If I Can't Have you

(10) Double Attack

She wasn't even doing anything and she was getting under Tommys skin. She was sat in Johns office reading a book, and for the first time in a couple of weeks, it wasn't Logan he felt envy towards.

As ridiculous as it sounded. He was jealous of some fucking books. He was envious of the worlds created for her in those pages that she adored so much. The worlds that were so much better than this reality. The men that captured her hearts, that he knew he nor no man alive would ever live up to, because they already had her locked in a trance. At the end of their book, that was it, they couldn't mess up. In real life, there were sequels, surplus amounts of pages to screw up on.

Not that he wants to be one of them for her. No. He just wants the experience of her body pressed firmly against his. That's the only thing of interest to him. As crude as it may be.

He still finds her insufferable, but she's just as irresistible.

It was troubling. He was always so sure of his mind, of his decisions. But she was a conundrum he couldn't solve, and until he could, he doubted the envious feelings would let him live in peace.

"Calm down," Max laughs, as he crosses in front of Tommy, blocking his view of Jemima.

"What?" Tommy says, before looking down and realising Max was talking to his little sister, who was clinging onto his hand bouncing around.

"Maxi, I can't, I haven't seen her all week!" Isla says, looking up at Tommy and waving, "hello mister."

"Hello miss," Tommy nods, "here to cause mischief?"

"Always," Isla grins.

"If you're looking for who I think you're looking for, she's in Johns office." Tommy tells her.

"Thank you, mister funsponge," Isla giggles, dropping Max's hand and rushing over to Johns office.

'Funsponge' was a name designated to Tommy when he'd told Isla that she wasn't allowed to tie a couple of bricks to her feet and jump in the cut to see if she could escape incase she was ever put in the situation.

"A guy came to the pub looking for you last night," Tommy tells Max, "says you ran out on him, what happened?"

"I could be asking you the same thing," Max says, eyeing the bruises on Tommys knuckles.

"You're a brother, Max. Someone says shit about you to me, it's not going to end well. Now, why did you run?" Tommy responds.

"He called me a poof, says he isn't because he's giving it up the arse, not taking it." Max tells him, "then attempted to bottle me when I told him he was just as gay as I am if he likes doing it with men, no matter the position."

"Right, well I doubt he'll be coming around anytime soon." Tommy says, "if he wants to keep his remaining teeth."

"He has all his teeth?" Max responds confused.

"Wouldn't be so sure of that," Tommy laughs, clapping his hand on Max's shoulder, before walking away.

Maximilian nods, biting his lip to stop himself smiling as he walks over to Johns office, his hands shoved into his trouser pockets.

"What is happening?" Max asks, opening Johns door and finding both Jemima and Isla on the floor, his younger sister on top hugging her.

"I missed her," Isla states.

"I forgot how excitable she is," Jemima laughs.

Max helps them both of the floor, and whilst Jemima is dusting off her skirt she sees Arthur stumbling into the empty betting den, blood streaming down his face, "what the-"