Chapter 13
MAVERICK
“We’re being tailed.” Leo’s calm voice came through the comm system set up in the SUV.
I glanced in the rearview mirror. There were two cars I could make out behind Leo’s, a white Explorer and a black sedan.
“Which one?” I asked him. Skye sat up straighter in the seat next to me but otherwise made no major moves. He had been twisted around so he could see the others in the back seat, but now had completely switched gears to business mode.
“The black Honda. I’m not sure about the Explorer yet. They just pulled onto the road; it could be a coincidence.”
Luca cursed quietly, making Everett flinch, even though it wasn’t directed at him. I didn’t like how he reacted to it, or to most things, honestly. There were gaps in his history that I had a feeling would piss me off once they were filled.
Everett had been a nervous little thing from the moment he’d gotten off the plane and was twitching uncontrollably between Wes and Luca.
He didn’t know what to make of Skye, who had kept up an easy and steady conversation.
He kept alternating between being completely silent and word-vomiting everything in his head.
Now, with Leo’s words clear for everyone to hear, he tried to turn around and look out the back window, but Wes stopped him.
“We don’t want them to know we know,” Wes told Everett gently. “Just stay in your seat, okay?”
“O-okay.”
That poor kid was a mess, and I was infinitely glad that Wes was back there, since he was the only one out of the four of us with a nurturing gene.
“Let’s test them, Leo,” I said, eyes scanning the road. “I’d rather know what we’re up against.”
“Roger that. There’s an intersection coming up. I go left and you go right?”
“Sounds good.”
I glanced back at the guys and over at Skye. “Be ready.”
Luca smirked at me in the mirror, while Wes looked as calm, cool, and collected as fucking usual. Skye shot me a saucy grin as he readied his weapon.
“I was born ready.”
I snorted. “Fucking cheesy.” But Everett giggled before covering his mouth with wide eyes, and I suddenly appreciated Skye’s corny quotes more than ever.
Something about Everett triggered all my protective instincts.
Not in the same way my men did, but more like Matty.
Or my nieces and nephews. The kid needed someone to look after him, someone who was capable of properly keeping him safe, and the little voice in the back of my mind was screaming that I could be that person.
I flashed him a smile through the mirror, which hopefully wasn’t terrifying, and then focused on the intersection. Both cars still trailed at a safe distance behind Leo.
“Ready, Leo?”
“Yeah. On three, boss?”
I snorted. I was technically his boss, but that was Luca’s title, typically.
The light turned yellow just as I pulled up to it. The timing was perfect for our purposes, but I still sent out a prayer to the universe that all the cars going the opposite way would stop as they should.
“One . . . ” I called out. Everyone in the SUV braced for whatever came next. “Two . . . Three!”
The light turned red, and I snapped the wheel sharply to the right, enough that it tipped slightly before righting itself. Leo took the left just as quickly, luckily avoiding a fucking collision.
The white Explorer stopped at the light like a regular person would. I couldn’t see their expression anymore because we were too far away as I was fucking booking it, but I imagined they were saying, “What the fuck is wrong with people?”
“Sedan followed Leo,” Skye reported, watching from his phone camera. “Fucker clipped a car.”
“Shit.”
“Leo, you got company.”
“Roger. I see it. They’re coming fast. I’m going to try and lose them.”
“Get Diego on the phone,” Luca ordered, voice tight.
Skye leaned over and pressed a button on the center dash console.
“What happened?” Diego asked, semi-distracted as usual.
I stifled a laugh while Skye scoffed, mock offended, “What, couldn’t we be calling just to shoot the shit?”
“Not while you’re in the process of bringing a major target home.
” I glanced back at Everett to see if that term upset him, but he was only staring with wide eyes, taking everything in.
There was a general air of fear surrounding him, but he didn’t seem particularly upset about anything.
“And when your and Leo’s trackers are going in two different directions,” Diego continued. “So, what the hell is going on?”
“We’re being tailed. A black Honda Civic. It followed Leo.”
“Okay, let me get him on the line.”
“Hi, Diego,” Leo chimed in, being added into the call so all of us could hear. He sounded oddly chipper for someone in the middle of the car chase. “Here to help me get this asshole off me?”
“Yup. Just give me a second to . . .” His keyboard keys clacked rapidly. “Alright, I see you. There’s a turnoff a quarter of a mile up ahead, take that.”
“Got it.”
I continued driving as I listened to Leo and Diego work together to lose his tail. I took more turns than necessary, and just in case there was someone else waiting in the wings, I was extra cautious.
Part of me wanted to turn around and help Leo, but I knew better. We had the client with us, and it was our responsibility to make sure he got to safety. Leo could handle his shit.
Just as the words crossed my mind, there was a loud crash and the unmistakable sound of crunching metal.
“Motherfucking asshole!” Leo screamed, sounding pissed and winded but not hurt. “Fucker shot out my tire. Stand by.”
“Fuck. Diego, talk to me,” Luca snapped from behind me.
“I’m sending backup now. Do not go over there, Luc. Keep driving.”
Before Luca could respond, two crisp shots rang out through the speakers and then silence.
I followed instructions and didn’t do the U-turn I desperately wanted to. Still, the tension was like a physical weight on all of us while we waited for an update.
“I got the fucker.” Leo’s voice came in. “We got him secured. We’re gonna need a ride. Are we taking him with us?”
“Were you or Foley hurt?” Luca asked first, indicating the team member who had been with Leo.
“We’re good, boss,” she chimed in, sounding almost as excited as Leo. Crazy fucks. “Bastard tried to take another shot at us, but he missed.”
Luca sucked in a breath between his teeth. “Okay, good. D, how far out is their backup?”
“Um, ten minutes, boss,” he answered.
“Leo, they can take you over to the nearest safe house. Secure the assailant and wait. Our priority is to get Everett to safety, then we’ll deal with him.”
“Got it, boss. Diego, we’re going to need cleanup here too. We got two totaled cars, plus some blood tracks.”
“On it. I’m also scrubbing any CCTV and traffic lights you two may have shown up on. Luckily, he chose a deserted area to try to take you out, so there have been no 911 calls.”
“Thank fuck. I’m tired of dealing with cops,” Leo commented, which was ironic because he’d been a cop for ten years before he’d gone private.
“Oh, the Honda clipped a car at the intersection of 507 and 58. I know you’re scrubbing the camera, but double-check that one.”
“On it.”
“Leo, stay out of sight until backup arrives. Hopefully, no one drives down there.”
“Already doing that, boss. I see headlights now.”
“They’re ours,” Diego confirmed, allowing all of us to breathe.
A minute later, Leo affirmed that it was our team that showed up, and there was constant chatter on the line while they got themselves situated.
“Package is secure, boss. I’ll let you know when we get him to the safe house.”
I rolled my eyes. Why was everyone I worked with so fucking cheesy? Skye, of course, laughed.
“Thank you, Leo. Great work.”
“Always, boss. See you soon.”
Leo disconnected.
“I sent you a route to get home, Mav,” Diego said a few beats later. “Hopefully, it’ll be a clear shot with no more issues.”
I fucking hoped so because poor Everett needed a second.
His breaths were heavy and quick, like he was on the verge of hyperventilating, and he was clutching Wes’s hand so tightly, I thought the man would lose circulation.
When was the last time that kid had felt safe?
Had he since his aunt and uncle had gotten guardianship?
The thought pissed me off. Anyone with eyes could see that Everett was vulnerable. And his own family members, the people who were supposed to protect and love him, had taken advantage of that. And then they’d tried to dump it all on Everett’s lap when they’d gotten in over their heads.
We were on high alert for the rest of the drive, but luckily, we made it home without another incident, and Leo and his people got our little buddy to the safe house and secured as well.
Leo left a few of his people there to guard, while he and Foley headed back here to debrief us and get cleaned up.
Brooks and Matty were waiting for us in the garage.
While we tried to keep Matty out of the business, we’d had to at least give him the bare-bones details since Everett would be staying here.
Because he was the best kid, he’d immediately welcomed the idea, even after understanding that it could put him in more danger.
He’d shrugged at that, expression fierce and eyes determined.
“Coming here was the first time in a long time I felt truly safe. Not only that, but seen. I can be myself. It would be all kinds of fucked up of me not to want to give someone else the same security. Everett needs to be here; I don’t know why, but I just feel it’s the right call.
I’ll help him get comfortable while y’all deal with keeping him alive. ”
I wasn’t surprised after that reaction that he had come down with Brooks to meet us. It would be good for Everett to see someone closer to his age than us old farts. I hoped it helped him trust us better.
Skye was out of the vehicle first and went immediately to Matty, cupping his cheeks and staring right into his eyes. Matty was about an inch taller than Skye, but he looked so much younger and smaller at this moment.
“You okay, Link?” Skye asked seriously, despite the ridiculous nickname.
It had started because Matty and Skye had played an ungodly amount of the newest Zelda game when he’d first arrived.
He had retreated into his room and had been struggling to open up, but Skye had found a way by playing with him.
Then, during their Super Smash Bros. tournaments, Matty always played Link.
Eventually, the nickname had stuck, at least for Skye.
I climbed out with the others, but all of our focus was on Matty. The worry was obvious in his eyes, but he managed a genuine smile at Skye.
“I’m fine. I promise.” Skye let him go after a beat too long and turned to Brooks with a lazy grin.
“You missed all the fun.”
Brooks pouted good-naturedly, not actually upset. “I knowww. All the good stuff happens when I’m not with you.”
I stalked over to him, fingers automatically lacing in his hair to hold him in place for an almost indecent kiss, given our current company. “You were in a brawl just a month ago,” I reminded him.
“Doesn’t count.” He grinned and then pecked my lips. “Can we meet our newest member in this madhouse now?”
On cue, Wes stepped out, whispering something to Everett.
I could practically feel the kid’s nerves from here, but he managed to get out of the back without Wes’s help.
As soon as he was, though, he pushed his back against the door, arms around himself protectively.
His eyes were wide as they bounced from Matty to Brooks then back again.
If the isolated boy was confused by Skye, well, that seemed to be increased tenfold by Brooks.
I would imagine he hadn’t seen many people who looked like him in his life.
Today, Brooks hadn’t styled his hair, so it framed his head in messy blond curls.
It was getting a little long and fell into his eyes and below his ears.
He was wearing his usual tank top, this one a pink and purple tie-dye that said, You call me brat, but I prefer princess, with a golden princess crown under the words.
He was wearing his day collar, obviously, but he also had on a thicker one that was just jewelry.
It was made of pink faux leather and had metal spikes, like the type of thing you sometimes saw on pit bulls and Dobermans.
I actually wondered if it was a dog collar.
He was wearing regular basketball shorts with his high-top Pride Converse and blue knee-high socks with little rainbows holding coffee cups on them.
If Brooks was at all put out by Everett’s staring, he didn’t let it show. He grinned at the kid. “Hey, I’m Brooks. I’m the cool one.”
“O-okay. Hi. You have a lot of tattoos,” Everett blurted out, then covered his mouth when he realized what he’d said.
Brooks threw out his arms to the side, showing them off. “I know. I have a lot more than you can see now too. Pretty awesome, right?”
“Uh, yeah? I’ve never seen ones like yours. Mr. Verlice and some of his men had them, but they weren’t that colorful.”
Mr. Verlice. I made a mental note to look more into him later.
We knew, from Diego’s digging, that the Crimson Rose had more or less held Everett captive, using him as their personal computer.
How his aunt and uncle had gotten involved with them, I had no idea.
I wasn’t familiar enough with the local Crimson Rose syndicate to know any of the major players’ names.
I didn’t want to overwhelm Everett with that now. I met Luca’s eyes, and we had an unspoken conversation on how to proceed. “Brooks, can you and Skye help me unload?” Luca asked.
“Sure.” Brooks turned his attention back to Everett. “I know it’s hard to believe, but you’ll be safe here.” He bounded off to help.
“This is our son, Matty,” Wes introduced. Matty flushed like he always did when we called him that, but he didn’t deny it.
“Hey.” He waved kind of awkwardly.
Everett chewed on his lip as he took in Matty. “Hey,” he finally replied.
“C’mon, let’s get you settled. Maybe Matty can show you your room?” Wes offered.
“Yeah, definitely. C’mon, Everett. I asked them to put you next to me. I thought you might feel more comfortable there. We’ll share a lounge. It’s really badass. They have all the gaming systems. Do you like playing video games?”
Matty took Everett’s hand and started to drag him out of the garage and into the house. I barely heard his response before the door clicked shut. “I’ve never played them.”
I could only imagine Matty’s indignation. Wes laughed, and the two of us followed behind the teenagers, wondering what the hell we had gotten ourselves into.