Patience
Max
Being here while my daughter is there might drive me out of my mind.
Dad is with her.
She’s just fine.
“Mom, you should have seen it. They changed the rock walls up and included a ceiling climb. It’s virtually impossible to do. Daire got so far. It was like he was a spider.” Mila nudges Daire.
The two of them have been thick as thieves almost since the day she was born. I’m just waiting for the day they get up the nerve to tell Dad they’re dating, but Nonna says that won’t ever happen. Are they really just going to be best friends forever?
Dahlia and I are just friends. Though that might be because Vex would kill me if I tried to be more. Not that I ever felt even a little spark with her.
So, I guess it’s possible.
“I don’t even want to think about what you two are doing at that climbing club.” Mom grimaces. “But well done, Daire.”
If Hope decided to do even half the things Mila and Daire do, I’d be pulling out my hair. How my parents stand it, I don’t know.
“I’ll go change, and then we can go see Hope.” Mila nabs another piece of sausage and runs up the stairs.
“Thank you for second breakfast, Aunt Temperance.” Daire fills a plate up with food.
“Anytime. Should I pack you two snacks?”
That’s a given. Those two eat almost nonstop.
“We’d love that. Thank you.”
Dad’s tone sounds on my phone. He probably took pity on me and sent a picture, so I don’t worry about Hope, even though I’m not worried about her since he’s there.
Mostly not worried.
An image of Hope and Fiona punches me in the gut.
My daughter’s beautiful smile is overshadowed by Fiona’s fake one.
Fiona, the girl, all those years ago was pretty.
Fiona, the woman, takes my breath away. What is she like now?
A woman that beautiful has to have a man by her side.
Only a fool would let her stay single all these years.
My heart clenches.
Talon: Who is he?
This isn’t a friendly little picture. Dad’s worried.
After isolating the man in the picture, I run an image search.
His face pops up in an article with his name barely a second later.
Let’s see who you are, Micky Lectner. A superficial background check tells me he’s a businessman with assets all over Urbium, most of which are in the food service industry.
Interesting.
Let’s dig a little deeper.
“Aren’t you supposed to be interviewing a new hire?” Mom takes out the loaf of focaccia Nonna made for dinner yesterday.
“Doing that.” I flip over to the security camera I set up in Dad’s office before the kid came.
Did Everett already give up? The phone I gave him is sitting on Dad’s desk, and he’s looking through the books on Dad’s shelf.
The kid seemed to want an internship.
Daire walks over and looks over my shoulder. “Who’s that?”
With this kind of drive, probably no one. “The kid Maddox sent over.”
“He must be a reader.”
Is he? Everett scans the bookshelves one by one. Never really stopping, it’s as if he’s… “Look at the screen again. What is he really doing?”
Daire leans in. “What do you mean, Max?”
“Could you read the titles scanning them that fast?”
“No. Do you think he has a camera or something?”
That would be logical, but there’s a look in the kid’s eyes. “I think he’s got a photographic memory.”
“Huh? How can you tell?”
Because that’s how I look when I’m cataloging things.
A photographic memory rocks and stinks at the same time.
Ivy’s face flashes in my mind. Each little strand of gold in her hair shines just as bright as it did the day I asked her out for the first time, but I can also see every wrinkle of pain on her face as the light faded out of her eyes in the hospital.
No, it isn’t the time to think about that. I need to finish checking Micky Lectner for Dad and figure out what Everett is up to.
“Because your cousin has a photographic memory himself,” Mom chimes in. “Would you grab me some fruit for your bags?”
Daire rushes over to pick out a pile for him and Mila.
There’s nothing the kid can get into in Dad’s office except the safe, and that is triple-protected. I flip over to the research on Micky Lectner.
Seven months ago, this guy didn’t own a single piece of property in Urbium. He didn’t even own a place to live.
Dozens of cash businesses opening up in such a short time…that doesn’t throw up a million red flags.
Except they aren’t new. They were all profitable before Lectner bought them. We’ve eaten at that sushi place a time or two. The sale price for that was low…remarkably below market price.
How did he get it that cheap?
This guy pays his taxes. Every single cent of them. There’s not one questionable deduction. Nothing to attract any unwanted attention. Dad’s not going to like this.
Me: Micky Lectner is laundering money.
Dad: ???
Dad doesn’t waste energy on unnecessary words.
Me: Details will take a while.
Dad: Get them. And read Maddox in.
Just how I wanted to spend my day. Maddox will just kick Lectner out. It’s not an issue. Except Fiona owns the place.
Time to call Maddox.
“What?” Maddox definitely doesn’t exude the bliss of finally finding his soulmate.
“Hello to you, too.”
“Don’t even. Whatever trouble you’re calling about, I have enough of my own right now.”
It seems two weeks isn’t long enough for him to relax since Mindy was kidnapped. “What did she do now?”
“Other than refusing to stay in bed and rest? Nothing.” He sounds about ready to pull out all his hair. “The doctor cleared her to sit up and walk around. Now that woman thinks she can just go back to working full-time.”
I shouldn’t laugh at his frustration. “So?”
“She wants to go back to both of her jobs. There’s no way that woman is killing herself with work. She can keep one or the other. And she needs to choose to be here with me.”
Maddox should know by now that women never listen to us. “Did you tell her that?”
“Yeah, right before I carried her back to bed.”
The chuckle just slips out. “How did that work out for you?”
“Not cool, man. Not cool at all. Mindy isn’t talking to me.”
Ivy wasn’t into the silent treatment. She specialized in a look that was a cross between disappointed and heartbroken. “You never win that way.”
“What do I do to win?”
My eyes go to Mom, who’s stopped working to stare at me. Dad hasn’t won an argument with her in ages. The only ones he does win deal with her safety. “Get the nonnas involved.”
“Massimo Rage Vincenti.” Mom gives me a death stare.
And now, I’m in trouble. Dinner at Nonna’s sounds like a good idea, except Mom is making a celebratory dinner for Hope.
Even though my first suggestion works, I know what Mom wants me to say.
Doing the right thing hurts. “You need to apologize and tell her that you were wrong.” Sorta.
There’s nothing wrong with being a neanderthal.
“Then explain to her why you want her to quit the other job and why it’s important to you that she’s always near you. ”
Mom nods.
She has spent way too much time teaching me about emotional intelligence and good communication.
“The next time we spar…”
Like I’m afraid. I’ve got fifty pounds of muscle on him. “We should talk about Micky Lectner.”
“Who?” Maddox's tone changes.
“The money launderer who wants to buy your bakery.”
“Huh…How do you know who’s eating at Fiona’s bakery?”
Her name… “My daughter is sitting not twenty feet from him.”
“And Jacko is sitting less than two. If Lectner blinks wrong, Jacko will put him down. Your daughter is safe.”
My mind knows that…my heart doesn’t care. “We need a meet.”
“Fine, tomorrow. But you’re not putting security on my street.”
That needs to change. I glance down at the security screen. Everett is kicked back in one of the armchairs, talking on his own phone. “Is the kid you sent me really motivated to do this? Or are you hoping that I’ll motivate him?” Because I don’t have that kind of time or energy.
“He asked for this. Everett approaches problems…issues in his own unique way.”
Ignoring it doesn’t seem to be a logical approach to hacking a phone.
“Don’t let him trick you into thinking he isn’t as smart or motivated as he is. Everett likes playing games. Testing people.”
Is this a test? Interesting. I connect to the phone I gave him. It was unlocked before I reached the kitchen…That’s almost as fast as I could do it.
Why hasn’t Everett come to show off? Hmmm. “See you tomorrow.” If Mindy hasn’t driven you out of your mind by then.
“What kind of cake should I make for Hope—strawberry shortcake or almond cake?” Mom asks as I put down the phone.
“Both.” Hope has a sweet tooth like me.
“My mom is making cheesecake cups if we don’t eat them all before she can get them over here.” Daire spears a piece of sausage with his fork.
With two teenage boys and my uncle Antonio to feed, nothing makes it out of that house. “Is Gabe home?”
“It’s an off week. Mom talked him into coming home till Friday. But he has to do some press thing this weekend. They’re planning to make him the MVP this season.”
Gabe has been on fire this season. He’s after another ring before he retires, buys a house in the neighborhood, and has a few kids. What he’s actually going to do is up in the air.
He should move the family in with his mom. A built-in babysitter is the way to go. Never once did I regret moving Ivy in with my parents or staying after Hope was born, even when I had to fight to hold my baby. Knowing I had backup that knew how to care for a baby gave me comfort.
“Well then, I'd better make three of both. Would you help me grab some stuff out of the pantry, Daire?”
“Of course, Aunt Temperance.” Daire sets down his fork and stands up to help.
The two of them step out of the room, and I go back to researching our new friend, the money launderer.
“What’s next?” Everett saunters in, holding the phone with two fingers.
Finding out who you are. “Breakfast.”
The boy’s eyes move to the bar. His eyes go wide. “I already ate breakfast.”
“Good, then it’s time for second breakfast. Take a plate and eat.” If Nonna sees him, she’s going to start feeding him nonstop.
“Just put the flour over there on the bar.” Mom sets fresh and freeze-dried strawberries on the bar.
Everett’s plate crashes to the ground. “Mom! You’re dead. I watched them kill you.”