“Wow.” I took the needle in my hands, careful to point it outward. “There’s a sentence I hope to never hear again.”

“Shh.” Max carefully pulled out the Bengay and whispered, “My precious.”

He was either insane or just downright pissed about what Reid had done, whatever that may have been. It was tie between being oddly attracted to his erratic behavior and also a bit frightened that I still wanted to kiss him despite the fact that he was caressing a tube of Bengay and looking like he was about five seconds away from stabbing Reid in the ass.

After a few minutes of setting his “tools” onto the bed he handed me an iPad. “An elephant never forgets.”

“You’re a man.” I felt the need to point that out just in case that needle had pricked him and he was suffering a mental breakdown.

“Hell, yes I am,” Max grumbled. “Which is why it’s damn near impossible to stand next to you without thinking about ripping off that white dress.”

It got very quiet in that hut.

Quiet and tense.

Like, climb-the-walls tense.

“Said that out loud, didn’t I?” Max closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“ ’Fraid so.”

He didn’t say anything.

“And an elephant never forgets, so . . .”

“Don’t toss my words back at me!” He grabbed me by the shoulders and pointed me in the direction of the door. “Now go stick it to him.”

“Maybe we should work on a different choice of words.” I sighed. “What exactly am I sticking?”

“The needle.” Max pushed my body closer to the entrance. “I’ll be right outside, all you need to do is stick him in the leg, the arm, any appendage will do.”

“Any appendage will do?” I repeated. “You do realize you’re asking me to commit a crime?”

“Does it look like we’re in America?”

Hades made a choking sound from the corner.

Max ran over and pulled the boxers from his mouth and patted his head. “As I was saying, would this happen in the US?”

“Maybe Canada.” I smirked.

“Ha-ha, haven’t heard that before. Oh, let’s make fun of the country with free health insurance, what do you have?”

I squinted. “You do realize that sex changes are free in Canada but you have to pay out of pocket to get a pair of glasses, right?”

“NOT THE POINT!” Max raised his voice. “Are you going to stick him or not?”

I groaned. “What if I say no?”

“Then . . .” Max’s eyes narrowed. “I won’t protect you from the girls.”

“Oh, really?” My eyebrows shot up. “Is that what you’ve been doing? Protecting me?”

Max’s focus was on my heaving chest, and he shook his head. “Sorry, can you repeat the questions? Your boobs were talking to me.”

“They were not!”

“Um, they moved, and I’m pretty sure the right one said hi. Swear it was even ready to pop out and say hi.”

“Max!” I squirmed. “Stop being . . . you!”

“Aw . . .” Max looked wounded. “That’s hurtful. Now you have to do me a favor to save my pride and all-around insecure self.”

“You are not insecure.”

His shoulders hunched. “I can’t . . . believe . . . you don’t like . . . the real Max. The real M-dog, M-money, M—”

“Stop.” I waved in his direction. “How about this? I’ll try, only because I’m pretty sure if I don’t do what you want I’m going to be stuck in this hut arguing with you for the next eight hours and I really want to go to bed.”

“Don’t we all?” Max sighed. “Sleep is next to godliness.”

“I think you mean being clean.”

“Same thing.” He shrugged. “Now go stick my brother.”

“Stop sayin’ stick!”

“Stick him good.” Max winked. “Oh, and P.S.: If he makes a choking noise once the needle goes in, that’s totally normal.”

“Max!”

“I’ll be right behind you!” He shoved me out the door.

CHAPTER THIRTY

BECCA

Was I really going along with this plan? Furthermore, what exactly was the plan? Max still hadn’t told me anything, and I still wasn’t sure I wanted to participate. Then again, I wanted to hang out with Max. Being with him made me laugh, even if it was at his brother’s expense.

I was getting in the way of family drama, but for some reason, excitement coursed through my veins as I approached Reid’s hut. What did I do if he was sleeping? What if the camera crew was in there? Last thing I needed was for it to be national news that I’d tried to drug the Bachelor’s brother. Sure, that would go over really well with future grad school scholarships and a career teaching little kids.

Yeah, I highly doubted I would get a job at an elementary school if I was found guilty of drugging anyone or anything.

I almost backed out—made an excuse, I mean this was my career he was toying with, and not just that, but what happened if we got caught? Max was already wealthy—the world was his oyster even if he didn’t want to work in it. I had everything to lose.

Max turned around and flashed me a smile.

I followed him, like a trained puppy.

I put the needle behind my back and took a soothing breath. I could do this. All I needed to do was knock and then . . . stick. Damn you, Max!