Page 48 of Property of Max
Micah speaks up again.
“Foster update software.”
“Honey, you have the latest update,” I remind him. “They were just here a few months ago. It doesn’t get more updated than that.”
“Faster eye-track,”he says.
“Don’t question it,” Cody cuts in, waving a hand, reminding me of what Skip said just last night. Don’t ask questions. Just accept it.
“Regardless,” I say firmly, “he needs to talk to me first before making any changes. Actually, he should have come to me before even reaching out to you.”
With that thought in mind, I grab my phone and fire off a text to Max.
“I was just informed and would love to hang out with you on Friday. Not much of a party girl, though. Might bring the mood down with my lameness. Also, please tell your buddy Foster not to mess with my brother’s equipment without clearing it with me first.”
“I’ll make plans to be here Friday,” Cody says, standing. “I’m heading home. Call me if you need me. See ya Friday, buddy.”
“Love you, bunches,” I say as we reach the front door.
“Love you, bunches, too,” he replies, pulling me into a tight hug. “Don’t be too hard on the boy. He just wants you to fall in love and live happily ever after.”
“I know,” I sigh. “He’s only doing what brothers are supposed to do…annoy and protect all at once. I’ll keep you updated.”
Laughing, Cody jogs down the sidewalk toward his car, leaving me with the quiet ache of a long day. Every bone in my body begs for a hot bath before bed, but first I have one more thing to do. Tuck my nosy little brother back in.
When I step into his room, the tablet immediately speaks in its mechanical voice:
“He didn’t reach out to me. I reached out to him. I read rumors about him and wanted to know if he could make the software faster, so I can talk more easily. He said he’d look into it. I also asked him to give Max a message for me. I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad at him. You can read our messages. He said he wouldn’t talk to me again without your permission. He made me promise to tell you before he passed anything on to Max.”
“I’m not mad, honey,” I say softly, tucking the blanket snug around his body. “But reaching out to a stranger like that could have been really dangerous. Not just for you, but for your niece too. Even for me. There are people in this world who wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep over hurting us in the worst ways.”
I smooth the blanket over his chest and meet his eyes. “You already promised me you won’t do it again, and I believe you. I just need you to understand how risky it could have been. Please, be safe. Cody trusts this Foster guy, and I trust Cody. So, for now, I’m okay with you talking to him. And I don’t want to read your messages. That’s your privacy. Unless I ever suspect foul play afoot, then all bets are off.”
…
…
“Foul play afoot?”his tablet voices, and his eyes glimmer with mischief.
“Hey, you saidby gollyearlier,” I tease back. “I’m just staying on theme. Now, go to sleep. Love you, brat.”
“Love you, back,”is his immediate response.
Chapter Thirteen
Max
“Spike, I’m five seconds away from shooting the fucker in the head,” I say.
Spike sighs and collapses into his chair like the world’s weight landed on him. “What did he do this time?”
“The guy’s an idiot,” I snap. “Why the hell has Tank left him in charge so long?”
“Because he’s loyal,” Tank says quietly from beside me. “He’s an asshole, but he’s a damn good brother.”
“He’s throwing pussy parties at the chapter house,” I spit. “That’s not how we operate. How the hell are we supposed to keep a low profile while Los Fantasmas is breathing down our necks on one side and the police on the other if a quarter of our club is doing everything possible to draw attention?”
“He’s got a point,” Tank says, leaning forward. “Never had issues with Cushion before, but he’s not the brightest bulb in the bunch. How about I send him down with Runner? Let him play VP in the Arizona chapter? We’ll just need someone to replace him in Palm Springs East.”
