Disclaimer:  Even though the voices in my head say differently, I don't own them.

Chapter Eight

            "What the hell is going on?" Logan asked Max as soon as they were safely ensconced in the elevator.

Max sent Logan a withering look, and pushed the button for the third floor instead of the lobby.  "Look, Mr. Cale," Max almost felt bad when she saw Logan flinch at her cool demeanor,  "your name may be attached to our company, but you are in no way to question my authority.  That woman, your maid has a Russian accent.  Northeast.  Possibly Yakutsk, but Jace is better at dialects than me.  Ten to one when we come back, your office door will have been picked and my toothpick will be lying on the floor."  The elevator dinged as it reached the appropriate floor and Max exited.

Logan slowly followed, "Why are getting off on the third floor?"

"Too many people have been killed in elevators for my comfort," Max replied as she walked towards the stairway.  "As easy as they make prying the top open in the movies, in real life they're bitches to crack."

The pair quickly made their way down the stairs and into the lobby.  Max surveyed the room, but didn't see anyone who looked like they didn't belong in the building.

Max pulled Logan out of the complex and onto the sidewalk.  Looking up at the building, Max had the suspicion that if she scaled the walls and peered into Logan's window, she would find 'Ms. Smith' in the office.  Ignoring Logan's glances, she pulled out her communicator and called the company.

"Hey, it's me," Max rolled her eyes and nodded her head as the tech that had answered the phone rattled on about something.  "Okay," she interrupted, "thank you for the update, Eric.  I need a ride, as close to the client's home address as possible."  An evil grin spread across Max's face as Eric supplied her with transportation.  "Thanks, Eric.  Send a team in one hour to the client's address."  Flipping the communicator closed, she eyed Logan.

"What?" Logan asked feeling uneasy.

"Nothing," Max smiled at him before turning and leading him down the block.  "Come on, our ride is on the next street."

Since it was technically rush hour, the streets and sidewalks were jammed with pedestrians.  The walk to the next street seemed to take an eternity.  Everywhere they turned, there were more bodies filling the streets.  Finally the pair stood before a gleaming black motorcycle.

"I take it this is our transportation," Logan said, gazing at the machine.

"Yep," Max replied, as she ran an adoring hand over the metal.

"What is it, a fifteen valve?"

"Sixteen," Max said, turning to look at him.  "You ride?"

"A long time ago."

"Too bad, I'm driving," Max told him as she climbed on the machine.  "Are you coming?"

Logan hopped on, wrapping his arms around Max as she revved the engine.  He tightened his hold as she pushed the bike to its limits and then went beyond them.  She weaved in and out of traffic, only halting when they came to the end of the sector.

The guard held out his hand as the Ninja approached.  As the machine came to a stop beside him, he admired the rider.  "Nice ride."

"The best," she said, casually leaning back against Logan, trying to dissuade the officer from making any comments.

"Yeah," Logan chimed in, as he followed Max's thoughts.  He tightened his arms around her waist and smiled down at her, "Only the best for my girl."

The officer took the hint and glanced at the sector passes Max handed him.  Hoping to have kept them around for a while, so he could have played with the girl, he sighed.  He was already up for review for holding clean citizens against their will; he couldn't risk adding another strike.  Nodding to his partner, he handed the passes back to Max who looped them around her neck.  "Have a nice day."

"Yeah, right," Max muttered under her breath as she sped off from the checkpoint.

Logan leaned back and enjoyed the feel of Max in his arms.  While not the way he had envisioned the moment, and that was all he had been doing since he had met Max, the feeling was still wonderful.

Max cruised down the streets of a defunct neighborhood, circling the block twice.  She was sure that someone had followed her from Logan's sector, but if he had, he wasn't there now.

Logan looked at the derelict buildings lining the street.  "Why are we here?"

Max ignored him as she fished an electronic device out of her pocket and looked at the readout.  The gadget told her that all of her siblings, excluding Krit, Syl and Brin, were in the building.  Pressing a button on the side of the device, a garage door opened.  Who the hell is at the office, Max wondered as she drove the motorcycle into the underground garage.

Logan let out a low whistle as he saw the fleet of very expensive cars hidden under the building.

Max hit another button and the door closed silently behind them.  "Impressed, huh?"

"A little," Logan admitted.

"The company has been doing quite well, which I'm sure you already know."  Max said as she walked across the underground to the elevator.  Typing in a code, the doors opened and Max ushered Logan inside.

"Where are we exactly?"

"My home," Max told him as she pressed the button for the living quarters.  "Well, not really just mine.  This is sort of like our home base, whenever we're not on a mission we live here."  Max glanced at him curiously, "I'm surprised you haven't been here before."

Logan grunted, "I haven't even been to the company headquarters.  I just bankrolled the payouts for about year, and gave your brother the benefit of Anson Securities."

"Jondy thanks you for that," Max smiled as she thought of Anson's head of research and development, Sebastian Kelly.

"What do you mean?"

"If you don't know, I'm not telling you," Max laughed, typing in a code to open the doors of the elevator. 

Stepping out into the massive living room, Logan was overwhelmed by the number of people gathered around the entrance.  Each one looked prepared to fight, but quickly relaxed their stance when they recognized Max.

"Logan," Zack said breaking away from the cluster.

"Zack."

"What's he doing here, Maxie?"  Zack asked, turning his attention to his little sister.

"Building was compromised.  Need to order a full-spectrum clean sweep," Max said distractedly, as she moved away from the entry.  "Where's Ben?"

"Gym," Jace replied as she cast a lingering look in Logan's direction.  She couldn't help but laugh when Max gave her the 'hands off my man' glare.  Holding her hands up in surrender she retreated to the kitchen.

Logan watched the exchange, but didn't really follow the unspoken communication.  Whatever had transpired, it seemed that Max had won.

"Well isn't anyone going to tell me why Max is allowed to bring a client here, but I couldn't bring Charlie until he had signed a confidentiality agreement?"  Tinga asked.

Zack turned to address his gathered siblings.  "Everyone meet Logan Cale.  He owns Anson Securities."

Logan felt as if he were on display at the Smithsonian, as the people before him stared.

Max glanced at Logan's uneasy expression and decided to take pity on him.  "He's a suit, but we won't hold that against him," she joked.

"Aww, man," Charlie moaned in complaint, sniffing the air.  The familiar smell of burnt food was quickly filling the living room.  "Why didn't anyone tell me it was Jace's turn to cook?"

Max smiled.  Leave it to Charlie to break the awkward silence.  "Yeah, that girl burns water.  But Logan," Max paused looking at him, "now he can cook."

Logan easily followed Max's thoughts.  "I thought we were going out for breakfast," he asked rolling up his sleeves and following the same path he had watched Jace take.

"We did," Max smirked, "I took you out, and now you're making us breakfast."

The others followed Logan into the kitchen area, intent on grilling him.  There were plenty of places Max could have dumped a client, even one that owned a quarter of the company.

Max and Zack watched their siblings follow Logan into the kitchen.

"The Pied Piper," Max said softly.

"What happened?"

"Logan has a maid, with a file that must make even the Pope envious," Max told him as she flopped down on one of the couches filling the room.

Zack took a seat opposite her.  "Related?"

"Ben's checking into it."

"You slept with him."

"Who?  Ben?" Max asked.  "Yuck."

Zack ignored her evasive maneuver.  "You know who I'm talking about.  Logan.  You slept with him."

"Who I sleep with is none of your concern, Big Brother."

"Max, how many times have I warned you not to get involved with them?"

"And I haven't made that mistake twice, have I?"

"Max," Zack said warningly.

"No, it's always us against them, isn't it?  Well, maybe it's time you learned that they aren't all the same.  Maybe it's time to let them in."

"I'll grant you Logan is different, Max, but still you need to be careful of who you trust."

"I trust Logan."

"Do you really, Maxie?  Can you trust him with your heart?"

"Not everyone is going to be like Anna."

"Just like all men aren't like Carson."

Max jumped to her feet, "Leave the past the hell alone, Zack.  Just leave it where it belongs."

"Why," Zack demanded as he stood, invading her personal space.  "You sure haven't."

Max flinched at Zack's observation.  No she really hadn't moved on, she was still living in the shadows.

"Admit it, you're attracted to Logan."

"So what if I am?  What concern is it of yours?  It's just a weakness isn't it?"  Max asked in a deadly, low voice.  "Phony sentimentality, right?  I guess I'll just have to trust your decision to bring Logan into my life.  Remember Zack, you're the one who trusted him first.  I'm just following my brother's lead."

Taken aback by her observation, Zack could only stand there open-mouthed as Max stalked into the kitchen.  Damn girl, Zack thought irritably.  But she is right, I did bring him into our lives.  I trusted an outsider.  And now he's screwing with Max's emotions.

Max met the sympathetic looks with a pasted on a smile, and chose a seat next to Logan, who was looking quite confused.

Logan had felt the tension in the room.  Before Max had entered the kitchen, it seemed as if all of the occupants, even Charlie, were listening to the conversation in the next room.  Now, glancing around the kitchen, everyone seemed to have renewed interest in their eggs.  "Um, am I missing something?"  Logan leaned into Max and whispered.

A shadow fell across the oak table.  "If you are, I'm sure that Maxie is more than willing to provide for your needs," Zack said coldly.

Max felt her temper flare and started to stand, but Logan beat her to the punch.

"I don't recall asking you the question, Zack."

Max rolled her eyes, and forcefully stood from the table, knocking her chair to the ground.  "I've had just about enough of this.  I'm going to the gym."

Silence filled the kitchen, as everyone watched Max walk out and head to the elevator bay.  Tinga eyed the two men standing at opposite ends of the table, but focused her wrath where it belonged.  Zack.  "If these eggs weren't so good, I would throw them at you."


~*~*~ Sorry that it's been so long since my last update.  Needless to say, life has been very hectic and this got pushed to the backburner.  Further updates will be sporadic, but I promise I will finish this story soon.