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“—don’t have any more info about what he’s been up to since he got out?”
Silence.
“Laying low? What the fuck does that mean?”
It must be a phone conversation, because there was another brief pause before Mack’s voice sounded again.
“Do you have a location or not?”
Pause.
“Okay.” There was scuffling like Mack was reaching for a pen and paper. “But you don’t know if he’s still at Franco’s or if he— Well Jesus, Sammy, what the fuck am I sending you three g’s a month for?”
A sigh from Mack. “Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m sorry. This shit’s just got me on edge. You know I appreciate you, Sam. Look after Brenda and Sammy Jr. I’ll be in touch.”
Footsteps sounded and Liam pulled back from the door. But it didn’t open. Just more footsteps. Mack was pacing. He did that when he got antsy. Liam could just see the way he was probably stretching his jaw and shoulders.
He’d definitely be coming to Liam’s room tonight. He always did on days he got tense like that—well, as long as Calla came first. Mack never came without Calla.
Just another one of the many mysteries that was Mack.
Along with—who was Mack on the phone with? Someone he was sending three grand a month for information. About who? Why? And where the hell did he get that kind of cash?
Liam’s eyes cut back to the door and he knocked on it.
“What?” came Mack’s growling reply.
Liam smirked and pushed the door open.
Mack glared his direction. “What do you want?”
Liam tsked. “How was your day, Liam? Oh, really? How interesting. Tell me more.”
“Cut the shit.” Mack narrowed his eyes.
Liam laughed out loud. “And to think,” he said, closing the door behind him as he stepped into Mack’s room, “it’s taken me this long to learn to appreciate your bracing honesty. It’s okay, big guy.” He smacked Mack on the shoulder. “This is an open sharing space. Tell me how you really feel. I won’t judge.”
He walked past Mack further into the room when he didn’t say anything. He lifted the lid of Mack’s laptop. “Any good porn on here?”
Mack slammed it shut. “What. Do. You. Want?”
“Jaysus, it must be exhaustin’ being so damn serious all the time.”
“It’s called being a grown up. You should try it sometime.”
Liam gasped. “Touché.” Then he dropped the act. “Have you heard from Calla? She’s not back yet.”
Mack’s eyebrows went up, finally exhibiting another emotion than annoyance at Liam’s presence.
“I’ve tried calling her but she’s not picking up.”
Mack shrugged. “You know how spotty service is around here. Even if she did have a signal, she’s smart enough not to pick up while she drives. Unlike some people, she doesn’t treat traffic laws like suggestions.”
“Ha. Ha. I’m serious. She’s never this late.”
“What time is it?” Mack asked.
“Nine.”
“I don’t like it.” Liam felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle at finally admitting it out loud. He walked over to the window and put his hands around his eyes to peer out into the darkness. “Anything could happen out there on the road. The deer are fecking suicidal around here. I had two jump in front of me car just last week.”
“Yeah, well,” Mack said, grabbing his laptop and sitting down with it on his bed, “she’s driven these roads all her life. Pretty sure she knows what she’s doing.”
Liam glared at Mack. “Do you have an emotional bone in your feckin’ body? Our girl is out there, God knows where, and you’re just gonna sit there and what?” Liam reached for the laptop again. “Check your Instagram feed?”
Mack jerked the laptop away at the last second and closed the lid again. “Why are you here again? I don’t buy any of this concerned Prince Charming bullshit.” He gestured Liam up and down.
“Why do ya always have to be such a poxy bastard about everything? Jaysus. Did your mother drop you on your head as a small child or somethin’?”
“That’s it,” Mack growled. He tossed his laptop to the side and got to his feet.
“Ooo,” Liam said, putting a hand over his mouth. “The big scary man is comin’ for me. Run for me life!”
Liam grinned when Mack’s glare went a shade darker. At least pissin’ with him would help distract Liam from worrying about Calla.
Besides, he only had a few more weeks of this. Fuckin’ with Mackenzie Knight whenever he pleased. After that, Mack would move on, and it would just be him and Calla.
Which was good. It was what he’d wanted in the first place. To get the girl.
So why did the thought of never seeing the big angry bastard in front of him feel like a kick to his gut?
The thought had the smile falling from Liam’s face. Did he actually care about—
Jaysus. No.
He wasn’t that much of a fecking idiot. Or a masochist.
