25. Ask Her
Ask Her
Fly
Ialmost vomit in my mouth at Vandal and Lola’s conversation. She better not be a plant, because there’s no way I’m prying the two of them apart. That boy is in so deep he’s treading water and trying to ride the waves of love.
Don’t gag.
And don’t check your phone for the millionth time. Sheri is busy. She’s doing wild and crazy things with her friends.
That thought is scarier than the fact that she hasn’t written me back. Those women know how to party almost as well as they know how to get in trouble. Both terrify the men in their lives.
Vex won’t let them do anything stupid…that’s not totally true, but he will ensure they have people protecting their backs. I need to focus on that fact and not on who she’s with and what they’re possibly doing.
The thought sends a chill down my spine.
Pulling onto Willow Street is a complete change of reality. Urbium is like most of the other big cities in the world: dirty, noisy, and filled with people. Willow Street is spotless. There’s literally not a single piece of dried gum on the sidewalk, let alone a stray wrapper. It’s wild.
But even wilder because there are dozens of teenagers just wandering around. Havoc and Rogue have talked briefly about Willow Street, but I didn’t get the sheer magnitude of it.
Knowing that the kids hanging around are street kids…kids that the rest of the world doesn’t see baffles my mind. There aren’t any cars on the street, so I stop right as my tires roll onto the cobblestone.
There’s no visible security, but knowing Maddox, that isn’t surprising. I probably have more than a few weapons trained on me. The question is, can I find them?
A big guy walks by with a nod. “Nice bike.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t offer them to any of the kids.”
Um, what? “Do people actually do that?”
He just glares at me.
That’s a yes, but the question is, which brother did it?
He keeps walking.
Well then, that was warm and fuzzy. Why do I suddenly want to get one of the kids into motorcycles just to irk him?
The question would be, which kid? The Whiz Kid would be the easy answer, but there’s no way his family is going to let him join the Children of Chaos.
Hmm…
The teenagers playing basketball on the street watch me walk by, but don’t stop their game.
During the weekdays, there isn’t a teenager to be seen on the streets of Silent Valley during school hours. Here they’re riding bicycles down the street, playing, eating, reading, and a few even look like they have textbooks open, studying.
The cutest ones are the couples walking together, hand in hand.
Would Sheri and I look that cute? Probably not…stupid teenagers in love have these silly grins on their faces and hearts in their eyes that are impossible not to find adorable.
What would Sheri look like with silly heart eyes? Magnificent. Though I do prefer her kiss-dazed gaze. I need to kiss her again soon.
Very soon!!! Why hasn’t she messaged me yet?
She’s busy. She has a life just like you.
Get the job done.
Make sure Vandal is safe.
Stop checking your phone.
Maddox’s office building is perfect for sight lines and fortifications.
But the part I like about it is the elegant style.
The little fifties vibes with a blend of gangster and art déco, but with modern elements.
It creates a powerful feel as you walk in, giving him the upper hand before you even enter his office.
Not that he needs it with his office. I’m not afraid of snakes. Never have been, never will be, though having a healthy respect for the ones that can kill you isn’t a bad thing.
But his office—which intimidates most people—doesn’t affect me. The fact that he knows how to kill people a dozen different ways…now that’s a different story. I can fight, but my skills tend towards avoiding fights altogether. If they never see you, they won’t ever want to kill you.
As I step into Maddox’s office, his collection of pets is on full display.
“Fly, good to see you. Havoc called after you did.”
Havoc always backs us up in any way he can.
Maddox walks towards me. “He told me you were concerned about the safety of one of your men.”
“I am. There’s a loose end I need to tie up.” I hold out a hand for him to shake.
He takes it with a firm grip. “And you need my help to do it.”
“Yup. Though I think I already know the answer to my question.”
“Then why bother asking?” He lets go and steps back.
“I don’t like loose ends. Once I’ve verified that it isn’t one, I can move on.” And focus my attention on Sheri and our first date.
Where am I going to take her? Because my mind keeps telling me to bring her back to my place and cuddle up with her, letting her fall asleep in my arms exactly like she told me she wanted. That would be the boldest first date ever. But I need her to know I respect her. To know that I’m serious.
How serious am I about her? Because the first date sets the entire tone for the future.
“I need something from you in exchange for this information you’re looking for.”
Nothing in life is free. “What do you need?”
“Has Havoc told you what we do here?”
In the vaguest of terms. “You take care of kids.”
Maddox nods. “It’s a bit more than that. We do everything we can to make sure abandoned and abused kids have every chance to live a normal life.”
That’s more than noble. What would I have done if this place had existed when I was a kid?
“That involves more than a roof over their heads, food on the table, and an education.”
Makes sense.
“Sometimes we run into a child that doesn’t fit the normal paths we have set up for success.”
There are always people who live on the outskirts of normal. “And?”
“Then we need to think outside of the box. We need to find someone special to mentor them in a way that helps them to become the best version of themselves.”
“That’s logical, but I don’t see what that has to do with me.”
“From what I’ve heard about you, you have some…unique skills and a determination to protect your brothers, whatever it takes.”
What does he know about my skills? My brothers barely understand the full scope of what I can do. “So?”
“I’d like you to meet someone.”
Maddox is giving me some really bad vibes.
He walks over and presses a button on his desk. “Send Jett in.”
What? I’m here to talk about Lola, not meet a teenage brat.
In walks a teenager. He’s about as happy to be here as I am, with his head tucked down and his hoodie pulled up covering his eyes.
The kid is on the thin side and kind of short.
It’s the kid’s shoes, though, that jump out to me. There are teddy bears drawn on them. Rocker-style teddy bears, but still teddy bears, are weird on a teenager’s shoes.
Without a word, the kid walks over and holds out a hand to shake mine.
He’s too thin.
And not a horrible thief.
I almost missed when he took Vandal’s watch off my wrist. And if I wasn’t as skilled as I am, there’s no way I would have known he took my wallet.
Does Maddox know this kid is a thief?
“Nice to meet you, Jett.”
The boy nods and backs away.
What is the play here? “Maddox. I don’t have time for games.”
He grins. “Jett, introduce yourself properly this time.”
The boy pushes back his hood, revealing long flowing—That’s not a boy! “Maddox said you weren’t stupid.”
The kid has attitude. “I’m not. But you are if you think you can get away with a clumsy grab.” I hold out my hand.
She grins as she sets the watch in my palm. “That’s too nice of a watch for a biker.”
It is. “Who gets to decide that? Bikers live by their own rules. If I want to wear a watch that costs more than most homes, that’s my decision to make.”
Jett whistles. “I would have made a pretty penny fencing that.”
“No, you wouldn’t have.”
She raises an eyebrow at me. “Yes, I would have.”
“Within fifteen minutes of walking out of here, I would have contacted all the fences in town and had you banned.”
Her mouth drops open.
“As you can see, Jett has a unique approach to life,” Maddox jumps into the conversation.
I raise an eyebrow at him.
“She’s in need of a mentor. Someone to help her refine her skills.”
“You want me to teach her to steal.” With a little practice and a few tricks, this kid could do impressive things. They’d be illegal, but still impressive.
“I want you to teach her how to be you.”
Maddox has lost his mind. He’s not mildly confused. He has lost his ever-living mind if he thinks I’m going to teach some teenage punk with teddy bears on her shoes how to be a chameleon. “No.”
The girl’s eyes get big. “I told you this was a dumb idea. Who wants to be an idiot biker, anyway? Don’t they know black leather is ugly?”
She turns towards the door.
“Did you forget something?” Like I’m going to let her walk away with my wallet.
Jett pivots slowly until she’s facing me. “How did you know?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Black leather is cool.”
“Whatever.” She slaps the wallet into my hand.
“Do you know how to ride a bike?” Why did I ask her? I am not mentoring a kid.
“Everyone can ride a bicycle.”
“I meant a motorcycle.”
“Oh.” She shrugs.
Just say no. There’s no way Maddox actually thought you would do this. But if someone had done this for you… “Fine. We can start training Monday.”
Jett smiles. “Really?”
“Really, but I’m not teaching you to be a thief. I’ll teach you how to succeed in life.” In a semi-honest manner. At least not to get arrested.
“Good. Now that we've got that settled, Jett, would you give us a moment to talk about business stuff.”
The girl walks out.
“I would have answered your question even if you said no.”
Not surprising. “I would have said yes to her even if you refused to tell me anything.”
“Havoc was right about you.”
Eh. It’s not like I’m doing it for the reasons they think. “Lola Felds. She’s one of yours, right?”
Maddox nods. “Yup. We took her in about two years ago. She came from an abusive family. We’re keeping her in hiding for her protection.”
“Why not just take out the family?” That’s what I would do.
“Thought about that. We still might, but so far, they haven’t been looking for her.”
That means… “She’s not a threat to Vandal or the mission.”
“Nope. Lola is level-headed and mature. If they’re falling in love, she might be a good person to have on his side.”
No. No. No. “We aren’t bringing her into the operation. There’s no way we’re risking a young woman’s life. If I had my way, that girl would be out of his life completely until we’ve caught The Ghost.”
“Like life works that way. Lola has a mind of her own.”
Sheri’s ringtone pings. Stopping myself from looking at it immediately is harder than I would have thought. “That’s all too normal. He’s even worse. If he doesn’t end up dead, I bet the two of them will be married within the year.”
“I’ll take that bet.”
“Why bet against a sure thing?”
“Because I’m going to enjoy taking your money.” Maddox rubs his hands together. “Lola doesn’t believe in marriage. Who’s talking about a sure thing now?”
“Won’t matter. Those two are in for forever. But as much as I love debating this, I’ve got to go.” And read the text from Sheri.