Liz POV
What am I doing here? For some strange reason, I find myself standing in front of Max's new house. Why? I don't know. Ever since he and his family moved here, I've felt this pull toward him. The way he acts you would never know that he was married. Sometimes I even forget. Anyways, I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Almost immediately, a scary looking guy answered it.
"Can I help you?" he asked in a thick Irish accent.
He made me really nervous. "Um, yeah, is Max here? I mean he does live here, right?"
Mr. Tough Guy studied me for a moment, and then said, "Who are you?"
"I'm Liz Parker, a friend of Max's sister."
"Hang on," he muttered and turned inside. "Allie! There's a Liz Parker here to see Max!"
I could feel myself turning bright red. He just had to call Max's wife.
"Hey, Liz," Allie said cheerily, walking up to the door with Riley on her hip.
I took a moment to study my competition-whoa. Competition? She's already married to him! Still.damn! I had to admit that she looked good. She had on black soccer pants with white and yellow piping down the sides, a tight black top that said "CONTROL FREAK" in silver glitter letters, and her amazing red hair was done in high pigtails. I was no match for her.
"What 'cha up to today?" she asked, shaking me from my thoughts.
"Um," I stuttered, "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by and maybe give you guys the official tour of Roswell."
Allie flashed me her dazzling smile. "That's so sweet. Come on in."
I walked into the house and was at once hit by how much of a home it was. There were pictures of the four of them plus other people all over the place and it had lots of homey touches. The big Irish thug still hovering around Allie did not look right in-like he didn't really belong there.
"So.who's the guy?" I whispered to Allie.
She glanced back at him and waved her hand dismissively. "That's Todd. He's a friend of Alex's and he never seems to leave. Just ignore him."
Just then, the world seemed to stop. Max stepped into the room wearing nothing but white drawstring pajama pants. He was a sight to behold and I had to pray that I wasn't drooling. Without warning, his head came up and our eyes locked.
"L-Liz. Hi," he stammered.
"Hey."
"So, what brings you to our humble home?"
"Liz has offered to give us a tour of Roswell," Allie supplied.
Max grinned. Oh my God, he has the sexiest grin.
"Really? That's really nice of you. Excuse me while I go change."
I could only nod. Allie and I sat down on the couch and began to make small talk. In the middle of our conversation, the phone rang in the next room.
"Uh, Liz? Do you mind holding Riley while I take that call?" Allie asked, a worried undertone barely detectable in her voice.
I nodded. "Sure."
"Thanks," she said and handed Riley to me, then sprinted for what I guess was the study.
"Where's Allie?" Max asked, stepping back into the room fully dressed in somewhat baggy jeans, a tight black shirt that showed off his well- sculpted chest, and Vans.
"The phone rang."
Max's brow furrowed. "Really? I didn't hear it."
I shrugged. "It rang in the other room."
"I'll, uh, be right back," he said with wide eyes and ran into the room Allie had disappeared into.
Huh, both of them seemed upset about that particular phone ringing. I wonder what's going on.
**********************************************
Max POV
Oh my God. When I saw Liz standing in my living room studying me without a shirt on, I just wanted to scoop her into my arms and kiss her senseless. Whoa, where did that come from? Still, she's just perfect. Allie was watching us the entire time with a knowing grin and a twinkle in her eyes. I really hope she doesn't try to play matchmaker because that would be so weird. Then I saw her holding Riley and my heart just melted. She was being so gentle with him.
Okay, I really need to stay focused on my current crisis.
When Liz told me that Allie's office phone had rung, my heart stopped. Only members of the family call on that line. I ran after my wife and found her sitting at her desk with a dazed expression on her face.
"Allie, what's wrong? What happened?" I asked, gently shaking her shoulders.
She opened and closed her mouth, apparently at a loss for words. Her next action caught me off guard. Allie, who didn't even cry when she gave birth to Riley or when her parents were killed, threw her arms around my neck and began to sob uncontrollably. To say that I was stunned is an understatement. Completely bewildered, I just rocked her back and worth, stroking her hair. After her sobs had subsided, I pulled away and looked into her red eyes.
"Allie, what happened?"
She stared straight back at me and whispered, "They killed him. Finnegan and his fuckers killed Cedric. I'm the boss now."
I sat back on my heels and looked at my wife in horror. Sure, I had known that this day would come and so had Allie, but I don't think either one of us expected it to happen when she was only eighteen.
"What happens now?" I asked.
"I have to go to New York, now," she said and walked out of the room.
I followed her and said, completely forgetting that Liz was in the room, "You're going to New York now? Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll assign more guys to you, Alex, and Riley while I'm gone."
I grabbed her arm and turned her to face me. "Wait a minute, you can't go by yourself. We should go with you."
Allie shook her head. "No, you guys are gonna stay here where its safe. I'll call you guys every night to let you know that I'm alright."
I just stood there, staring at her. I was so torn. Part of me wanted to go with her and protect her, even though she has bodyguards for that. Another part of me wanted to take advantage of the situation and spend time with Liz. Does that make me a bad person?
Allie walked over to where a confused Liz was sitting and kissed Riley's cheek. "Mommy has to take a little trip, sweetie. You stay here with Daddy, Uncle Alex, and Liz. Be good, okay? Mommy loves you, Riley."
Liz looked shocked that Allie had included her in her little speech to Riley. I could only shake my head-only Allie would still play subtle matchmaker at a time like this.
"What do you want me to tell Alex?" I asked as Allie grabbed her bag and headed for the door, followed by an upset Todd.
"The truth."
"He's not going to be happy about it," I said gently.
Allie nodded. "I know, but he knew that this day would come. Give him my love. I'll call you guys tonight. Have fun on your sight seeing tour today," she said and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Bye Liz!" she called.
"Uh, bye Allie!" Liz replied.
Allie nodded and was gone. I slumped into the closest chair and ran a shaky hand through my hair.
"Max," Liz's soft voice asked, "what's going on?"
Crap, what was I going to tell her? I sure as hell didn't want to tell her the part about the mob.
"The call was from Allie and Alex's.cousin-their older brother, Cedric, is dead."
Liz gasped. "Oh my God. What happened?"
"Random drive-by shooting in front of his apartment in New York." It wasn't a total lie; he was shot in front of his place. I only left out the part about it being a hit.
"That's awful. Poor Allie and Alex, they just lost their parents and now they've lost their brother. Do they have any other intermediate family?"
I shook my head. "No, their other brother, Riley, was killed three years ago. Allie and I named our son after him."
Liz just gave me a sympathetic smile and leaned over to squeeze my hand. When our skin touched I felt something like a jolt of electricity run through my body. Her skin was so warm and smooth. Bad Max! Your wife has just been made the head of the most feared crime family in history because her brother was brutally murdered-you should not be thinking about other women right now. But I wasn't thinking about other women, just one woman. One who had captured my heart in the short time I'd known her.
"What do you say I go ahead and give you the tour right now? Help you get your mind off of your poor brother-in-law," Liz offered.
I could only nod. Driving all around town with Liz while my wife was out of town? Oh boy, it was going to be a long day.
What am I doing here? For some strange reason, I find myself standing in front of Max's new house. Why? I don't know. Ever since he and his family moved here, I've felt this pull toward him. The way he acts you would never know that he was married. Sometimes I even forget. Anyways, I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Almost immediately, a scary looking guy answered it.
"Can I help you?" he asked in a thick Irish accent.
He made me really nervous. "Um, yeah, is Max here? I mean he does live here, right?"
Mr. Tough Guy studied me for a moment, and then said, "Who are you?"
"I'm Liz Parker, a friend of Max's sister."
"Hang on," he muttered and turned inside. "Allie! There's a Liz Parker here to see Max!"
I could feel myself turning bright red. He just had to call Max's wife.
"Hey, Liz," Allie said cheerily, walking up to the door with Riley on her hip.
I took a moment to study my competition-whoa. Competition? She's already married to him! Still.damn! I had to admit that she looked good. She had on black soccer pants with white and yellow piping down the sides, a tight black top that said "CONTROL FREAK" in silver glitter letters, and her amazing red hair was done in high pigtails. I was no match for her.
"What 'cha up to today?" she asked, shaking me from my thoughts.
"Um," I stuttered, "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by and maybe give you guys the official tour of Roswell."
Allie flashed me her dazzling smile. "That's so sweet. Come on in."
I walked into the house and was at once hit by how much of a home it was. There were pictures of the four of them plus other people all over the place and it had lots of homey touches. The big Irish thug still hovering around Allie did not look right in-like he didn't really belong there.
"So.who's the guy?" I whispered to Allie.
She glanced back at him and waved her hand dismissively. "That's Todd. He's a friend of Alex's and he never seems to leave. Just ignore him."
Just then, the world seemed to stop. Max stepped into the room wearing nothing but white drawstring pajama pants. He was a sight to behold and I had to pray that I wasn't drooling. Without warning, his head came up and our eyes locked.
"L-Liz. Hi," he stammered.
"Hey."
"So, what brings you to our humble home?"
"Liz has offered to give us a tour of Roswell," Allie supplied.
Max grinned. Oh my God, he has the sexiest grin.
"Really? That's really nice of you. Excuse me while I go change."
I could only nod. Allie and I sat down on the couch and began to make small talk. In the middle of our conversation, the phone rang in the next room.
"Uh, Liz? Do you mind holding Riley while I take that call?" Allie asked, a worried undertone barely detectable in her voice.
I nodded. "Sure."
"Thanks," she said and handed Riley to me, then sprinted for what I guess was the study.
"Where's Allie?" Max asked, stepping back into the room fully dressed in somewhat baggy jeans, a tight black shirt that showed off his well- sculpted chest, and Vans.
"The phone rang."
Max's brow furrowed. "Really? I didn't hear it."
I shrugged. "It rang in the other room."
"I'll, uh, be right back," he said with wide eyes and ran into the room Allie had disappeared into.
Huh, both of them seemed upset about that particular phone ringing. I wonder what's going on.
**********************************************
Max POV
Oh my God. When I saw Liz standing in my living room studying me without a shirt on, I just wanted to scoop her into my arms and kiss her senseless. Whoa, where did that come from? Still, she's just perfect. Allie was watching us the entire time with a knowing grin and a twinkle in her eyes. I really hope she doesn't try to play matchmaker because that would be so weird. Then I saw her holding Riley and my heart just melted. She was being so gentle with him.
Okay, I really need to stay focused on my current crisis.
When Liz told me that Allie's office phone had rung, my heart stopped. Only members of the family call on that line. I ran after my wife and found her sitting at her desk with a dazed expression on her face.
"Allie, what's wrong? What happened?" I asked, gently shaking her shoulders.
She opened and closed her mouth, apparently at a loss for words. Her next action caught me off guard. Allie, who didn't even cry when she gave birth to Riley or when her parents were killed, threw her arms around my neck and began to sob uncontrollably. To say that I was stunned is an understatement. Completely bewildered, I just rocked her back and worth, stroking her hair. After her sobs had subsided, I pulled away and looked into her red eyes.
"Allie, what happened?"
She stared straight back at me and whispered, "They killed him. Finnegan and his fuckers killed Cedric. I'm the boss now."
I sat back on my heels and looked at my wife in horror. Sure, I had known that this day would come and so had Allie, but I don't think either one of us expected it to happen when she was only eighteen.
"What happens now?" I asked.
"I have to go to New York, now," she said and walked out of the room.
I followed her and said, completely forgetting that Liz was in the room, "You're going to New York now? Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll assign more guys to you, Alex, and Riley while I'm gone."
I grabbed her arm and turned her to face me. "Wait a minute, you can't go by yourself. We should go with you."
Allie shook her head. "No, you guys are gonna stay here where its safe. I'll call you guys every night to let you know that I'm alright."
I just stood there, staring at her. I was so torn. Part of me wanted to go with her and protect her, even though she has bodyguards for that. Another part of me wanted to take advantage of the situation and spend time with Liz. Does that make me a bad person?
Allie walked over to where a confused Liz was sitting and kissed Riley's cheek. "Mommy has to take a little trip, sweetie. You stay here with Daddy, Uncle Alex, and Liz. Be good, okay? Mommy loves you, Riley."
Liz looked shocked that Allie had included her in her little speech to Riley. I could only shake my head-only Allie would still play subtle matchmaker at a time like this.
"What do you want me to tell Alex?" I asked as Allie grabbed her bag and headed for the door, followed by an upset Todd.
"The truth."
"He's not going to be happy about it," I said gently.
Allie nodded. "I know, but he knew that this day would come. Give him my love. I'll call you guys tonight. Have fun on your sight seeing tour today," she said and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Bye Liz!" she called.
"Uh, bye Allie!" Liz replied.
Allie nodded and was gone. I slumped into the closest chair and ran a shaky hand through my hair.
"Max," Liz's soft voice asked, "what's going on?"
Crap, what was I going to tell her? I sure as hell didn't want to tell her the part about the mob.
"The call was from Allie and Alex's.cousin-their older brother, Cedric, is dead."
Liz gasped. "Oh my God. What happened?"
"Random drive-by shooting in front of his apartment in New York." It wasn't a total lie; he was shot in front of his place. I only left out the part about it being a hit.
"That's awful. Poor Allie and Alex, they just lost their parents and now they've lost their brother. Do they have any other intermediate family?"
I shook my head. "No, their other brother, Riley, was killed three years ago. Allie and I named our son after him."
Liz just gave me a sympathetic smile and leaned over to squeeze my hand. When our skin touched I felt something like a jolt of electricity run through my body. Her skin was so warm and smooth. Bad Max! Your wife has just been made the head of the most feared crime family in history because her brother was brutally murdered-you should not be thinking about other women right now. But I wasn't thinking about other women, just one woman. One who had captured my heart in the short time I'd known her.
"What do you say I go ahead and give you the tour right now? Help you get your mind off of your poor brother-in-law," Liz offered.
I could only nod. Driving all around town with Liz while my wife was out of town? Oh boy, it was going to be a long day.
