The Billionaire's Salvation: (The Billionaire's Obsession ~ Max) (10 page)

“Mia,” he called out again, his voice getting more desperate.

“Wake up, Max. You’re dreaming,” she told him in a louder, sterner
voice.

He sat straight up, his eyes coming open, blinking at the light as though it hurt his eyes. He looked around the room, his gaze finally landing on her face. “You’re here,” he said, sounding relieved.

Mia rose to her feet. “I’m here,” she agreed, reaching her hand out to
him.

She knew Max was completely stoned—his eyes glazed over—but it still made her heart surge as he reached out and took her hand with no hesitation at all, like he completely trusted her. “Where are we going?” he mumbled as he got unsteadily to his
feet.

“I’m putting you to bed,” she answered adamantly, determined to get him to a more comfortable place to
sleep.

He grinned wolfishly at her. “No argument here,” he said happily, his fingers grazing over the ring finger of her left hand. “You’re wearing my ring. You found
it.”

Mia didn’t want to tell him she’d never lost it. She’d left it behind, not certain what Travis’ plan had been when he’d sent his men for her, and she wanted to try to stay completely unnoticeable. Max Hamilton wasn’t the type of man to do anything lightly, and he’d bought her a beautiful ring with enough quality diamonds to make a person go blind. It definitely had bling, so she’d reluctantly and intentionally left it
behind.

“I am. I love it,” she answered truthfully, wanting to tell him it had rarely left her finger the whole time they’d been apart. But she didn’t. She pulled on his hand, guiding him into her bedroom.

Stopping beside the bed, she nearly giggled at the way Max was swaying slightly, smiling a shit-eating grin she’d never seen on him before. It was naughty. It was
hot.

And…he was
drunk.

There was no way she was taking advantage of the situation, not to mention the fact that he was so hammered that he probably couldn’t even get it up. She lifted his arms and tugged at the back of his t-shirt, unable to ignore the flex of his powerful biceps as he held his arms out while she pulled the shirt over his head. Her breath hitched as Max’s muscular chest and sculpted abs became visible and she dropped the shirt to the floor, completely ambivalent as to where it landed. Her entire mouth went dry, and she tried desperately not to look anywhere but at his face as she fumbled with the metal button of his
jeans.

I need to treat him like a child who needs my help right now. He isn’t in his right
mind.

She tried…she really did. But he was definitely not a child, and as her fingers encountered difficulty unzipping his jeans because of the massive bulge beneath her fingers, Max grinned.

“Having problems, sweetheart?” he asked, his sultry voice slightly slurred.

Stepping back, she instructed, “Take off your
jeans.”

He ran a hand slowly down his ripped abdomen in a sensual, slow slide. “I liked it better when you were doing it,” he drawled in a low, sexy voice that nearly made Mia jump him, drunk or
not.

He flipped the button open with one tug and slowly lowered the
zipper.

So much for thinking he couldn’t get hard in his intoxicated condition.

Max started pushing his jeans down, taking his boxers with them. She grabbed for the elastic of his underwear, keeping them on his hips as he peeled off the
pants.

“Off,” he insisted, yanking on the red and black striped
boxers.

“On,” she demanded. Hell. There was only so much a woman could take, and even in his current state, Max was one big mass of scorching hot male. She pushed hard on his chest, sending him off-balance so he landed on the
bed.

He repositioned himself, crawling to the top of the bed and lounging back against her pillows. “I’m lonely,” he grumbled, patting the place beside him on the
bed.

Oh no. Hell no. She wasn’t going to get into that
bed.

“I love you,” he said huskily. “Come here next to me. I miss
you.”

That note of vulnerability, the fact that he was letting himself be wide open to her even after she’d hurt him, broke her completely. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at her husband, the man she’d fallen hopelessly in love with, asking for nothing more than for her presence. Yeah. Sure. He was befuddled, but his look was so unguarded and unprotected at the moment that it tore her heart from her
chest.

She tried to mentally tick off things in her mind, focusing on what she needed to do to fix her situation, but it didn’t work. Max was calling to her, and right at this moment he needed her, and she couldn’t deny
him.

He’ll hate me tomorrow. He probably came to discuss the divorce and how to get it over with as quickly as possible. He needed tons of liquor just to have a conversation with me. He’s messed up right
now.

There was every reason to ignore him, but she couldn’t. It could be the last time she ever touched him, and the temptation was too great to disregard. Kicking off her sneakers, she climbed up onto the bed and snuggled beside him, sighing as her fingers were met with warm skin. “I love you, too,” she admitted, knowing he’d probably never remember any of this in the morning, and thinking that it was better if he didn’t. But the words left her lips involuntarily, needing to tell him just one last
time.

His warm, protective arms snaked around her and she rested her head on his shoulder, giving herself this time, this stolen moment, to enjoy the exhilaration she felt when she was with Max. Their relationship had never been comfortable, or mildly contented. For her, it had always been a heart-thumping roller coaster that never ended. Maybe if they had been married for years, together for decades, her emotions would have settled down, but she was doubtful. She hadn’t given Max her heart; he had stolen it, the stubborn organ leaping from her chest and into his the moment they had
met.

Crazy
love.

The tension in Max’s arms relaxed, but he never let go of her, even after he was asleep. Mia relaxed into him and sighed, trying to absorb every bit of him into her soul, trying to keep every sensation locked in her
memory.

He could hate her tomorrow. By then, she’d be
gone.

“M
ax! Where in the hell is my sister?”

The loud, masculine shout jolted Max out of his slumber, causing him to sit up in bed, before quickly dropping his head back on the pillows. Damn. His gut lurched and he swallowed, trying to make his head stop throbbing. It was like a sledgehammer was beating against his
skull.

Blinking as he opened his eyes, two men came into focus, two angry-looking guys. It took him a moment to identify them both as Kade and Travis, his focus a little
blurry.

He held up his hand weakly. “No screaming. My head is ready to explode.” He winced as even his own voice exacerbated his slamming headache.

“Nobody was yelling,” Kade replied, his voice laced with laughter. “Jesus Christ, you must have gotten pickled.”

“Coffee and aspirin,” Travis said calmly, turning and walking out of the
room.

“You look like hell, buddy. What the hell happened? Where is Mia?” Kade questioned curiously.

Max closed his eyes, seeing only flashes of scenes from the night before. Were they real or imaginary? He had no fucking idea. All he knew was that he’d come to Montana like a raging maniac, to see a wife who had no desire to see
him.
“Is she gone?” He groaned as he tried to sit up, vaguely remembering getting into Mia’s bed, or being put to bed by his wife. She’d better be here somewhere. He was getting damn sick and tired of chasing a woman who kept running away from him. What the hell was he thinking?

Truth was, he hadn’t been thinking. He’d been running on anger and adrenaline. When he’d finally gotten to Mia’s place in Montana, he’d questioned himself and his sanity. He’d nearly turned around and left, but after he’d taken several shots of that shitty whiskey, he’d decided they needed to have a talk—the reason why they’d need to have a discussion escaping him at the
moment.

“Well, she’s not here. And a truck that I assume is hers is still in the driveway.” Kade shot him a disgruntled
look.

“She had a rental car. She must have picked it up at the airport.” Max remembered seeing the compact vehicle in the drive, parked next to an older
truck.

“Then she’s gone,” Kade said remorsefully. “Damn
it.”

“I’ll stay away from her. Maybe she’ll stop running.” Max was resigned. Mia couldn’t seem to do anything
other
than run from him, so he needed to stop chasing her. It was rather pointless
anyway.

“She isn’t running from you, man. She’s scared,” Kade answered angrily.

“Of what?” Max asked, perplexed. He swung around and dropped his feet to the ground, shooting Kade a dubious
glance.

“Long story that you need to hear. Take a shower, for God’s sake. You smell like a damn distillery. Since when do you get drunk?” Kade stepped back, waving his hand in the air to get rid of the odor to make his
point.

“Since your sister decided to leave me again for another man,” Max shot back at Kade, irritation and what he assumed was a massive hangover trying his patience.

“We need to get one thing straight.” Kade was shouting now. “My sister loves you. I have no idea why. Personally, I think you’re a real asshole to wake up to, but she’s obviously blind to that. She didn’t leave you
for
another man. She left you
because
of one. There’s a big difference. If you would have stayed to hear Travis out instead of trying to kill him, you’d know the truth by now. Take a shower and meet us in the living room before you piss me off and I take a shot at the other side of your
face.”

Max rarely saw Kade angry, so his brother-in-law’s outrage took him by surprise. He watched Kade turn and walk out of the bedroom, leaving him alone with his thoughts and his hangover.

He found the adjoining bathroom with a shower, cleaning himself up as he pondered Kade’s words. What the hell did it mean? Who or what was Mia afraid of…and
why?

Feeling nearly human, he went to the living room, wearing the same jeans and t-shirt he’d worn the day before. He’d taken the time to cram a few things in a bag, but it was in the
car.

Kade came out of the kitchen, carrying two mugs of coffee. Silently, he handed Max some aspirin, which he downed immediately, and then started on the
coffee.

Travis was already sitting in one of the recliners, reading a newspaper with a cup of coffee in hand and Tucker sitting at his
feet.

“Traitor,” Max mumbled to the canine, slightly satisfied when he noticed that Travis looked as beat-up as he
did.

He sat on the couch, silently slugging as much coffee as he could. Tucker gave him an apologetic look and came to sit at his
feet.

Travis put his paper aside and Kade flopped into the other recliner, both brothers drilling him with a hostile expression.

“I don’t know where she went. I did get drunk, and we…talked. She was here when I went to sleep,” he stated flatly. “I don’t know why she left and I don’t know where she went. She ran. Again. It’s something Mia seems to excel at doing. I assume there was no note this
time?”

“Nothing. How much do you remember?” Kade asked, his expression relaxing to an only slightly contrary
look.

“Not a lot,” Max answered honestly. “I remember her being here when I went to sleep. I have a few empty spaces in my memory of last night. I’m not sure what was real and what I imagined.” And he hated it. No wonder he’d never gotten completely plastered.

“Welcome to ‘the morning after,’ Mr. Perfect,” Kade said evilly. “I just wish I could have been here to see it. The ‘always in control Max Hamilton’ three sheets to the wind? I would have paid good money for that
show.”

“No reruns. It was an exclusive showing,” Max grumbled, swearing he’d never get that drunk again. The next morning wasn’t worth it. He felt like he been chewed up and spit out by some kind of mythological monster with razor-sharp teeth. “Tell me about Mia.” His mind was on only one thing at the moment, and that was his wayward wife. “Is she
safe?”

“I have a team of investigators tracking her as we speak. I should have a location on her shortly. She’s obviously headed back to the airport. She hired the rental she got from there and there aren’t many other means of transport away from here.” Travis spoke for the first time. His voice was well modulated and restrained, speaking as though he were in a business meeting. The only telling thing was his eyes, his usually glacial look expressing untamed emotion. “To make a long story short, she got involved in a bad relationship back when she was in college. The asshole finally got put in jail and we thought it was over. He got out of prison right before Mia disappeared the first time, threatening to kill you, Kade, and me if she didn’t come back to him. She was afraid…and I helped her. She’s my sister. Her safety was my main concern.”

“She was my goddamn wife. Why didn’t you tell me? I could have protected her,” Max answered angrily, ready to pound Travis all over
again.

“You were unavailable. In fact, Danny had Mia in his grasp when your plane took off, your head in the sight of a rifle and ready to blow your head off. Your wife saved your life,” Travis answered casually. “Danny Harvey was a career criminal, completely insane, and ready to do whatever it took to get Mia back. He was also a sharpshooter who could pick off a target at long distances. He won a lot of competitions when he was young. He rarely missed a target.”

“Why was Mia even with him? She couldn’t have loved someone like that,” Max asked harshly.

Kade answered. “She was twenty-one years old, had an old man who was a raging alcoholic and completely insane. He beat his wife and children often and repeatedly. Mia suffered under my father’s hand. We all did. Do you really think she even knew what love was? Do you think she knew what normal was?” Kade leaned forward in the chair, his fists clenched. “I was gone, you were gone, and Travis was the only thing standing between her and him. I was pissed off, too, Max, when I found out he’d been responsible for hiding her. But I might have done the same damn thing if it meant keeping Mia
safe.”

“You should have told me. I thought she was dead.” Max still wasn’t convinced. She was his wife, dammit. “All those years, I fucking grieved for
her.”

“It wasn’t a picnic for her either. Do you think she wanted to go? She was terrified he’d kill you. She ran to keep you safe. She didn’t give a shit about what happened to her. I can testify to that because I saw the way he messed her up.” Travis’ voice was heated. “Back in college and before she disappeared.”

“You knew when she was in college?” Max questioned resentfully.

“Not immediately. She went to Virginia to go to college. My father wanted her to go to business school in Florida and get involved in the business, but that wasn’t what Mia wanted. Gran made jewelry when she was alive, and that’s what Mia wanted to do. Mia had this house and her trust as an inheritance, but she didn’t have control of anything yet. She had to bury herself in student loans that she could pay back later to attend the college in Virginia that had the BFA and MFA that she wanted to become a jewelry designer.” Travis released an audible breath, pausing for a moment before continuing, “Kade and I were both in school too, but once I finished my business degree and was working, I decided to go to Virginia to surprise Mia. I ended up more surprised than she was when I saw what was happening to her.” Travis’ voice cracked, a slight dent in his emotional
shield.

“What happened?” Max asked stoically, not at all sure he wanted to know. But he needed to hear it. “Did he hurt
her?”

“Yeah,” Travis confessed. “Pretty badly right about the time I went to visit. But even through all that bullshit, she was working part-time and pulling excellent grades. She was about ready to enter her master’s program. And he was trying to convince her not to—with his fists. He didn’t want her accumulating more loans. The bastard wanted plenty of that trust fund left when she was able to get to
it.”

“Fuck!” Max exploded, so enraged he wanted to kill the guy. How could any man hurt Mia? “How did she separate herself from
him?”

“She didn’t have to. He went to jail. I think she’d been trying to get away from the relationship for a while, but he really did a number on her,” Travis answered, setting his coffee mug on the table, and leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms in front of
him.

“What were the charges?” Max asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Travis, reading something
unsaid.

“Assault with a deadly weapon. Nasty ordeal,” Travis replied, deadpan.

“You set him up,” Max guessed, fairly certain Travis was the man who had put the asshole in
jail.

“I went to have a discussion with him. Let’s just say I made sure there were witnesses.”

“Did Mia know?” Max was enraged, his mind flashing with scenarios of Mia hurting, Mia crying, Mia bleeding.

“No,” Travis answered calmly. “She had her studies and her job to worry about. All she ever knew was that he was going to jail, and she was safe. It was all she needed to
know.”

Max barely noticed when Kade got up and took the empty mug from his hand. He let go, his hand shaking with pent-up rage as he released the handle. “And last time?” Max rasped, spearing Travis with a resentful
stare.

“He took her by surprise when she was leaving her car in a parking lot. She had dismissed your security, telling them she was going to be with Kade and me, and had our security. She told them to take some time off because she didn’t want them following her around town on errands. Danny had her in his vehicle before she even realized what happened. It was the morning you left, and he took her to an area near your jet, forced her to watch while he showed her how easily he could kill you,” Travis explained, picking his coffee mug up from the table and taking a sip of his coffee, scowling as he realized it was now
cold.

“She’s a smart woman. She told him she would go with him, gave him everything he wanted to hear, but she said she needed a day to take care of some things first. She finally convinced him to let her go by herself by telling him she needed to arrange things to get to her trust fund. Somehow, she convinced him to meet her the next morning, making him think she wanted to go with him. I don’t think she wanted to even tell me, but she asked for my help and I wasn’t going to refuse her. We set up the stuff at the beach, hoping she would be assumed dead, and I got her away from Tampa as fast as I could. I wanted to tell you, Max. And I wanted Kade to know she was alive. I just wasn’t entirely sure how either of you would react. I couldn’t risk leaving any trail to Mia. This man was psychotic, probably more deranged than my father and a hundred times more dangerous. I wanted her safe and needed time to track his ass down. I never realized that it would take over two years to find the bastard,” Travis grumbled.