Accidentally...Over?(25)

"Yep. That'll do it."

Two minutes later, Máax had taken the opportunity to indulge in a  ten-second shower and clean up while Ashli cooled off in her bedroom.  With a clear head-yes, yes, he meant that both ways; he was a completely  randy bastard-he was ready to continue the conversation and get things  back on track.

"Ashli, we must speak." He knocked lightly on her bedroom door, but heard no reply.

He knocked again. Nothing.

He opened the door and found an empty room. "Oh, hell." A feeling of  dread slammed into him. If anything happened to her because he'd once  again …  Oh, gods …  He'd never forgiv-

The faint sound of his men screaming grabbed his attention.

Sanctis infernus. He bolted through Ashli's house, to her back door, and out to the beach.

His pulse froze for several horror-filled moments. His men dragged her lifeless body from the waves.

No. No. No. He ran to Ashli as fast as his legs could carry him, shoving  the men aside when he reached her. He dropped to his knees and then  pulled her into his lap, clearing away the dark, wet hair from her face.  Her blue, blue face.

"No!" he wailed.

He placed her flat on her back, partially aware that his men watched as  he began administering CPR. "No!" He pushed air from his lungs into hers  and watched her chest rise and retreat. He gave her heart several pumps  and then blew into her lungs once again. "Breathe. Breathe. Breathe."

Why had she gone swimming? Alone! Why? Oh, gods, this was all his fault.

He placed his ear above her heart. She now wore a red one-piece, and he  wondered how she'd snuck past anyone in such a brightly colored suit.  He'd kill them all. Each and every man there who'd been given the task  of seeing after her safety.                       
       
           



       

"Sir?" Brutus, who'd been at the café earlier and the leader of this  particular Uchben crew, grabbed Máax's shoulder. "She's gone."

Máax dropped his head. He knew Brutus spoke the truth, and in that  moment, Máax felt something snap. Fucking snap. The molecules of his  light reverberated from the force. It was as if every inch of his being  rejected the Universe. He felt repulsed by it, angered by it, embittered  by it. This was not a world he wanted to serve or be a part of if Ashli  were not a part of it, too. The pain was simply too much.

And just like that, the bonds of the Universe, everything shackling him  to an eternity of servitude vanished. Only his connection to Ashli  remained. Oh yes. Now he saw everything with such vivid clarity. Ashli  had become just as much a part of him as his own heart. No longer was  there a separation between their souls. But then …

"She can't be dead. Not again." Yes, Máax could go back in time again  and start over, but what difference would it make? He couldn't protect  her! He'd failed.

"I-I will keep trying," Brutus said remorsefully.

Máax slowly stood, feeling the weight of his sorrow dragging his  transparent bones down to hell. He staggered toward her house, holding  back a scream so full of despair that it would be felt around the world.

Why couldn't he save her? Why couldn't he keep her alive? It didn't  matter what he did, did it? The Universe-Death-was determined to have  its way. But why? What had he done to deserve this torment? What had she  done?

He realized that he would do anything to keep from losing her, to keep her from dying, to keep her safe.

Anything?

Yes, fucking anything.

The unexpected sound of hacking stopped him in his tracks.

He didn't dare breathe or make a single sound, fearing he'd miss the  repetition of what he thought he'd heard. He clenched his lids tightly  and tilted his head toward the sky. Please, please, please, let that be  what I think it is.

He turned, feeling the world move in slow motion, counting to three before he opened his eyes.

Máax dropped to his knees at the sight of Ashli coughing violently.

The air whooshed from his lungs, and he dropped his head into his hands. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.



After stripping Ashli of her wet bathing suit and fighting every urge in  his male body to touch her, Máax tucked Ashli into her bed and quietly  left the room. He'd never felt so full of hope, so in control of his  destiny, and so uneasy. Ashli's death had somehow severed his bonds with  the Universe, thereby allowing his soul to completely bond with hers.  Now he didn't know where he began and where she ended. They were one.

But what did it all mean? And what next? Practically speaking, the  situation was not resolved. Ashli was still at risk, which meant the  clock continued to tick.

But she is alive.

He smiled to himself and walked to the kitchen. When she awoke, he'd  have everything ready for her. Soup, fresh-squeezed juice, flowers, a  platinum Visa. He'd indulge her every whim with the exception of solid  food, especially bananas. Or a game of tag with a bus. Or a swim in the  ocean. Or a beehive. Other than those, however, he'd spoil her rotten,  and he'd figure this out. All of it. What mattered was that she lived.

Máax entered the kitchen to find Brutus sitting at Ashli's small table,  sipping a cup of tea. Máax was about to speak and thank Brutus for what  he'd done, but didn't get the chance.

Brutus spoke, his eyes fixed on his mug. "This is bigger than you and I. You know that, don't you?"

"If you're speaking of saving Ashli, of course I know that; she's everything."

"Good. I'm glad you see that. Because you can't have her," Brutus said coldly, not bothering to look up from his cup.

Máax halted in his tracks. "What?"

Brutus's eyes zeroed right in on Máax. "You heard me. You can't have  her. She is far too good for you and far too important to the rest of  us."

"Not sure I follow."

Brutus stood from the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Like  most Uchben soldiers, Brutus wore the standard black tee, cargo pants,  and boots. His dark hair was short in a military crew cut but Máax knew  Brutus's clean-cut exterior was nothing but an illusion. On the inside,  the man was like all Uchben-human volcanoes, waiting to erupt and let  loose an explosion of deadly force. A razor-thin membrane of control was  all that separated men like Brutus from killing, destroying, serving  justice. Controlled chaos.                       
       
           



       

That didn't mean that Máax was afraid or gave a shit what the man said. Ashli was his and no one would ever challenge that.

But is she really yours? Are you now saying you will keep her?

I don't fucking know. The only thing he knew in this moment was that he  was grateful as hell she was still alive and that her death had  drastically changed something deep within him. He simply needed a little  time to figure things out.

"What's gotten into you?"

Brutus stepped around the table, growling, his eyes drilling into Máax's …  well, his shoulder.

Brutus narrowed his eyes. "I saved her life, and I'm prepared to continue doing so because that's what the world needs."

Máax chuckled. Had Brutus swallowed too much ocean water saving Ashli? "Are you insinuating that I do not want to save her?"

"You can't stay here in this time. We all know the rules of time travel, and one of you exists already."

This was true. The Máax belonging to this particular moment in time was  currently trapped inside a cenote, but he would not be freed for another  nineteen years or so. Plenty of time to figure something out. However,  there were also future versions of himself scheduled to show up in just a  few days. He'd simply need to be careful. Post a few signs for himself  outside of Ashli's home and café.

"This is not your concern," Máax said.

Brutus glared. "You plan to take her forward with you?"

"I cannot do that. Cimil believes that Ashli must stay here in order for  her destiny to be fulfilled and halt the apocalypse." Wait a second.  Máax did not answer to this soldier, nor was he required to tell him the  truth.

"So you will leave," Brutus argued. "And when you do, how do you plan to keep her safe?"

"Why do you assume I am leaving?"

Brutus stepped forward, visibly about to explode. Crazy man. What did he  think he could do to Máax? Kill him? "I want to protect her."

Well, so did he. He simply had no clue how he might accomplish it. And what the hell had gotten into Brutus?

"Get in line." Máax bellied up to the crazy man who was only a few inches shy of Máax's height.

"Afraid of a little challenge?" Brutus asked.