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“Yeah?”
She nodded, a sly look in her pretty eyes, and I licked my lips in anticipation.
“But I’m starving for it, sweetheart. I can’t wait to taste that decadent honey that’s just for me.”
“Mav,” she moaned.
“Later,” I promised.
Three
River
While I waited for the food to arrive, I texted Mila and asked her if we could reschedule meeting the real estate agent. She assured me it wasn’t an issue, but of course, she then asked why I couldn’t make it.
Instead of answering, I turned off my ringer and finished up my homework.
Uncle Spider’s client had already been and gone, and he’d left soon after. He didn’t tell me what he was doing that had required me to reschedule, and I knew better than to ask. Most likely, it was something club-related, and he wouldn’t have even told Aunt Willa about it, let alone me.
Maverick’s third appointment was already in the back with him when a motorcycle pulled up right in front of the shop. I grinned as Elias walked in the door with a bag of food from Aggie’s in each hand while giving me a mock glare.
“You’re lucky you’re a pretty little thing, or I’d charge you for my services,” he said as he swaggered toward me. Like his brother Reid, and my cousin Max, Elias looked just like the older Reid generation. Dark black hair, electric-blue eyes, and shoulders as wide as the door. Elias wasn’t quite as tall as Max or Reid, but since he worked at Barker & Reid Construction, which his parents owned, he was just as broad as the other two.
“Aw, aren’t you sweet?” I said with a roll of my eyes. Elias was nothing but a flirt, but he was one of the few people in my close-net family who wasn’t related to me by blood.
I grabbed the first bag he set on the counter and pulled out the top to-go box from Aggie’s, not even caring what was inside. Grabbing a fry, I stuffed it into my mouth, feeling like I hadn’t eaten in forever. I’d skipped breakfast that morning since I’d been running late, and lunch had been a few carrot sticks because school food was disgusting.
“Thanks for bringing this over,” I said, chewing my food. “I couldn’t reach Jack or Max, and your brother was still at work.”
“Anytime,” he assured me, leaning down and putting his elbows on the counter. “I was meaning to stop by here anyway.”
I lifted a brow, continuing to stuff fries into my mouth.
“Mom wanted me to ask you what you want for your birthday,” he said with a shrug. “She still hasn’t gotten you a present, and the party is only a few days away.”
Pulling a napkin from the bag, I wiped my fingers before poking him in the chest. “Liar. What you mean is, you haven’t gotten me a present yet.”
“I hate that you can so easily see through my bullshit,” he grumbled, then grinned. “Okay, okay. So, I haven’t gotten you a present yet. Come one, Riv. Give me a hint, a teeny-tiny clue. I’m shit at buying presents, and you know it.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I don’t even care if you give me a present or not. Just come to my party.”
“My mom will beat my ass if I show up to the party without a present,” he whined. “Please, please, please just tell me so I can get it and be done.”
“Fine.” I started unbagging the rest of the food, knowing Maverick would be hungry once he was done with his client. “What I really want is an IOU.”
“What?” he demanded with a confused frown.
“You heard me. I want an IOU. Basically, if I ever need something, you show up and help me out, no questions asked. And you keep your mouth shut.”
He shook his dark head. “And how the fuck do I wrap up something like that to give to you at the party?”
Turning, I picked up a sheet of blank printer paper and a pen. Placing it on the counter, I instructed him what to write and then folded it up and handed it to him. “Now, you put that in a tiny gift box and bring it to the party. I don’t have to open it, and Aunt Jos won’t murder you for showing up empty-handed.”
He put the folded paper in his jeans pocket. “And by anything, you mean…” His brows bobbed up and down suggestively, and I snorted out a laugh.
“Shut up, Elias. If Mav hears you, you know you’ll be sucking your meals through a straw for the next six months.” Leaning forward, I lowered my voice. “I mean, if I call you and say I need you to move a dead body, your ass shows up and you don’t complain. And you sure as fuck don’t tell anyone.”
“Who are you planning on killing?” There was no concern, just pure curiosity in his eyes.
