“He’s still here,” Max declared. “Waiting. That’s why we have to get home. Achieve normalcy. As far as Gannon is concerned, we think the threat is over. Nobody knows that I’m alive. It’s the element of surprise.” Max lifted both brows.
“Okay,” Rose agreed. “We play this how you want. I’m just glad that you’re here for it. For Mila, Minx, and Mille. It’s hardtrying to fill your shoes, and I’m not exactly ready for it at this stage in life. Still got some other shit I would like to do before I take on that kind of responsibility.”
“You’ve been thinking about the future?” Max queried.
Rose’s warm gaze drifted back over to Minx. Max knew that look. Rose loved his daughter. It was beyond the puppy love phase that started their relationship. The friendship that they had built over time cemented something much deeper between them.
“I have.” Rose obliged. “It’s time to start thinking about that and planning. Minx means everything to me. She’s the light, and… she deserves the best from me. That’s all I want.”
“And you’ll have that,” Max assured him with a nod. “My absence was for many reasons, Rose. It’s time to change things around here. That much is true. We’ve been outlaws all our fucking lives. We rule this town, people respect us, and they know that they can count on us. That can’t change. I will be recruiting a few young ones to join the police academy. Perez and his team will train them.”
Confusion marred Rose’s features and he examined Max’s far off gaze.
“What are you talking about?” Rose questioned.
“I’m talking about this fucked-up ass system out here. We’ve taken the law into our own hands over and over, time and time again.” Exhaustion plagued his face as he clasped his hands together.
“And we do what we can, but it’s never enough. This system we fighting out here, it’s not just about the war we’re waging, but the war going on in there as well. We need to be able to fight from the courthouses, the jails, and within these schools if we want to protect our people. The picture is bigger than any of us can even envision. This wasn’t just about Lynch and this vendetta against Mila. The feds were here because of them, andit ended up putting a target on me and our organization. We need to think ahead. Be innovative and train the rest of these young ones up to move better than us,” Max worded. “Mille won’t know anything about this life. He’s going to college. He’s going to aid the community in a different way.”
“You know to my core I’m a menace, Max. This street shit is in me and Finn. It don’t just go away.”
“Nah, and it’s still necessary in some cases.” Max bobbed his head.
His phone dinged with a notification, and Max reached in his pocket to grab it. Studying the display, he brought his eyes up to meet Rose’s.
“We got a lead on Gannon,” Max said, checking the time.
Rose grabbed his pistol off the table beside his chair and checked the clip. He had to make sure he was ready to go with one in the head before he swallowed his drink and stood.
“Let’s go,” he said, tone cold as he tucked his weapon behind his back.
Minx stirred when he spoke, cracking her eyes open and looking back and forth between the two most important men in her life. Slowly, she sat up, a frown embedded in her pretty face.
“What’s going on?” she asked, feeling the tension in the air.
“We gotta go. Stay put and stay inside,” Rose advised, walking over to the sofa.
When he tried to pull away, Minx grabbed his arm, and Rose peered down, eyes softening for her. She was scared. Her fear made him somber. He didn’t want her to be afraid for him. Max took steps toward the door.
“I’m going to let your mother know we’re moving out. I still want you and Mil back at the house. Rose, call Finn tell him to meet us there.” Max left them alone, and Minx hopped up, barefoot from the sofa.
She stood in front of him, stacked in all the right places and completely dressed down. He had never been more attracted to her. She’d grown into the kind of woman he knew would keep him on his toes. Hands locked behind his neck, she stood on her toes and drew him in for a kiss. Stroking the back of his neck, she deepened it with her tongue. Minx needed him to feel her, every part of her. Everything that he ignited in her came pouring out.
“Go get your stuff ready so we can go,” Rose urged her as she lowered herself to her feet.
His supple lips swept across her forehead, and Minx closed her eyes to savor his touch. She needed a minute. One uninterrupted minute with him where they were just them and nothing else around them interfered.
“I love you,” Minx said, locking eyes with him one last time.
Rose watched her walk away, and once she was out of the room, he gathered everything he could pack to take with them. If they wanted to get the jump on Gannon they had to move fast. He got the feeling he was waiting around for them to make the next move. Rose called Finn, and his phone rang multiple times before is voice came on, damn near drowned out by the loud music.
“Yo.” His voice was calm, even.
Rose knew that tone. Something else was wrong with him. Right now he didn’t have time to get into that with him. When everything calmed down, they would be able to sit and talk about whatever the fuck was going on. Rose got the feeling whatever it was had to do with Luna.
“Finn… I need you to gear up. Meet me at Mila’s house, ASAP.”
“Say less. I’m moving out now.” Finn hung up, and Rose went outside to warm his car up.
