Page 56 of The Torturer's Target

“The asshole mocked my hair,” Bose growled, touching his military buzz cut. “I would have broken his fingers, but Clinton got in the way.”

“You can’t blame the dude on this one, though,” Clinton grinned. “He made a lot of sense. That cut is hilarious on that funny-shaped head of yours.”

“Fuck you, man,” Bose shot back, flipping him the bird.

“Hey, stop it, you two!” Valerie covered Hazel’s ears and glared at them. “We don’t use curse words in front of children, or have you two forgotten?”

“Sorry, ma’am,” Bose and Clinton responded simultaneously, looking guilty.

Max smiled. He had missed the duo’s banter and the sense of normalcy they brought. It was good to be back again.

The butler opened the door, and they all walked inside. Bose and Clinton took turns briefing Max on important security matters and the mansion’s current state.

“Patty asked about you when we took Valerie to the hospital,” Clinton added, mischief glinting in his eyes.

“Patty, huh?” Max hummed.

“Oh, yes. She—”

“Hazel!? Where are you going!?” Valerie shouted at her daughter, who darted back outside.

They all turned to watch the little girl running toward Tesiera, who was leaning against the car in her leather jacket with a stern expression on her face.

“Let’s go inside, Aunt Tetiena. The sun is hot!” Hazel said.

Tesiera’s expression softened as she gazed at the child. Hazel took her hand and began walking back to join the others, and Tesiera allowed the girl to lead her inside.

Max watched her walk with little Hazel. Oh yeah, he was definitely going on that date with Patt

Night had settled in, and an hour had passed since Max, Tesiera, and Hazel had returned to the mansion. They had all enjoyed a good meal prepared by Valerie, with the help of the staff. Max had wanted to cook, but Valerie said he needed rest, and she took up the task.

After dinner, Max, Clinton, and Bose were in the living room enjoying a football game while drinking root beer and eating wings. Valerie and Hazel had left almost immediately. Valerie quickly tired of the testosterone-filled room with their obnoxious cheers and arguing. Plus, Bose and Clinton were supporting opposite teams and they argued about every single play made. They couldn’t go more than a few words without dropping the F-bomb. With Hazel picking up words pretty fast, Hazel decided the best thing to do was leave before they guaranteed she’d get a call from her preschool teacher about her daughter’s language.

“Pass the fucking ball, man! You gotta get your head in the game!” Bose yelled at the player on the screen, chugging down the rest of his beer.

“Ha! Your players are whack, and that’s why they’re losing to us!” Clinton teased with a snarky edge to his tone and then he focused on the screen again. “Come on boys, go for a third goal. Let’s show this loser how it’s done.”

“Your team will lose and you’ll end up being the loser.”

Clinton gave a dubious laugh. “That’s so impossib—”

“You two better shut the hell up so I can hear what the commentator is saying!” Max interrupted the bicker with his own raised voice.

Tesiera came in from the backyard, where she had just finished having a smoke. They hadn’t even notice that she had joined them.

The chief of security had come over for a while and given Tesiera a detailed rundown of her duties as Max's protector. They work 8-12 hour shifts and rotate every so often. Duties range from guarding Max, to gate duty, and then to perimeter checks.

She leaned against a wall and watched the men, wondering why they were so wrapped up about a green pitch and twenty-two players tossing a ball around it. She wasn’t a fan of football. It didn’t and would never make sense to her.

She could see Max was enjoying the game, but Bose and Clinton were at each other’s throats over every little thing.

Max was the first to notice her holding up the wall near the stairway. She looked at him, granting him a small wave, and Max gave her a brief smile. He turned his attention back to the game, and the antics of his bodyguards.

“Goal!” Clinton shouted as he rose with his hands in the air. He whirled around and laughed at Bose. “In your face, bozo.”

“You sonofabitch. I’m going to—”

“Hold that thought, Bose,” Max said, spotting the impending fight from a mile away. Both men were sore losers. Either one of them would start a fight whenever their team lost. “I need you to show Tesiera her room.”

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