Beneath Him...

Marked Men Don't Hide (What Max Remembers)

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Max stretched as he climbed out of Stella's bed. It had been another fun night, like every one since they'd met last week. Stella was already gone. That wasn't unusual. She liked to start her morning with criminal work and a call to her father. He headed for the bathroom before going downstairs. From the living room he heard Stella and her father talking.

"We're getting kickback on the Uppstone stuff."

"Is everything ok, dad?" Stella sounded concerned.

"Yeah, it'll be fine. Apparently it's led to the media getting its claws into some very unexpected places - even over there in England."

"No surprise there, dad, it's not like the Brits are innocent. You told me that last week, remember?"

"Yeah, I do. I just wanted to warn you to be careful. Make sure nobody knows who you... WHY THE FUCK IS THERE A NAKED GUY IN YOUR APARTMENT?!?"

Stella turned around and Max nodded at her. He wasn't naked. He'd put his trousers and underwear on, but not bothered with a shirt yet. "Morning, baby."

"BABY?!" her father was raging. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

"It's ok, dad, he's my boyfriend."

"BOYFRIEND?"

"You told me you wanted me to get out and meet people, not spend all my time in my room."

"STELLA JANE WYNTERBOURNE! I did not say you should bring people back to your apartment where you take your damn makeup off so they can see who you are!"

"Oh, don't worry, dad. Max is ok. He doesn't mind."

"He might not mind but I do. And WHY is he there so damn early?! Did he stay the night? You better not have touched her, BOY! Or I'll make sure your last breath lasts an agonizing eternity!"

Max stepped forward and hugged Stella, kissing her on top of the head. "Don't worry, sir, I haven't disrespected who Stella is. I wouldn't dare!"

"Wait... I know you. You're Maximillian Robert Pierrot-Smith. I know your mother. How is Genie these days?"

"Genie?" Max and Stella asked together.

"I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone call Lady Genevieve Pierrot-Smith that before," mused Max. "Not even my father would dare do that."

"Is that rat bastard still on the scene?"

"He... shows up for social gatherings," said Max. "But he spends half his time on 'business trips' to Singapore or Malaysia or anywhere else he figures the girls will be cheap and easy enough if they think they can ride a royal all the way to the immigration office."

Stella's dad snorted. "He hasn't changed then. Well, you being Genie's son buys you a SMALL amount of patience from me but let me be clear about two things. First, do not in any way let me even suspect you take after your father. And second, remember this: I might have some fond memories of your mother and I dancing macabre beneath the light of the pale moon... but my daughter isn't built for that and you better not try it with her!"

Max beamed at him. "And as I said, sir, I would never show your daughter any unwanted attention. Honestly, I'd be more afraid of her than of you!"

Her father laughed, his stern visage shattering. "Boy! You ARE your mother's son. Okay, then I will trust YOU, Stella, to make sure he doesn't do anything he shouldn't. Now, Maximilian, I need some private time to talk with my daughter."

"That's fine," said Max. "I'll just go back to the bedroom."

"The b... Remember, boy, I'm watching you!"

"Well that could get awkward," mused Max as he turned and left.

He took a relaxing shower before heading back to the bedroom. When he got there, his phone was ringing. He recognized the tone he had set for his mother and strode over to answer it.

"Hello, mother, how are you?"

Lady Genevieve stared back at him from the screen. She paused for a moment as she studied the room around him.

"That's not your room, Maximilian," she said. "Who's is it?"

Max chuckled. "You don't miss a thing, do you mother? I'm at my girlfriend's apartment right now."

"Maximillian, that's not Charlie's apartment. I know you've always shown poor taste in girls, but I never expected your current one to end up in His Majesty's custody. You do know she was arrested four days ago, don't you?"

"She was? That would explain why she hasn't been at school recently then."

"Do not pretend to be surprised if you're not, Maximilian. I was weaving truths out of a fabric of other people's lies before you threw up on your first bib. Should I assume that you had something to do with her arrest?"

"Me, mother? No. Not at all. I can promise you that was not my doing."

"But you know who it was, don't you?"

"How would I know that?"

His mother sighed. "Let me ask another question. Does your girlfriend's father know you're dating her? I can see a man like that would have some serious issues with a boy like you."

"A man like... Mother, you already know I'm with Stella, don't you?"

"Of course I do, Maximilian. You must have known I'd have the boys check on you as soon as I heard about young Charlie."

Max wondered just which of 'the boys' she was referring to. Her contacts in MI5 or GCHQ? The three top tier detectives she had close friendships with? Any of the aristocrats at the college? His mother was adept at making sure anyone who even might be useful knew they were hers.

"And... you've already worked out who set up that trap for Charlotte. So why did you ask if I had done it?"

"I didn't, Maximilian. I specifically asked if you had anything to do with it. My guess is that young Stella decided that, now she wanted you, Charlie was in the way. So she moved her."

Max chuckled. "It sounds like you have all the answers, mother."

"Do you know how dangerous a woman like that can be?"

"I... think I have an idea," he responded, remembering what she'd done when he teasingly threatened her.

"Good, now understand this. I'm rather fond of Joey..."

"Joey?" said Max. "Joey and Genie? I think I'm going to throw up."

A faint smile graced her lips. "Too sweet for you, Maxie? A lace corset goes beautifully with leather boots. It's only when you combine the tender and the torture, the sweet and the savage that you have something truly beautiful. Now, if you don't treat Joey's daughter right then I will show you I can make young Stella look like a teddy bear..."

"Big, soft and in need of stuffing?" He couldn't help himself.

"MAXIMILLIAN ROBERT PIERROT-SMITH! If you hurt that girl so help me I will serve your eggs to her for breakfast... SCRAMBLED! Do I make myself clear?"

"But what if she wants to be hurt?"

"Then make sure it's hurt not harmed and that Joey NEVER finds out. I love you son, but don't you dare be less than she deserves!"

"And what about Charlotte?"

His mother shrugged. "About time she disappeared. She was never our kind of people anyway -- perhaps good enough for a motel bed, but not the marriage bed. Well, I must go. Bernard says the car is ready and I have a breakfast meeting with the prime minister to attend."

Max dropped the phone on the bed and stretched. Well, he thought, this morning hadn't gone as he'd expected. He was relatively certain that the threats made by their parents were just protective, but in truth he had no chance if he truly had to stand against either one, let alone both. Now his mother seemed to be planning his entire future for him. Joseph might not be, but if Max was reading him right he was barely one step more modern than demanding they marry before having sex. And all that after just one week. Then again, hadn't he and Stella already admitted they couldn't find anyone who was as near a match to themselves as each other? He rubbed his forehead, trying to remember if he'd ever ridden a roller coaster that felt half as wild and chaotic as life did right now.

He heard the door open behind him. Stella entered looking annoyed. She dropped down on the bed beside him and sighed.

"Dad says he needs me home for the break. He says he has a business function he needs me to attend. And he insists you go with me."

"A business function? That all?" asked Max. "Mother dearest is apparently planning our wedding already."

"She's WHAT?!? Max, what did you tell her?"

Max chuckled at the look on her face. "Nothing. I didn't have to. She'd already worked it all out. She's pleased with what you did to Charlotte, by the way. Impressed even."

"She's what? How the hell did she work anything out -- I'm supposed to be incognito, Max!!"

"She heard Charlotte was arrested and had me investigated to see what was going on. I should have realized she'd do that."

"Your own mother had you investigated?"

"Of course," said Max. "Wouldn't your father have checked on you if something like that happened in your life?"

She nodded. "Probably. But how?"

Max chuckled. "Stella, what you do with computers she does with contacts... and she's damn good at it. It's how she climbed the social ladder to be more powerful than my father."

"And what's this about marriage?"

"Well, strictly speaking she didn't actually say that. She just told me that Charlotte wasn't worth keeping around and that I better not mess things up with you or she'd make me regret it. But not for long."

"Dear God, Max!" Stellar rubbed her temples. "We have some seriously messed up families. And that's me saying that!"

He lifted her chin to look into her eyes and kissed her. "Where do you think WE got it from?"