Read Max (A Carter Brother series Book 4) for Free Online

brilliant.
    “Of course you are. Max, take her to lunch, and before you say anything, missy, you will be going. If Max here tells me you haven’t eaten with him and let him pay, you will be on washing up duty at home for a month,’’ she warns me before walking out.
    My eyes water.
    Home.
    For a month.
    She actually sees me with her for a month. I’ve not had this. Not had someone care for me in such a long time. Although I don’t deserve her kindness, a part of me wants to relish in it. Enjoy it while I can because I know a time will come when I need to move on, to run, to hide, and to start from the bottom.
    I’ll never settle down, make a home, or even rent a flat. I’m where I should be. Down in the gutter living day to day being miserable, unhappy, and scraping by.
    “Come on then, grab ya coat, Lakey,’’ Max tells me excitedly.
    I send him a glare. “I told you not to call me that,’’ I snap and huff as I walk down the hall to grab my coat.
    When I grab it and put it on something smells funny. My hand reaches into my pocket and I cringe.
    Ewe, what the hell is that ?
    Pulling out the offending object a mouldy banana comes into view and I quickly throw it into the trash can.
    “You really should put shit in the bin,’’ Max comments, scrunching his nose up.
    “Hmmm,’’ I comment, and when I reach into my other pocket and find a bunch of notes shoved into it my eyes widen.
    “I thought you were homeless,’’ Max gasps. “Dinner’s on you.’’
    “This isn’t mine. The fucking banana wasn’t mine,’’ I cry, wondering what is going on. Joan walks past the door and before she can get too far away I shout her name.
    “Good, you’re going,’’ she smiles as she walks in, her eyes find the cash in my hand.
    “Yeah, yeah. Look, Joan, I found this in my pocket,’’ I tell her, handing her the notes. There has to be over eighty quid there.
    “Don’t forget the banana,’’ Max adds and I elbow him in the gut.
    “Fuck, that hurt,’’ he wheezes but I just shrug looking at Joan.
    “Say something,’’ I tell her, my back straightening. Something is off, I can tell by her posture.
    “This is Miss Robins’ money.’’
    “So what’s it doing in my pocket?’’
    “She came to me about twenty minutes ago telling me she needed to go home to get the raffle money. She said she swore she brought it with her, but when she went to get it out her bag it was gone,’’ she says quietly.
    “I didn’t steal this,’’ I shout, feeling my eyes well-up. I can’t get fired from here. I get paid pennies compared to what I’d get working a minimum wage job but I love it here. It’s the only place around here that pays in cash.
    “She didn’t,’’ Max agrees, looking serious. “We arrived together; we’ve been sitting in that dusty storage room all morning, together. She hasn’t left and the only time I left was to get you and when I got my BLT,’’ he tells her and I hope she believes him. I know they are all close and pretty much family but he did just spray paint the church wall so he might not be the best person to get an alibi from.
    “Oh, honey, I believe you. I never doubted you for a second; what has me shocked is the fact someone has done this and put the blame on you. We would have had to have called the police in if Miss Robins couldn’t find the money. Your bags and pockets would have been searched...’’ she says, trailing off. I know what she’s not saying, though. They would have arrested me. I don’t need her to tell me this, I just need her to know I didn’t do this. I’d never steal. I’ve gone a week, probably longer, without food and I never sunk low enough to steal money from someone. Food? Yeah, but never money.
    “I promise you, Joan, I didn’t do this. I wouldn’t do this.’’
    “Calm down. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off-” she starts. I interrupt feeling panicked.
    “Am I fired?’’ I croak out.
    “What?’’ she asks,