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He slowed the car to a stop at an intersection and breathed a sigh of relief when the large, fancy hotel came into view. They’d found their first possible stop in the search for Will’s panic chocolate, and just as Ed found the answer he’d needed: talk to Max. Even if that seemed scarier than anything else he would have to face.

“Regardless of what happens, just know that you’ve always got a place on the team. We’re your other family, and that never changes.”

Ed reached out and lightly tapped Charlie on the chest with his fist. “Back at you, old man.”

“Now enough of this mushy bullshit. My baby needs chocolate, and Papa Bear is going to deliver.”

“Please stop,” Ed moaned. “I’ve already got an image of you in an apron and pearls. I don’t need you as some papa bear in my brain.”

“Yeah, I’m better off as a hot silver fox than a bear.”

Ed giggled. It was amazing that Will put up with Charlie’s insanity, but they made a perfect team.

And there was a tiny voice inside of Ed begging for him to find that with Max.

18

MAX SUTTON

“You did it! I knew you’d do it, you li’l bastard!”

Hudson’s loud voice filled the dining room while his wrinkled, perpetually tanned face filled the computer screen.

He continued on in the same vein, but Max made out only half of it, and that was because he’d worked with Hudson Loche so many times over the years. Not to mention gotten drunk with him nearly as frequently.

“What the fuck,” Kairo murmured beside him in a soft voice. Max had moved this planning session to the dining room so Kairo could comfortably participate. He needed his dig specialists and his security team for this one. “Was that even English?”

“It was Aussie, and I sometimes wonder if his fellow Australians can even understand him anymore,” Max muttered to the hacker and turned his attention back to the screen. “Switch to English, Bull, so the rest of us can follow along at home.”

“I was congratulating you, li’l cocksucker,” Hudson grumbled, adding a two-finger salute for good measure.

“Watch the name-calling. You’re just jealous I won’t touch your old snake,” Max taunted with a laugh. He held up his hands in front of the camera and waved them, trying to head off Hudson’s inevitable comeback. They needed to focus on work rather than trading snarky remarks. “Bull, I’ve got Kairo Jones sitting in with me today for the meeting. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’ve run into a little trouble with smugglers and grave robbers. Kairo is heading up the security team who’s going to make sure we all stay safe.”

Hudson flashed them a toothy grin. “I’ve heard rumors that our Max has been getting his taint handed to him recently. I hope you haven’t bitten off more than you chew on this one.”

“I’m not too worried,” Kairo interjected. “We’ve dealt with worse than what Max is facing and come out with no problems.”

“Glad to hear it. Glad to hear it.” Hudson nodded, his expression turning serious for the first time. “Max is a good guy, even if he does have a temper on him. We like seeing him around the digs.”

“Only because you know I’ve got a way of finding the good stuff.” Max sat back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. If this dig was successful, this was going to be his fourth find, but his first to be classified as a major find. Hudson just liked coming away with something—big or little made no difference to him.

“Do you and…Hudson? Bull?” Kairo stumbled.

“The name’s Hudson Loche, but all my friends call me Bull—short for bull’s-eye, because I can always find the mark the diggers are searching for,” Hudson answered.

“More like he’s got all the finesse of a bull in a China shop,” Max tacked on, but he held up a hand again. “Except for when it comes to his sonar work. Then he’s all light touch and safecracker skills.”

“Damn straight!”

Kairo chuckled beside him, his eyes wide as if he were struggling to take in Hudson’s personality. He wouldn’t be the first. Hudson was just one of those bigger-than-life guys who charged at you from out of nowhere. You either learned to get the hell out of the way or got trampled.

“Do you and Hudson always work together on projects?” Kairo inquired.

“Most of them. Assuming I’m not already booked up with another dig director,” Hudson replied.

Max nodded. “We met while I was working on a dig during my undergraduate years. The lead archeologist had hired Hudson to do some sonar work to search for some additional rooms off a tomb near Saqqara Necropolis—that’s up near Cairo. He was nice enough to take the time to explain his work to some know-it-all kid.”

“And take him out to get him drunk on his birthday,” Hudson added.

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