Dirty Boy (37 page)

Similar to yesterday, Story stood in the kitchen later that day, preparing dinner when the doorbell rang. Instead of finding Kelan alone, today, he had Eric with him.

She sighed. Eric had never cared for her. “Max isn’t here,” she said as Eric walked into the condo without invitation.

Kelan shook his head but followed behind him. Closing the door, Story returned to the kitchen. Yesterday, she’d already had the meal going. Today, she couldn’t decide what to cook.

“What time is he returning?” Eric asked a few minutes later as he and Kelan took places at the breakfast bar.

“He didn’t tell me.”

Unhappy with the way Kelan had baited Max yesterday, she wouldn’t talk to him about it in front of Eric.

“You’re quite the little homemaker, aren’t you?” Eric asked sharply.

“Stop being an asshole, E,” Kelan warned.

Eric smirked between them. “Kelan stopped by the studio while I completed the final edits on your scenes.”

Kelan shoved Eric off the stool. “Shut the fuck up, asshole. I didn’t go to the fucking studio to see that.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t fucking look away either.”

Story hoped the mortification she felt wasn’t coming through. All the comfort she’d felt with Kelan evaporated. Now, every time he saw her, he’d also see
her
, the most intimate side of her.

“That’s why I’m here,” Eric went on. “To discuss one of the scenes. The money shot is wrong. He needs to come in your face rather than on your tits.”

She’d chosen to do the scenes, so she had no reason to feel so sick. “Can you go?” she asked. “I’ll give Max your message.”

“This is my brother’s place,” Eric snapped. “Not yours. Only he can put me out.”

“Right. Well, you can cook for him.” Glaring at him, Story threw aside the dishrag. “I’m not staying down here so you can show how much of an asshole you are.”

Moving fast, Eric blocked her way, but Kelan yanked him from her pathway.

“Back off, fucker. Max would redecorate his condo with your body parts if you fuck with her.”

“She’s nothing but a gold digger like her mother.”

Not hanging around to listen, Story made her way upstairs and grabbed her purse. She needed to get away. Between Max’s onslaught this morning and Eric’s assholery right now, the walls were closing in on her.

Opening his door, Max frowned at the sight of Kelan and Eric sitting in his living room drinking. As he closed the door and walked further in, he glanced toward the kitchen but didn’t find any sign of Story.

Glowering in their direction, he headed to the breakfast bar and threw aside his keys. Still no sign of her. He’d left her basking in the afterglow of the orgasms he’d given her, so why would she change her usual style whenever he went somewhere without her?

“Story!” he called.

“She’s not here,” Kelan informed him.

He turned, sure he’d misheard. “What do you mean? Where did she go?”

“We’re not privy to Story’s itinerary,” Eric snapped. “I’ve been here for two hours waiting for you to return.”

Max squinted. “Didn’t we talk three hours ago? You knew I wasn’t home, so…?” So he’d come and fucked with Story in some manner. Anger percolating inside of him, he moved to the sunken area. “Before I break your arms, legs,
and
jaw, what did you tell her?” He glared at Kelan. “And what the fuck are you doing here for the second day in a row?”

“Max,” Eric began as he stood and held his hands up. “I did what I needed to do as your brother. Just like
we
didn’t want Dad with Barbra, I don’t want you with Story. She’s her mother’s daughter, for fuck’s sake!”

“What did you do?” he roared, stalking toward his brother, not in the least concerned when Eric stumbled to the other side of the sofa.

“Max, fuck,” Kelan said, “Eric’s interference isn’t any different than yours when you decided to avenge your father using Story.”

“Exactly, Max!” Eric cried, backing away as Max continued to stalk him.

“What did you say?” Not that it mattered. He saw an opening and punched Eric’s mouth, catching his nose too.

“Fuck!” Eric yelled, grabbing his bleeding nose and doubling over.

Before he could hit him again, Kelan grabbed him. “Max—”

“Max?” Story’s sweet voice broke through his anger.

He jerked off Kelan’s hold and turned to her, feeling nothing but relief that she was back. “Where were you?”

“Getting my head on straight,” she answered, showing no signs of distress. She looked and sounded like the same straightforward girl he’d met. “Whenever you’re ready to re-shoot the scene.” She scrunched her nose. “I-I…I’d like us to get it over with as quickly as possible.”

“What scene? What are you talking about?”

Story huffed out a breath. “The new money shot,” she answered in exasperation. “The one where you have to come in my face.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” he almost snarled, the pieces falling into place. He refocused on his brother. “How did we go from discussing the still shots for the box set to refilming a fucking scene when I spray jizz in her face?”

“All right! Fuck, fine. I thought she’d run if I told her that,” Eric admitted. “But if you want to kick some ass, fuck up Kelan too. He watched hours of you and Story fucking as I edited.”

Before Max lunged for either of them, Story grabbed his hand and cleared her throat. “More than Kelan is going to see me,” she said, mortified. “This is one more reason why my leaving in two weeks is good. How would you feel being with me knowing God knows how many people saw that film? So, see, more than your career is standing between us. But my short-lived one as well.”

“That isn’t true! This asshole had no business watching you—”

“Why?” Eric asked. “It isn’t as if it’s the first time. The difference is it’s
her
.”

“
Her
has a name, motherfucker.” If not for Story continuing to hold his hand, Max would lunge for Eric. He didn’t want to release her though. As each second ticked by, she was slipping further and further away from him.

“Max, Eric is a fucking prick but he’s protecting you. Like you wanted to protect Winston.” She glared in Kelan’s direction. “As for you, that was a dickhead thing to do.”

“The film’s going to be out there,” Eric argued when shame crossed Kelan’s face. “Forever online. More than Kelan will see it. My father. My brothers. Our friends.”

Story paled as if she hadn’t considered that.

“Your bullshit degree will be useless. We all know that. That’s why you’ve hung around. To milk my brother and leave him as your mother left Dad. Max is going to waste his fucking money paying your tuition. The one good thing that came of having you in the film is the money we saved. The going rate for female porn stars is one thousand to ten thousand dollars a day. You didn’t deserve that and we all know it, so…”

Dragging Story along with him, Max knocked Eric out to shut him the fuck up. Using his distraction to her advantage, Story freed herself from his hold and excused herself, heading up the stairs without a backward glance.

Max allowed her to leave, not going after her when Eric came to and he and Kelan left, everything that had been said drumming through his head. The misery on Story’s face would haunt him for a long time.

The week after Eric’s visit, Story accompanied Max to dinner at his father’s house. If she hadn’t promised she’d go before the scene at the condo, she would’ve stayed behind. The last thing she wanted to do was face Eric or any of them, for that matter. But she had one week left and then she’d leave.

Max had been kind and sweet, not leaving the house without her. He continued to serve her breakfast and her pill. After the second day, she checked to make sure he gave her the correct pill. He did. Relieved, she didn’t question him again.

Despite their closeness, a disconnect existed between them. On her part, it was due to the same situation as before. On his part, she felt it was because of what his brother had pointed out.

Entering the den, she crashed to a halt, unlike the time a few weeks ago when Max had.

“Hello, Story,” Babs greeted with uncertainty, getting to her feet and smoothing her dress.

Nose bandaged, Eric drained his glass of alcohol. Ryker sat on the sofa, one leg and one arm in casts. Kelan leaned against the wall, close to the liquor.

“Either you leave or I will,” Story told her mother, pushing away the lingering hurt.

“What’s she doing here, Dad?” Max asked, his gaze searching. “Where’s Alan and Win?”

“We had dinner with them last night,” Winston explained. “Kelan’s here because he followed Eric home to check his injuries and make sure they’re healing properly. He’s your good friend. I thought you’d like to have him here for my announcement.”

“Oh my God! Seriously?” Story almost snarled, knowing where this led. She stomped to her mother. “You’re reconciling with Winston with all the lies you’ve told still out there?”

“That’s enough, Story,” Winston said. “I’ll not have you disrespect my wife that way. I’ve let your indiscretions go, as well as hers.”

“My mom’s indiscretions are between you and her, Winston,” she fumed. “It’s
my
supposed indiscretions that I take issue with. If you two want each other, that’s your business.” She shook her head. This was a lost cause. “I’m getting a taxi back to the condo.”

“Story, wait,” Babs cried. “Please.”

Story kept going.

“Jesus Christ, girl. I know Max put you through hell and you’re still talking to him,” her mom said.

“Because Max never lied on me, Mom.” Angry tears slid down her cheeks and she swiped at them. “You have! And it wasn’t some little harmless fib. It was the kind that could’ve put me away for a very long time.”

“Fine!” Babs huffed. “I lied on you. For your own good,” she continued, ignoring Max’s snarled, “
what
?” and Winston’s, “
Barbra, how could you?”

“My own good? Explain to me how making Max, Winston,
all
of the Sherwoods believe I helped you to embezzle money was for my own good?”

“It didn’t cross my mind until you called me and told me where you were. Really, when Max called. I …this was…you needed a chance to get his attention. Max is a hard, hard man, but something in his voice…he was willing to overlook your crimes and let you go.”

“Are you telling me you manipulated the entire situation to play
matchmaker
?” Story gasped.

She nodded. “For you. You need somebody to take care of you. Max only needed to get to know you a little bit. You were drowning in debt.”

“Yeah, Mom!” Story yelled. “Yours.”

“Haven’t you been listening to me?” Babs growled in frustration. “You don’t need credit if you captured Max. He’d give you whatever you want.”

“You don’t get it, do you, Mom?” Story said, all fight gone from her. “I…” Despite her best efforts, her lower lip trembled. “I have vague memories of standing next to you while you dug in a trash can to find food for us. One time, I think you got into an argument with some guy because you found a blanket and it was chilly. You wanted me to have it and he was taking it. For my entire life,
you’ve
struggled. I don’t want that for me. I want to be a teacher and have some stability. I want to know I can take care of myself. What about that don’t you understand?”

“A lot,” Babs shouted in return, their captive audience not making a difference. “Things happen all the time. Having a degree doesn’t make a difference in some cases. I wanted to secure your future.”

“With Max?” she said, crying harder. Everything she’d said went right over her mother’s head. Babs didn’t
want
to understand Story’s point-of-view. “You took out credit cards in my name. You lied on me. You lied
to
Max. And for what? For me to end up with a broken heart? Because that’s all you’ve succeeded in accomplishing. Max is going on with his life, so I’m leaving. So what now? Are you going to tie me up somewhere to make me stay?”

“Story, please forgive me.” Babs took a hesitant step forward, until Story backed up. “Doll baby.”

“Don’t call me that!” Story should’ve known then that her mother had backward logic. Calling her doll baby instead of baby doll had been something Babs called Story when she’d been a child.

“Story, if you love Max, then you have to stay and overlook whatever he does.”

“No, Mom, I don’t. I’d stay…” She’d stay if it was anything other than this. “The one thing I can’t deal with is the one thing he’s doing. Screwing other women.”

“That’s nothing, Story,” Babs said, turning away from her. “This is your first relationship, so you don’t understand.”

Her head beginning to pound, Story rolled her eyes. “I’ve gone through twelve relationships in my life.
Yours
. By watching you, I learned what not to do. I’ve watched you suffer through cheating, abuse, anger, obsession, idiocy, and everything in between. You stayed with husband number four, though he beat you regularly, until he hit me. Then you left. I don’t know which of your husbands besides Winston you really cared about and you managed to almost ruin that because of some stupid country. Who. Does. That? You, Mom.” She threw up her hands. “You know what? I’m done. Thank you for finally telling the truth.” Whirling around, she started to run away but Max stepped in front of her. “Let me go,” she said, desperate. “I can’t do this right now with you.” She’d done enough with her mom and she was closer to falling apart than she’d been in a while.

“Shhh,” he whispered, thumbing her tears away, clasping her face between his hands. He kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry, Story. Do you hear me? I’m so sorry for my part in all your pain right now.”

“I just want to go, Max. I want to go.”

“Okay. We can leave.”

She nodded, too tired to say anything else.

Later that night, Max sat in his living room, his spirits lower than any other time, except after Kayleigh’s death. Listening to what Story had gone through as she’d grown up had gotten to him as nothing else could. More so, because she’d never once complained about how it had been for her growing up.

If she had, he wouldn’t have listened. He wouldn’t have believed it had been so bad. Nor…and this was the hardest to swallow…would he have cared.

Barbra’s schemes annoyed him. Listening to her, however, he almost understood her logic.
Almost
. If he hadn’t been involved in her manipulations, he would’ve applauded her. She’d done what she needed to do to secure her daughter’s future.

Story wanted more for herself. She wanted independence and stability. Releasing the film endangered her entire future. Besides, the more he thought of Story’s scenes being released, the less appeal it held. He and Eric had already argued over
not
releasing it, before he’d come over here and fucked with Story. The fact that they’d lose a lot of money if he canned the tapes had swayed him to Eric’s side.

After tonight, he knew he’d destroy every frame they’d shot of her. He would pay her the money she’d earned as if he would’ve paid any other girl. She deserved that.

As much as he didn’t deserve her, he wanted her. She was strong and tenacious, loyal and noble. He needed her in his life.

With that decision, he made his way to his bedroom and found Story flipping through a magazine as she sat on the chair.

“Story, I’ve been thinking since we got back home.”

“About what?”

“Everything. Your childhood. Your mother. Us. My career.”

She glanced up at him. “What about your career?”

“Instead of waiting four years, I’ll retire next year.”

Her face fell and she forced a smile. “Next year? Why not now?”

“It’s sooner than what I originally planned,” he pointed out. “I can’t compromise any more than that.”

Throwing aside her magazine, Story nodded. “I understand. More than you know, Max. But it still isn’t what I want. It would still be a year of knowing you were with other women.”

He gritted his teeth. “I can’t leave my company without a male star. There’s a lot of preparation that has to go into my leaving.”

“What? Other than ‘
I quit. I’m taking a position behind the scenes
’. That sounds simple to me.”

“You’re oversimplifying the matter.”

“No, you’re complicating it.”

“You still intend to leave?” he asked, for clarity.

“Yes.” The word was quiet but fierce, and Max knew he wouldn’t change her mind unless he gave in completely.

“I’m going to destroy all your scenes and still pay your tuition as I promised.”

“What?”

“When you leave, you won’t have to worry about the release. It won’t happen. Ever.”

She was off her feet and vaulting into his arms without warning. “Oh, Max, I love you so, so much,” she declared. “I…thank you. I don’t know what to say.”

Other than agreeing to stay, there was nothing Max wanted her to say.