Chapter Ten
When Nancy awoke the next morning, she had a momentary flare up of panic as she looked around her unfamiliar surroundings. For a few terrifying seconds, she thought she was back with Randy and her escape from him had been nothing more than a dream. But then reality caught up with her and she realized she was in a hotel room, the heavy curtains blocking out any possible sunlight, though she could see a sliver of it streaming through the crack in the fabric where they didn't meet.
Max's room.
Pushing the covers aside, she turned on the bedside lamp and noticed a neat pile of clothes folded on the small chair by the bathroom. There was a piece of paper sitting on top of them.
"I had Daniel go out and pick you up some clean clothes. They should be close to your size. Feel free to take a shower. I hope you don't mind."
It was signed by Max. She couldn't help but feel a little flattered and confused by the gesture. Gathering up the clothes, she made her way to the bathroom, closing the door softly behind her. She cranked the shower up to as hot as she could stand it, and soon steam was curling around the room, fogging up the mirror.
Undressing quickly, Nancy stepped under the torrent of water, unable to stop the soft groan from escaping her lips. It seemed like forever since she'd taken a shower. The water was soothing as it worked out the kinks and tension in her muscles.
She wasn't sure how long she stayed in there, but when she finally did emerge, the scent of vanilla wafted around her as she reached for her clothes. She was slightly surprised that the clothes actually fit—Daniel had bought a pair of blue jeans and a light blue blouse that brought out the color in her eyes. Once she was dressed, she ran her fingers through her long hair, working out some of the tangles.
Once she was somewhat satisfied with her appearance, she stepped out of the bedroom to find Max and Daniel sitting on the sofa. They both looked up as one, identical smiles lighting up their faces. Nancy couldn't help the tingle that went through her as Max's eyes trailed lazily up her body before finally settling on her face.
Dammit, Nancy. Get a hold of yourself!
"How did you sleep, love?" Daniel asked, nudging Max with his elbow. Nancy bit her lip, trying to hide her smile as Max jumped, before glaring at his friend.
"Very well…thank you." Nancy played with her hands, not sure what to do or say as she suddenly felt uncomfortable. It was almost as if she was on display for the two of them. "How about you?"
"Not well at all." Daniel's grin grew. "But then again, it would be difficult for anyone to sleep if you had to listen to Max snoring all night."
"I do not snore," Max said.
"It was as if you were a lumberjack, sawing logs until all hours of the night."
"I'm sorry," Nancy said, suddenly realizing that she had taken Max's bed away from him the previous night. "Where did you sleep?"
"You have nothing to apologize for, Nancy," Max said, his voice softening slightly. "You needed to sleep. Besides, I slept just fine here on the sofa. Just ignore Daniel—it's usually for the best."
"Yes, but it's impossible to do," Daniel amended.
"Would you like anything to eat?" Max asked, standing up. "I can call room service and they can bring something up if you want."
Nancy shook her head. "I'm not really hungry. I could use some coffee though, if you have any."
Daniel chuckled. "Of course we have coffee. It's vital to our everyday well-being around here. You could even say we're addicts when it comes to coffee."
Max moved across the room to a small cart that held a silver carafe along with two small dishes of what Nancy guessed was cream and sugar. "How would you like it?"
"Just black," Nancy answered. She watched as Max poured her a cup, taking it gratefully when he held it out to her. She didn't even give it a chance to cool down before she took a sip, a jolt of energy hitting her as the caffeine did its work.
"I'm going to head downstairs and get us checked out," Daniel said, standing up. "Our flight leaves at eleven so we need to make our way to the airport soon."
"Sounds good. I'll get everything packed up," Max said.
Nancy waited until Daniel left the room before she spoke. "Where are we going?"
"Away from here," Max said as he began moving around the room, picking up items to stuff into his duffel bag. "You're too much of a target."
"That doesn't answer my question. Where are we going?"
Max sighed. "I have a place in the Florida Keys. It's off the radar and it can't be traced back to me. I don't want to make it easy for Wolfe to find you."
"I appreciate the offer, but I can take care of myself."
"This isn't up for argument, Nancy."
"The hell it is," Nancy said, angered that he was making decisions about her without consulting with her first. "I have to get back home. I have finals this week, not to mention I'm supposed to graduate next week."
Max threw his duffel down on the plush chair, whirling around to face her. "And where do you think the first place he'll look for you will be? You can't go home, Nancy. It isn't safe. I promised you that I would keep you safe and that's what I'm going to do."
"What if I don't want you to help me?"
"Unfortunately, you don't get that choice."
"Are you kidding me?" Nancy put down her coffee cup on the table, before stalking towards the bedroom. She wasn't about to stick around and let him control her life. Like she had told him, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. After all, she'd survived this long on her own.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm grabbing my clothes and getting out of here."
"I'm not letting you leave without me, Nancy," Max argued, following her into the room. "It's too dangerous."
Nancy turned on her heel, nearly making him crash into her. It was taking everything she had to hold her temper in check. "So, what exactly are you going to do, Max? Keep me against my will?"
"If that's what it takes."
"Like hell you are!"
"Nancy—"
She didn't give him a chance to finish as she slapped him hard across the cheek. She tried to hide her wince as her hand stung from the blow. Turning away from him, she went to retrieve her clothes. Max grabbed her arm, turning her back to face him. "Let go of me!"
"No."
Nancy hit his chest with her fist, trying to pull away from him. "Let go of me, Max!"
"Do you have any idea how risky it is for you now? Do you even care about what happens to you, Nancy?"
"Of course, I do!"
"Then act like it!" Max relaxed his grip on her arm slightly, his eyes blazing. "Everything that you keep telling me you need to go back to—your school, your life—it can wait until we figure out what the hell Wolfe wants with you! The only way you can do that is by keeping you alive and letting me help you do that!"
"I know exactly what he wants—he wants revenge!"
"If that was all he wanted, he would have killed you on the spot," Max argued. "Instead, he kept you tied to a bed like some possession of his."
"He's psychotic! How am I supposed to know what he's thinking?"
"There is another reason he wanted you, Nancy," Max said, his voice softening. "He could have easily grabbed you himself if it was just a case or revenge. Instead, he went to a lot of effort and paid a lot of money to hire me to do it."
Nancy slowly stopped struggling, staring up at him. She honestly didn't have an answer for him. The truth was, she'd spent most of her time trying to figure out what exactly Randy wanted with her, but her mind remained blank. Max was right—if it was just revenge and retaliation, he would have killed her as soon as they were alone.
"All I'm asking is that you come with me, and let Daniel and I figure out what's going on. Let me keep you safe, Nancy." Max let go of her arm, staring down at her in earnest. "Don't make me break my promise I made to you last night."
"I don't want to feel like a prisoner, Max…"
Max took a step back as if Nancy had slapped him again. "That's not my intention to make you feel that way, Nancy. I'm sorry if you got that impression."
Nancy glanced away from him, feeling slightly guilty though she couldn't fathom why. "If I agree to what you're asking of me, wanting me to come with you—I'll only do it on one condition."
"What's that?" Max asked, apprehension in his eyes.
"You don't keep anything from me. You let me help you find out what Randy is up to."
"I don't know if that's a good idea…"
"It's the only way I'll agree to this plan of yours. I won't be kept in the dark, Max, on some crazy notion that you're trying to protect me. I know Randy better than you ever will and you know that."
"Maybe…"
"There's no maybe about it." Nancy fixed his with a steady look. "It's the least you can do for me, considering you're the one who got me in this mess to begin with."
Max let out a sigh, shaking his head slightly. "You're not going to let me forget that, are you?"
"Not in the foreseeable future, anyway."
"That's what I was afraid of." Max ran a hand through his hair. Nancy figured it was probably the only nervous habit he had. "I promise I won't keep you in the dark, but you also have to make a promise to me."
Now it was Nancy's turn to be nervous. She had no clue what he would ask of her, but she had a feeling she wasn't going to like it. "What…?"
"You have to let me call the shots."
"But—"
Max held up a hand, silencing her. "I won't suffocate you, but if I feel it's getting too deep and dangerous, then that's it."
"That's hardly fair."
"I never said anything about being fair, Nancy."
Nancy bit her lower lip, unable to tear her eyes away from his ocean blue ones. He was staring at her with such intensity, it was as if he was trying to see into the very depths of her soul. If it had been anyone else, it would have made her uncomfortable. She couldn't even remember a time when Ned had been able to look at her that way and make her insides turn to jelly.
Max seemed to hesitate before he brought his hand up, caressing her cheek with his thumb. Nancy didn't move away, letting out a soft gasp as she felt a slight tingle as his skin touched hers. She vaguely wondered what it would be like to kiss him…
As if he sensed what she was thinking, Max tilted her chin up, bringing his head closer to hers. Nancy felt her body respond to his touch, lifting herself up on her tiptoes to meet him halfway. Her subconscious screamed at her, telling her that this was all wrong, but she ignored it. Max made her feel a way she hadn't felt in a long time, since she and Ned had broken up. She'd never entertained the thought of being with anyone else for the past year.
Max was bringing all that longing to the surface, making her realize how lonely she'd been. His lips were just brushing against hers when the door opened and Daniel's voice called out.
"If the two of you are ready, we should really get to the airport."
Nancy and Max pulled away from each other as if they had been hit with a jolt of electricity. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't help the blush that crept into her cheeks as she tore her gaze away from Max. Perhaps it was for the best that Daniel had interrupted them.
"We should really get going," Max said, his voice soft.
"You're probably right."
With a slight smile, Max turned and walked away, leaving her alone in the room. Nancy stood there for a few moments, trying to compose herself before she went out to face Max and Daniel. She couldn't hide the tiny stab of disappointment she felt in the pit of her stomach.
It's for the best, Nancy told herself sternly. You can't afford to complicate things right now. Besides, it would never work out with Max.
Giving herself a slight shake, Nancy squared her shoulders and walked out of the room to see the two men waiting for her. Once again, she found herself staring at Max, though he had his back turned to her.
If it's such a bad idea, then why do I keep finding myself wanting to be with him?
A big huge thanks to the following for their reviews: MCR-1993, Angelvie S, Michelle Gallichio, McKenna Evens, lys (I will still be writing for this fandom—this is my home, after all!), and Alicia Hardy. I just love you guys so much!
I will be going back and forth between my two stories, so that's the reason I may not update as quickly as I have been.
I apologize for any mistakes I may have made!
Until next time!