Chapter 26
twenty-six
MAVERICK
“I’m surprised it took you so long to call this number,” Gavin’s smooth voice says as we all stare at the phone in confusion.
“I thought this number was for Ezra,” Kai finally says.
“It would have been if he were still in New York with me.” The way Gavin says that makes it clear he thinks that’s where Ezra should have stayed. “Your brother is safe. That’s why you’re calling, yes?”
“I’m not calling to fucking chat!” Kai exclaims, having come out of his momentary stupor. “You took that option away from me when you left and gave me no way to contact you.”
“I understand you’re angry, son,” Gavin says, and it sounds like it’s taking effort for him to stay calm.
“We can discuss everything soon, but we don’t have time for that right now.
I’ve been working with the Sinclair family to track down Eva.
She’s slippery, so I can’t be away from that for too long. ”
“You’re working with them?” I ask without thinking. Of course he’s working with them. From what Harrison has told us, Gavin is some crazy-smart, government-sanctioned hacker.
“I am, Maverick. Once Ezra handed over everything to protect you, it left me little choice.”
“I didn’t ask him to do that. I didn’t even know he was here,” I say quietly.
“I know you didn’t,” Gavin says with a sigh. “It was honestly time for all of this to be over. I just wish he had discussed how to do this with me.”
“What are you doing for Sinclair?” Kai asks. “I doubt it’s just tracking down Eva.”
“I’m trying to figure out why his father hid Gianna.” We all wait for Gavin to elaborate, but he doesn’t.
“Because she was a love child?” I say tentatively, because it seems obvious, but it can’t be if there’s an investigation happening.
Gavin chuckles, and it’s a much darker sound than I expected. “If only. Anderson has four siblings, five if you include Gianna. He’s the only one born within a marriage. Malcolm had no problem claiming the rest.”
The first thing I think is that Jo and Harlow would figure it out.
I miss Jo like a missing limb, but hearing that she and Ezra are both safe has my shoulders relaxing for the first time since I saw them last. I can’t get that image out of my head.
Ezra’s look of anger and betrayal when I begged him to save Jo.
Her look of desperation and despair. They keep me up at night and haunt me during the day.
“So what do we do, Dad?” Kai asks. “Just keep playing hotel hop and hope you figure this out before Patrick finds us?”
“I’ll find Eva before the end of the week.” That’s all Gavin says. I can hear tapping in the background. I’m guessing his focus is back on finding her instead of this conversation. “I’ll contact you with the next steps,” he says distractedly, then he’s gone.
“I remember your dad being . . . warmer,” Belle says, cuddling up to Kai’s side.
“He can be. That was how he always was if we called him at work or if he worked from home. It’s like a switch flips, and his brain is turned into a computer.”
“Your mom made him softer,” I say, again, without thinking before I speak. I really need to work on that. Now is not the time to bring up Adira, but I can’t suck the words back into my mouth.
“She did,” Kai confirms, thankfully not upset at the topic. “I need to talk to him about her. There’s something off there. I just always assumed my mom was lost to grief, but now I’m not so sure.” Belle and I both nod in agreement. There is definitely strange going on with Adira.
“Who’s up for some rummy?” I ask after I can’t handle the silence anymore. We have a deck of cards, and that’s about it to entertain us. Kai groans, but Belle grabs the cards and starts to shuffle.
“First to five hundred wins.”