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“Alex runs a multi-billion dollar reconnaissance company, which you used to run until you moved to another empire with even better resources. How is this impossible?”
“Find a woman with a name that starts with ‘A’. How is that impossible? Let me count the ways. There are the proper names, like Ava, Amelia, Addison, Alexis. Then, the nicknames, like Amy, Addy, and Lex, Lexi, and Lexxi. Followed by the one-off’s like Autumn and Ashlyn.” He sucked in a breath. “We’d have better luck finding a unicorn in Central Park.”
“In 1997, a three foot tall Big Foot was spotted in Central Park.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Madison, you know that’s not very big.”
“But I saw it on the internet, so it must be true. Besides, it made you laugh.”
“It also doesn’t help that Alex didn’t exactly make a roster or get last names.”
Thank God for small favors.
Paco went on. “This isn’t just finding a needle in a haystack. It’s trying to find a needle in a haystack that existed over fifteen years ago, with more hay in it than a thousand barns combined.”
The boys were heading straight towards her.Herboys, along with Mark. AJ had a smile on his face bigger than the Brooklyn Bridge. Alex, however, was all frowns.
“Can I stay?” AJ asked, excitedly.
“Stay?” she asked.
AJ rushes over to Madison, more excited than she’s seen since he beat Alex four games in a row with the latestQuantum Vortex: Uprising.“They’re doing camping around a bonfire with graham crackers and marshmallows and chocolate.”
“S’mores,” she clarified.Sheesh, the kid’s never heard of s’mores.
“Yes. S’mores. And fireworks. And ghost stories. And out all night, sleeping by a fire. It’s gonna be awesome!”
She turned to Alex. He shrugged. “I said I was okay if you were okay.”
Madison tilted her head at Mark, grilling him. “And girls?”
“With plenty of chaperones,” he assured her.
“Alcohol.”
“Not a drop.”
“Curfew?” she said quizzically.
Mark rubbed his neck. “Whenever they pass out?”
Alex pocketed his hands. “I have an international call tonight that will take hours, and I know you’ll be exhausted, but Mark and Jess said they’d be happy to keep an eye on him.”
Mark patted AJ on the back. “I promise, we’ll watch over him like one of our own.”
Madison smiled warmly. “Sure, but what about clothes?”
Mark patted AJ’s back. “We’ve got plenty. Clothes. Toiletries. You name it, we’ve got it.”
She was right. Mark and Jess always had kids at the house. Friends. Family. Foster kids. Madison held out a pinky. “You’ll call if you need anything at all?”
Reluctantly, he locked pinkies with hers. “Promise.”
* * *
Even with the lights out, Alex tossed and turned until finally he got up and walked over to the window.
Madison checked the clock. Four in the morning. She flipped on the light. “Can’t sleep?” she asked.
