The Billionaire's Salvation(39)

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.#p#分页标题#e#

“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.”#p#分页标题#e#