Chapter 96
Chapter 96
The instant Maxine spotted the knife, she didn’t even think. She just bolted for the side of the road.
There was no time to get back in the car and shut the door. The guy was totally unhinged, and if he managed to stab her, she’d be in serious trouble.
Seeing Maxine make a run for it, the man shouted after her, his voice wild, “I knew you wouldn’t want to pay up! People like you are all the same!”
Maxine’s heart was pounding out of her chest, and she couldn’t help but regret not listening to Cleo’s advice about carrying
pepper spray.
There wasn’t a single person around. If she couldn’t outrun him, she was done for.
Just then, a voice called out, “Ma’am!”
Maxine instinctively turned toward the sound and saw Charles jumping out of the car, calling her name.
Without a second thought, she sprinted toward Charles, the deranged man chasing right behind her.
The backseat door swung open and Sebastian stepped out, gripping a golf club. Maybe it was seeing someone familiar, or maybe it was just the adrenaline crashing, but all at once, Maxine felt her strength drain away. She could barely breathe.
Her foot caught and she stumbled forward, losing her balance. Sebastian reached out, caught her, and turned to shield her in his arms.
Maxine’s eyes went wide as the crazed man charged straight at them. She had to admit, no matter the reason, she really didn’t want to see Sebastian get hurt because of her.
Right before the man could reach them, Sebastian swung the golf club hard, smashing it down on the man’s arm.
The man yelped in pain and froze for a split second, but he still wouldn’t let go of the knife.
Sebastian’s face turned cold and ruthless. Without missing a beat, he swung the club again, this time cracking it over the man’s head. The man didn’t even make a sound. The knife slipped from his hand, and after swaying for a moment, he collapsed to the floor.
Sebastian held Maxine protectively in his arms, and she looked at his profile, her heart still racing from the scare. “Are you
hurt?”
Sebastian tossed the now slightly bent club aside, worry etched on his face as he gently steadied her, looking her over to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
Maxine took a moment to catch her breath, then shook her head. “I’m fine.”
Maxine glanced at the man sprawled out on the ground, then at the two cars still sitting in the middle of the road. She pulled out her phone and called the police. “This guy was clearly lying in wait for me. This needs to be handled by the cops.”
The way he’d acted just now made him look like he was mentally unstable. But people with real mental issues weren’t allowed to drive, and before he rammed into her, his driving had been perfectly steady.
She felt that he was almost definitely faking it.
The only person she’d managed to offend lately was Gabriel.
Pandora was way too smart to hire a hitman over the Urban case. If she had that kind of energy, she’d be better off begging Samuel for help than wasting time trying to get rid of Maxine.
1/2
10
Chapter 96
+38
Maxine gave the police a quick rundown of what happened. Since this was an attempted murder, the cops showed up fast, checked out the scene, and called an ambulance for the guy passed out on the ground. After making sure she and Sebastian were okay, they took both of them to the station to give their statements,
Once they’d finished, all they could do was wait for the investigation to play out. As Maxine stood by the door, fixing her hair in the mirror, Sebastian said, “I’ll look into Gabriel for you. You don’t need to get involved anymore.”
Maxine’s hand paused mid–motion, and she let out a mocking laugh. “Don’t you think that’s a little contradictory, Mr. Mason?”
2/2
