Page 16 of His Sinful Need

Well, that’s all I fucking need.

After a second, I realize Van is watching me, so I pretend I’m looking at Rook and Giddy instead. “I want that tech built today,” I call over before turning my back on them.

I sit down with Tank and help him with inventory from the shipment they collected this morning, adding to our stock of weaponry. Tank keeps everything clean as a whistle but I need something to do with my hands, so I take them apart along with him, clean them down, check that the serial numbers have been sufficiently filed off. The Feds just get better and better at recovering them. As we work, I listen to Max make suggestions to Rook and Giddy. There’s not even a trace of resentment in his voice after their dumb crack about Julian Castellani, and the air clears fast.

“I think I see your problem,” Max says after hinting around it for about twenty minutes. There’s a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth when I glance over. “Mind if I have a go?”

“I guess,” Rook replies hesitantly, looking unsure of what to expect from Max. Giddy just shrugs, his curiosity piqued.

Max takes up the screwdriver and changes a few wires around. “Okay,” he says. “That’s it.”

“That’sit?” Rook snorts. “We’ve been working on this for a week, my guy. I call bullshit.”

Max takes the pushback in stride, offering the screwdriver back to Rook. “You think I messed up? Be my guest, change it back.”

Rook stares suspiciously at the gadget, and Max explains the ins and outs of the wiring. Heseemsgenuinely invested in helping the two of them improve their skills. He’s intent on explaining, and I find myself wondering what it would feel like to have Max’s attention fixed that hard on me…

Knock it off.

“If you’re right about this,” Giddy says, eyeing the device with interest, “it could really come in handy.”

“That’s the idea,” Max says. “I’m here to help.”

“Are you helping out next week?” Giddy asks with excitement. “That’s when we’re taking our next run at an armored car.” Giddy gives me a nervous look, realizing too late that he’s running his mouth.

But at least he knows better than to mention the Big One.

“Depends on our Capo,” Max says. “Maybe.” He doesn’t look my way, but he must know I’m listening.

Tank, polishing up a shotgun barrel, watches the scene unfold with hard eyes. He doesn’t seem happy to see his brother, Giddy, warming up so fast to Max. But Tank has never been one to embrace change easily.

“What do you think, Jazz?” I murmur, turning to her as she works.

“Pedretti?” Jazz shrugs, her gaze flicking over to where Max is demonstrating the device to Rook and Giddy. “Solid rep. He knows his stuff, that’s for sure. Plus anyone who can shut down those two clowns is okay in my book.”

I chuckle.

“Castellani,” Tank says under his breath. “That’s all there is to it.”

Neither of them were very happy when I introduced our new guest. Hell,Iwasn’t happy about it. But as I watch Max work with Rook and Giddy, I marvel at how easily he’s ingratiated himself with the younger members of the crew.

That’s the problem, though. Trust should not come so easy in our world. I’ll have to watch out for Rook and Giddy, and Honeybee too, make sure those lips stay tight about our business.

For now, though, I’ll let things play out. If Max proves to be an asset, then so be it. But if he shows any signs of betrayal or disloyalty, well...

We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

* * *

We work hard until I get hungry enough to call for a lunch break, and everyone stretches out with relief. Tank calls out for pizza—there’s only one place that’ll even deliver to this neighborhood—and I pull out some beers for everyone from the fridge in the kitchen.

“No, thanks,” Max says when I offer him one. “But I think we’re ready for a test run on this blocker, if you’re interested.”

“Alright, let’s see what you got.” I give Rook a nod and he flips a switch on an elaborate setup of wires and blinking lights meant to mimic a wireless security feature. A low electric hum fills the air, and I can feel the tension in the room building.

A few seconds later, an alarm sounds—a shrill, piercing noise that leaves us all wincing. But before anyone can shout about turning it the hell off, Giddy presses a button on the gadget they’ve put together this morning, and the cacophony is silenced as quickly as it began.

“Holy shit,” Nico says. “You two fucknuts finally got it.”

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