Page 33 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“What does that mean?”

Cross chuckled. “Whatever you want it to mean. That’s the whole point.”

“Cross?”

“Yeah?”

“I know you said you didn’t want anything for your birthday …”

“Too old for that nonsense,” he said.

Catherine rolled her eyes. “Never too old for presents, but anyway.”

“You didn’t get me something, did you?”

“No, I made you something.”

Catherine flipped her sketchpad back over for Cross to see what was on the paper. It was a comic-style sketch of him and her, sitting at the table, ignoring the rest of the world. Like they usually did.

Cross stared at the drawing and said, “I didn’t know you could draw like that.”

She doodled a lot.

She never really showed him what was inside her sketchbooks. Sometimes she took her silver and gold Sharpies, and made complex patterns and designs on her arms, a table top, or whatever was close. He was pretty sure a teacher had written her up for that at least once.

Catherine shrugged. “Art isn’t really a good career goal, right? It’s a hobby.”

“This is fucking awesome, Catherine.”

“You like it?”

He grinned wide. “I love it.”

Chicago was a lot like New York, except colder and windier.

Wolf chuckled when Cross stuffed his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, and hid his face in the flipped up collar.

“Not funny,” Cross mumbled behind the fabric, “I’m freezing my balls off here.”

“Next time you won’t be such an arrogant little shit when I tell you to bring a decent winter jacket.”

“It’s November.”

“In Chicago …” Rick said, slamming the SUV door closed behind Cross. The enforcer grinned in a way that made Cross want to put something through the guy’s head. “November is winter, kid.”

Cross flipped Rick off. “Suck my dick.”

Wolf sighed. “Now, Cross.”

“Don’t call me a kid again,” he said, ignoring Wolf’s warning.

“The flight home is going to be so much fun,” Wolf muttered under his breath. “Calisto should send Rick with me more often. Remind me to tell him that as soon as I get home.”

Rick smacked Cross in the back of the head, and moved toward the waiting restaurant. “You are a kid.”

He was going to put something through Rick’s head.

“If he hits me one more time, I’m going to—”