Page 327 of Lodestar

“No way.”

“I lived on my computer and hacked into NASA for fun, Star,” he drawled. “I didn’t play outside much because I knew what the boogeyman looked like and I was addicted to video games. What about that sounded healthy?”

“Why did you hack into NASA?” Troy queried. “They have none of the good stuff.”

“Everyone’s a fucking critic. I was curious, okay? And it got me into more shit than it was worth,” he groused.

“He’s on a watch list,” I explained to Troy.

“Aren’t we all?”

“In this car, sure,” I demurred.

“Which agency?”

“NSA,” Conor grumbled.

“Hardcore.” She sounded impressed. “Takes a lot to get them involved. Normally, it’s the Feds. What happened?”

As he started the engine, he tossed something in my lap. I hid a smile when I felt the shape of a couple Pixy Stix.

“What’s with him and feeding you candy all the damn time? And aren’t you going to offer me one?”

“None of your business and no.”

Conor chuckled, but once he’d pulled out of the gas station, he headed onto the highway, explaining, “The first time was for kudos. The second time was to access a satellite.”

“Moronic move.”

“He knows it was.”

“Been paying for it ever since,” he mumbled. “Heading to Russia was my first trip out of the States in years.”

“Once the Sparrows are dealt with, we’ll get my grandfather to negotiate on your behalf with the NSA. Might as well use his influence while we can.”

“While he’s still alive, you mean?”

I hitched a shoulder. “People die around me.”

“You have to make everything about you,” Troy grumbled. “People die. Period. It’s not always about us.”

“Fuck off. Are you trying to tell me that people don’t have a higher likelihood of dying in our vicinity?”

“Sure, but that’s usually because they’re marks!”

“Ergo,” I mocked, “people die around us. It’s not about ego, just statistics.”

Conor chuckled. “You have a plenty big ego.”

I elbowed him in the side as I tore open a Pixy Stix and sank back the hit of pure glucose. “Like you don’t.”

“I’m proud of mine. Nothing to be ashamed of when I have you around to keep it in check. We just need to get yours back under control. Ya know, so you don’t run off thinking the whole world will stop turning if you’re not involved.”

I took the hit, but when Troy hooted at his comment, I rolled my eyes. “It wasn’t that funny,Elena.”

Pulling a face and opening up another Pixy Stix, I nearly choked on the dust when Troy slapped me on the shoulder, joking, “More like hilarious because it’s fucking true. You never could delegate. Wasn’t that nearly always on your reports?”

As I coughed my guts out on a hit of glucose, Conor peered at Troy. “Seriously?”

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