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“Do you have a plan?”
“I kinda figured you already did.”
The corners of his lips curl upward into a slight smile. “I always do. And I want you on the front line this time. You want to prove yourself? You want me to change my mind about you? This is your chance. When I give the word, be ready.” He taps his fingertips on the desk. “You can’t tell Sloane any of this, either. Keep her away from your house. I don’t want her to find your dad there.”
My eyes widen. Sonofabitch! Doc must have told him even though I begged him to keep my dad’s location quiet.
“Yeah, never assume people are going to listen to you when you tell them to keep things quiet. Their loyalty is to me, Max. Never forget that.”
I never fucking learn. I can’t trust anyone.
No, scratch that. There’s one person I could trust. But I fucked that up, too.
“I wouldn’t worry about Sloane. I think I managed to completely screw that up for good tonight.”
“What are you talking about?”
I rub the back of my neck, trying to ease the big stress knot at the base of my skull. It doesn’t work. “Tonight was the annual hospital benefit. Sloane was asked to be one of the speakers. She was going to talk about her charity program, and she asked me to go.”
“And Mikey cock-blocked you.”
I lift an eyebrow. “You could say that. I’m actually glad my cock is still intact. Those assholes were ready to pull out the bats until he called them off me.”
“Why do you think he did that? I mean, if he really was out for revenge, why not just kill you then and there?”
I make a face at him. “Thanks, jackass. I guess it would’ve saved you the trouble, huh?”
“If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead and not sitting here right now.” He takes another sip of his Vitamin Water.
“Yeah,” I grumble, running my hands through my hair. “So they beat the shit outta me, sent me on a mission to find my dad, and…” I throw my hands up. “What the fuck was I supposed to do? Go to her house to meet her and her dad looking like Rocky Balboa after his fight with Clubber Lang wearing a shredded tuxedo? How well do you think that’d go over with her dad who, by the way, already hates my fucking guts?”
Nico nods. “What did you do?”
“I sent a text, okay?”
“Oh, Christ. Not another text.”
“Yeah. So if you’d just do me a solid and not tell my sister about any of this, I’d appreciate it. It’ll buy me a little bit of time.”
“To do what?”
“I don’t know. Hide?” I roll my eyes. “Kidding. I’m kidding. I know you’d find me anyway.”
“You bet your ass I would.” Nico smirks at me. “And I’ll keep it quiet.”
“Thanks.” I stretch my aching legs. At least the pain in my midsection has subsided. The doc told me I don’t have any broken ribs after he examined me, but he taped me up just in case. If I didn’t have a breathing problem before, I definitely do now. I don’t know how women wear this kind of crap under their clothes. I’d rather let it all hang out. “I don’t have long. I know they’ll talk tomorrow, but she’ll never give me another shot after this. Not that I deserve it.”
“It wasn’t exactly your fault.”
“Doesn’t matter. How the hell can I tell her any of this?”
“You can’t,” Nico says with a pointed look.
“I know, dickhead. Besides, she should stay away from me anyway.” I stare at the phone in my hands. “Rocco texted me earlier and said he saw her out with some guy before.”
“She moved on pretty fast, huh?”
“I don’t know. I guess…”
