Low did not want to  kill this man and run ass out through the back. But if he started jaw jacking, his dome was about to get knocked off. On top of that, they had to move quickly. ‘Cause this big, fine, ginger was ancient. He was bound to have skills beyond their own.
Swift, strong, and cunning.
Underestimating meant death. Jaxon had every advantage. He’d clap them both without wasting a breath. But Low had eyes on everything. The vampire’s flexing hands and tense thighs said he wanted to act.
“Pulling that trigger would be the last mistake you ever make.” Jaxon smirked and said, “This house is crawling with vampires who’d gut you and her for it. You’d never make it off the property.”
Calm and remote, Jaxon didn’t give a fuck, but as Max shuffled inside, his low lidded stare remained.
“You not innocent as I thought.”
“And you ain’t no accountant,” Max proclaimed.
“Yes, I am.”
She sneered while Low’s gun stayed pressed to Jaxon’s skull. “You want money or what… how much you want?”
The male chuckled. “There you go again, assuming shit. Oh my god, this is like a huge issue with—does she always—”
Agile, strong, and calculating.
Jaxon rammed his temple into the barrel. Distracting Low gave him the upper hand. Red grabbed his wrist and twisted.
Low hollered from the assault.
His arm nearly snapping it right off, he dropped the Glock. Red kicked it under the bed. Max moved mean and punched Jaxon in the diaphragm. Her fast thinking forced a release.
Low lunged for the gun and was still too slow. Jaxon snatched his shirt, but Maxi was at it again. She growled and bit the males forearm.
After another release, she dove for the pistol herself and Red recovered. “You a fast one ain—”
Low yanked the alphas hair and gave shorty enough time to clutch that .45.
Using their natural speed, she popped up, aimed and let one hit. Max tossed the hot steel instantly. She was a brave female, but she’d never shot anyone before.
Two seconds later, men barrelled through the door and ran in from the patio. Low threw his hands up because yes,  they were out numbered. Four green dots speckled his stomach and five were aimed at Max.
“Oh fuck, you’re gonna kidnap me…oh god, Low he’s gonna want a ransom. Oh shit. I meant to kill you, though.”
Low groaned. “Girl shut uuuup. Please, baby, just hush for a minute I really can’t take—”
“Don’t tell me to hush. I am really stressed right now.”
“I know, me too, the hell y—”
“This man is gonna kill me, Low.” She was terrified, and yeah, Low was finna shit himself. Typically, he wasn’t scared of anyone except for the IRS. But damn it, the mere thought of losing Max polarized him.
“Sir, are you okay?”
Jaxon cut to the man in black and nodded. “I’m good, it itches.” Flaring, red eyes darted around the room.
“You’re not good, AB. Ya bleeding for christ sake.” Another guy made his way into the room and sniffed.
“Back up off me, blood.” Low growled as his fangs elongated. “I’ll kill you before they get me, I promise you that, bruh.”
“What we gonna do in here, AB?”
“Get out.”
The male with a rough accent scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”
“I said get out, Ines!”
His thundering demand made them move and post haste. The last ninety seconds flew by and felt like an eternity. Low just had them thangs on him, now they were alone again while Wus Good played in the silence.
Awkward.
“My dad can pay you.”
“Listen, listen, I need you to shut up.” Jaxon made a request, and Low eyed her. He mouthed, ‘calm down’. She frowned, but crossed her arms and flopped into the armchair. Low, however, watched Red as he growled and sauntered past her.
Max shrugged and stabbed a finger at the door.
Low gave the cut off signal then stopped, noticing Jaxon’s leery red gaze from the bathroom.
“You won’t be able to leave until I allow it so…” The door slammed and running water followed.
“What are we gonna do?” Max whispered.
Low deadpanned. “Baby, he can still hear you.”
“Right.”
She lifted a finger, grabbed her two-ton bag, and wrestled with its contents before plucking out her phone. He nodded and fell on the chaise when a text came through.
Little Mermaid: We gotta figure out how to leave.
He stabbed keys and replied quick.
Cold Blooded: You see how tight his security is?
She nodded then typed.
Little Mermaid: What does an accountant need with security?
Low pointed and wondered the same thing. He lied, ain’t no way Red crunched numbers for a living. In the process of hitting her back, the bathroom door swung open.
“Seriously? Are y’all texting each other right now?”
Jaxon stomped from the washroom and ripped Max’s phone out of her hand.
“You want me to shoot you in the head next?”
Jaxon grunted. “Y’all are fuckin’ nuts, certifiable.”
He threw the android in her lap, and poked at the hole in his shoulder. He may as well take the tank off, it had blood on it… and it was hot. Low grimaced. What the fuck was he thinking?
“And you, Maxine. You all of five-two, but had the gall to square up with a pureblood. I’m six-six a-”
“No you ain’t.” Low snickered, and it might have been the wrong time, but his ass was lying…again.
“Yes, I am.”
“You more like six-four. Don’t do too much.”
Jaxon’s jaw fell. “What is wrong with you? Are you not grasping the totality of this situation? I could kill you, right now.”
“Nah, I am.” Running a hand over his beard, Low shrugged. “But don’t be height fishing. You good, no need to lie.”
Easing into the chaise, Low admired Max while she observed Red and said, “We have millions.”
“I don’t want your daddy’s little  money.” Stalking his big self to the wet bar, Jaxon frowned. “And I don’t wanna kidnap you. Fuck. I need ice.” He spared a moment of silence to pour Henny and swig.
A second helping followed.
“I wasn’t gonna snitch or whatever the hell. You jumped to conclusions, as usual. I’ve known you for all of a week, Max, and I see your negative personality traits loud and clear.”
The female crossed her arms with an eye roll. “Yeah yeah, I’m working on it.”
“No you not,” Low spat. “Why is everybody lying right now?”
Jaxon snapped his fingers and continued, “I was just bringing it to your attention. Tracy is one false move away from going to prison. Unless…” On the turn around, he leaned against the bar. “I can cook his books.” Hitting the liquor, Jaxon peeped over the rim.
Max frowned and said, “I’m not the one you need to be talking to.”
“I know that, don’t you worry your pretty head about it, Maxine.” He hissed her name and snarled. “I will handle the rest.”
Shorty sighed and said, “Well, we should go. This was fun, but it’s about that time.”
Red slammed his glass on the mirrored side table, and faced them again. “You shot me for no reason. This shit escalated too quickly. You went from accusing me of stalking you, to accusing me yet again. Only to put a hot slug in my shoulder. You owe me another apology, mama.”
Low fought a smile, ‘cause Red was telling facts and had a major point. But Max hated being wrong and she wasn’t perfect. Never one to admit she fucked up or take accountability, was a huge problem. They got into it about this very same thing a bunch of times. Low was no better, though, and two people who wasn’t shit, being not shit together, made for a happy couple…an almost happy couple.
“This is kind of bad,” Max nodded. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. I overreacted.”
Low scoffed. “Oh, I know you are not folding that easy.” He stabbed her with a narrowed gaze. “After all the times you—wowwwww. Okay, damn, you wild, shorty.” Feelings hurt and all he pouted.
“Low, I shot him,” Max pointed out, as if he didn’t see the whole thing. “It’s not like I drank the last of his limeade.”
Low jacked to his feet and gasped. “I knew you did it! Tried to make me look crazy, thinking I drank all my shit.”
Max looked up at Red. “This was two years ago. He stores grudges for a rainy day, it’s sooo bad.”
“It don’t matter how long ago it was, shorty. Ten years we been rockin, and you play me like that. Damnnnnn.”
“You drank the last of his favorite juice, I presume? Then you lied about it.” Red smirked. “That’s cold.”
Low clapped and said, “Thank you, thannnk you. Eccczactly.”
“Fine, I’m sorry I drank your juice. I’ll buy you some more.”
“I want ten cartons! For damages and distress!”
“I hear you.”
Spinning around, he eyed the Glock and swiped it. Low shoved the piece back into its holster and pointed at Max.
“Let’s head out, we done here.” Shorty got busy, gathering her things while Low stepped to the bar and clocked cognac.
“Is this all you drink?”
“Hell yeah.”
He chuckled, fashioned himself a half glass and smashed it. “I ain’t never had Hine before, it’s  smooth.”
“I can’t find my glasses.”
“In the chair, baby.”
She searched, skipping right over the damn frames. “I don’t see them.”
“Behind you,” Low muttered.
“Oh.”
Red sighed in passing and stopped at the nightstand. He snatched open a drawer and pulled out…gummy worms?
“You want some?” He shook the bag and Max rounded to his side.
“Yeah, are they sour?”
“Nah, I shoulda got some sour ones.”
She dug into the bag with him and Low scratched his head, perplexed.
From guns to fucking candy?
“I got Jolly Ranchers, too.”
“I’ll take one,” Low said as he joined the duo and was given a handful of blue. “Man if you don’t take all these nasty ass blue things.”
Red chuckled. “You don’t like them either?”
“Hell nah.”
“I got cherry, watermelon, and peach left.”
“I’ll take cherry.”
“A man with good taste.”
Max smiled. “I want peach.”
This wasn’t exactly how Low saw the night going. But, he still ended it by sucking on something sweet.

This had to be the weirdest night of her life. Max went from shooting someone, assuming she was about die, to eating gummy worms. They were good though. With her palm out, Red dispatched a few peach Jolly Ranchers.
“Thanks. Now I really feel bad about shooting you. I didn’t mean to though.”
“You distinctly said you aimed to kill me.”
She snorted. “I mean yeah, sure, but people say a lot of shit in the moment.” Max peeped his boredom and tried not to laugh, but failed.
“What’s so funny?”
She was small and they were too close, which meant, her neck almost cracked looking up at Jaxon.
“Nothing, mind yours.”
“Give my damn candy back, since you wanna be rude.”
“No.” She frowned and backed up, “It’s mine now.” she twirled the peach candy open and grinned.
“You ready, shorty?”
“Yeah.”
She heard Jaxon sigh as his larger than life frame plopped onto the chaise. Popping the treat in her mouth, Max couldn’t help but notice his eyes. The spooled gold glinted as he stared at her. Or studied them more like it. She shrugged and glanced at Low who nudged his chin towards the door.
“What happened to our plans?” Jaxon asked, in a deep guttural tone that garnered her attention.
“I’m sorry?” She clacked her tongue ring against hardened sugar and sucked on it to keep from talking.
“What about you, Low?”
She cut to her lover as he smiled with a mouth full of golds. “Uh, I don’t uh…I figured that was off the table. Cause you know…”
“Because?” Red smirked. “Because I got shot? Thing is, about that, it ain’t real if somebody don’t bleed first.”
Max’s breath hitched. She hacked and swallowed the candy by accident. Oh god, he was a nut job, sexy as shit, kinda scary, but not. Those arms…he should be in the woods, swinging an axe. And why was his nose pierced like that?
Jaxon bore into her as his broad chest awakened her curiosity.
“Low, maybe—”
“You a special kinda horny, Red. And any other night I’d maybe—”
“Why you acting like a pussy all of a sudden? You’ve been talking a lot of shit, Elliot.”
Low chuckled and relaxed against the wall, eyes narrowing. “Don’t go there with me. You an old male who can’t keep up with this here.” Licking his lips, Low shook his head. She needed popcorn and glass of wine. “Plus, I doubt you’ve even been with a man, you’ve ignored every pass I have made. I don’t need no curious dick in my life. I been there with straight men, and ain’t never going back.”
Jaxon shot to his feet. Max backpedaled, clearing a path.
He pointed at Low and beamed. “Outta you two, I thought she was the hardest to convince. But it’s you, ain’t it?”
They met eye to eye damn near and stood inches apart. Max swallowed, tingling with envy.
“You’re reading me all wrong, Low. Yes, I am old. Very. So it should come at no surprise that I have never been or will be, straight.”
Oooo come on now. Jaxon yanked up Lows shirt and snatched the gun free. His scent rolled in waves, and overwhelmed the humid murkiness from outside.
It pulsated and thickened as he shoved the pistol under Low’s chin.
“Uh oh.” Max whispered. She had to do something, what if Jaxon lost it.
“I’ve sucked more bureaucratic dick than years you have been alive. I’ve fucked more men than you have, and that’s a certainty. If you ever, put a gun to my head again, it’ll be the last thing you do on this earth.”
Her breath came in pants, and thighs trembled. She watched, wanting what they had. Max inhaled a lung full and swayed. Their scents were an aphrodisiac. Low’s stoicism, and unwavering eye contact made her pine for some attention. Max had always been greedy and needy, this wasn’t their first threesome. They had them all the time. Men, women, shit…all genders, no genders.
It was open season and she hated being left out.
Jaxon smirked, his free hand tunneled around and Low hissed. “Violence is the vampire equivalent of Viagra, is it not? And you, Ms. Bissette!” She flinched when he turned around, pistol aimed at her. “What you wanna do to me now?”
“I dont know.”
“Liar.”
“I just—”
Jaxon stood before her; the tallest of redwoods. Thick, aged, and majestic. Arms like fat boughs and tresses of burning fall leaves.
“The only thing you need to understand, Max, is that I want you. Not later, not tomorrow. But right now.”
His scent invaded, coiling within the walls of her swollen pussy. She wanted to ask why and what made her so special as a lowly halfbreed.
Fuck allat.
Max dropped her bag and whimpered. “Whatever you say Re—Oh shit!” Jaxon picked her up with one arm, and next thing she knew her back met the wall so hard a panting fell.
He growled and snarled, “You got a loud ass mouth, and I wanna hear that shit too.”
“What?”
Lord knows how, or when he removed her pants, but he had. And god damn, they lied! Everybody who said white boys were small, they were liars straight from the pits of hell! Max gasped only for her lungs stall as he broke through and slipped…better yet, rammed his dick into her guts.
“Oh my god!”
“Yeah, I am your god now.” His lips whispered against hers. “Now say sorry.” He purred, starting a deadly motion. “Tell me you sorry, Max.”
“I’m so—”
He didn’t let her speak, using those lush lips, Jaxon kissed her like a furious, starving beast. The force came second to the ache between her legs.
Sensations erupted as he filled her out.
Flexing around him, her pussy stretched and accommodated. Nipples tingled and skin tightened while she tasted and teased.
Max begged for it, and mewled, arching and opening.
As he tore away, she stared into a golden lake of desire and heaved.
“You want it now, huh?”
“Yea.”
One thrust and she bucked.
“Fuck!” Max cried.
“Hold on tight, now.”
She should have taken his word for it, ’cause not even a second later, he gripped her thighs and ravaged Max up against the wall. Mean, and thorough, he eased in and pulled out in such a way that everything shook loose.
Her brain rattled, lamps dared to tip over, and her pussy creamed around his girth. Digging nails into his shoulders, she clutched with pangs of lust riding her raw.
“Oh shii—waiiii—I’m ’bouta cum! I’m gonna cum I swa-” He choked her. Blocking airways, the slut tore her shit down. He was unkind with knitted brows, fangs, and a bitter snarl. She wasn’t used to this at all, but on the cusp of a release eyes rolled.
He touched her ribs and grunted.
The marrow-melting friction intensified and twisted into a prickling ball that threatened her sanity. His claws scored her flesh as thrusts quickened, causing her hold to slip.
Jaxon used Max’s pelvis as a stress reliever.
“I’m sorrry, I’m sorryyyy, shhhit! I’m sorrrry,” she wailed.
He destroyed her insides and mixed them guts.
Max was about to go ape shit.
Ready to beg and plead, pleasure consumed her.
Mind and body were held hostage by an orgasm, a reckoning that made her scream. She wanted mercy and for him to keep going. “Ughnnghh-uhhhhgghghh-” She growled through growing fangs and moaned. Max returned his ruthlessness with a vicious eye. The ass hole was grimey with his dick. He didn’t even know her like that.
Motha Fucka.
“Put. Me. Down.” She gritted the words because this wasn’t right. The male was flush, and reddened by what he’d done.
Prick.
“I sa—”
He rolled his hips and she whimpered.
“I think we understand how things go now, don’t we?”
“Yes! Now let me down.” She snapped and wanted to spit in his face. The big fine red-haired monster withdrew and hissed.
“Why the hell are you so tight, ma’am?”
“Kegals and vinegar, bitch.”
He growled and wrapped a big hand around her neck. “You wanna do this again?”
“Not yet, share the wealth. God damn. Up off me”
Sliding down the wall, she landed on the floor, and leaned. Max stumbled into the nightstand; he helped her upright.
“I’m fine.” Max had to have some dignity here. “I can walk.” She retrieved her pants, looked at Low and tried not to blush or cry. Her man was undone and fidgety. His leg bounced as he gave a tight smile.
“Woooow, look at the time.” Low feigned a yawn and stretched. Max giggled while he punked out.
“I know you are not…” She sputtered as Red turned and stared at her homie, lover, friend.
Low shook his head. “It’s late, it’s getting late—you wanna go, Max?”
She was unimpressed. “No.”
“I think I’m tired, though. Feel a headache coming on.”
“Don’t look like it.” Red added. Low’s strong man was standing at attention. If Max had to suffer a god damn beat down then it was only fair if he suffered with her.