eyes on me. In a second I made a quick rotation of my eyes to check who the stalker was.
"Anny, stop overthinking." I spoke out loud to keep myself in check.
"You should probably be scared." That dreadful disgusting voice hit my eardrums causing me to panic the moment I recognized his voice.
"Jackson, what in the goddamn mind are you doing here?"I asked confused.
" I should be asking you that. I thought this was an exclusive hotel hosting honorables only. So what is a loser like you doing here...? No way! Don't tell me you are doing house keeping? " he mocked me.
I looked at him disgusted and still hurt. He usually knew my weakness that's why it easy for him to hit the nerves right at where it hurt the most.
" Leave me alone. "
I tried to walk past him but I ended up being pushed further away the opposite side, landing my small frame body hitting the ground with a loud thud. Compared to both our analysis in the field, Jackson is stronger than any of my siblings.
Usually we all were scared when it came to him. His anger issues had been something that he needed help with, yet he was still in denial, Saying he was fine.
"What is going on here." I heard Max's voice behind me.
From where I had sat, I turned to see Max. The moment my eyes laid on his, tears stung my eyes. I so much would love for him to defend me right then . I so badly needed his help even though I knew this would cause a fall out in the near future.
"This young lady does not deserve to stay in a luxurious place like this. I really need to talk to the manager about their security services. Once people like her come to such a place they should be dragged out like the homeless dogs they are." He spoke harshly never considering how I'd feel.
" Seriously we are fucking siblings. " I cried out.
" What about you? Do you deserve to be here? " Max asked him.
His face was cold while his voice trembled even though he tried so hard to hide it. We made eye contact with each other for a couple of seconds before Max came and helped me up.
"Excuse you." Jackson was surprised.
" Technically dogs like you shouldn't be here." He paused looking at him. "Drag him out." He ordered.
"For your information Anny is my woman, and nobody... I mean nobody has ever laid a hand on her not even me. I don't care who the heck you are but she is the damn freaking owner of this place." he made it clear for him to understand.
With that Jackson was dragged out of the hotel by more than six security guards. I was super pissed by his actions since he went on cursing me and threatening to tell dad about all this.
" Max. "I called him but not once did he look back.
He marched away leaving me stranded on the spot. Noticing I wasn't following, he stopped then turned to my direction. I knew then I had a lot of explaining to do. This wasn't just a simple issue to be handled. He seemed determined to get everything out of me.
"Anny..." He dragged.
"Coming." I submissively answered taking baby steps towards him.
I could have sworn I saw a smirk on his face. Yet it vanished as soon as it came. Walking past him wasn't easy since his eyes and bore holes in me. Gathering up courage I walked swiftly and went as fast as possible towards the elevator. Punched few buttons and we were on our merry way going up.
"Not so fast." He spoke while pushing an emergency halt for the elevator to stop. There was a screeching sound of metal rubbing against each other.
" What is the meaning of this?" I asked.
My whole being sensed danger and I started becoming weary of the situation I was in. He looked at me with those dagger eyes, his face indicated how tight he had bit his teeth against each other while he clenched his fist. I knew then there is no escaping from this.
"Max you are scaring me." I raised my concern.
Suddenly he eased a bit. Moments later he took a step towards me. My reflex took action of my body and I took a step back. Never would I have thought about doing such a thing. My eyes found his. He was confused at the moment.
" Wait! Baby girl you do not think I'd hurt you, right?" he asked. His voice low purely indicating concern.
" I didn't mean to..." I tried to justify my actions.
"But you did." he objected.
I had no way of getting myself out of this. He took a heavy sigh and pressed the emergency halt button. Soon we were heading up. The elevator dinged once we had arrived. The entire time Max's eyes were focused in thin air. He was spacing. I'd rather say he was having a deep conversation with his inner self.
"Care to explain what the heck was that I just witnessed minutes ago."
His eyes were on me while he sat at the arm of the couch. Couple of seconds I was silent thinking of how to begin explaining.
" Anny, don't make me repeat myself. You know me. So what the hell was all that?" He slightly raised his voice clearly indicating his anger.
I avoided eye contact with him. Never in my wildest dreams have I thought of such a situation. My mind was processing everything at the moment. Neither did I want to upset him any longer nor did I want to keep it a secret from him.
"He...he...is my brother." I managed to stammer.
" That I know. Did you think I was deaf the entire time you two were exchanging words. I heard everything, Anny, everything." he paused. "So start talking." He ordered.
"It's a long story." I managed to murmur out loudly.
"Lucky you I've got all the time in the world for you."
For a second there I was happy he had smiled. Yet something else burnt me deep down in me. This was the day I'd open up to him. Yah! I had thought about it on several occasions but I had no such energy to say it out loud.
ANNY'S POV
" You are as useless as your stupid friends. Look at your brothers they all take after me, while you on the other side..." He cut himself in between his statement.
"Dad seriously stop it." I begged.
"Stop crying, you look pathetic. Go to your room ASAP." he ordered.
Quickly I rushed to my room feeling utterly useless in this household. My dad has never seen anything good in me. Day in day out he bombards me with any insult it comes across in his mind.
I tried being perfect. Nothing mattered to him. My whole life I had to compete with my five brothers in everything. Let it be trainings, perfections and strength. I am a girl yet he wanted me to be as good as them.
They blindly followed my father's commands. If he says bark you bark, even to the extent of If he says kill you kill. Just because he was the man of the house, he made his children servant of his bad leadership.
Dealing dirty business was his thing. Most times I sabotage his dealings to show my point that he wasn't on the right. This in turned angered him more. Mostly I could end up being locked up in a stingy dirty smelling room to reflect on my actions, yet I never gave him the pleasure.
One Saturday morning he had some shipments to supervise. When I got to know he was doing shady business I sabotage the whole thing and he almost ended up in prison.
My dad was furious that he gave me a thorough beating I almost died. If not for my mum who was slapped for intervening in my punishment would be severe and lanes different.