Page 32 of Maximus

Eva moved swiftly and efficiently, making fast work of gluing two of the incisions closed.

“All done,” she announced.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

I heard the tension, the wobble in her voice, but being the asshole I was, I didn’t turn around. I also didn’t invite further conversation. This was in an effort to keep much-needed space between us.

Mission. Focus on the mission. Eva is nothing but a job.

“I’ll be out in a minute,” I told her when she didn’t move.

“Right.”

I felt it the moment she left—physically felt her absence. My good buddy Tex had seriously fucked me over asking me to take care of Eva and her boys.

* * *

I’d given Eva time to get the boys ready for bed. Tex had toothbrushes, toothpaste, pajamas, and a change of clothes sent over for Eva and the boys.

Always on the ball—that was Tex.

Except when he was screwing with my head by sending me to Eva. Then he was a devious ass and I’d be having words with him the first chance I got. Tex did nothing that wasn’t well thought-out. Life was a chess game to the cyber-genius. So I now had no doubt he’d put Eva in my path on purpose.

I was unapologetically eavesdropping outside of the boys’ bedroom. Eva had no idea I was there and I didn’t want her to know.

“You ready to say your prayers?” she said to Liam and Elijah. “Then I’ll tuck you in.”

The woman was a mystery. Prayers? That shocked me. I wasn’t sure why, but it did. It was also something else my mother had never done with me, nor had she ever tucked me in.

“Yep,” Elijah said.

“I’ll go first,” Liam interjected. “Dear God, thank you for today. Thank you for Mommy and Eli and keeping us safe.”

“Thank you for Mommy and Liam,” Elijah added. “And for us being all together.”

“What else?” Eva asked.

“Please keep Tex, Mark, and Zoey safe,” Liam added.

What in the actual hell? Why was Eva having her children pray for Mark and Zoey?

“And thank you for sending us Tex to watch over us,” Eli put in.

“Blessings?” Eva inquired.

“Grilled cheese sandwiches. Trains. And a fun day before…it wasn’t so fun,” Elijah muttered.

“Thank you for sending Max to protect us,” Liam said matter-of-factly.

A scorching burn filled my lungs as I inhaled. The left side of my chest went tight. And there was a huge, gaping hole in the wall I’d built to keep intruders from infiltrating my life.

“Yes, Liam, I agree. We are blessed to have Max helping us.”

What the fuck? Eva sounds like she means that.

“In Jesus’ name we pray, amen,” Elijah finished.