His End Game (MMG #1) (28 page)

“Nope.”

“Are we still on for later tonight?”

My jaw dropped. “Are you for real?”

“I told you it’s not what you think,” he said through clinched teeth.

I chugged the beer, slammed the bottle down and said, “Another please!”

Lena stepped up and gave Dillon a look. “Hey girl, you might want to slow down on those drinks. I don’t want to clean up a mess in the bathroom later on,” she warned.

I threw my arm around her waist. “Lena babe, I am going to get hammered tonight!”

Polly scooted in on my other side. “I wanna get hammered! Why do I always have to be working when all the good stuff happens?”

Three beers later I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to blast whoever was rudely interrupting my drinking binge and froze.

Hot guy alert
.

Over six feet of mouth-watering yumminess stood before me. His short sandy blonde hair highlighted the bluest eyes I had ever seen. Normally I didn’t go for facial hair, but on this guy it was definitely a plus.

“Hi, I’m Gage. Are you by chance Ellie Davis?” His voice was deep and had an edge to it. What was it about deep voiced alpha men that got me every time?

I summoned my sexiest smile and hoped that Dillon was watching. “I sure am. Do I know you?” Then, before he could answer said, “Who cares, you’ll do. Do you want to dance?”

“Uhhh, I’m not much of a dancer but wouldn’t mind going somewhere to talk.”

“Ellie,” I heard Dillon warn.

The guy could be a serial killer and I didn’t care. That’s how mad I was.

“Sure thing,
Gage
,” I said, stressing his name. By all means, let’s go talk.”

I watched his eyebrow raise in question. “He bugging you?” He tilted his head toward Dillon.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the look on Dillon’s face when I snagged Gage’s hand. “Yep, and now I’m going to use you on
the dance floor, or wherever, to bug him back.” This made him chuckle. “You don’t have to actually dance since you don’t like it…just stand there and I’ll do all the moving.”

“She said you were funny. I can see she wasn’t lying,” he laughed.

“Who?” I asked, now thoroughly confused. I heard the sounds of a scuffle coming from the offices and Joss was in my face before I knew what was happening.

She glared at Gage. “Ellie, you need to stop drinking right now.”

“Why? I’m not hurting anyone. Am I? No, that’s what you and Kurt do, not me.”

“Ellie,” she whispered, “I want to talk to you but I can’t.”

“I don’t know what that means, Joss. Tell me what that means.”

“I can’t.” The pain in her voice made me want to comfort her, but I wanted to kick her more so I held back.

Instead, I narrowed my eyes and asked, “What are you not telling me? ‘Cause if it has something to do with Piper, I already know.”

She reared back and Gage stepped forward. “What’s wrong with Piper?” Joss asked.

“So this is not about Piper? Good to know.”

She threw up her hands and shouted, “I can’t tell you right now, Ellie. I just can’t!”

Huffing, I rolled my eyes. “Well then, meet my new friend Garage,” I flung my arm in his direction.

“Gage,” he corrected.

It suddenly dawned on me that Dillon was no longer behind the bar.

“Where is he?” I asked.

She looked around the bar and then back at me. “Who?”

“Dillon.”

“He said something about walking Dana out so she could catch a ride home or something like that.”

I turned to Gage who was still patiently waiting to talk to me. “This night just gets better and better.”

“Ellie, is there something going on between you and Dillon? Because, if there is…”

I was sick of hearing how wrong Dillon was for me. I was the one living it. Instead of listening to Joss tell me something I already knew, I decided to march outside and confront him. Nevermind that I was half drunk and would probably regret it later. I was a girl on a mission.

“Ellie, wait for me!” Joss shouted, but I was already half way across the bar.

Sure enough, Dillon was right outside. Was he putting Dana in a cab? Nope. They were kissing behind some cars, like two teenaged kids who were afraid of getting caught.

Oh no he isn’t!

I waited until I was right on them before speaking. “You know, for someone who claims there’s nothing going on, you sure have a funny way of showing it.”

They both jumped and Dana shrieked in surprise.

Good, maybe she pissed her pants
.

Dillon started, “Ellie, we were just…”

Taking a step back, I held up my hands. “For your information,
Dillon
, I have eyes. I saw what you were
just
doing.”

Right then a car pulled up beside us and parked.

Jennifer

“Well, what do we have here?” she sneered, and slammed her car door.

Dana started to speak but Dillon cut her off. “We have Dana getting in your car and going home or wherever. That’s what we have.” Then, dismissing them both, he turned to me. “Ellie, we need to talk.”

Suddenly aware that others were present, I turned and cursed. Half the bar was outside watching us.

Great
.

“Better watch out Ellie,” Jennifer sniggered, “Dillon is a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy, just….like….Max was. You just can’t seem to hold onto your men, can you? Now, why is that?”

“Fuck you Jennifer!” Dillon roared.

For a second, I felt like we were back in high-school where Jennifer dished out a heavy helping of humiliation and cruelty and I just took it. I felt like that lonely pathetic girl again and then I remembered where I was and who I was and I blasted her.

“It’s funny you should say that because I seem to remember Max’s friends talking about how you and Megan Malloy got drunk one night and were passed around by the whole football team. Hell, they didn’t even have to pay for your services, those lucky dogs.” I clapped my hands together in fake glee. “In fact, the only reason they wanted anything to do with you was because they knew that nothing was off limits with you and I mean no-thing. Two words come to mind right now and they are self…respect. Apparently you have no clue what that means, but I do. I had it five years ago with Max and I still do. That’s something you will never be able to say.” I looked over at Dana and added, “you either.”

I heard someone cough and then Joss’ loud mouth shouting, “That’s my girl! Push her far enough and she will re-tal-i-ate!”

Jennifer, of course, had to get the last word. “Really? Then why was Max all mine for most of our senior year?”

I put my finger to my mouth, as if seriously thinking about her question. “Gee, let me think. That’s a hard one. Ummmm, maybe because he’s a guy and you put out whenever and however he wanted it?”

“You know what I heard?” she asked, an evil glint in her eyes. “I heard that Max went after
you
on a bet, a cherry popping bet, in fact. He and his boys were supposed to go after a virgin, lure her in and pop her cherry.” She made a vulgar popping noise.

Ouch
.

As soon as she said this, Joss shouted, “Bullshit! Kurt was Max’s best friend and one of his so-called ‘boys’ and, to this day, there has never been anything said about a bet. Don’t you dare believe her, Ellie.”

This made me smile. I may be mad at Joss for hiding things from me, but I knew that no matter what, she always had my back. “Don’t worry about me Josselyn,” I half slurred, “I’m pretty much done here.”

I turned to walk away but Jennifer taunted. “That’s it, walk away. You know I’m right.”

My aunt used to taunt me when she wanted a fight and I wouldn’t give her one. It drove me crazy.

I threw my hand out to the crowd. “The only one here who thinks that Max gave a shit about you Jennifer… is you.” I cut my eyes to Dana. “And maybe her, but we all know she’s a couple of cards short of a full deck.”

“Oh yeah!” she yelled, now seriously flustered and grasping, “tell me, if he was so in love with you, then why did he show up at my dorm after leaving you and spend two weeks…in my bed?”

I sighed. “Who knows? But
if
he ended up at your place and we both know that’s a big if, then it certainly wasn’t because he loved you.”

Surprisingly, she had nothing else to say. Dana, however, decided that this was the time to put her two cents worth in. “For your information, Ellie, I have a big deck in my backyard and Dillon is mine. He always has been and always will be. Whatever you two were doing is officially over.”

A couple of people snickered when she said this.

I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t care what she said or he did. She could have him. After tonight, there would never be anything between us. Shaking my head in disgust, I turned and headed for the door. “You can have him,” I shouted over my shoulder. Not watching where I was going, I smacked into a very broad chest.

Two hands shot out to steady me and I opened my mouth to apologize, when a voice that I hadn’t heard in five years growled, “Before we get out of here, I want to set the record straight.” My ears started ringing. “In no way shape or form did I ever pay a visit to Jennifer. In fact, I haven’t set eyes on the bitch since she tried to break us up…five years ago.”

It took me a few seconds to figure out that he was talking to me. All I could do was close my eyes and try not to hyperventilate. He shifted away and, panicking, I grabbed his arm.

Pulling me protectively to his side, he continued talking. “How about you tell the truth for once, Jen?” Jennifer’s silence made him angry. “Tell her!” he shouted, causing me to flinch and him to tighten his hold. When he did this, the familiar scent of leather and spice filled my head.

This is not happening
.

“Max, is it really you?” Jennifer whimpered.

“Go away Jen. Haven’t you caused enough trouble? Just get in your car, drive the fuck away and don’t come back.”

I felt his body shift and knew that he was looking down at me. “Ellison, look at me,” he quietly said. Clinching my eyes tighter, I shook my head. I was afraid that if I opened them, I would find that this was all a dream. “Babe, you need to look at me,” he repeated, more forcefully. Taking a deep breath, I looked up and there, holding me, was my beautiful Max.

I glanced over at Joss for confirmation that this was really happening and could see the tears running down her face. Hell, even Kurt looked a little teary eyed.

“Okay people,” Kurt shouted, “bar’s closing early tonight. Time for everyone to head home. Be right back,” he said to us and disappeared inside to clear the bar.

I couldn’t stop staring at Max. His hair was a little longer than I remembered. It looked great on him. He was the same, but older, taller and more beautiful, if that was possible. He had filled out in all of the right places and obviously had been taking care of himself.

Five years. I haven’t looked at this face for five years
.

The reality of the situation began to seep in and I took a step back from him.

He didn’t die. He wasn’t an angel in the heavens looking down on me and protecting me. He walked away and left me here to mourn
.

Glancing down at his hand on my arm, I said, “Let go.”

He was watching me like a hawk and from the look on his face knew exactly what was running through my head. “Ellison,” he whispered.

Taking another step back, I wrenched my arm away. “No.”

Slowly, as if dealing with a frightened animal, he took a step toward me. “Ells, baby…”

“No,” I repeated, cutting him off. “No, no, no!” I stepped back again and slammed into something hard.

“What the fuck?” Dillon asked in my ear.

I feel sick

Turning away from everyone, I ran for the bushes where I dropped to my knees and spewed up most of the alcohol in my system. I sat back on my haunches and saw both Max and Dillon heading for me. “Don’t,” I said, holding up my hand. “You,” I pointed to Dillon, “don’t get near me and you,” I pointed to Max, “aren’t really here.”

“Ellie, baby,” Max spoke, as if addressing a small child, “I am here, standing right in front of you. Let me get you cleaned up and then we can talk.”

I stood up on shaky legs and Dillon moved closer to me.

Clenching his fists, Max growled, “She said get the fuck away from her. Who the hell are you, anyway?”

Suddenly the bar door opened and Joss and Kurt reappeared. Scanning the parking lot, I noticed that Jennifer and Dana were no longer there. I hadn’t heard them leave. Then again, I hadn’t heard anyone leave. My eyes flew back to Joss and Kurt. “You knew. You both knew he was here and you didn’t tell me?”

“Ellie,” Kurt implored.

I was so hurt by this. “You were there. You went through that hell with me. And you,” I directed at Joss, “I thought you were my best friend. Best friends wouldn’t keep something like this from each other.” She let out a sob and, as sad as that made me, it changed nothing.

I turned back to Max. “I have mourned you for five long miserable years and it was all…for…nothing.”

His face filled with pain and he took another step toward me. “God Ellison, please let me explain.”