Maxwell: Not Without Guilt (Phoenix Club) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Before too long, I’m going to be in Abel’s place. I’m going to have to walk into the courtroom and face Wade and Byrd again, and tell what they did to me.” He hugged Dane’s strong body, taking comfort in it. “Hiding from the memories now will only make it that much more difficult then.”
    Dane smiled and kissed his head. “I believe I snagged me a very wise young man.”
    Angel nuzzled his neck. “For your information, I snagged you .”

Chapter 3
“Practiced Lies”
    ♦
    C aleb and Samuel were lingering in the large corridor outside the courtroom when Max and Carl arrived. “Caleb.” Max hugged the young man. “I’m glad you’re here.” He looked at Samuel, then hugged him as well. “Both of you.”
    “We figured Abel could use all the backup he could get,” Caleb said, then shook Carl’s hand, greeting the man.
    “Are the others here yet?”
    Samuel replied, “Dane and Angel and Maddy are inside.”
    “Cole and Gabe haven’t shown up?” Max asked.
    “Not yet,” Caleb said.
    “Well, I guess we can wait for them inside.” Max nodded towards the courtroom and opened one of the double doors, holding it as Caleb and Samuel entered. Carl started to walk through, when the elevator at the end of the corridor dinged and Horatio and Seth stepped out. Max’s grip on the door handle tightened, causing an ache to swim up his forearm. After his vivid “dream” last night, memories of the past events were bubbling far too close to the surface. His heart pounded louder and harder as Horatio and Seth approached. And the look in the other man’s eyes as he came closer sent Max’s heart and mind reeling. There was “something” there, something more than usual. The same “something” he had seen in Horatio’s eyes last week at the hospital.
    “Max,” Horatio nodded, then glanced at Carl. “Carl.”
    Max swallowed hard, lips rubbing together anxiously. “It’s good that you came,” he told Horatio. “Abel would want you here.” He looked at the young man lingering at Horatio’s side. “It’s nice to see you again, Seth.”
    “Nice to see you too.” Seth spoke low, soft. He looked at Max as if searching for something in the man’s face, his eyes. There was a veiled anguish behind his gaze that tugged at Max’s heart; the boy was clearly eager to love Horatio, but he was no fool, nor was he blind to the way Horatio still looked at Max.
    And the way you still look at him .
    “Do you think I could speak to you a moment?” Max asked Horatio, then glanced quickly at Seth and Carl. “Alone? Just for a minute?”
    Horatio turned to Seth. “Do you mind?” he asked quietly.
    “No, of course not,” Seth murmured, though there was a reluctance in leaving Horatio’s side as he moved towards the door that Max continued to hold open.
    “I’ll be there in a moment,” Max told Carl. The man merely nodded and entered the courtroom without protest, and Max closed the door behind them.
    “Is everything all right?” Horatio asked.
    “Yeah,” Max nodded slowly without meeting the man’s gaze head on. “I just...”
    “What?” Horatio frowned when Max faltered and failed to continue. He stepped forward and cupped the side of Max’s neck. “Are you okay, Max?”
    The man’s touch was warm, comforting, and still much too “familiar” after all this time. He stepped back slowly, drawing away from his hand gently. “Yeah.” But what exactly had he been meaning to say? Why had he asked to speak to him alone? He was compelled to ask Horatio again what he had wanted to tell him at the hospital, not really sure why he felt the intense need to know. But this was hardly the time to get into that. The trial would be getting underway in less than fifteen minutes.
    Max cleared his throat, then rubbed the nape of his neck. “Your attorneys,” he said quietly. “They’re the best?” He met Horatio’s gaze, then wished he hadn’t. Baby, stop looking at me that way. Don’t you know that it