MAXIM
His footsteps echoed as he walked down the stairs of Ava's apartment, as if to announce his wonderful mood.
Not used to this kind of extreme giddy feeling, Maxim wondered at the back of he was alright. On the surface of his mind, however, there was only one thought, and that was the woman whose home he'd just left.
As soon as he stepped out of her apartment building, he stopped and looked up at the window of her apartment. A smile found its way to his lips at the sight.
Maxim couldn't believe it. After all these years of not remembering her, he had found his way back to Ava, and they had finally reunited.
They were going to be happy together again, just the way they used to be.
He shook his head, unable to believe it was possible to be so... happy.
The past five years of his life hadn't given Maxim much to be happy about. It had just been money, violence, blood and occasionally women. None of it had actually been exciting, not even the exotic ladies he got tangled with.
Losing Ava seemed to have sucked all the happiness out of his life, Maxim decided.
And now that he had found her again, he knew he was never going to let go.
Maxim let out a long breath, trying to rein in the happiness bubbling inside him.
He lowered his head, grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat at the prospect of this unexpected gift—one he hadn't even imagined but was more than ready to accept with open arms.
But his smile slowly faltered as he thought about Ava's reaction throughout their reunion.
She'd been terrified of him.
Terrified enough to reject him.
Maxim pressed his lips together, the extreme happiness in his chest turning bittersweet.
Her reaction had hurt him more than a little bit.
It was true that he'd changed a lot. And perhaps he'd crossed a few lines tonight trying to get to her.
But he didn't think he was the monster she seemed to believe he was.
Ava would realize that soon enough, Maxim told himself. Once they got more reacquainted...
He also told himself that it didn't matter what Ava said. Not as long as her heart and body still wanted him.
And their very passionate kiss had proven that.
So had all the things he'd found on her bed—the reminders of them that she'd held onto for five years.
It touched Maxim's heart that she had done that. And it made him hate himself for not even remembering her.
Fuck. How could his mind have forgotten this wonderful woman?
Still staring at her apartment, Maxim rubbed his hands together, mostly because they were cold. But he was also anticipating when he and Ava would get together again.
He knew he was in for a hell of a challenge if he was to try to get Ava to accept him again.
But he was willing to do whatever it took to overcome that obstacle and any others, just to remain by her side until forever.
Against his will, Maxim thought about the way she'd looked at him earlier.
Fearful, mostly...
But beneath that fear, there had been something else.
Longing.
Desire.
Maxim had recognized it because he felt the same way.
He very much wanted Ava too.
And he was afraid as well.
The difference was that Ava was afraid he would hurt her.
Maxim was afraid of losing her again.
Even now, it took everything in him not to turn around, go back upstairs, and carry her back to his mansion, even as she kicked and screamed.
But no.
That would be too insane, even for him.
At that moment, something caught Maxim's attention.
A person was walking in front of Ava's building, his hands in his pockets and headphones in his ears.
Maxim's eyes narrowed, wondering if the man was a threat.
He was forced to conclude otherwise when the stranger didn't so much as look at Ava's apartment, simply minding his own business.
Maxim's gaze still followed the figure until he disappeared around a corner.
Only then did he glance back at Ava's apartment.
How defenseless would Ava be if someone decided to hurt her? he wondered.
It had been ridiculously easy for him to pick the lock on her door and enter her apartment.
If he could do it, someone else could too.
The thought immediately unsettled him.
Tomorrow, he'd arrange additional security measures for Ava, Maxim decided.
A way to protect her when he couldn't be there himself.
Satisfied with the decision, Maxim finally continued toward his SUV.
He sighed as he thought about the next two days.
They were probably going to be the longest two days of his life.
But he knew it was necessary for Ava to get rid of Blake Cooper.
And maybe, just maybe, Ava would also come to accept him during that time, once she'd really considered things—considered how happy they could be together.
Maxim groaned at the thought of the next few days.
He knew he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about Ava.
He didn't even want to, which was going to be a problem because he had a very demanding life that was waiting for his attention.
Damn it.
Why did everything have to be such a challenge? he wondered.
He was still thinking about this as he climbed into the SUV.
He never got the chance to answer himself.
The moment he settled into the driver's seat, something moved behind him.
Maxim froze.
A hooded figure was shifting in the back, staring at him.
His instincts took over.
He reached into the center console, grabbed the silver gun he'd placed there earlier, and spun around, pointing it directly at the intruder.
"Move a muscle and I'll shoot you."
His voice had lost the softeness it had spoken to Ava with and had taken on the eerie calm it usually did when Maxim was dealing with a threat.
The figure froze, as if sensing that Maxim meant business.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Then the stranger spoke in a mildly casual voice.
"Are you really going to shoot your mother, Maxim?"
At the sound of that voice and a closer view of the figure's face, Maxim lowered his gun. He does this almost unconsciously.
"Mom?"
The woman responded by slowly reaching up and pulling down her hood, revealing her face and blonde hair.
"Surprise," she said with something resembling a smile.
Maxim frowned at her, his jaw clenching.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice rising.
"To talk to you," the older woman said calmly. "Obviously."
For a moment, Maxim was speechless.
He thought about how, for the past five years, the woman had almost never spoken to him except through a third party. How she'd barely communicated with him.
And now she was here, outside Ava's apartment, apparently to see him.
And in a hoodie and what looked like pajama pants.
It was a bizarre scene, even for a hard core criminal like Maxim.
"How did you even find me?" he asked, not bothering with the more pressing question of why she was there.
"It wasn't exactly difficult, considering you did tell us you were coming here—to see Ava," she said, running her fingers through her blonde hair in an attempt to tame it.
Maxim cursed internally, realizing that his mother was right.
He had told them of his plans, like a complete idiot.
He wondered what he would have done if one of his family members had tried to stop him and Ava from reuniting.
Maxim could only thank his stars that they hadn't done anything.
At least, not yet anyway.
"Good for you, Mom. Now get out of my car."
The older woman stilled, her mouth falling open in shock.
"Maxim Holloway, you're seriously trying to kick me out of your car? This is how you treat your mother?"
"No. This is how I treat the woman who's lied to me and ignored me for the past five years," Maxim replied, looking directly into her eyes.
At that, the woman's expression turned slightly ashen. She pursed her lips for a moment.
"Can I please explain?"
Maxim couldn't help smiling hunourlessly. This was the same question Maxim had found in one of the six messages Clara had sent him. Maxim had taken one look at those messages and switched off his phone again, which he'd charged with a charger he bought after leaving Ava's parents' place.
He turned to his mother, knowing that getting rid of her would be more challenging than it had been with Clara.
"I've heard your explanation, Mom, and I don't care for it one bit. So again, out of my car."
Tiffany's expression became annoyed at that.
"Seriously? I risked my life and my reputation to come all the way to this place—which is definitely below my standards and is probably a dangerous neighborhood for all I know—to see you, and you're just going to dismiss me without hearing what I have to say?"
Maxim rolled his eyes at her description of the neighborhood.
"Well, I'm not the one who asked you to come. And can I remind you, Mrs. Holloway, that we once lived in a place like this too?"
"That was almost a decade ago," she replied. "We've come a long way since then."
"Oh, I know."
Maxim's expression hardened.
"Back then, you used to care about your son."
Tiffany softened her expression at that.
"I do still care about you, Maxim.It's the reason why I agreed to hide Ava's existence from you."
"Keeping my relationship with the woman who makes happy from me isn't how you care for me. And even if that's true, you had no right to do what you did. It is my decision whether or not Ava gets to stay in my life," Maxim said. "If you want to earn my forgiveness, you're going to have to do better than that."
Tiffany's mouth tightened at this.
She looked at Maxim as though she was about to say something, but ultimately said nothing and instead looked out the window.
Maxim's brows furrowed.
He turned his head back toward the front, wondering if his mother was hiding something.
"Is there another reason you went along with Jonathan's lies?" he asked quietly.
Tiffany remained silent for a long moment.
Then she turned to him with a stoic expression.
"I've already told you the reason, Maxim," Tiffany finally said. "It's your manipulative girlfriend. There's nothing more to it than ghat."
Looking at her through the rearview mirror, Maxim wondered if the woman was telling the truth, but he couldn't be sure.
If there was one person he'd never been able to fully read, it was his own mother.
She was still a mystery to Maxim.
"Your girlfriend probably talked badly about us to you, didn't she?" Tiffany said, her voice strained. "Of course she did. She'll want to come between you and us now."
"She doesn't need to come between us. You, Jonathan, and Clara have already done that through your own actions," Maxim told her honestly, his voice tired. "And besides, you'll be surprised to know Ava barely mentioned any of you."
Maxim watched his mother stilling, becore shaking her head in disbelief.
"It's her tricks. She's trying to manipulate you like she did five years ago."
If she only knew that Ava had told him she didn't even want him around, Maxim thought.
Part of him wanted to say that in Ava's defense, but he thought better of it.
He didn't want to give his mother the satisfaction of knowing that his attempt to revive his relationship with Ava had already hit a brick wall.
"Did you ask her about the embezzlement case? Why she got arrested? How she got free?"
Maxim resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the question.
Trust his family members to want to create a problem for him when there was none.
"I didn't need to ask her anything, Mom. I know that Ava is completely innocent."
His mother shook her head in disappointment.
"I don't know why your brain stops working whenever that girl is involved."
Her comment was the last straw for Maxim.
"I'm done having this conversation, Mom. If you would please leave my car."
Tiffany made no move to leave.
"Maxim, there is still time. Just leave before that girl does something to hurt you. You were lucky last time, and we saved you. You might not get so lucky again," she said. "And I'm sure you can find another girl you like."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"There's no shortage of girls, even more beautiful than Ava, who want to be with you in Havari, you know."
That was the final straw for Maxim.
He'd been so happy tonight, but it seemed Tiffany didn't like seeing him that way and was determined to ruin it for him.
Maxim opened his door with a grim expression.
He then moved to the backseat where Tiffany was sitting and opened that door.
He waited until she looked up at him.
"Thanks for your advice, but I don't need it. I can take care of myself, just like I've been doing for the past five years."
He gestured toward the open door.
"Now, bye."
Tiffany looked at him with an angry expression, as though he were being foolish.
She abruptly stood up from her seat and stepped out of the car.
Her shorter frame stood close to Maxim as she looked at him with a disbelieving expression.
"You're my son, so when I end up being right, I won't say I told you so," she said.
Without another word, she turned and walked toward the street, where Maxim spotted her car for the first time. It was parked behind a few others for the and Tiffany's driver waiting inside.
"Mom," he called after her.
She stopped and turned toward him, hope flickering in her eyes.
"Since you, Clara, and Jonathan don't approve of my relationship with Ava so much, I suggest you stay away from it. If you try even once to interfere, I won't stand for it this time," he told her firmly.
The woman seemed disappointed by this, but she didn't respond.
She simply continued walking.
Maxim hoped that she and his family members would heed his advice and not do anything more to sabotage his and Ava's relationship.
He'd just hate to have to go toe-to-toe with any of them.