Page 12 of Last One Standing
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I muttered and continued to scroll through the article I’d been reading.
“What the hell?” Nick joined his brother, and now they were both watching me. “Angel, brother, please step away from the keyboard.”
“The keyboard is that thing in front of you with letters and numbers on it,” Noel added.
“I may not know how to code and do all the techno-shit you both do, but reading an article isn’t rocket science.” I shook my head and tried my best to ignore them.
“Did he say techno?” Nick asked.
“That’s a type of music; we’re doomed. Is everything backed up if he happens to delete it all?” Noel whispered.
“Yeah. After the time Gabe thought he was backing out of a program but instead erased three hours of coding, I created the Stupid Brother Backup Protocol that immediately engages anytime the computer is turned on.”
That got my attention. “Did you really do that?”
Nick nodded. “You’re all like gremlins in this room. Destructive, careless, and not very bright.”
“I almost became a doctor, shit for brains—I’m able to do the basics of a computer.”
Noel hummed. “If I break a leg, I’ll call you. I won’t go ahead and try and set it myself.” He motioned to the workstation I was on. “I don’t do your thing; why are you doing ours?”
They were dramatic. “Didn’t both of you say we all needed to do more and not rely on you two all the time?”
“That was before we realized you were unteachable,” Nick answered.
I waved them away and returned to an article that had Kona in it. The reporter had raved about Kona’s show down in Tucson, Arizona a year ago. There was no mention of Brick or the MC.
“What are you even doing?” Noel moved closer, and I backed out of everything.
“Nothing.”
He smirked; Nick snorted. “You know we can find out, right?” Noel waggled his eyebrows.
I sighed. They were exhausting. How Matt and Phoenix tolerated them was beyond me. “Fine. I was doing research on the Dead Kings. They’re causing a lot of problems in the area, and it was worth pursuing. I wasn’t going to do anything without a vote.”
“Uh-huh.” Nick came over to me, clicked a few buttons, and the last article I was reading popped up. “And it has nothing to do with that fine piece of man?”
“What fine piece of man?” Matt stormed into the room, and I’d normally take great joy in watching Nick flounder, but I also didn’t want to be here for the drama.
“No, you came in at the end of something, babe.” Nick rushed to Matt. “It’s Angel.”
Matt’s brow furrowed. “Angel’s the hot piece of man?”
“Gross,” Gabe said as he walked past the door—not stopping, just tossing out his unwanted opinion.
“No!” Nick groaned. “He’s looking up a guy, and I was just teasing him.”
“Is that right?” Matt pursed his lips and he met my eyes. “Is he lying?”
“Uhhh…this is a trust thing in your relationship, Matt. I’m not getting involved.”
“The drag queen from the club, he was checking him out.” Noel, of course, came to Nick’s rescue but…
“Oh!” Matt rounded on Nick. “You thought Anita Pounding was a hot piece of man?”
“Shit,” Noel whispered.
“No. First off, he was looking at Anita as Kona.” Nick was just burying himself further, and I wanted away from all this.
