Protecting Max

Chapter 1 “What was he like? I mean really,” Jack said, coming into Max’s office to stand by the desk. Max looked up from the design he was working on, asking, “Who?”, although he was pretty certain he knew what the answer would be. “Tony. I don’t remember much about him, except…except the arguments.” “Not too surprising, since you were only six when I became your guardian. He was a nice man, when he was sober. A bastard when he drank, which was way too often after the first year we were together. If it hadn’t been for that, you and I wouldn’t have packed up and left right after you turned seven.” “I know. But there must be more to it, or you wouldn’t have stayed with him for as long as you did, in the first place.” “I put that down to inertia, I guess. It was easier to ignore what was going on with him than to get out. And I did love him at the beginning. The love began to die when he started losing jobs because of his drinking. He figured I’d support him, while he tried—and I use the word loosely—to find another one.” Jack rested one hip on the edge of the desk, looking at his uncle. “And you did. Support him, I mean.” Max nodded. “Yes. He’d look for work, but not too hard, unless there was something he wanted that we couldn’t afford.” He smiled dryly. “Then, miracle of miracles, he’d manage to find a job. Each time that happened, he became the man I fell in love with—for a month or three. That didn’t last. He’d quit, always having a legitimate sounding excuse for why he did. The boss gave him all the s**t work. His knees couldn’t take kneeling all day, laying carpets. It was too hot to be tarring roofs. Or, he’d be fired for coming in late once too often because he’d gone out drinking the night before. His excuse to me for that? The guys he worked with insisted he join them when they went to a bar for a couple of beers after work, and of course he couldn’t refuse. Or stop at one or two,” Max added sourly. “Jesus.” “Yeah.” Max shook his head. “I should have left after the first couple of times that happened, but like I said, it was easier to stay and hope he’d change. Laziness on my part, and I knew it.” He shrugged. “Then you came into my life. It didn’t take long for me to see how you were being affected by the almost daily arguments Tony and I were having at that point.” He sighed. “After all you’d been through, losing your parents, and then being dropped into our situation. I finally realized it was time to get out, for your sake as much as mine.” “You should have walked away long before that, although I guess I understand now why you didn’t.” Max nodded. “Why the sudden interest in him?” “Because he’s getting out on parole in two weeks. That idea scares me. It should scare you, too, after what he did to you.” Jack touched the scar on his uncle’s arm. “He was drunk and angry,” Max protested. “I survived.” “Barely. Damn it, Max! If you think he was upset about you walking out on him, how do you think he feels now, after spending so much time in prison for attacking you?” “He’s got to be clean and sober at this point,” Max replied, although he wasn’t certain that would make a difference once Tony got out. Obviously Jack wasn’t either because he snorted derisively. “The first thing he’ll do when he’s released is go to the closest bar and get roaring drunk. Then he’ll come after you.” He gripped Max’s hand. “I don’t want to come home and find out he’s played slice-and-dice on you again—or worse.” “I’m not too happy about that idea, either,” Max replied gravely. “I’ve already gotten a restraining order against him.” “You have?” When Max nodded, Jack asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?” “You have enough to worry about, with college and all.” “And you figured I’d forgotten he was getting out soon?” “Well…no.” “Good, because obviously I haven’t.” Jack released Max’s hand, looking seriously at him. “Get better security on the house, please, for both our sakes.” “Tony doesn’t know where we are now.” “You think he can’t find out? Are you that naïve?” Max chuckled. “Don’t badmouth your elders, young man.” He sobered, saying, “I’m sure he can find me, if he wants to, so I will do something about the security. I promise. At least I work from home, which is a good thing, I think.” “Yeah, it is,” Jack agreed. “He can’t get to you as easily, the way he could if you had to commute to work, or while you were there. You’re safer here, I suppose.” ‘Here’ was a three-bedroom house on the near-south-side of the city. Max and Jack had moved into it when Jack was fourteen and Max had decided to open his own graphic design business. One of the reasons he’d chosen the house was the fact that it had a private entrance to what the realtor had said could be a master suite on the ground floor. Max had opted to make it his office, instead. The other reason was the fact that two of the bedrooms on the second floor were connected by an en suite bathroom. They had been turned into Jack’s private space, with one of the bedrooms becoming his study and recreation room. Max’s bedroom had its own bathroom as well, and a great view of the spacious, fenced-in backyard, with the downtown skyline beyond it. “I still don’t think he’ll try anything,” Max said. “He’d end up back in prison in a heartbeat if he did.” “Max…” Jack shook his head. “He hated you for leaving him. You’d better believe he’s spent the last few years nurturing that hatred while not being able to do anything about it.” “What do you want me to do?” Max replied angrily. “Hide away here, never leaving the house? That would destroy my business, for starters. I have to visit my clients. You know that. What about you? You live here, too. Are you going to quit school just in case he decides to come after you to get back at me?” “No f*****g way,” Jack spat out, pushing off the desk to begin pacing. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe he won’t try anything. But are you willing to bet your life on it?” “No,” Max replied, realizing that could be a possibility, if he didn’t do as Jack had asked. “All right. As I said, I’ll call the company that put in what security we have now and ask them to upgrade it. Other than that, there’s not much we can do.” Jack snickered. “You could hire a bodyguard. A tall, dark, and handsome one who’s gay, to boot.” “As if. I don’t want that kind of complication in my life. I haven’t since…Well, since the attack.” “I know,” Jack said, stopping his pacing long enough to give Max a quick hug. “Even if you haven’t been totally celibate, I presume, you’ve avoided any sort of commitment since then.” Max smiled. “Unlike you. How many young women do you have on the string at the moment?” “Only three.” Jack grinned. “I’ve learned the fine art of juggling.” “It’ll come back to bite you, if you’re not careful,” Max replied sardonically. “I was kidding. There’s only one lady in my life.” Max arched an eyebrow. “Why haven’t I met her?” “You have. Remember Karen?” “Umm…” Max thought about it, then nodded. “The cute little girl who played Juliet to your Romeo in the last high school production before you graduated, right? I didn’t realize there was anything between you two but a casual friendship.” “There wasn’t, until recently. I ran into her in the student union about a month ago. I didn’t even know she was a student at the college until then.” Jack smiled softly. “She’s grown up since high school. Anyway, we got to talking, I asked if she wanted to go out to dinner, and things have sort of progressed from there. We have a lot in common.” He chuckled. “Well, other than the fact I’m in theater and she’s a business major.” “Interesting combination. When the two of you graduate, if you’re still together, you can open a theater and she can run the business end of it.” Jack laughed. “We’ve already talked about that. Joking, of course, but still.” He glanced at the clock over Max’s desk. “Speaking of Karen, I have to run. We’re going to catch something to eat then go to the new movie at the Royale.” “Okay. Enjoy. And bring her by sometime. I’d like to get to know her, since she’s important to you.” “I will, I promise.” Jack headed to the door, stopped, and said, “Call the security company first thing in the morning.” “I plan on it.”