His End Game (MMG #1) (4 page)

I opened my mouth to thank him, when Piper slapped him on the back and said, “No shit, my eye allergies are horrible too. Just so you know, there are these new over-the counter eye drops at Walgreens that work miracles.”

The confused look on Carter’s face was priceless and so funny that I had to struggle not to spew my beer everywhere. If anyone could make me smile when my heart was hurting, it was definitely Piper.

“Well, have fun you guys. I see Kurt Greenfield over there and I am so not letting this opportunity pass me by,” she announced.

Kurt Greenfield was Max’s all-time best friend. I watched Piper make her way across the room to where Kurt and Max were standing and couldn’t help but compare the two. Where Max had bronze skin, black hair and blue eyes, Kurt was blonde and pale with hazel eyes. Max was built like a fighter whereas Kurt looked more like a distance runner.

Carter’s fingers trailing down my arm brought me back to the moment.

“I haven’t seen you around before. What year are you?” He asked.

“A Junior, and you?”

“Senior…. So, tell me sugar, where have you been? You are way too gorgeous to go unnoticed.”

“Well, I haven’t been to many parties this year,” I shyly admitted.

“I guess tonight’s my lucky night then,” he hummed, his fingers now roaming down my back.

Even with a serious buzz I knew that this guy was cute but a bit of a tool. It certainly didn’t hurt that I was seeing two of him at the moment. When he asked if I cared to inspect the upstairs with him, the earlier conversation I’d had with Piper flashed through my mind and, not wanting to be a Debbie Downer anymore, I said, “Sure.”

We were standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for people to pass by when I felt a chill run down my spine. I suddenly had the feeling that I was being watched. Halfway up the stairs, I glanced back over my shoulder and around the room.

Huh
…
Nothing there
….

Shrugging it off, I headed the rest of the way up.

Carter directed me to a large bedroom at the top of the stairs. By the time he closed the door, I was feeling nervous. My liquid courage began faltering and I was starting to second guess my decision to be alone with a guy who I really didn’t know.

“How about we turn on some music while we hang out?” he suggested, dancing his way to the iPod dock.

“Sure.”

I was thinking about how amusing this guy was, when
Dirty Little Secrets
started playing. I liked The All American Rejects, but this song at this moment in time was a complete mood kill.

I was wondering if Carter had ever actually listened to the lyrics, when he skipped back across the room and circled around behind me.

Okay, so maybe he is a little strange. I can do strange. After all, Piper is my best friend
.

“Ellie,” he gasped and pressed his lips to my ear. I turned my head to get away from his hot breath and caught him leering down at my chest. His eyes cut to me and he grinned. “Has anyone ever told you what an incredible rack you have?”

Nice
.

“Look, uh... Carter, I don’t normally do this.” I was incredibly uncomfortable.

“Hmmmm…Innocent. I see how you like to play it. That’s cool. I’ll play this
any
way you want.”

His condescending tone shot red flags to my beer soaked brain.

How I like to play it
?

He gripped me from behind and inserted his tongue in my ear.

Ewwww
.

Shivering in disgust, I took a step forward and disengaged myself from his hold.

“You smell gooood,” he hummed and pulled me back against his chest. “Like sex on a stick.” His breath stunk like sour Fritos. Trying not to gag, I glanced longingly across the room at the door and wondered if I should try to make a run for it. Before I could decide, he spun me around. Caught off guard, I looked up into his eyes and my stomach lurched.

This guy wants to hurt me
.

“I uh… need to go find Piper,” I stammered, trying to pull away from him. “She’s probably looking for me by now.”

“Shhhh,” he whispered, placing his finger across my lips. “I promise I’ll be quick. I never planned on hanging out for long anyway.” He grabbed my ass and started reeling me in. When I realized what he was doing, I reared back in protest. This made him mad and he yanked me the rest of the way in. As I opened my mouth to protest, he shoved his tongue down my throat and began dry humping my left thigh.

Time to leave, Ellie
.

Surprised by his strength, grossed out by his breath and feeling utterly helpless, I now wanted out. “Stop Carter,” I wheezed. “You are squishing me and I can’t breathe.” I pushed at his chest, hoping he would let me go. “I’m not good with this anymore and want to leave, now.”

“Not until you pay the piper,” he sang and rammed his Frito smelling tongue back down my throat.

I was now completely sober and officially
done
. This was not what I had in mind for this evening. I was rejected by Max, assaulted by Carter and was now scared but pissed off. So, doing what any smart girl would do, I bit down on his tongue… hard. This got me a mouth full of blood
and
a backhand to the face. Completely taken off guard, I screamed out in pain. The throbbing in my cheek was excruciating and all I could think was…
run
.

I was half way to the door thinking I was home free when I felt a blinding pain sear across the back of my head. He had me by my hair. My eyes smarted but I was determined not to cry. I was trapped and wondering how in the world I got myself into this predicament. He had a hunk of my hair wrapped around his fist and I could hear him breathing heavily. My face and head were both pounding like crazy and I really wanted to go home. I’d take my aunt over this any day.

“Not smart Ellie,” he sang.

What the hell is with this guy? Hi, my name is Carter. I like to dance and sing and assault innocent girls
.

Before I could get my next thought out, the door flew open and slammed against the wall behind it. I watched a really pissed off looking Max storm in, followed by two of his friends.

Thank God
.

Before I could say anything, he yanked Carter off of me and was dragging him across the room.

“Hold him,” he commanded. Two sets of arms pinned Carter to the floor.

“You like hitting girls you sick fuck?” Max growled, as he pounded his fist into Carter’s face. Blood from Carter’s nose shot across the floor. “Tell me,” Max ground out through clinched teeth, “Did she say no?”

Carter, who was straining to break free, looked defiantly up at Max and smiled.

Not smart
.

When he did this, Max went wild. In between each punch, he shouted, “No… Means… No!”

Feeling a little sick and fully vindicated, I said, “Max, please stop.”

His hand froze midair and his eyes shot up to my face. The look of concern on his face made my breath catch. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“I think so,” I said, holding my stinging cheek.

“Please tell me that he didn’t do anything else?” His eyes scanned over my body for any other damage.

I pointed to my face. “No, this is the worst of it.” I tried to control my shaking voice.

With that being said, he slammed a groaning Carter on the floor like a sack of potatoes.

“You just seriously fucked up,” he growled. He then told his friends to take Carter out and leave him on the street.

Slowly he walked over to where I was standing. I could tell, by the clinching of his jaw, that he was having trouble reigning it back in. This was scary and…arousing. Not really sure what to do with this combination of feelings, I just stood there. Scowling down at the bruise that was already forming, he lifted his hand and lightly stroked it across my cheek.

I let out a sigh of relief. “I don’t think Carter will bother me again after that.”

“Not if he knows what’s good for him. I can’t believe he hit you,” he murmured. I was staring at the wall behind his head, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. “I think I would have killed him, had you not asked me to stop,” he continued. I felt his fingers drift from my lip to my chin. “Ellison,” he whispered and then paused. I glanced up to see why he had stopped talking and was trapped in his eyes. They were so beautiful and so troubled… for me. “Why were you in here alone with him?”

What could I say to this?

Nothing that I would be willing to admit, especially to him
.

Feeling emotionally and physically drained, I dropped my forehead to his chest, wrapped both of my arms around his waist and burst into tears. He held me and, while stroking his hands soothingly up and down my back, softly whispered in my ear. It felt so right and for a second, just a second, I pretended that he was mine.

“Hey,” he said, pulling me in. “You’re gonna be okay, I promise.”

Staring up into his eyes, I believed him. His scent of leather and spice was an intoxicating balm and his mouth….
God, it was perfect
. I found my tongue unconsciously touching my swollen lip. His eyes dropped to my mouth and he moaned. There was no better sound than Max McLellan moaning for me. It was something I would never forget. I fought the urge to lean up and kiss him, to touch my lips to his… just once. He must have felt the pull too because I heard his breath hitch. His eyes devouring me, he leaned in and I knew that I was about to get my wish, when Piper burst into the room with Kurt and Jennifer trailing after.

Perfect timing, as usual, Piper
.

“What the hell happened?” She shrieked.

“Why are you touching her?” Jennifer snarled.

Max and I both froze for a second and then carefully stepped back from each other. I watched his eyes narrow at Jennifer and
then, leaning toward me, he whispered, “Glad you are okay. If Carter so much as blinks in your direction, find me or Kurt and I promise that we will take care of it, okay?”

Searching his eyes, I wanted to make sure that he was serious before nodding my consent. “Thanks for saving me,” I whispered.

Eyes softening, he reached out and, once more, rubbed his finger over my swollen cheek.

“Anytime,” he murmured.

Sucking in my breath, I fought the urge to grab onto him and never let go.

“Did that pecker head hit you? Where is he? I am going to kill him!” Piper screeched and, like that, the moment was over.

“Later,” Max said to the room as he walked with Jennifer out the door.

I let out a shaky sigh of relief and found myself enveloped in Piper’s arms.

“Oh, honey, I am so sorry I introduced you to him,” she said, her voice shaking.

I could tell that if I didn’t comfort her, she would start crying. So, I told her I was all right but wanted to go home. I needed to process the night. It wasn’t until much later that I wondered how Max knew I was upstairs with Carter. Had he followed me? I also wondered if it was my imagination or was he about to kiss me right before everyone barged in? It was a long time before sleep found me.

When I showed up to school on Monday, Carter, Max and I were the topic of discussion in the halls. Carter, thank God, avoided me like the plague. He looked horrible and was being shunned for how he had treated me. Max? Well, he was just one
big disappointment. I didn’t expect him to declare his undying love, but I also didn’t expect him to ignore me and act like the night never happened. I could feel his eyes on me in the halls but that was about it. I avoided Jennifer and her friends because every time they saw me, they said or did something horrible. Evidently Max rescuing me tipped her over the edge.

After weeks of this, I was fed up.

“It happened weeks ago. It’s done.” I told Joss during lunch one day. “I’m over it and it happened to me, not her. All he did was help me out of a jam. She needs to get over it and move the hell on!”

“She probably thinks you’re the reason he dumped her.”

What
? “What do you mean he dumped her?”

“Dumped her, broke up with her, kicked her ass to the curb. You know….dumped her,” she said, taking a bite of her sandwich.

“Let me get this straight. You are telling me that for the past three weeks they haven’t been together?”